Chicken Chimichangas

Well another Cinco de Mayo has come and gone. The food was awesome! We had Chicken Chimichangas, Cheese Enchiladas, and some beans and rice for dinner for Cinco de Mayo. Yeah, we forgot about margaritas. (hangs head in shame) but, at least we had Mexican food that was loved by the whole family (well except for the youngest daughter, she doesn't like most anything, oh well). So here is the Chicken Chimichanga recipe first and tomorrow will be the Cheese Enchilada recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken Chimichangas

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Taco Seasoning (I used Costco taco seasoning and just sprinkled it on the chicken)
1 3.5 oz can of green chiles
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas (large tortillas)
Vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning. (I sprinkled lightly because I wanted more of the flavors to come out with the whole dish rather than just totally taco flavor) Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle taco seasoning on other side of chicken. Bake another 20 minutes. Let chicken cool. Cut into thin slices or shred with forks.

To the chicken, add the green chiles and cheese. Mix well. Heat tortillas slightly so they are easy to fold. (usually about 30 seconds in the microwave). Spoon some filling directly into middle of tortilla. Fold the farthest side first over the filling, then fold the ends into the middle, then roll it up. The ends should be completely closed.

Heat oil until water sizzles when drops hit the oil. Make sure chimichanga is halfway submerged, fold side down when you first put the chimichanga in the oil.

Let cook for 2 minutes and turn over and cook another 2 minutes.

Drain on paper towels.


Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, salsa, or whatever you like on your Mexican food.

The Simplest Grilled Chicken Ever!

It doesn't get any simpler than this. We love chicken, we love chicken on the BBQ; however, we don't always love smathering with BBQ sauce every time we turn on the BBQ (I know this is hard to believe). So with this chicken we marinated it in Italian salad dressing and a few spices and it was soooooo good! Simple, yet effective! Richard has a way with the BBQ and he grilled this chicken to perfection. The key is letting it marinate long enough for the flavors to permeate the meat so you get a nice tangy flavor throughout the chicken. We usually marinate this minimum 12-24 hours. It just starts with a bottle of Bernstein's or your favorite Italian dressing...however, this time we used Paul Newman's Italian Dressing and it was still fantastic!

Simplest Grilled Chicken

2-3 lbs chicken pieces
1 bottle of Italian salad dressing (any kind will do)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
diced onion, green pepper, red pepper (optional, just gives it extra flavor in the marinade)

Mix together dressing, lemon juice, pepper, salt and veggies (if veggies are desired). Toss with chicken in plastic bag; marinate 12-24 hours or longer. Grill for about 40 minutes, turning periodically or until done. Poke thermometer in meatiest part of chicken to reach 165 degrees. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Yakisoba

When my husband decided to cook dinner last week, he chose a wonderful recipe from AllRecipes.com. It is a tasty Chicken Yakisoba that tasted so good after driving all day with 2 kids in the car. We had just got home from vacation right around dinner time and he was sweet enough to be cooking me this great meal. I had been on vacation with my kids visiting my dad in Spokane WA and it was a long drive home since the kids were restless and tired from so many activities on their spring break from school. It was so nice to come home to a hot meal that I did not have to cook. I highly recommend this recipe and here is the link: Chicken Yakisoba if you do not want to print it from here.



Chicken Yakisoba

* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 2 tablespoons chile paste
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
* 1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
* 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
* 8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained

1. In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.
2. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:
- The only 2 things Richard did different is he used some toasted sesame seeds on top, which were not called for in the recipe, but it added a nice nutty flavor to this yummy dish. He also added some diced green onions on top because he said he wanted to make it look pretty so I could photograph it.. how sweet is he? He is pretty awesome!

Trust me... this is a great recipe!! Give allrecipes.com some love while you're at it!!

Lime Chicken Quesadillas

Last night, I was craving something of the Southwestern flavor. I have seasoning packets from Amazing Taste along with recipe cards from them and I came up with an adaptation of their recipe card (the recipe on the card I have is also on their website) for Lime Chicken and turned it into Lime Chicken Quesadillas. They were fantastic with just the right amount of lime and southwest seasonings to make the perfect chicken for these quesadillas. If you celebrate Cinco De Mayo than this is a great dish for that. I served it with some southwestern salsa I got at the store and it was a hit for the family. I also made a cold corn and black bean salad that got rave reviews from the family also (which is another blog post coming up soon).

I strongly urge people to pick up these Amazing Taste Seasonings because they are economical and so easy to use. They make food taste AMAZING! You do not have to be a gourmet chef to make something fantastic with these packets. With my quesadillas, I used the simple poultry seasoning.



Lime Chicken Quesadillas

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of Amazing Taste Poultry Seasoning
1/3 cup lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh lime zest
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas
southwestern salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Mix up all ingredients except chicken, cheese, tortillas, and salsa. In a large ziplock bag, combine the chicken with the marinade and let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray square baking dish with cooking spray and put marinated chicken in the dish. Bake 30 minutes, then turn. Bake 30 minutes more until done. Slice into thin strips for the quesadillas.
Spray griddle or frying pan with cooking spray. On one flour tortilla place some of the chicken and cheese, top with another flour tortilla. Cook until brown on both sides and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve with southwestern salsa and sour cream if desired.

Corny Fried Chicken

Corny Fried Chicken is one of my creations using corn meal in the fried chicken batter. I wanted something different than standard fried chicken and started putting things in the bowl to give my chicken some great flavor. A touch of cinnamon gives it a really nice flavor that goes well with the paprika, garlic, and corn meal (which are the main flavors in my opinion). Just give this a try, it is very good for fried chicken.

Corny Fried Chicken

1 fryer chicken cut into pieces
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup corn meal
1 tsp granulated garlic, or you can use one clove garlic minced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp cooking oil
Vegetable oil for frying

Boil the chicken pieces for about 20 minutes.

Mix together flour, corn meal, garlic, paprika, pepper, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the egg; add milk and cooking oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well with wire whisk.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Heat oil to 360 degrees. Dip chicken pieces in batter and fry about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Fry a 3-4 pieces at a time. Let drain on paper towels, serve hot.

Notes:
- For a little extra kick, add some dried or prepared mustard to batter.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the chicken, or else the batter will absorb more grease and it will be greasy. Test oil with a couple drops of water, if they sizzle and pop, the oil is ready.

Gameday Chicken Wings

When we watch football, I cannot forget chicken wings. The whole family loves to munch on chicken wings during the big game. I have concocted my own wing rub recipe for my chicken wings that is so yummy and it goes with any type of dipping sauce or is just great by themselves. Here is my version of chicken wings complete with the wing rub recipe and my recommended dipping sauces. Be sure to have lots of napkins on hand, as these can get messy!

Gameday Chicken Wings

WING RUB: (the picture below is what your rub should look like after it is mixed)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp seasoned salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp granulated garlic or 1 clove garlic that is minced and pressed (if using fresh garlic do not add it to the dry ingredients, add it to the shaker bag with the rub when you coat the chicken wings)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like your wings)
1 tsp hickory flavored liquid smoke (optional)

CHICKEN WINGS
2-4 lbs chicken wings (thawed if you are using frozen wings)


Mix dry ingredients except liquid smoke (and fresh garlic, do not mix with dry ingredients). Put chicken wings in large plastic bag with 1 cup of rub and shake to coat. Add liquid smoke and fresh garlic if you are using fresh garlic and shake again. Refrigerate minimum 24 hours and maximum 48 hours).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a single layer in baking dish or cookie sheet; bake 1 hour or until done.

Crock Pot directions: After coating with rub and refrigerating, put in crock pot; turn on low for 4-6 hours and on high for 2-3 hours.

Notes:
- I recommend baking so they do not fall off the bone while trying to eat and dip, if you do not care, the crock pot makes very tender wings.
- Dipping sauce can be used; I recommend BBQ sauce (homemade is better; here is the link to my own BBQ sauce in this site Dips, Sauces, and Condiments and scroll down until you come to the homemade BBQ sauce recipe), ranch dip, blue cheese dressing, or honey mustard sauce.
- Store extra rub in airtight container in a dry cool place, or in a ziplock storage bag clearly labeled

The dipping sauce we used is a purchased sauce (I do not do that often at all unless the sauce tastes very good). We got it when we went to the fair and the wing sauce is to die for! It is called Honey Habanero Wing Sauce made by The James Gang BBQ Company and they have so many products that look good, it was a hard choice. Richard (my husband) is the sauce whiz and he is very picky about sauce but he liked these so we bought some to give them a try. In the box he bought we got 1 bottle of the Honey Habanero Wing Sauce (spicy but with a nice sweet bite to it), Spiced Rum Steak Marinade, and their original Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce (we got 2 bottles of that, it is very good). If you do not make your own sauce, I highly recommend buying this sauce. I usually make my own, but this is a good one to buy. One more little tidbit about this sauce, we looked at the labels of the sauce and we did not find any high fructose corn syrup in any of them, just fresh ingredients and it tastes so good. Give them a try!

Herb Roasted Chicken

(pictured here is Plain Herb Roasted Chicken and the variation is below the lemon recipe)

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
(there is another 2 variations at the bottom for different flavors with this chicken)

1 chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb whole chicken)
1/2 stick margarine or butter, softened
2 Tbsp coarse salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage
1/4 cup water with 1 Tbsp lemon juice added
1 lemon cut into slices

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub the chicken with coarse salt (including inside the cavity).

Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, lemon pepper, poultry seasoning or sage until creamy. Spread all over chicken including under the skin on the breast. Put into baking dish. Put the water with lemon juice in the bottom of the baking dish to help keep chicken moist while cooking and for basting later in cooking. Slice lemon and place slices randomly on chicken and inside the cavity.

Put in preheated oven for 2 hours, basting after the first hour. Tent the chicken so the top doesn't brown too quickly. After the 2 hours, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes until meat thermometer inserted in breast comes to 165 degrees for an internal temperature.

Variations:
1. Plain Herb Roasted Chicken (like in the picture since my husband doesn't like lemon like I do, I fix the lemon when he is not home): Just substitute black pepper for lemon pepper and omit the lemon juice from the water, and the lemon slices.
2. Apple Herb Roasted Chicken: Substitute black pepper for the lemon pepper; substitute apple juice for the lemon juice, and place apple slices around the chicken. (Granny Smith apples would be my apple of choice for this way to make this chicken because the sweet and tart of the apple goes well with the savory herbs)

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

This is a recipe that was made up by my Aunt Linda before she passed on. We used to have this most of the time when we would have family reunions at her house. It is so rich and yummy that it will become a favorite at your house too, and it is so easy to make. However, if you are looking for a low-fat recipe, this is NOT it. It combines cream of chicken soup with sour cream and then it is topped liberally with cheddar cheese and served over spaghetti. The main meat in the dish is boneless skinless chicken breasts. Enjoy, here is the recipe. The title to this recipe is what Linda named it, but the family calls it Aunt Linda's Favorite Chicken because until she died, she was the only person that ever made it. It was her signature dish.



Creamy Chicken and Noodles (Or as the family calls it... Aunt Linda's Favorite Chicken)

1 stick of butter, melted in the oven in baking dish
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cooked spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the 8x13 baking dish in the oven with the stick of butter and let the butter melt as the oven heats up. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and place in baking dish with the butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking the second 30 minutes, mix together the cream of chicken soup and sour cream. After chicken is done baking, top with soup/sour cream mixture, return to oven and bake 15 minutes. Shred cheddar cheese, and then top the dish off with the cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve over hot spaghetti.

The soup mixture, butter, and cheese combine together while baking to make a yummy sauce for the pasta, enjoy it! That is the good stuff! Serve with a nice crusty french bread to soak up the sauce and a green salad makes this a meal guaranteed to fill everyone up!

Fajita Skillet

Here is a good recipe that my family really liked. When I made this (sorry no pictures, it was before my blog was born; but when I make it again, I will photograph it and add the picture) anyway, when I made this I had 30 minutes to get a meal on the table before having to eat and take my oldest daughter to Tae Kwon Do; or else everyone would have been awfully hungry and grouchy if I would have had to make them wait.

This is a very easy recipe and very yummy! I got it from www.ricearoni.com where they have a fabulous dinner wizard that I use when I need something in a pinch and fast. It is just another source of quick food when my mind is having cooker's block (is there such a thing? Maybe it is something like writer's block...) ok here is the recipe with some serving tips at the bottom. Enjoy! (the comments in parentheses are my comments about this recipe)

Fajita Skillet

1 package (6.9 oz) RICE-A-RONI Chicken Flavor
2 Tbsp margarine, butter, or spread with no trans fat
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast strips
1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used a half of EACH red and green pepper)
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 cup any favorite flavor salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or a mix of shredded cheddar and monterey jack, or Mexican cheese blend preshredded
Sour Cream (optional)

1. In a large skillet, combine the rice-vermicelli mix and 2 Tbsp margarine. Saute over medium heat until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently.
2. Slowly stir in 2 1/2 cups water and special seasonings; bring to boil. (Basically following the package directions for the rice-a-roni)
3. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Return to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add salsa; cook and stir until blended through. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with sour cream, if desired. (and who wouldn't desire sour cream? I don't know but we sure desire it)

Ok, my serving tips is this:
1. Use tortillas to make actual fajitas and scoop it into the tortillas, yummy that way.
2. Use extra salsa, cheese, sour cream, olives, guacamole and make nachos with it (this is what we did for leftovers for later while snacking and watching a movie)
3. Spoon it into hard shells or tostada shells for something extra yummy and then put the extra toppings on it for dinner.

Whatever you decide to do with this recipe, it is very versatile and the leftovers will not go to waste. It is just as good re-heated as it was when it was fresh cooked. So go on and enjoy this recipe, because I really like it. And what is nicer than tastes good and easy to prepare? I don't know... cheesecake maybe... that is another post entirely.. and coming the closer we get to holidays...mmmmmm mmmmm good!