Chicken Taco Bowls

This is one of my new favorite recipes, so I thought it was a good one to start off the new year. I’m becoming a bigger fan of my crockpot all the time, mostly because I love being able to just dump a bunch of stuff in there and have dinner ready hours later. Awesome. This is that kind of recipe. It’s super easy, really versatile, and tastes great.

Chicken Taco Bowls
2 large chicken breast halves
1 (16 0z) jar salsa
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and well rinsed
1 c. frozen corn
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)
1/2 c. uncooked jasmine rice
Shredded lettuce (optional)

Put everything except the rice, cheese and cilantro into the crockpot. However you want. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high from 4-5 hours. About 45 min before you want to eat, prepare the rice as directed on the package. I like to add a Tbsp of Lime juice and some garlic salt to mine.  Remove lid from crockpot and shred chicken. Mix all ingredients in the pot together and replace lid until ready to eat.
We make ours like this: Place rice on the bottom of your bowl. Then top with lettuce, chicken mixture, cheese and cilantro. You can eat it just like that, or I like to throw a little Ranch dressing on top. I have also used the leftover chicken mixture to make taco salads, nachos, or tacos for lunches.
This is so easy and you can tweak it however you want.

Kung Pao Chicken

I recently had my first experience with Kung Pao Chicken.  The restaurant version was great, but this recipe I made at home was even better. I am a big fan of simple recipes.  At first glance this seems a bit complex, but really it's simple. The steps are just broken down for my own benefit, so I don't screw-up. Dinner time is easily my hardest time of day as that's when I need to be paying attention to what I'm doing in the kitchen as well as the precious baby girl clinging to my legs.  Anyway, try the Kung Pao. It's divine.

Kung Pao Chicken

1 lb chicken (I used 2 frozen boneless skinless breast halves) cut into strips

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp sweet thai chilli sauce (I used 3 tbsp)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp sesame oil

2 green onions, diced. separate green pieces from white

1 medium green bell pepper (I did half green, half red), diced

2 medium carrots thinly sliced

1/2 cup zucchini, diced (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

3 cups prepared jasmine rice

Prepare chicken marinade: Dissolve 1 Tbsp of corn starch in 1 Tbsp of water and then add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of rice vinegar, and 2 tsp of minced garlic. Stir well. Pour over chicken in a container, cover and refridgerate while you prepare the rest.

Prepare the sauce: Dissolve 1 Tbsp of corn starch in 1 Tbsp of water. Then add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Stir to combine and dissolve the brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.

Prepare the veggies: Slice the peppers, carrots, zucchini and green onion.

Prepare rice: add 1.5 cups jasmine rice to 2.5 cups boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Heat 2 T. oil in medium skillet. When it's very hot add white portions of the onions and cook for about 1 minute. Add marinated chicken and stir-fry until cooked through (about 5 min).

Add veggies and peanuts, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook until thickened (about 2-3 min). Serve chicken and veggie mixture over prepared rice.

Honey-Hoisin Chicken

My husband found this recipe in Parents' magazine.  It's a real keeper. It was really quick and easy to throw together, but it also tasted delicious.

Honey-Hoisin Chicken

3 T hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken, cut into thin strips (I used to large breast halves)
3 C. cooked rice (I used Jasmine, my new favorite)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. In a small bowl whisk together the hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice and 1 tbsp of oil.  Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce.  Brush remaining mixture onto chicken strips and place them in skillet to cook. Allow to cook for about 3 min each side, or until cooked through.  Serve chicken on top of rice.  Drizzle with reserved Sauce.

Tikka Masala

Phil & I only recently discovered how much we like Indian food.  It really is fabulous.  I’ve been looking for a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala (my favorite Indian dish) for a while now, but usually they’re quite complicated or consist of 17 ingredients I don’t even own.  This one was meant for me.  The only thing I had to go buy is cayenne pepper.  It was really easy to make and it turned out amazing.  Phil said it tasted “real,” which I think meant that next time we go out for Indian Food I’ll try something else, because this is just as good as what I could buy there.  Just a warning, I made this last night and my kitchen still smells like it today.  Well worth it, I might add.

Chicken Tikka Masala      

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I used lime)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (I used ground)
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or chunks
Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Grill or cook chicken in frying pan. Discard marinade.
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute.  Add the seasonings. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve over hot rice.
And maybe open a window. =)

Coconut Curry Noodles

I got this recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café and we loved it!  It was really easy and tasted fantastic.  Here is the recipe as adapted by Mel:

Cocnut Curry Noodles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans light or regular coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cups sweet Thai chili sauce
2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 (13.5 ounce) package rice noodles (about ¼-inch wide)
1 yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
2 red peppers, cored and sliced thinly
1 cup broccoli slaw or thinly sliced matchstick carrots
1 teaspoon salt to taste

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a pan and add the curry paste and ginger. Let this simmer, stirring constantly, for about one minute.
Add the chicken and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Add the coconut milk, sweet Thai chili sauce, cilantro, and chicken broth. Bring this to a simmer.

Add the red pepper, carrots and rice noodles and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom, for about 5-8 minutes. The noodles will thicken and plump up as they absorb the liquid. The mixture will be slightly soupy when the noodles are finished cooking.
Take the pot off the heat and let the noodles sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken.

Cocnut Curry Chicken

A few weeks ago Phil and I went out for Indian food for the first time (Thank you, Trina) and we loved it.  We decided we needed to try more foods we don't eat very often.  Who knows what else we're missing?  This week I decided to experiment with curry.  I was scared, but it went well.  We really liked this dish.  Katie even ate it.  Actually, at first she refused to eat it.  Then we bribed her with a movie or something to try one bite of chicken. After that she said, "Mom!  I can eat all my chicken!"  And she did.  You can find the original recipe here.  I changed a few ingredients (mostly because I couldn't find green curry paste and I could never put a whole onion in any recipe. Ever.) and it worked out great.  I hope you like it, too!

Coconut Curry Chicken

2 chicken breast halves, sliced in small pieces

crushed garlic

olive oil

4 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped on a diagonal

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 can coconut milk

2-3 tsp red curry paste

3 Tb sugar

corn starch to thicken

Stir fry chicken in garlic and olive oil, set aside.  Stir fry veggies and onion in garlic and olive oil until the onions are cooked through.  Combine chicken with veggies in large skillet.  Pour coconut milk over and stir in curry paste, sugar, and corn starch (I did about 2tsp).  We ate this over jasmine rice like the original recipe suggests and it was so so good.  This serves about 4.

I hate to say it, but I totally rocked dinner tonight.

I have an all-new obsession.  I can’t get enough gluten-free Bisquick.  It’s just amazing.  It makes the best waffles and pancakes ever.  Then I tried the “Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie” everyone’s always telling me about.  Delish.  Tonight I made the recipe on the box for Chicken Fingers and it was the bomb.  We absolutely loved them.   I was looking in recipe books for something to use up my zucchini and yellow squash and found a recipe for “Garden Frittata.”  I like recipes that are naturally gluten-free and don’t require any modification, and that’s what this is.  This was an unlikely combo, but made a great dinner! Here are the recipes:

GF Bisquick Chicken Tenders

3/4 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1.   Heat oven to 450°F. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
2.   Stir Bisquick mix, cheese, paprika and salt in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken strips into eggs, then coat with Bisquick mixture; repeat dipping in eggs and Bisquick mixture. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Drizzle butter over chicken.
3.   Bake 12 to14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, until no longer pink in center.
**We dipped these in ranch, honey & ketchup.

Garden Frittata (recipe from Taste of Home)

1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 medium tomato, sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 T. fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine squash, zucchini and onion in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender, drain.  Put veggies into a greased 9 inch pie plate.  Top with mozzarella, tomato slices.  In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, basil salt and pepper and pour over veggies.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake uncovered for about 45 min at 375 degrees.  Let stand about 10 minutes.

Chicken Basil Pasta

I recently found a recipe website that I love! It’s called Eat Better America. We’ve made a few successful recipes from this site that I’ll try to post soon, but the one we made tonight….oh, it was delicious. I had to post it right now. I modified the recipe just a little bit, so here’s my version:
Chicken Basil Pasta

1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 C. cubed cooked chicken
3 T fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Tobasco Sauce
8 oz pasta (I used Tinkyada spaghetti noodles)

Prepare pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add all other ingredients and cook until tomatoes are soft (about 5 min). Serve over pasta. Sprinkle a little parmesan on top if you want.
When I made this, I was looking at it wondering why it wasn’t more “saucy.” If you’re as concerned as I was about the lack-of-sauce, just have a little faith and try it out. It doesn’t need sauce. It’s perfect just the way it is.

Chicken-Bacon Roll Ups

Last week my husband made this delish dish, so I  thought I’d pass it along.  I was nervous about the sauce, but it really was great! I’m way sad I didn’t take a picture of this one.  My husband always makes pretty food.
Chicken-Bacon Roll Ups
Here’s what you need:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (pounded flat) 6 slices cooked bacon                                                                3 slices muenster cheese (cheddar or provolone would work too)
Mix together for Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup apricot jam
Here’s what you do:  once you’ve pounded your chicken flat, lay a slice of cheese and 2 bacon strips on there.  Now roll them up and stick toothpicks in them to hold them together.  Put them in a 9x13 baking dish and pour sauce over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min, until chicken is cooked.
We ate it with baked potatoes and we thought it would probably also be good over rice.  We also thought if you weren’t into the sauce it would be good with regular bbq sauce, but try it first.  See what you think…it’s good stuff!

Salsa Chicken

My least favorite part of the day is deciding what to make for dinner.    This inspired me to start making a monthly menu, that way it's already decided for me.  It works great. Every month I ask my husband what he wants to eat.  There are a few that always come up, one of which is Salsa Chicken.  I got this recipe from my mom.

Salsa Chicken

3 chicken breast halves (about 1 per person), cut in small pieces

1 1/4 c. Salsa (I like mild, but if you like things really spicy, go medium or hot)

1 1/4 c. apricot jam (I can usually only find Apricot/Pineapple and that's great too)

Rice or Quinoa cooked per package

Cook chicken on stove top or in electric skillet in 1-2T extra virgin olive oil.  When chicken is cooked through, add salsa and jam.  Cook until sauce is bubbling.  Serve chicken and sauce over rice or quinoa (we like the quinoa but rice is good, too).  You can add as much chicken and sauce as you want, so this is a really easy/versatile recipe.

Serve with steamed brocolli.

Small side note:  as I was finishing typing this post, I could feel my daugher putting stickers on my back (she loves stickers all of a sudden).  When I finished I looked and saw she has actually covered me with stamps!!!  Where do you suppose she was sending me? I hope somewhere warm.  And where on earth did she find 37 cent stamps?!

Here's what's for dinner tonight...

The smell of that roast in the crockpot is making us all crazy with anticipation!  We are HUGE Cafe Rio fans in this family, so when we found a recipe that is almost as good as their sweet pork, it quickly became one of our favorites.  It doesn't taste exactly the same, but it's really really good!

The day we make this we eat it on tostadas.  We start with a corn tortilla then layer on the black beans, sweet pork, shredded lettuce, cheese and ranch dressing.  It's amazing!  Then day two we usually eat it for lunch on Nachos with just the meat and cheese on chips.  Delicious again.  Then on day three we typically eat the meat in tacos, sometimes enchiladas.  These combos can go on for days.  We usually vacuum seal some to eat later in the month as well.  Try this out!  I think you'll like it!

PORK BARBACOA
2 or 3 lb. pork loin roast (or 5-6 chicken breats)
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1/2 to 1 c. water (I added 1/2 c. and it seemed to work fine.)

Cook in crock pot for6 hours onlow or 4 hours on high. Shred and then add:

1 (15 oz.) can of red enchilada sauce
3/4 c. dark brown sugar