Chicken Fajitas

My Dearest and I had gone to the store the other day together.

In the grocery section, we saw chicken breast that had been marinated in fajita seasonings.

It looked good so we decided we'd have Chicken Fajitas for dinner.

We picked up some black beans and Uncle Ben's Taco Rice to go with it.

It turned out really delish.

I can't wait to make them again....maybe with steak or shrimp.

I have no idea how to make fajitas so I make up my own recipe, if you wanna call it that.

Garlic Clove, Red Pepper and Green Pepper sauteing in the Dutch Oven.  Isn't it pretty?

This is what I ended up with, not too shabby, huh?

Chicken Fajitas

(Recipe created by Yours Truly)

INGREDIENTS

1 T olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

½  yellow onion, cut into strips (My Dearest & I aren't fans of onions, so I didn't use a lot)

1 pound Fajita Marinated Chicken Breasts, cut into strips (I forgot to look at the brand...oops)

Flour Tortillas

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add garlic, peppers and onion and saute for a couple minutes.  Add chicken and cook until chicken is completely done. (I wanna say it took approx 20-25 minutes until the chicken was done.)

I heated my cast iron grilled, sprayed it with a little olive oil on it and threw on a tortilla one at a time.  I kept it on the griddle long enough to warm it up then flipped it.  I thought it made all the difference in the world.  But maybe I'm biased. 

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

I had been eye-balling these little spice packets by McCormick for some while now.

One day, I decided that I was no longer going to gawk at them in the grocery aisle,

imagining how delicious the food looked any longer.

I wo-manned up and bought one.

The Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, to be exact.

Boy am I thrilled that I'm no longer a gawker!

This was probably one of the best meals I've ever had.

The best part is - obviously the back of the Recipe Inspiration has the recipe

but since I have all of these spices on hand, I don't have to buy the packet any longer!

Which means that I no longer stand in the aisle gawking.

Um, well, I still gawk.  

Now I gawk at the Apple and Sage Pork Chops and the Garlic Lime Fajitas.

My Dearest isn't a fan of "sweet" or "fruity" ingredients in his savory meals.

He's weird like that, he doesn't like the little extra flair that fruit adds to a meal. 

I don't particularly like that about him, because I'm all about a little fruit flair in my meals.

I will continue to love him regardless of his lack o' fruity flair.

I will continue to make him flairless foods.

(Photo from McCormick)

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

(Adapted from the McCormick Kitchens)

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp Paprika

1½ tsp Crushed Rosemary Leaves

1 tsp Minced Garlic

½ tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2lbs)  (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1½ lbs. small red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes

Mix oil, all of the spiced and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and potatoes; toss to coat well. Arrange chicken and potatoes in single layer on foil-lined 15x10x1-nch baking pan sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

Roast in preheated 425ºF oven 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

Matt and I love meatballs.

Whether it be a meatball sub, meatballs served as a finger food,

or spaghetti with meatballs, we love them all.

I had been perusing the Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen website when I happened upon this recipe.

I made a few tweaks here and there. (see below recipe for my adpatations)

This recipe as a whole was fantastic and rather quick meal.

I was surprised at how fast the meatballs were done.

I will say that I was rather stressed about having to touch the meat and mix by hands.

But I overcame my fear and rolled up my sleeves and tackled the turkey with the best of them!

*gasp!*

My mother would be so proud.

Please excuse the horrible appearance of myself.  I look horrible....and my arms look like they are about to eat the top of my tank.  PLEASE IGNORE me....just focus on the fact that my hands are in the meat mixure. 

I rolled all of these BY MYSELF!

*pardon me while I try to keep from gagging.*

Meat-a-Balls cooking away.

First batch of meatballs done, prior to having the marinara poured on them.

Voila!  Finished product.  I realize now I should have left the top off one of them.  O-well.

I also promise that they are actually on a plate, it's just clear.

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

(Adapted from the The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

INGREDIENTS

1lb Turkey

½ c. Panko

1 garlic clove, minced

½ t. salt

½ t. pepper

½ FF milk

2T olive oil

½ whole medium onion, diced

1 jar marinara (homemade or store bought)

12 dinner rolls

4 slices Provolone Cheese

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized balls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for 1 minute.   Add meatballs with the onions and brown for 1 minute.  Pour in marinara sauce, shake pan to mix. Put lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cut dinner rolls in half. Place wedge of Provolone cheese on the top and bottom halves.   Spoon meatball and sauce onto  the bottom bun.   Top with other half of bun.

Serve immediately.

MY ADAPTATIONS:
* The original recipie calls for ground chuck, but I opted to use ground turkey to make it a little healthier.

* I also used fat-free milk instead of whole milk.

* I threw in a little marjoram, fennel seed and oregano to give them a little more of an Italian flare.

Low Country Shirmp Pilaf

Matt really likes cajun and low country type foods.

I really like the spicy flavors in those foods. 

I'm not a huge fan of gumbos or jambalyas, but I will eat them.

It's the "kick" I really enjoy. 

I happened upon this recipe one day while searching for something for dinner.

I knew that we would both love it.

And I was right.

Low Country Shrimp Pilaf

(Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ T canola oil (I used EVOO)
1 ½ c. green pepper, diced
1 c. onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic
2 t. Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb Shrimp
½ c. white wine
¾ c. water w/ chicken bouillon
1 ½ c. white rice (I used brown rice)
2 T. thyme, divided
1 can Rotel (14.5oz) Tomatoes with Jalapenos

Heat oil, add pepper & onion. Sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic and Old Bay Seasoning, sauté 1 minute. Add shrimp, wine, water/bouillon and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed.

After liquid is absorbed, place the pan back over medium heat. Stir in 1T thyme and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes or until completely heated. Sprinkle with remaining thyme.

Yeild:  4 Servings

Serving Size: 1 ½ cups

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Calories:  365

Fat:  8g
Protein:  27.8g

Carbohydrate:  44.7g

Fiber:  3.9g

Cholesterol:  174mg

WW POINTS: 7

Slow-Cooker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

(Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food)

Browning the dark meat first means you'll use less oil and cut back on fat. Refrigerate the finished dish in an airtight container, up to 5 days, or freeze, up to 3 months.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

Course Salt & Ground Pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup hot-pepper sauce, such as Frank's

3 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses

8 hamburger buns

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until meat is golden brown, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a slow cooer, leaving as much oil behind as possible. Repeat with chicken breasts.

2. To skillet, add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent, 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. To slow cooker, add crushed tomatoes, hot-pepper sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and molasses; stir to combine. Cover and cook on high until chicken is very tender, 4 hours. Shred chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on buns.

QUICK TIP:

Use a potato masher to shred the cooked chicken in the slow cooker. Or, transfer chicken to a large plate, pull apart with 2 forks, then return to sauce in the cooker.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Serving = one sandwich

358 Calories

10g Fat (3 Sat fat)

35g protein

31g carbohydrates

3g fiber

**FYI - I only used chicken breast instead of half/half breasts and thighs. I had to use a little more EVOO when cooking my second batch of chicken breast.  As far as buns go, Matt, his mom, and brother used extra hoagie buns that we had, so it may alter the nutritional facts.  I used a wheat Arnold's Sandwich Thins for my bun.  It was better nutritionally than the hoagie.  But due to the thinness and the juiciness of the chicken, the bottom half was a little soggie.  But it was good regardles of how you choose to eat it.  I even ate a little w/o a bun and it was just as yummy.  We also had to add a little extra Frank's to our finished sandwich because this recipe really isn't spicy or buffalo-y at all.  Definitely will be mkaing it again..**

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

This is a super easy and really quick, go-to meal.  It took as long to prepare as it did for the oven to preheat.  Now that's what I am talking about!

Ingredients:

1 Wheat Premade Thin Crust Pizza Crust

1 can Tyson's chicken breast, drained

2 T Franks Red Hot

1 1/2 c Mozzarella cheese

1/4 c Fat Free Ranch dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.  Smear ranch dressing around 1 pizza crust, this will be your sauce.  In a bowl, mix chicken and Franks Red Hot together until blended well.  Spread chicken onto the pizza crust.  Top with cheese.  Pop in the oven until the cheese is completely melted (approx 10-13 minutes).  Cut into slices and eat up! 

If you are familiar with Speedy's in Sylva.  This pizza taste VERY SIMILAR to the chicken ranchero that they have on their menu....its just a little better for you!

Chili or Chili Beans? That is the Question.

Matt and I have had an ongoing “argument” of what this dish is actually called.

Here’s a little background:

A few years ago, Matt tells me he has fixed chili beans for dinner and invited me to eat with them.

Now if you know me, I am a very literal person, so I was assuming that Matt had prepared a large pot of chili beans.

When I got to his house for dinner, I discover that it is actually a pot of chili with beans.

This is when I told him that he could only call it chili beans if it was only a pot of beans. Being that it was not just a pot of beans, it must be called chili with beans.

We still have this argument each time he makes it.

We agree to disagree.

Ok back on subject.

I will be the first to say that Matt’s chili with beans is absolutely phenomenal.

He has made it with ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, and ground deer (venison).

The other night, Matt prepared what had to be the best pot of chili to date.

He refuses to give me the recipe, all he will tell me is the basic ingredients…but he refuses to tell the secret ingredients.

This most recent dish consisted of:

Ground turkey

Ground deer

Diced tomatoes

Chili Tomatoes

Corn

Chili Beans

Salsa

Chili Powder

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Pickled Jalapenos

Then you just top it with a little cheese and sour cream and you are set!

Quiche

One of my favorite go-to dishes for a quick breakfast or to eat as part of a meal with a salad.
Quiche is defintely something that you can eat anytime.

You can also change the ingredients for anything you desire.

The base is always the same; just add whatever ingredients you want.

Sort of like a pizza, but in a pie shell.  (I say pizza b/c you can put whatever on a pizza and its always delish.)

Rotel Quiche

1 frozen deep dish pie crust
5 eggs, whipped
6 slices Turkey bacon, chopped into pieces (fry/nuke the bacon, whichever you prefer)
1 can Rotel, drained
2/3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used FF)
Milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pie crust as directed on the package.
Mix together eggs, turkey bacon, Rotel, and cheese together. Pour into prepared pie crust.
Pour just enough milk into the pie shell until the shell is full.
Bake for approx 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let set for about 10 minutes then serve.