Thursday, November 29, 2012

Chicken-Chipotle Burrito Bowls

This is going to be quick...I found the recipe here.  Sorry this picture isn't really focused...my camera battery is almost dead(like flashing battery light) and I can not find my charger anywhere!

I made this for dinner last night and it was SO good and SO easy!!  Next time I would add a little salt to the tomato mixture.  This is great in a bowl or wrapped up in a tortilla for lunch the next day.  The recipe said that it would feed 4, but if you make extra rice....I would say it will easily serve 6.

Chicken-Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:
1 lbBoneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 (15-oz.) Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Frozen Corn
2 cups Canned, crushed tomatoes
1– 2 tsp Finely Chopped Canned Chipotle Chile Peppers In Adobo Sauce
½ tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 Corn Tortillas, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups Hot Cooked White Rice

Reduced-fat Dairy Sour Cream, optional

Reduced-fat Shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese (optional)

Fresh Cilantro, optional

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange chicken in an even layer in baking dish. In a bowl combine beans, corn, tomatoes, chipotle chili peppers, cumin, cilantro, and garlic; pour mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with tortilla pieces.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

To serve, divide rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top with chicken mixture. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro, if desired.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

a few Thanksgiving Foods

 Like I said in my last post.....I have very few Thanksgiving type recipes.  Here are a few recipes that I LOVE...that would be welcome on my Thanksgiving table or on my table anytime:)




  


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Dinner Rolls

So...I don't have a lot of Thanksgiving type recipes on my blog, but today I was thinking I'd do a post linking to a couple of recipes that I have that would go great with your Thanksgiving meal.  As I was looking through the recipes, I realized that the pictures that go with my favorite rolls were REALLY bad!!  So, I made some rolls this afternoon so that I could take some more pictures.  I am going to re-post the recipe with these much improved (but still not great) pictures!

 This recipe was adapted from a recipe my friend Molly gave me, that is why they are aka as Molly's rolls.  I adapted the recipe to make a smaller batch that I could mix in my Kitchen aide.   These rolls really are quick, easy and so light and fluffy :)

Dinner Rolls aka Molly's rolls

Ingredients: 
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 package yeast(2 1/4 teaspoon)
1/3 cup oil
1/2 T salt
1 egg
flour

Directions: In mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water; let grow until bubbly(about 5 minutes). Add milk and mix. Mix in oil and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Let rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes. Form rolls as desired and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise and additional 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Rotate pans after 7 minutes.) Brush hot rolls with melted butter.
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Mexican Pinto Bean Dip

This bean dip is easy and delicious!!  It calls for cooked pinto beans...I cooked a big batch in my crock pot to use for this recipe and some others, but you could also use canned pinto beans(rinsed and drained). 

Mexican Pinto Bean Dip

Ingredients:
3 cups pinto beans, Cooked
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese, Shredded
1/2 cup chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salsa verde, Hot Green Salsa

Directions:  Puree the beans to a coarse paste in a blender or food processor or mash by hand.  Place the bean paste in a sauce pan with the water and heat.  Mix in all the other ingredients, blending well, and simmer until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Put in dish and serve hot.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks and Homemade Tarter Sauce


The last time my mother-in-law came to visit, she left a couple of her Cooking Light magazines for me.  There are so many GREAT recipes that I can't wait to try!!  When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be the first.  While we were in Utah this past summer my sister and bro-in-law gave us some Halibut that they caught while in Alaska...(I know...she is spoiled :)).  I had cooked most of what they gave us, but just enough left for this.  If you don't have Halibut hanging out in your freezer, a good(and cheaper) alternative is tilapia.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks...and Homemade Tarter Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound halibut fillets, cut into 20 (1-inch) strips
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup light sour cream
3 Tablespoons canola mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles
2 teaspoons minced capers

Directions:  Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add fish and toss gently to coat.  Place panko, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large zip-top bag.  Add fish to panko mixture; seal bag.  Shake bag to coat fish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add half of fish; cook 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown all sides.  Repeat procedure with remaining 1 Tablespoon oil and remaining fish.

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, pickles, capers, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.  Serve sauce with fish.
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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Crusty, Fresh-baked Bread

So...I was searching for a rustic round bread recipe, most of the recipes I found said to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight (actually you can let this sit overnight too).  I didn't have time for that...because I needed wanted to make it for dinner THAT night.  I found this recipe over at In the Crossroads.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  Quick(well...not really quick, but not overnight), easy and delicious!!

Rustic Round Bread

Ingredients: 
3 cups of water 
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Coarse Salt 
1 /1/2 Tablespoons of Yeast (2 packets) 
1-2 Tbs. honey 
6 1/2 cups of all purpose flour 
cornmeal to dust baking dish
Flour to dust dough ball

Directions:  Add yeast and honey to warm water and let sit until foamy...just a minute or two.  Add the flour and salt and mix.  You can mix by spoon in a bowl...or I use my Kitchen-aid with the dough hook or my Bosch.

Shake some extra flour out on the counter. To knead the dough, dump it out onto a clean, floured counter top.  Knead for around 5 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, then gathering the dough back into a lump.  Add a little flour at a time as needed if the dough is too sticky. Knead until the dough becomes one big mass; You will know when the dough is ready by poking it: if the dough bounces back, you’re all set.  OR...knead in your mixer for 5 or 6 minutes.

Place your dough into a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let sit in a warm place for about 2 hours. You can also let it rise overnight by putting it in the refrigerator, where it will rise more slowly.  You can even let the dough sit in the fridge for a couple of days, at which point it will begin to take on a slight sourdough taste.

Once your dough has at least doubled in size you are ready to form it into loaves.  Divide the dough into thirds. This is the only time you really handle the dough. You need to pull it down to form a ball, tucking all the ends in at the bottom. The ball should be semi smooth.

Now, sprinkle a dash of cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the dough on top. The corn meal keeps the bread from sticking. Allow to rise for about 40 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Before putting the bread in the oven, dust the top with a bit of  flour and make some light slices into the dough for that artisan look. You can make the loaves any shape you like, although a larger loaf will take longer to bake

One final trick to a nice loaf of rustic bread is to make the crust crusty.  To achieve this, fill a second baking dish or a broiler pan with water and place it under the rack where your bread will go.  The steam from the water adds a nice crunch to the loaf.  Place your risen loaves in the oven, close the door, and bake for around 30 minutes to start.  The crust should have a dark brown color, and the loaves should sound hollow when you tap them.

Serve the bread sliced, plain, with seasoned olive oil, honey, or your favorite butter.
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