Pico De Gallo

Pico De Gallo
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

2 Organic Roma Tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 large Jalepeno (seeded diced)
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro (fresh)
1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1-2 tsp Garlic Salt (I started with 1 and then added a bit more after tasting the end product)
1 tsp of black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Best if you can refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes 

( When making this to go with my chicken fajita recipe, I put this in the fridge when I added the chicken mixture to the pan)

Healthier Chicken Enchiladas

Healthier Chicken Enchiladas

From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

2 lg chicken breasts (I used one of the Organic Chicken pckg's from Costco)

1 TBSP Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor (I used organic, reduced sodium)

salt, pepper, cumin (to taste)

2 cups of hot water

For the Sauce:

1 Jar (12 oz) of Salsa Verde (I used the Trader Joe's one)

1 cup of Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)

1 tsp of Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor (again, I used organic, reduced sodium)

For the Enchiladas

1 Can of Organic Corn...rinsed and drained (I used Trader Joe's)

1 Can of Organic Black Beans...rinsed and drained (I used Trader Joe's)

The cooked and shredded chicken from above

10 flour tortillas (I used the organic Trader Joe's ones....they are about 10 inches in diameter)

1 cup of Cheese (I used the Lite Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup of chopped scallions

Directions:

For the chicken:

In the morning, I placed the chicken in the crock pot and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin. I then dissolved 1 TBSP of Better than Bouillon in 2cups of hot water. Once dissolved I poured into the crock pot. I cooked the chicken on high for 4.5 hours, but you could cook it on low for longer if needed. Once the chicken is done, use forks to shred the chicken and place in a large bowl with the corn and black beans. Mix together until well combined. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

On the stop top, mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on low for about 5-8 minutes...until well combined. If it's too spicy for you add some extra yogurt.

For the Enchilada Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 375

Spray a 9x13 pan

To assemble these enchiladas, I took a heaping spoonful of the chicken, corn, and bean mixture and spread it in the middle of a tortilla. Then I rolled it and placed in the pan. Repeat until all 10 tortillas are rolled and in the pan. In my pan I fit 9 across and had one at the bottom. You could also do this in two 9x9 pans if you wanted as well (just put 5 in each).

Once all of the tortillas are in the pan, then I poured the sauce over all of the enchiladas. Next, I sprinkled about a cup of cheese over the top and finished them by sprinkling 1/4 cup of chopped scallions on top of the cheese.

You can either put this straight in the oven or you can cover with foil and place in the fridge (I had mine in the fridge for about two hours before I actually baked it).

Bake Covered at 375 for 25 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, take the foil off and let the cheese get good and melted.

Nutrition Facts (based off of the items I used...you could lower the calories and fat by using different tortillas...my tortillas had 140 cal and 3 grams of fat per tortilla, so you can see that is where a majority of the calories and fat for this dish comes from).

286 Calories

4.8 grams of fat

41 grams of carbs

17 grams of protein

4 grams of fiber

4 grams of sugar

Hope you enjoy these :)

Easy Beef Taquitos

These look amazing to me! On the site Women Living Well, she has posted another fabulous recipe link for Homemade Beef Taquitos.

Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas
From the kitchen of Mary and Stephanie

12 corn tortillas
Green Onions (chopped)
Enchilada Sauce (I prefer Trader Joes or Rosarita)
About two cups of cheddar cheese (shredded)

Pre-heat the oven to 350

Dip each tortilla in the sauce, sprinkle in a little cheese and roll and place in 9x13 baking dish (not greased). Repeat until all 12 are rolled. Sprinkle left over cheese on top along with chives. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 min and then take foil off and bake 5-10 more minutes to desired "doneness!" I serve them with sour cream and guacamole!

Grilled Chicken Nachos

Grilled Chicken Nachos
By: BiggestLoserClub.com
Fire up your weekend with this south of the border favorite!

Be sure you either wear plastic gloves or wash your hands immediately after working with jalapeños.

1 ounce baked tortilla chips
1/4 cup drained canned 50% less-sodium black beans, heated
4 ounces grilled extra-lean boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons salsa con queso, all-natural, heated
3 tablespoons finely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons thinly sliced jalapeño chile pepper

Lay the chips on a dinner plate. Top them evenly with the beans, followed by the chicken. Drizzle the cheese evenly over the top. Top with the tomato and jalapeño slices and serve.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 321 calories, 32 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat (less than 1 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 498 mg sodium

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

I go to Albertson's (or wherever) and have the butcher preslice 1/2 pound of raw chicken breasts
Slice on red bell pepper, one green bell pepper and one yellow onion
I season with Mrs. Dash (I'm watching sodium) south western seasoning, lemon pepper and lime seasoning

I cook the chicken in a pan with just a drop of EVOO until almost done then I throw in the peppers and onions and
cover for about 5-7 minutes (until the veggies are done to the crispness or softness you prefer).

I lay out flour tortillas, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, scallions, salsa, and sour cream and have a fajita bar.

Tamale Casserole

Tamale Casserole
From the kitchen of Renee Hill

3 cups preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup milk
1 large. egg
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
3-4 chicken breast cooked and shredded (I cook mine in the crockpot with a little salsa and a can of original rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies)

Optional: sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro (for toppings and garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/2 cup cheese and next 6 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9–inch baking dish,

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 cheese (I recommend mixing the chicken with a 1/2 cup cheese first). Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Plate, garnish a desired... and ENJOY

Homemade Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas
from The Happy Housewife Blog

Click on the above link to see how to make these delicious tortillas.

I am going to make these either this week or next week for our taco night.
I am excited to try these and thought I'd share this fun recipe!

Fiesta Chicken With Rice And Beans Recipe

Fiesta Chicken With Rice And Beans Recipe
by: cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounce size) tomato sauce
2 cans (14.5 ounce size) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 cup long-grain rice
1 can (14.5 ounce size) chicken broth
1 can (15 ounce size) pinto beans, undrained
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 package (1 ounce size) chicken taco seasoning mix

Directions:

Combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, rice, broth, beans, chicken and seasoning mix in slow cooker.

Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or on HIGH setting for 4 hours. Stir before serving.

TACO LAYER DIP

TACO LAYER DIP
from the kitchen of: Anna McElligott

Layer 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. Taco Bell Taco seasoning
14 oz. sour cream

Blend together then spread on serving dish. (Make sure serving platter has a lip on it so stuff
doesn't slide off)

Layer 2 - Cover layer 1 with picante sauce of your choice

Layer 3 - Sprinkle shredded lettuce

Layer 4 - Cover with shredded cheddar cheese (any kind of cheese you like - finely shredded works better)

Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Serve with tortillas scoops chips.

You can add other ingredients as you like, e.g. diced tomatoes, olives, onions, etc.

FAJITAS

FAJITAS:
from: Anna McElligott

This recipe is found on the back of the Taco Bell Fajita Seasoning Mix packets. I make it with beef and have learned that you can get a cheaper cut of beef if you make it in the crock pot. If you want your peppers crispier, then add them to the crock pot an hour before you're ready to eat. When I make this, I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze what we don't eat, since I'm going through the trouble. Here is the non-crock pot version.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts OR boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. oil
1 medium green pepper (I use red peppers also) cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
Tortillas of choice
Taco Bell Home Originals Thick N Chunky Salsa

Cook and stir chicken or beef in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 minutes. (If using crock pot, there is no need to cook the chicken or beef beforehand; just through all the ingredients into crockpot and let it cook at least 6 hours. I usually get it set up in the morning, and by dinnertime it's ready). Add seasoning Mix, green pepper (red pepper also if you like) and onion; stir in 1/3 cup water. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until chicken or beef is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Place tortillas on microwaveable plate; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 2 minute.

Spoon chicken or beef mixture evenly onto tortillas. Top with salsa, if desired. Roll up.

Makes 5 servings, 2 fajitas each.

Chimichangas (kid friendly)

Chimichangas
by: kraftfoods.com

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time: 55 min
Makes:4 servings, two pouches each

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
8 TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Flour Tortillas
6 oz. VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 8 slices
2 cups oil
1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add onions, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper; mix well. Cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally; drain.

PLACE 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and 1 VELVEETA slice in the center of each tortilla. Fold in all sides of tortillas to completely enclose filling; secure with wooden toothpicks. Place in single layer on baking sheet; cover. Refrigerate 20 min.

HEAT oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add tortilla pouches, two at a time; cook 5 min. or until golden brown. Drain. Remove toothpicks. Top each serving with 1 Tbsp. each of the sour cream and cilantro.

Banana Quesadillas

Banana Quesadillas
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Tortillas

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 ripe medium bananas, peeled
10 flour tortillas (7 inches in diameter)
4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups caramel sauce, warm, recipe follows
4 medium bananas
Whipped cream
Fresh mint sprigs

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and bananas, continue to beat until smooth. Spread 1/4 cup of the filling over half of each tortilla. Fold the other half over the filling and press slightly. Place on a large plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the filling sets, about 30 minutes. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Pan-fry the tortillas in batches, 3 at a time, until golden on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat the above process with the remaining butter and filled tortillas. To serve, slice each filled tortilla into thirds. Arrange the slices in the center of each serving plate. Spoon a 1/4 cup of the warm caramel sauce over each plate. Peel the bananas and slice 1/4-inch thick. Garnish each plate with the sliced bananas, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint.

CARAMEL SAUCE
Recipe from Everyday Is A Party Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse, with Marcelle
Bienvenu and Felicia Willett, published by William Morrow, 1999
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring often. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a deep caramel color and has the consistency of a thick syrup, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cream, return the saucepan to high heat, and boil the sauce until it regains the consistency of a thick syrup, about 2 minutes. Yield: about 3/4 cup

Chorizo, Bean and Cheese Nachos

Chorizo, Bean and Cheese Nachos
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Macho Nachos
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Water
Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe below, or large, restaurant style corn tortilla chips
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings
5 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or to taste
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (depending on the moisture in the beans). Cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and chopped jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Homemade Tortilla Chips:
9 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
4 cups corn or vegetable oil
Essence, recipe follows
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
In batches, add the tortillas to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with Essence. Serve warm or use to make nachos.

Yield: 3 dozen chips

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

8 Layer Bean Dip (repost)

8 Layer Bean Dip

serves: 6-10
prep time: 5 minutes
items you'll need: casserole dish (any size...will just determine how thin or thick each layer is), spatula

1 can refried beans
8-16oz sour cream...
10 oz of premade guacamole
1 1/2 cups 4 cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup sliced olives
1 avocado sliced
tortilla chips

1. Spread beans on bottom of dish
2. Spread guacamole over the beans
3. Spread the sour cream over the guacamole
4. Spread the salsa over the sour cream
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the salsa
6. Sprinkle the chives over the cheese
7. Spinkle the olives over the chives and cheese
8. Lay slices of avocado on top of cheese, chives, and olives

***If you like it a bit spicier, you can add a spicy taco seasoning pkt to the sour cream before you spread it over the guacamole.

Shredded Chicken Tacos (crockpot)

Shredded Chicken Tacos
by: Renee Hill

2 boneles skinless chicken breasts
1 Jar of favorite Salsa (I like the green La Victoria Salsa)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water

Add chicken (the chicken can be thawed or fresh) to crockpot.
Pour Salsa and water over chicken
Set Crockpot to Low for 4-5 hours, but can be left all day if doing this before work
When ready to eat, get all of your fixings for tacos ready and shred the chicken
Enjoy!

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Green Chicken Enchiladas
by: Stephanie

Serves: 6-8
Preheat oven: 350
Cook time: 50 minutes (40 covered, 10 uncovered)
Items you need: casserole dish, foil, non-stick cooking spray

1 lb cooked chicken (shredded)
15-20 flour tortillas (taco size)...you can use the whole wheat tortillas for added nutrition
1 can cream of chicken
1 can green enchilada sauce (I like la victoria)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups mild cheddar cheese (divided)

1. In a pan, mix together cream of chicken, enchilada sauce, and sour cream over med-low heat
2. Fill each tortilla with chicken, sauce, and a little cheese
3. Roll and line up in greased casserole dish
4. Pour the rest of sauce over top of enchiladas
5. Sprinkle the left over cheese over the top
6. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes
7. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

serves: 8
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 7 hours
items you'll need: crock pot

1 can corn (drained)
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 8oz tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes and green chili's
1 12oz beer
1 taco seasoning pkt
2-3 chicken breast filet's
cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and avocado

1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot (up until the chicken) and stir
2. Add chicken until just covered ~ cook on low for 5 hours
3. Take the chicken out, shred and put back in the soup with 1/2 bag of cheese ~ cook 2 more hours
4. Serve with cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, and tortilla chips

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 434
Total Fat: 17.9g
Cholesterol: 68mg
Sodium: 1571mg
Total Carbs: 42.4g
Dietary Fiber: 8.9g
Protein: 27g