Taco Salad

As I mentioned in my post about Jordann's birthday, I made Taco salad for her dinner.

Here is the recipe for it



Ingredients:



1 Ib. Hamburger Meat

1 can Kidney Beans, drained

Bag of cheese

Lettuce, to your liking

Pico de Gallo, to your liking

Fritos

Taco Seasoning

Directions:

1. Brown Hamburger and season with taco seasoning.

2. Add in Kidney beans till warm.

3. Place hamburger & beans in big bowl, add cheese and mix together. Once cheese is melted add lettuce, Pico and Fritos.

Taco Seasoning:

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Red Pepper

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Jalapeno Pepper

Pico de Gallo:

1 medium tomato, diced

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Chicken Taco Bowls

Wednesday I had another new recipe I wanted to try out for the slow cooker. So, Wednesday morning I got everything together and put in the cooker and set for 8 hours. I love cooking in our slow cooker and coming home to dinner done. Makes for an easy night of not being in the kitchen for an hour preparing dinner. LOL.

This recipe turned out pretty good and we would like to try it again but using something different rather than rice, maybe like rolling it up in a tortilla shell or eating with tortilla chips.



Ingredients:

Instead of using the seasoning I just made some taco seasoning and used that. I did use the minced garlic & oregano.

11/2 lbs. chicken breasts

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp. cumin

1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. salt        

Cracked pepper, to taste

2 cups dry rice

8 oz. shredded cheddar

1/2 bunch cilantro (optional) 

Directions:

1. Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with ¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

2. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

3. Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

4. After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Pad Thai

Last night for dinner we tried another new recipe and it turned out pretty good.  We had Pad Thai and Sushi. Shane has been making sushi at home for a few weeks now. I'm not a huge sushi fan but I'm trying to like it more because he loves it. The Pad Tahi I just became a fan of when we went out for his birthday I had that while he ate sushi. LOL

Pad Thai. This was really easy to make and didn't take super long.

Here is our meal. I didn't eat all the sushi, I'm still trying to get used to the taste of it. LOL



Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 1/2 Tablespoons tamarind concentrate/paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (chili sauce)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper

For the noodles:
8 ounces Thai rice noodles
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Vegetable oil, for stir-frying
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced carrots, for garnish
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage, for garnish
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/3 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions:

Make the sauce:

1.      In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamarind concentrate with 1/2 cup warm water. Whisk in the remaining sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Make the noodles:

1.      Fill a large pot with hot water. Add the rice noodles and cover the pot, allowing them to soak and soften for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they're barely al dente. (Alternately, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.) The noodles will be stir-fried so do not overcook them at this point.

2.      Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.

3.      Cut the chicken breasts into thin, 1-inch slices. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Whisk together the cornstarch with the soy sauce then pour it over the chicken, stirring to coat.

4.      Heat a wok or large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil then add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds until the garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan (including all liquids), and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chicken stock at a time to the pan while the chicken is cooking to prevent it from drying out. (You may not use the entire 1/4 cup of chicken stock.)

5.      Add the noodles to the pan then pour in the prepared sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, and using two flat spatulas, lift and turn the noodles to combine all of the ingredients. (Don't stir the noodles too vigorously or they'll break.) Continue cooking the noodles for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 more minute. The noodles are fully cooked when they are chewy and no longer crunchy.

6.      Transfer the noodles to serving dishes and garnish with the sliced carrots, shredded red cabbage, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and lime wedges.

 



Cajun Chicken Pasta

Every week I have been trying to add one new recipe to our menu for dinners. I have so many on Pinterest that I thought I should start trying them! Last night I made this pasta dish and it turned out amazing! We will definitely be having this again! 

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 pound chicken breast strips

1-2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (or to taste)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup skim milk

1 tbsp. flour

3 tbsp. light cream cheese ( I didn't put cream cheese in ours)

Fresh cracked pepper

2 scallions, chopped

Salt to taste

Cooking Spray



Directions:

1. Prep all your vegetables.

2. Make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside.

3. Season chicken with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder & salt.

4. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions

5. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add the chicken.

Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate.

6. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.

7. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste

8. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes

9. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot. I added a little more flour to mine to make it thicker since I didn't use cream cheese.

10. Add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions

Spicy Sausage Pasta

I made this for dinner Monday night and it turned out better then what Shane and I both thought. It turned out very tasting and good. We will be trying this again.

I added some seasonings of my own to make it more spicy.

This picture wasn't taken by me this was from Pinterest. When we make this again I will take my own picture to add to our recipe book.



Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz. penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1/2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning (Added myself)

1/2 tsp. Jalapeno Seasoning (Added myself)

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Another yummy recipe added to our cookbook!! I love chicken noodle soup so I was very excited to make homemade and try it, it turned out very good! Looking forward to making this again!



Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (1 3/4 cups)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

4 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/4 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (3 - 15 oz. cans)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp. celery seed, finely crushed

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles

3 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Saltine crackers or Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1.      To a slow cooker, add chicken (un-cut), diced carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Drizzle olive oil over top then add in chicken broth, water, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 6 - 7 hours.

2.      Remove cooked chicken and allow to rest 10 minutes, then dice into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, add egg noodles and parsley to slow cooker. Increase temperature to high, cover and cook 10 minutes longer (or until noodles are tender). Stir in lemon juice and toss in cooked, diced chicken. Serve warm with saltine crackers or top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

3.      I just crushed the rosemary in the palm of my hand then for the celery seed, I placed it in a Ziploc bag and crushed it with the flat side of a meat mallet.

 

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

I love my slower cooker in the Fall/Winter time. It makes cooking so much easy and I love coming home to dinner already done! Makes for an easy night. :)

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch slices

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon Cajun

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 3/4 cups long-grain rice

 Parsley, optional

Directions: 

1. Combine chicken, sausage, onion, greep pepper, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, spice mix, thyme and oregano in a large (5-quart) slow cooker, Cook on low for 5 hours.

2. Add shrimp and rice: raise heat to high and cook for 30 mintures or until rice is cooked and no longer tender.

3. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.

 

Fried Chicken

Shane has been telling for awhile now that I need to make fried chicken. I was very unsure about this and never did, LOL. Last week he asked about it again...So, I hopped on Pinterest to see if I could find a good recipe to make fried chicken. It didn't take me long to run across one that sounded very good and pretty easy to make. I sent it to Shane and told him I would give it a try. Monday night we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner. The friend chicken was so easy to make and didn't take very long either. It turned out to be super delicious! I can't wait to make this again! I did add some more seasonings to our batter then what the recipe called for, I love spices in my life! Haha!

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I added this myself not included in original recipe)
• 1/2 tsp. Jalapeno seasoning (I added this myself not included in original recipe)
• A pinch of Habanero seasoning (I added this myself not included in original recipe)
• 2 chicken breast or how many is needed for your family

***After I made this for just 2 of us this batter made WAY to much for just 2 chicken breast. I would say if you are just making for a small group to cut this in half***

Directions:

1. Heat oil to 350 degrees. I used an electric skillet.
2. Prepare chicken by rinsing with cold water and patting dry. Set aside on plate.
3. In medium bowl, beat eggs with water. Add hot sauce and stir together.
4. In another bowl, combine flour, pepper, salt, Cajun, jalapeno and habanero seasonings. Mix well.
5. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat well with flour mixture.
6. Fry chicken in oil till brown and crisp, about 13-14 minutes for dark meat (thighs, wings, legs) and 8-10 minutes for white meat (breasts).
7. Optional - Preheat over to a warm setting of 200 degrees or less. Prepare a baking sheet topped with a cooling rack. Have this handy to transfer the cooked chicken into the over to keep warm if frying in batches.

Mini Garlic Monkey Bread

I have been trying to get back into trying new recipes lately, I have missed cooking and trying new things. For a while there we were making different things each week, then it kinda stopped. I have been trying at least once a week to try something new. Let's see how long that last. LOL 

When I made spaghetti I also wanted to try these mini garlic monkey breads that I found on Pinterest. They looked so yummy and easy to make. They were very good but next time we make them we are going to use more garlic. There was a little garlic taste but I need more garlic favor to them. :) 

This was the mixture you tossed the biscuits in.

 The final outcome. I added butter and garlic to the top of them. Yum! 

Ingredients:

• 2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
• 6 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/8  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp Garlic salt

Directions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in bowl.
3. Combine remaining ingredients together and pour over biscuits
4. Gently toss to evenly coat.
5. Use a greased 12-cup muffin tin and place 6-7 pieces in each cup.
6. Sprinkle the garlic salt on top.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes
8. Serve warm

Makes 12 

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

A few weeks ago we decided to have spaghetti for dinner....I have been talking about trying to make my own sauce, so I thought yes today I want to give it a try. So, I started looking around to see if I could find a recipe that we both would enjoy. I came across one that sounded pretty good. I followed step by step recipe but then after having it we decided to change up and add some things. The second time around came out prefect! I was very pleased with this sauce and it had good flavor. I think I will continue to make this sauce and maybe add more things as we go along. 

This is the recipe the first time around:

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1-28 oz can peeled & diced tomatoes
• 4 tsps dried basil
• 4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp white sugar

This is the recipe the 2nd go around (This is the we added and took stuff away from):

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1-14.5 oz can Tomato Sauce
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp white sugar

Directions:

1. In large sauce pan heat olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Saute onions, green onions and garlic. 
3. When onions are clear, stir in the tomato sauce and all the seasonings. 
4. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. 

This was from the first try at the sauce. It was okay and I just didn't like all the chunky tomatoes in the sauce.

 This was the 2nd try and it turned out great! Looking forward to making this again soon. 

Buffalo Wings

A few weeks ago I really wanted some wings but I didn't want to go out. So, I got online to try and find a good wing recipe that we could make at home, and I found a great one! We had everything for it expect the wings. This recipe turned out good the first time but the second time we added more sauce and it was awesome! 

The sauce

 Turned out good but Shane & I agreed they needed more sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken wings (about 12 wings)
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 4 Tbsp. bottled hot pepper sauce (like Crystal or Frank's Original)
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut off wing tips (discard or reserve for other use such as making stock). Cut wings at the joint. Put chicken wing pieces in a plastic bag. Set aside. Food safety note: when cutting raw chicken it is best to use a cutting board reserved just for cutting raw chicken. Wash thoroughly when finished. Do not let raw chicken juices come in contact with other food.
2. Create a marinade by stirring together the melted butter, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken pieces in the plastic bag. (Reserve those 2 Tbsp. of marinade for coating after the pieces come out of the oven.) Seal bag and let marinate at room temperature for half an hour. When marinating is finished, drain marinade and discard bag.
3. Place wing pieces on the rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove from oven and baste with the 2 Tbsp. of reserved marinade (not the marinade that was in contact with the raw chicken).

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

I have been experimenting with making yummy chicken tacos, I got the beef down no problem! 

This is the 2nd recipe we have tried for chicken tacos. The first one was no bad but it was little dry. This recipe that we tried was pretty good. I still want to try maybe another recipe just so I know I'm not missing anything then start making adjustments to our favorite one to get it just perfect! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Ib boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Juices from 2 limes
• ½ cilantro
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tsp dried onions
• ½ water

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
2. Cook on low all day or on high for 4 hours.
3. Use fork to shred.

Turkey Wraps

Here is another yummy recipe I got off Pinterest that we tried last week. This was actually my first wrap I have ever had and it was so yummy!!

Ingredients:

• Flatout Wrap
• Smoked Turkey
• Pepperoni
• Pepperjack Cheese
• Cooked Bacon
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• The recipe called for Ranch dressing but we don't like it so we didn't use any dressing.

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients as you wish
2. Roll wrap up and enjoy

Philly Cheese-Steak

Last month I found this Philly Cheese steak recipe on Pinterest. It sounded so yummy and I was craving a good philly and instead of going out to my favorite philly place we decided to make them at home. I will say I'm really shocked that these came out so yummy and it actually made my craving go away (well at for a few weeks LOL).  I did add some more seasonings to the recipe then what it called for but I love all my stuff seasoned now! Instead of buying store hoagie's for the phillies Shane made them homemade and it turned out to be super yummy! We are going to have to make these again soon!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) flank steak, trimmed (We used 2 thin Rib Eye steaks)
•  ½  tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 (5in) Portobello mushrooms caps
•   2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced green pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic
•  ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp lower-sodium soy sauce
• Cayenne Pepper, to taste
• Paprika, to taste
• Jalapeno Pepper, to taste
• Hoagie Rolls

Directions

1. Place beef in freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems; discard. Thinly slice mushroom caps; cut slices in half crosswise.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan and season while cooking with minced garlic, cayenne, jalapeno pepper and paprika; sauté 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color, stirring constantly. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.
3. Add meat and veggies to hoagie and cheese and enjoy.