eaten: tomatillo pork tacos

You know that what you made is good when your husband is commenting before he even swallowed his first bite.

Enough said.

We served these up on corn tortillas which I crisped up a bit in a pan. Just use a little canola oil spray on each side and wow.

Recipe and pic from AJ's Healthfest

Roasted Tomatillo Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

– 1 pork loin roast, I think I used a pork shoulder--I don't remember but it was on sale and it worked great, I'm thinking this would even be good with beef or chicken too. 

– 1 1/2 cups roasted tomatillo salsa (recipe below)

What to do:

1) Place pork roast in the crockpot, cover with salsa (I ended up using the whole salsa recipe), and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

2) Shred cooked meat with two forks.

This is the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa to cook the pork in. Put this tasty stuff on everything – not just tacos!

Ingredients for 2-3 cups:

– 6 large tomatillos, husked

– 1-2 whole jalapeños (I used 1 and was careful to remove all seeds/membranes because I am a wimp)

– 1 small onion, quartered

– 5 cloves garlic

– 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil

– 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

– 2 tsp cumin

– 1 tsp salt

What to do:

1) Preheat the oven to 450 F. Arrange the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet or casserole dish. Drizzle oil over the top of the vegetables and roast for 15 minutes.

2) Let the roasted vegetables cool for a few minutes. Cut the jalapenos and take the seeds out. Then blend all the vegetables together in a blender or food processor. Add the cilantro, cumin, and salt and mix again. That’s it!

eaten: one pot beef stroganoff

Well this dinner sure isn't fancy and it won't win you any culinary awards but everyone will eat it and its easy and filling. Done.

You have all seen those TASTY videos on facebook where they show you how to make a recipe using a hot plate and carefully prepared mis en place. Well this one caught my eye because I like both beef and mushrooms. And its a little lighter than a traditional stroganoff too.

I've made it a couple of times already and everyone seems like like it. I call that a success.

One-Pot Beef Stroganoff
Recipe and pic from buzzfeed
Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
• 2 cups of mushrooms
• 1/2 cup of onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 2 tsp of paprika
• 4 cups of beef stock
• 8 oz of egg noodles
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup cream cheese (optional, if you like it creamier)
• 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water)
• Parsley for garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Stir in the paprika. Add beef stock and egg noodles. Give it a stir and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Lower the heat, add the sour cream and cream cheese and cornstarch slurry. Stir until thickened.

Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

eaten: baked cheezit chicken tenders

Who doesn't love cheezits? Be honest, you do. They are so tasty and fatty. Yum.

Then why wouldn't chicken tenders crusted in them also be spectacular? Well they are. And the dijon mustard is also really good (shhh, don't tell my kids) and brings these into more of an adult area than traditional chicken tenders.

Tips: Make sure your chicken is nice and defrosted (if using frozen). I also just split a couple of breasts into tender sized pieces as I never buy tenders. Also make sure to really spray that tin foil, you don't want all that cheesy goodness sticking to the pan.

I served these up with rice and peas and carrots.

They are definitely going into the rotation.

Recipe and pic from Just a Taste

Baked Cheezit Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups cheddar crackers, such as Cheez-Its or Cheese Nips
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/4 pounds uncooked chicken tenders
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with the olive oil. Use a generous brush or a good spraying of Pam. 
2. Pulse the cheddar crackers in a food processor until finely ground, or alternately, place the crackers in a plastic bag, seal it and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Transfer the crackers to a wide, shallow bowl and stir in the paprika.
3. In a separate wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs with the Dijon mustard. Place the flour in a third wide, shallow bowl.
4. Bread each tender by coating it in the flour, shaking off any excess, and then dipping it in the eggs. Transfer the tender from the eggs to the crackers, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to ensure an even coating, and then placing the tender on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the breading process with the remaining tenders, arranging them in a single layer about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake the tenders, turning them over once, until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

eaten: Cheese Enchiladas with homemade Enchilada Sauce

To help with menu planning each week I have started asking both Steve and Henry what they want to eat for dinner. Its actually been nice not burdening myself with the entire meal plan. Henry pretty much just asks for hot dogs. This week Steve asked for cheese enchiladas and this was an easy winner of a dinner. 

I decided to make my sauce from scratch and I'm so glad I did. It was a little time consuming but easy and delicious. And since cheese enchiladas are the simplest dish it made for a nice meal. Served with refried beans, roasted corn and fruit salad it was a hit. 

Picture and Recipe from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Authentic Homemade Red Chile Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces dried New Mexico or California red chiles (I used chile guajillos)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. I removed the stems, seeds and membranes before steeping the chiles. Be careful not to touch your face, they are super hot. Place dried chiles in a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and place a plate or bowl on top to make sure the chiles stay submerged in the hot water. Allow the chiles to steep for 30 minutes.
2. Drain chiles and place them in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth. 
3. Pass the sauce through a strainer or double layers of cheesecloth to remove the skins of the chile. Use a rubber spatula (or your hand) to press it well.
4. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
5. Use immediately or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freeze it.

Easy Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 8 soft corn tortillas 
• 4 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1/2 white onion, chopped (optional)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 3 green onion, sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spoon 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish.
3. Place 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped onion, down the middle of a corn tortilla, and roll it up. Place into the baking dish seam side down.. Continue with the remaining 7 corn tortillas.
4. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, topped with chopped cilantro, and green onions.

eaten: chicken cacciatore

Its the first week and already I have made two new recipes! My gung-ho attitude will fizzle out, I'm sure. This goal is for more of an average per week. 

So Steve and I were watching Cutthroat Kitchen and the chefs were challenged to make Chicken Cacciatore. I've had that dish before but it has never come on my radar as a go to home cooked dinner. I immediately jotted it down--mentally--as something I'd like to give a try. I turned to my trusty pinterest and found a couple of intriguing recipes. I mixed a few together and came up with something pretty good. 

Helpful tip: When searching for new recipes, don't just look at the ingredient list. Make sure and read the instructions. That way you know if you'll even have time/energy to attempt it. How disheartening is dinnertime when you realize you should have marinaded that meat or it has to simmer for 50 minutes.  

So this dish came together easily and had a lot of flavor but I would change the following for the future. I do intend on making this again with tweaks because not only was it easy but it has a lot of veggies in it--and they tasted great!

• Make sure and season the uncooked chicken breasts before cooking. I didn't do that and they were bland. The sauce was flavorful but when you put bland chicken in terrific sauce, the whole combination suffers. Salt and pepper are your friends!
• Next time I am adding mushrooms!
• Its supposed to be kind of like a thick stew but mine was really wet. I wonder if it was because I used chicken broth instead of wine and it didn't really cook out? So next time I will only add 1/4 cup broth and then add more as needed. We also served it over rice and maybe if we had it coating pasta instead it would have been better. That didn't really affect the flavor as much as the experience of eating it. 
• I brainstormed another solution to the too wet issue. Maybe instead of crushed tomatoes, I will buy two cans of stewed tomatoes (14oz each), drain them and puree them. I'll experiment and then report back. 
• Helpful Tip: If you have a few minutes in the middle of the day, try and prep all your vegetables. I never regret taking 20 minutes in the afternoon to cut everything. Dinnertime is usually when everyone is crawling all over me or the kitchen is a hot bed of yelling and babies stealing chemicals from under the sink, so anything you can do ahead of time is great.

Chicken Cacciatore

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs chicken breasts, I used 5 breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, who really measures oil? :)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (see comment above)
• ½ cup red wine, I used chicken broth (see comment above)
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.Brown the chicken in a large skillet over medium-heat until cooked through. I cooked the whole dish in my dutch oven.
2. Add the olive oil, onion, peppers, crushed tomatoes, red wine, carrots, garlic cloves, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and dried parsley.
3. Allow the mixture to simmer over medium-heat for at least 40 minutes.
4. Serve with pasta, rice or any starch you love. 

Picture from and Recipe as adapted from Galonamission

Rating is out of 5

Steve Rating: 3

Beckie Rating: 4

eaten: Indian Butter Chicken, Fluffy Couscous and Garlic Naan

Well its New Year's Resolution time! I'm really excited to try some new recipes. I did this one a couple of years ago and made it about 6 months and I loved all the new family favorites I was able to find. So here we are again. I will be sharing what we've loved here on my blog. Hey, maybe I'll start blogging again...

New Years's Resolution: try one new recipe each week
Goal: get out of my cooking rut, get excited about cooking/menu planning and get the whole family to try new foods

First up Indian Butter Chicken. I love Indian food but we don't have the opportunity to eat it a lot because it is not super kid friendly. And maybe I'm lazy... So I found a recipe on pinterest that wasn't too labor intensive and had a limited amount of ingredients (ie: I already had most of the spices). One thing I have learned with trying new things, its easy to get overwhelmed quickly. All that effort, expensive ingredients and then no one even likes it? What a waste of time.

Here are the thoughts I had about each recipe and see our ratings below each recipe:

• So I have made the couscous before, its so easy and turns out great. Plus its yummy and fluffy. Its a great change from rice although you could totally serve this with rice. And its a tiny pasta so it might be easy to convince your kids to eat it. Henry called it rice bits. 
• The naan bread is not too hard either, you just have to start early and don't get frazzled at the end if you are trying to make them hot right before dinner. I also have used both a grill and a flattop gridle to make these and both work great. The griddle pan doesn't seem to make as many air bubbles as I got on the grill. Also a great tip is to melt some butter and add crushed fresh garlic. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then brush that garlic butter on the hot naan. Heaven! I halved the recipe for our family for one dinner and we ate all of it. 
• For the chicken you just have to remember to get it in the marinade the night before. It comes together really easily. The sauce looked kind of bright orange and splotchy-not very appetizing. Once I mixed in the cream it looked lovely and exactly like the picture. 

Butter Chicken
Recipe from Recipetineats

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• ½ cup plain yoghurt, full fat
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp tumeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala 
• ½ tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper powder 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces, I used chicken breasts

Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee 
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup cream (full fat or light) OR for a lighter version use ¾ cup light cream + ¼ cup milk (low fat) (I used half and half)

To serve

• Rice/Couscous
• Coriander/cilantro (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Optional step: for an extra smooth sauce, combine the Marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a food processor and blend until smooth. I didn't do this because I didn't see it until just now)
2. Combine the Marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
3. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large fry pan. Add the chicken coated in the Marinade and cook for around 3 minutes, or until the chicken is white all over (it doesn't really brown because of the Marinade).
4. Add the tomato puree, sugar and salt. Turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Do a taste test to see if it needs more salt. Stir through the cream, then remove from heat.
6. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves if using. Serve with basmati rice.

Rating is out of 5
Steve Rating: 4 (He didn't give me this but since he went back for seconds :))

Beckie Rating: 4

______________________________________

Fluffy Couscous

recipe from melskitchencafe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups couscous
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl.
2. Melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and broth and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the boiling liquid over the toasted couscous and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit until the couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Rating is out of 5
Steve Rating: 4

Beckie Rating: 5

_____________________________________________

Grilled Naan

recipe from Steven Raichlen

INGREDIENTS

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the water and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, milk, salt and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of water. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir to form a dough that is soft and pliable but not sticky. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if it seems very tacky. You can do this by hand on a floured work surface, in a food processor or in a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
2. Rub 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and brush the top with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and pinch off 2-inch pieces; roll them into smooth balls. Place the balls on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with a lightly dampened kitchen towel. Let rise again until puffy, about 30 minutes.
4. Light the grill. When it's hot, place a rolling pin, cutting board, bowl of flour, the melted butter and a brush near the grill. On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out a ball of dough to a 5-inch round. Gently slap the dough from one hand to the other to stretch it into a 7-to 8-inch oval. Stretch the oval into a traditional teardrop shape and immediately lay it on the hot grate. Grill the naan until the bottom is crusty and browned and the top is puffed and blistered, about 40 seconds. Brush with butter. Invert the naan and grill the other side until lightly browned, about 30 seconds longer. Grill the remaining naan the same way. Brush each naan with more butter as it comes off the grill and serve piping hot. Serve whole, or cut each naan into 3 wedges to serve the traditional way.
5. Rating is out of 5
6. Steve Rating: 5
7. Beckie Rating: 5

eaten: mounds brownies

I have had this recipe pinned for about two years. I love Mounds Bars! So yummy. Who doesn't love coconut? Well I was right that this was delicious but it was also very rich. If Steve and I had had to eat the whole pan it would have been bad. Good bad. But bad nonetheless. So I made it for our ward Trunk or Treat and I was able to snag a taste before the pan was emptied. I might have been eating the leftover corners at home straight from the pan...

We'll need to have a party so I can make them again.

Recipe and Picture from Katrina's Kitchen

Mounds Brownies Recipe

PRINT SAVE

YIELD: 1 9x13 pan

PREP TIME: 30 min

COOK TIME: 30 min

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

These Mounds Brownies taste just like the candy bar. Start with a boxed brownie mix and end with a can of frosting, but the middle is totally homemade.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Family Size (9x13) pan of brownies, prepared
5 1/3 Cups shredded coconut
14oz Can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ Cups powdered sugar
1 Can of chocolate frosting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare brownies and let cool completely.
2. In the bowl of your mixer combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Spread coconut mixture over brownies.
4. Place can of frosting in the microwave for 10 seconds (please be sure to remove foil liner and lid) until pourable.
5. Pour frosting over the coconut mixture. Let cool and set up. 

eaten: sprite chicken

This recipe comes from Brian Porter's mom. Brian was a guy in our ward when Steve and I met. We went to a BBQ at his parent's house and his mom made this delicious chicken. I only met her once and am no longer in touch with Brian but we still love this chicken.

Sprite Chicken Marinade

2-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup sprite--don't get diet, you need the sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. Let marinade for at least 3 hours but overnight is better. Grill chicken, 7 minutes per side.

This also works great if you prepare the marinade and freeze the chicken in it.

eaten: banana bread with chocolate chip streusel

My friend made this bread and brought it to a potluck bbq. I ate slice after slice after slice. 

And then I came home and made some more. 

Thanks a lot, Lillie. 

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Pictures and recipe from A Cook at Heart

Ingredients

• 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 3 very ripe mashed bananas
• 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan.
2. For streusel - stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3.  Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into medium bowl.
4. Beat sugar, butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and milk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
5. Spread half of batter in loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel.
6. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool loaf in pan on rack.

Cooking time: 50 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

eaten: southwest cobb salad

Since it is blazing hot around these parts, I have been trying to use my oven less and less. The grill is my go to cooking space these days. You can make a whole meal out there without even getting your kitchen warm. So we have been grilling a lot. 

One thing I like to do is grill up a bunch of chicken and then use it over the week in lots of different recipes. One great one is BBQ chicken quesadillas. I also have fallen in love with salads. And having all the chicken ready to go makes dinner time a cinch. 

My favorite salad is this southwestern cobb. Grilling the peppers and corn is a great touch and the corn gives just a hint os sweetness. Instead of using the avocado dressing as the main dressing, I toss the lettuce in chipotle ranch and then just use a touch of the avocado sauce. We also add fresh tomatoes and I like to sprinkle with tortilla chip. Grilled red onions would be yummy too. This is so versatile and the possibilities are endless. 

Henry even likes it if we break the salad into little piles for him. One pile of beans. One of chicken. One of peppers. And another trick we use to get him to eat is to create a pattern: chicken, pepper, tomato, chicken, pepper, tomato. Whatever works!

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Avocado Cream Dressing

All the flavors of the Southwest in a salad. Topped with a creamy Avocado Cream Dressing, this is the salad to make in the warmer weather months. Pic and recipe from abeautifulbite

Ingredients

• 6 cups salad greens
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels, I grilled on the grill 
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, I grilled on the grill 
• 1 cup black beans, drained well
• 1 cup avocados, diced
• 1½ cups cooked chicken, diced, also grilled this. I also seasoned with salt and pepper first

For the Dressing

• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk 
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• the juice of one lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Lay salad greens in a large bowl or platter. Place each ingredient on top of the salad in rows.

For the Dressing

1. Place all dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. You might need more milk to get the consistency you want.