Saturday, February 27, 2010

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

This recipe was posted by Rita Funk, a new regularly contributing author to this blog.  Welcome, Rita!

This is a VERY easy meal- and my favorite tortilla soup-ish recipe. I got it from my sister in law who said it was "freakin delish."  She was right.

Add to crockpot:
1 pound chicken (frozen)
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn
1 jar salsa (16 oz)
1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup sour cream (stir in at the end)

*** Put the beans on the bottom and don't disturb them. Chicken on top and then just layer everything on that...
*** Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours
*** Stir in sour cream before serving.

I have added frozen tomatoes and green peppers from my garden and it was great- and any kind of beans will work- I just use whatever I have on hand.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Mom's Fajitas

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.

I was putting these together tonight and remembering how yummy and easy they are, so I thought I'd better post the recipe. It is a little bit annoying to chop everything up, but they are super yum.  All of the ingredients for the marinade can be totally "eyed" / added to taste.  These are the measurements that I start with.  I usually end up at least doubling it.  I marinade both the chicken and the vegetables.  Growing up I used to love these enough to request them for my birthday dinners!  Additionally, my sister Rachel has calculated lots of Mom's recipes using the Weight Watchers points system, and this is one recipe that is actually very healthy and acceptable on that system.  Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

approximately 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces (This is easier to do if the chicken is partially frozen.)
chopped/sliced peppers and/or onions as desired

Marinade
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp. chili powder
3 Tbsp. salsa
  
Sautee in SUPER hot oil.  Halfway through the cooking splash tabasco sauce and lemon or lime juice over the chicken (and veggies).  Enjoy with traditional toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. 

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Creamy Homemade Marinara

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson.

Our friend, David Majeroni, taught us how to make this homemade marinara. It's his Italian family's favorite, and it's a flexible "eye-it" sort of recipe.

-Scoop out the innards of about six Roma tomatoes. (Get rid of all of the seeds and wet stuff.)

-Do the same for a large red bell pepper.

-Put these fresh veggies in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a 16 oz. can of diced or crushed tomatoes.

-Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and at least 1/4 cup of sugar. (You can add more if you want the sauce to taste extra sweet.) Mix.

-Put this tomato mixture in a skillet on the stove at a medium-high heat. Add a pinch of garlic.

-Let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked out, and the color is deep red.

-When the mixture looks almost done, add a couple of tablespoons of basil (fresh or dry) and sun-dried tomatoes (optional). Simmer another couple of minutes.

-Add cream or half-and-half to your liking. The sauce should be a creamy consistency and light red in color. (You decide what tastes good.)

-Serve over penne pasta.

YUM!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Chicken Tamale Casserole

I just tried this out tonight and couldn't believe how easy it was. My husband and I both thought it was a good staple meal.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (next time I will use a little more)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
  • 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
  • 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
  • sour cream to serve with
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Hope you like it!