Chicken Tortilla Soup

picture courtesy of bloggingitswhatsfordinner.blogspot.com

I know there are probably several tortilla soup recipes on here already, but I saw this one (from bloggingitswhatsfordinner.blogspot.com) and it caught my eye because of the fresh cilantro and fresh limes. It was really really easy too unlike some other recipes I have tried. Kids weren't crazy about it with the chunks of tomatoes from the rotel and  the cilantro and lime- it was just too much for them! But my husband and I really enjoyed it.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 cans of black beans, rinsed
4 cans of chicken broth
1 pkg of frozen corn
2 cans of mild rotel
1/2 small can of tomato paste
Shredded chicken (I just threw 3 breasts in a crock pot with a cup of water...super moist to shred)
Combine the above in a pot and heat until boiling. Add salt and garlic powder to taste (about 1tsp of ea).


Garnish with:
-1 bunch of cilantro chopped, for garnish
-shredded cheese, garnish (we had pepper jack for adults and cheddar for kids...PJ was AWESOME in this)
-two avocados chopped into bits, garnish
-two limes cut into wedges, for squeezing on top-Tortilla Chips for crunching on top

P.S.- this makes A TON. I would half it next time for sure. It makes about 10 adult servings.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Photo from melskitchencafe.com

I love grilling and I love the flavor of teriyaki.  Thus, I love this recipe.  I just used the canned pineapple and still loved it all!


Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Recipe from melskitchencafe.com
*Note: if you don’t have fresh pineapple or choose not to use it, you can use a large can of pineapple chunks, draining and reserving the liquid for the marinade, and serving the pineapple chunks alongside the grilled chicken. I like to serve this teriyaki chicken with baked brown rice (cooked with chicken broth – and after baking, I stir in toasted almonds and sliced green onions).
*Serves 6
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 ounces (3/4 cup) pineapple juice
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh pineapple, for grilling
Hot rice, for serving

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, oil, vinegar and garlic powder. Whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts to a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

Drain the liquid. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through. When the chicken has about 4-5 minutes left to cook, add the rings of fresh pineapple and grill for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips. Serve over hot, cooked rice with grilled pineapple.

Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken

Pic courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I had looked over this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe months ago and passed it up because it just looked ordinary. But, last night I was desperate for something new for dinner and came across this again. And, I'm so glad I didn't pass it up again, because we LOVED it. Christian could not stop raving. I loved it for it's simplicity (I had all the ingredients on hand!). But, it's texture of flavor from the butter to the garlic to the bread crumbs and Parmesan, made it a definite winner in my book. This is definitely going to be making many more appearances at our dinner table.

Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: If you don’t have a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs, you can try using a blender and pulsing the crumbs or try using panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian foods aisle). If you are using a food processor, you can also add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pulse to combine to create an even finer crumb.

4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 thick slices whole wheat bread (for about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine butter and garlic in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour the butter/garlic mixture into a shallow pie plate or similar dish and cool to room temperature. Pound the 4 chicken pieces with a meat tenderizer until they are about 1/4-inch thick.

In the bowl of a food processor, tear the bread into large chunks, and pulse until the bread is ground into crumbs. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate or shallow bowl and toss with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted, cooled garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides. Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining melted butter over the chicken. Bake the chicken until it is lightly browned and just cooked through, 40-50 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness and size of the chicken you are using. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Photo from melskitchencafe.com

This was easy and it was really good.  I don't love dijon mustard so I substitued honey mustard.  But I don't love honey mustard so I would probably make the sauce with sour cream or cheese next time or maybe just leave out the mustard.  Jake loved the sauce.  To each their own.
  
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Recipe from melskitchencafe.com
*Serves 6
For the Cordon Bleu:
3 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)
12 slices deli ham
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 to 1/2 pound thinly sliced swiss cheese
For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.
Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.
Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.
While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking.
Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

Citrus and Fresh Herbs Oven Roasted Chicken

Today I'm bringing you a special dinner to celebrate anything you want! This one is perfect for any kind of occasion, if you change the chicken for turkey, it will definitely make a terrific Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Dinner!

It might not be as easy as the rest of my recipes, but it is worth the extra time and effort! Your family, friends and/or guests would be very surprised with this dinner! This one is under $15 dollars, and will feed up to 6 persons! I hope you like it!
Chicken was $4.99 potatoes were .99c a pound and the corn were 3 ears $1. Herbs were 1.99 for the 3 of them.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons of thyme
1 tablespoon of sage
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
3 whole cloves (optional)

1/3 of cup of unsalted butter, soften
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of one orange
Zest and juice of one lemon
tablespoon of smoked paprika

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Optional
3 ears of yellow corn cut in quarters
1 pound of red and white potatoes cut in quarters (half a pound of each)
1 large red onion chopped in big chunks

Chop the fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme and sage.

In a bowl combine the butter with the olive oil, the fresh herbs and minced garlic. Add in the orange zest, lemon zest and 1/2 cup of orange juice plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with 1/2 tablespoon of each, salt, ground black pepper and smoked paprika. Stir everything together. Taste for flavor, add more salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

Rinse the chicken with cold water, rinse it inside and out. Pat it dry with some paper towels.

In order to get all the flavor into the meat and not only the skin, loosen the skin from the body a little bit. Place your index finger in between the skin and the meat
and start working your way up to the neck and sides of the chicken. Push between the skin but be careful not to remove the skin or tear it apart. Continue doing this until you have loosen the skin from the whole chicken.

Using a knife, poke the chicken several times, this is just to make sure, all the flavors will be absorbed into the rest of the meat.

Rub the butter mixture under and on the skin. Make sure to massage it really well under the skin first. We want all those delicious oils from the fresh herbs and the rest of the flavors to fully impregnate the meat making it just as delicious as the skin itself. So rub the mixture under the skin really well.

Pour whatever is left on the chicken, and rub it very well on the skin
don't forget to do the back as well and also rub some of the mixture inside the chicken cavity.

Season with salt, ground black pepper and paprika, about 1/2 tablespoon of each on each side, give it one last rub. Refrigerate for 4 hours before cooking. (Overnight will be better)

Optional
This extra step takes less than 5 minutes and it will make the chicken 10 times more
delicious and juicy.

Fill the chicken cavity with one half of the orange that we used earlier, also add the remaining half of the lemon and 3 garlic cloves and if you have any left over herbs also insert them in the chicken cavity. Refrigerate for 4 hours before cooking. The flavors would be even better if you refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Turn around and continue to bake for 25-30 more minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked.

If roasting potatoes and corn with the chicken
Bake the Chicken at 400° for 30 minutes. Turn around, add the potatoes, corn and onions, season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and ground black pepper. Continue to cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.


Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, remove everything you put inside the chicken cavity: orange skin, lemon wedges, herbs, garlic, etc.

Stir (bathe) the potatoes, corn and onions in the chicken juices, then transfer to the same serving plate with the chicken and that's it, enjoy!



To watch this video recipe click HERE!

Root Beer Pulled Pork

Raving reviews from all the gentlemen in the house--and there were 4 of them (grown men that is).  I liked it but I think I personally prefer pulled chicken in my sandwiches.

Root Beer Pulled Pork   

Recipe from recipegirl.com

Ingredients:

1 (5 to 6 pound) bone-in pork shoulder/butt roast
1 envelope dried onion soup mix (or dehydrated onions)
salt and pepper
1 can root beer
2 cups barbecue sauce, divided
buns

Directions:

1. Trim roast of excess fat. It's okay to leave some on there-- just get rid of the large, visible slabs.
2. Place roast on a work surface and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Use clean hands to rub the mix into the meat, reaching underneath to reach all sides. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place seasoned roast in your slow cooker.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together root beer and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Pour over the roast in the slow cooker.
4. Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 10 to 11 hours, or until internal temperature is above 190 degrees F. and meat is tender enough to pull away from the bone.
5. Remove roast to a cutting board and let sit to cool for just a few minutes. Pour out all but about 3/4 cup of the juices from the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the pork, cutting around and discarding any fatty pieces. Place all of your pulled pork back into your slow cooker. Add about 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce. Stir to combine and place the lid back on. Heat on HIGH for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until pork and juices are hot and bubbly. Use this time to heat up buns and get the rest of your meal ready.
6. Scoop pulled pork onto buns and serve immediately.

Tips:

*If you don't wish to make such a large roast, you can use the same ingredients for a smaller roast too. You can likely cut down a bit on the cooking time, and use less barbecue sauce when adding it in at the end.
*For the most tender pulled pork, I do not recommend trying to short-cut the recipe by cooking it on HIGH heat. Low and slow is best!

Chocolate Brownies

These brownies work for a crowd (obviously, since served at Girl's Camp and at our massive family reunion).  I doubled them and put them on a large cookie sheet.  I used mint chips on top of the chocolate chips.  Yummy!  I also love how you make it in the microwave.  Simple, that's how I roll.

Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from Andrea Bake, served at Girls Camp

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cups butter or margarine

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Toffee and mint pieces

Melt butter in microwave, add cocoa and sugar; mix well.  Incorporate eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour.  Spread on foil lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 min.  Immediately after the brownies are removed from the oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Allow to sit for 5 min.  Spread melted bits evenly over brownies, and top with toffee or mint pieces.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars.