Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Pineapple Chicken Burritos

(http://realmomkitchen.com/5135/pineapple-chicken-burritos/)

Everyone loved these.  I think my kids are just partial to anything that includes green enchilada sauce!  The meat mixture was fine by itself but yummy with sauce on it - in or out of the tortilla.
  • 6 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups medium salsa (needs to be medium or it will be too bland)
  • 2-3 cups cooked rice
  • 10-12 burrito sized flour tortillas
  • 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar/monterry jack blend
  1. Place the chicken in the crock pot and top with the pineapple, beans, and salsa. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  2. Remove the chicken and shred. Mix the chicken back into the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Mix in the cooked rice.
  4. Use half of the mixture to fill 5-6 of the burrito tortillas.  Allow the other half of the mixture to cool.
  5. Place the 5-6 burritos in a 9×13 pan.  Pour 1 can of the green enchilada sauce over the burritos.
  6. Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese and place under the broiler on the middle rack until the cheese is nice and melted.  Enjoy.
  7. With the remain cooled filling mixture, place it in a gallon sized freezer bag and freeze for another meal.  You can also place the remaining tortillas and shredded cheese in separate freezer bags to freeze along with the mixture for a future meal if you would like, but I don’t do this because I always have tortillas and cheese in my fridge.  To use the frozen meal, thaw the filling, tortillas and cheese and reheat the filling mixture. Then follow steps 4-6.
Note: next time I’m going to try to add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp onion salt in step 3.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Applesauce BBQ Sauce Shredded Pork

http://realmomkitchen.com/428/applesauce-bbq-sauce-shredded-pork/


1 pork loin (around 3 pounds for use of all the sauce, you could also use any type of pork roast or even chops)

Sauce
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups brown sugar (I used 1 1/4 c)
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (I didn’t measure this I just did 10 grinds from my pepper grinder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place pork loin in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. I didn’t use any liquid to add to mine, but next time I was thinking it would be good to cook it with a little apple juice. Remove from crock pot and shred. Remove any juice or fat let in crock pot. Place meat back in crock pot and add prepared applesauce bbq sauce. Heat until warm.


To prepare sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix applesauce, ketchup, brown
sugar, lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder
and cinnamon. Stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Remove
from heat and use to bast the meat of your choice. (The recipe says the applesauce gives
the sauce a nice thick texture, and coats well on the meat and that the sweet
spicy flavor is excellent on chicken or pork.)

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich



Yield: Salad for 3-4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich is a great quick and easy lunch option that is good for you too! The salad also makes a great dip! 

(http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/smashed-chickpea-avocado-salad-sandwich/)

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans 1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice (I use whole wheat bread)
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel and remove the outer skins. You can leave them on, but I like to remove them.  (I just removed them as they fell off in the process of being mashed)
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. I like to add fresh spinach leaves.
Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Also, this salad is best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.




Sunday, May 13, 2012

Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies

From the Recipe Shoebox

The ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tbs. water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 package (12-ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream shortening, brown sugar, water, and vanilla together.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda; mix just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake 7-9 minutes on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.  The tops of the cookies should still look slightly moist when done.  Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.  Make 24-30 medium size cookies. 

Enjoy!

Honey Lime Dressing 'Ohana Polynesian Resort

This dressing was served on a green salad our last night in WDW.  It's the perfect combination of tart and sweet.
 
Ingredients:

1/2 C honey
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 C cider vinegar
1/4 C lime juice
1/4 C diced onion
1 C canola oil
Method:
Place all ingredients except oil in food processor and blend until
smooth. Slowly add oil until it is well incorporated into the
dressing. Makes 2 Cup.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Great flavor and easy to throw together.  Everyone (even the tomato haters) liked!

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used a can of diced tomatoes, undrained, and a can of green chilies)
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I used half yellow and half red)
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
  3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
  4. Next add the tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
  5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.
http://realmomkitchen.com/9318/oven-baked-chicken-fajitas/