Karin's Spanish Rice

For years, I had been on the hunt for a really good Spanish rice recipe, but found no success until my pal, Karin, brought over this dish for dinner one night. It was, by far, the best Spanish rice I’d ever tasted. Fortunately, she was willing to share her secret.

2 c. white rice 
1/4 c. canola oil
½ yellow onion, chopped
bell pepper, any color, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
approx. 2 tsp each salt, pepper, cumin
a few shakes of hot sauce
2 c. water or chicken broth

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the rice and cook until golden brown (10-15 min). Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté 5 min more. Add the garlic; sauté for 3 min.
Add tomato sauce, broth/water, and seasonings. Stir and turn up heat to high, bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 2 min. Then, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min. 

Grandma's Enchilada Casserole

Several years ago, we visited my husband’s family and, naturally, ended up having a lot of mouths to feed. Grandma concocted this casserole, which not only fed all of us, but had us all coming back for seconds (and me for the recipe). It’s great on its own, but even better scooped up with tortilla chips and topped with dollops of sour cream and guacamole.

 2 lbs. lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ packets taco seasoning or 3 T Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

12-15 corn tortillas, cut into quarters

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, brown hamburger; add garlic and cook until meat is browned. Drain meat and add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Cook about 2 additional minutes until heated through.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer tortilla quarters in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Add meat mixture and top with another layer of tortillas. In a small bowl, whisk together soup and milk. Pour over meat and tortillas. Top with cheese. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let set 5-10 minutes before serving; top with sour cream.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

When I first ran across the original recipe for this dish on Hungry Girl, I couldn’t help but think, “Canned chicken? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Somehow though, it just worked – and it was 98% fat free. This is a great lighter version of a fried classic and is perfect for a main dish or appetizer.

1 (large) can chunk white chicken in water, drained 

½ cup green salsa (Try World Table’s Salsa Verde)

10-12 corn tortillas

1/3 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded

½ tsp. dry taco seasoning (Try Homemade Taco Seasoning)

Fat free sour cream for dipping (optional)

Taco sauce for dipping (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine chicken and salsa; mix thoroughly to combine, shredding chicken in the process. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain any excess liquid from chicken and stir in cheese and taco seasoning. Cover tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 60-80 seconds, until pliable. Spoon about 2-3 T. of chicken mixture into the center of a tortilla. Spread chicken length-wise and roll into a tight cigar shape; secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Line rolled taquitos on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 14-16 minutes, until tortillas are crispy. Serve with sour cream and/or taco sauce for dipping.

*Recipe modified from Hungry Girl

Enchilada Soup

1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cans enchilada sauce (red)
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup flour 
1 can fiesta corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups milk
1 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded

1. In large pot, saute onions and green peppers in olive oil until tender.Once tender, add enchilada sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, corn, black beans, milk, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper.

2. With remaining chicken broth, whisk in flour. Once combined add to pot and bring to a boil.

3. Add in shredded chicken and simmer for 15-20 minutes. With 5 minutes remaining stir in Mexican cheese.

4. Serve with crushed tortilla chips.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

We all have our favorite restaurant recipes. Since the Air Force has moved us to a rather restaurant-desolate city, it’s been my goal to recreate some of our favorites at home. With the nearest Chipotle about 2 hours away, the dish is a great, healthier substitute for their delicious rice and makes a great side dish!

1 cup long-grain or Jasmine rice 

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups chicken broth or water

1 tsp. salt

3 T. fresh cilantro, minced

3 tsp. vegetable oil

In a medium pot, add rice, 1 tsp. oil, broth, and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit an additional 5 minutes.

In a medium glass bowl, combine cilantro, lime juice, and remaining oil. Toss with rice until completely mixed.

*Recipe from Skinnytaste

Crock Pot Mexi Chicken

This recipe is very simple and can be used to make tacos, enchiladas or even just eaten by itself!

4 chicken breasts
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp dried cilantro
2 limes
Minced onion, to taste
garlic powder, to taste



Mix the cumin, chili powder, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder and chicken broth together in a crock pot. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them to the crock pot.  Add lime juice and cilantro to the crock pot after you put in the chicken. Cook on low for 3-5 hours. Take chicken out of the broth and shred with forks. Use chicken to make tacos, enchiladas or whatever you please. If chicken seems dry, add in a bit of the broth.

Adapted from Good Life Eats.

Chili's Copycat Salsa

I have a serious problem when it comes to Chili’s: I can’t stop eating their salsa. It has the chunk-free texture that I love, with just the right amount of heat. Who knew mimicking it could be so easy?!

1 can (15-oz) whole tomatoes 

1 can (15-oz) Rotel tomatoes

¼ onion, chopped

1 small can (4-oz) jalapenos (not pickled)

1 T lime juice

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp cumin

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until puréed to desired consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Modified from Deals to Meals

Homemade Taco Seasoning

My husband is a HUGE taco fan, but I don’t love the added preservatives and MSG that are included in most mixes. This homemade version had all of the flavor we were looking for, with none of the extras. Try it in place of a packet in any recipe!

1 part chili powder 

1 part cumin

1 part garlic powder

1 part onion powder

½ part red pepper flakes

¼ part salt

Mix all spices together thoroughly. Store in airtight bag or container.

2 Tablespoons = 1 packet

*Modified from $5 Dinners

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

There are some times when taking a little help from the store is just as tasty as cooking from scratch. Since Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines, I’ve done a lot of experimenting with enchilada recipes. I came across an excellent recipe for red sauce that, though time consuming and ingredient-heavy, has just the flavor I was looking for. One night I was a little short on time, so I “cheated” and grabbed a can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce from the shelf. The two sauces tasted almost identical. (Plus, Old El Paso cost about $1.50 a can and took about 4 seconds to open) The lesson? Flavor is flavor. 
Tip: Try using leftover chicken from Whole Chicken and Dumplings for instant shredded chicken!

2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken OR 

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with: garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper

2 - 1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

10-12 corn tortillas

2 cans Old El Paso enchilada sauce (I prefer medium)

Optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole

If using raw chicken:

Preheat broiler for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and season chicken breasts and arrange on greased broiler pan. Broil chicken for 8-10 minutes per side. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then shred chicken into a medium bowl, using two forks. (One fork stabilizes, the other shreds, with the grain)

Once chicken is shredded, add 1/3 c. shredded cheddar and about ½ a can of enchilada sauce. Stir until combined. Heat tortillas in the microwave for about 40 seconds to make them easier to roll. (Hint: Cover with a damp paper towel to keep them moist)

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place about a spoonful of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla and roll securely. Line rolled tortillas into the pan in a single layer. Pour the remaining can and a half of enchilada sauce over the stuffed tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 c. cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Best served with sour cream and/or guacamole. 

"Healthy" Chicken Tortilla Casserole

This recipe is from Betty Crocker and it uses reduced fat ingredients to make it "healthier". It was really good! I did not use the green chilies, peppers or tomato but instead used two cups of salsa. This would be good over rice if you left out the tortillas.



1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat free 45% less sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies

1 container (8 oz) fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)



1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chilies, sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken, tortillas and bell pepper. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish.

2.Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

A spicy pot of hot soup is just the cure for a cold day and makes an excellent feast to share with friends. This zesty recipe has become one of the most-requested at my house, in any season, because of its rich taste and creamy texture. Its great served with pan-fried cheese quesadillas for dipping.

6 tablespoons cooking oil 

8-10 corn tortillas, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

1 onion, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground or whole coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 medium can diced tomatoes with garlic & basil

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup cilantro leaves (a handful)

1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Optional: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro for topping

In a large pot, heat oil over moderately high heat. Add half the tortilla strips and fry, stirring, until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips.

Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion, garlic, and spices to the remaining oil; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cilantro leaves, and one-third of the tortilla strips. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes; remove the bay leaves. While the soup simmers, season chicken to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder; cook until browned and set aside.

With an immersion blender, blend until smooth (or blend in a blender in batches). Add the chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for about 1-3 minutes.

To serve, put the remaining tortilla strips in bowls and pour in the soup. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, cheese, and a dollop or sour cream. 

Shredded Beef Tacos

There are two main reasons I love my Crockpot: 1) Dinner is ready (within reason) when I am. For a schedule as varied as ours, this simple fact is a Godsend. 2) It makes my entire house smell yummy all day. These tacos smelled so delicious, I couldn’t wait for dinner-time to arrive!

Beef:
1 ½ - 2 lbs. beef top round 

Salt & pepper

1 jalapeño, finely minced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ onion, chopped

1 T. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne

3 T. lime juice

½ bottle amber beer

Tacos:

6-8 taco shells

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Diced tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Season roast with salt and pepper and place in a Crockpot; add remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on low about 6 hours. Once cooked, remove meat from pot. Shred beef with two forks, going with the grain. Add shredded beef back into the pot and stir into sauce; let heat 5-10 additional minutes. Prepare tacos with desired ingredients and spoon in meat.

Texas Flour Tortillas

Texas Flour Tortillas

I have no clue how I found the blog called The Homesick Texan...I think it was when I was looking up recipes for Hello Dolly bars. Anyway, I browsed her recipes and saw she had some for corn an flour tortillas so I kept that mental note. I wanted to make spinach and shrimp quesadillas but we were out of tortillas. So I looked up the recipe and got to work.

                                                                   Photo by Fly Girls
Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Ingredients:

Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:

                                                                          Photo by Fly Girls

 

-Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.

-Add the warm milk.

-Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

- Knead the dough for two minutes.

-Place dough in a bowl and cover for 20 minutes.

-After 20 minutes, break off eight sections, roll them into balls, place on a plate and then cover for 10 minutes.

-Place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter.

 

-Cover rolled out tortillas until you are ready to cook them.

 

-Cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side in a dry skillet on high.

-Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Makes eight tortillas.


Go here to check out the Homesick Texan blog!

 

 

Baked Chicken Chimichangas with Sour Cream Sauce

I am a Mexican food-aholic. My inevitable answer to the “Where do you want to go to dinner?” question is almost always “Mexican”. Unfortunately, the Air Force has not exactly placed us in the restaurant mecca of the world, so I’ve had to do a lot more at-home experimenting with my eatery favorites.  These chimichangas tasted just as good (if not better) than most restaurants and probably a lot leaner without the added deep frying.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 envelope taco seasoning

½ cup salsa verde

½ cup sour cream

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 large flour tortillas

4 T. butter, melted

Combine chicken with taco seasoning, salsa, and sour cream. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

(Tip: This is a great way to use up surplus chicken, but if you don’t have leftovers on hand, try pouring some enchilada sauce over raw chicken and broiling for about 9 minutes per side; then, shred chicken with two forks)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay tortillas out flat and brush both sides with melted butter.  Add about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla; add shredded cheese atop the chicken. Fold tortillas like an envelope and place on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Top with sour cream sauce and additional shredded cheese.

 Sour Cream Sauce

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne

1 cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and let cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and spices. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Let simmer until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream. Cook 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Serve over chimichangas. 

Chicken Enchilada Nachos

Like I have said before, we love Mexican food especially enchiladas. I make enchiladas a lot usually trying a different recipe each time. This time, I decided to make enchilada nachos. Same flavor, different meal. It turned out great! Maybe next time, I'll try enchilada pizza. 

2 Chicken Breasts
1 can Green Enchilada Sauce
1 can Green Chilies
1/3 cup Salsa
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
Tortilla Chips 
1-2 cups Mexican cheese, shredded (Amount of cheese depends on your preference)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In pan, combine chicken, enchilada sauce, green chilies and salsa. Cook over medium low heat for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.


2. Remove chicken from pan and allow to cool. Once cool, shred with fork and return to enchilada sauce. 


3. Arrange tortilla chips on pizza pan. Top with chicken mixture using slotted spoon. 


4. Cook for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and chips are crispy.

Taco Soup

If it were up to my husband, we would have “Taco Tuesday” every week. If it were up to me, we’d never eat the same meal twice in one month. Therefore, we compromise. I give him taco flavor most every week, without actually repeating the dish. This soup is an easy fix for the stovetop or crockpot and is great served with warm tortillas or cornbread.

1-1   ½ lbs. lean ground beef 

1 package taco seasoning

1 T. ranch dressing seasoning

1 cup beef broth

1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (14 oz.) Rotel tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 oz.) chili beans

In a large pot, brown beef until cooked through. (If using a crockpot, brown meat in a pan before adding to the crockpot.) Add taco seasoning and ranch mix; stir well. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream for serving.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

My husband and I love, love, love Mexican food. I make something with a Mexican flair at least once a week. I saw this recipe for stuffed peppers online and I have really been wanting to try it. My husband does not eat many vegetables so he ate the stuffing mix in a tortilla. Despite the fact that we love Mexican food, I don't LOVE spicy food so I always cut down the spices in my cooking. Overall I was pleased with how the peppers came out. Maybe next time I will get a little more daring with the spices.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner


2 peppers
1-2 Tbsp of minced onion
2 tsp garlic powder
1 15 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup water, divided
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I omitted)
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup of shredded cheese of your choice
2 servings of instant rice or Mexican rice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your peppers in half. Once the oven had preheated, place the peppers on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the skins start to blister.

2. While the peppers are cooking, put 1/4 cup of water, black beans, minced onion, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and cayenne pepper into a sauce pan. Mix together and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to look mushy. You may need to add water from time to time to keep the beans from burning.

3. Cook rice as directed while your beans cook.

4. When the bean mixture is done, stir in the corn.

5. Place a spoonful of rice and a spoonful of the beans into each pepper half. Top with shredded cheese.

6. Broil for 4-5 minutes.

7. Serve with desired toppings.