New and Improved Chicken Enchilada Soup

I have a few different Chicken enchilada / chicken tortilla, and different chicken soups on here, but I did a few things different yesterday when I made this soup and it was soooo good I had to write down what I did. It's cold, winter and blizzardy weather here, and it always makes me crave soup. Nothing like a warm soup at the end of the day to warm you up. I love garnishing soups like this with a lot of different topping choices, just adds a little something to the soup. Garnish with your favorites and enjoy!

 New and Improved Chicken Enchilada Soup

4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 4-oz can diced green chiles

Seasonings: I used salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder,  chili powder, smokey paprika and dried cilantro.

Place these ingredients in a crockpot and sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken. Feel free to use whatever seasonings you have and like for this soup. I never measure my seasonings, I just sprinkle a bit of each. I cooked on high for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken was shreddable. Turn off and set aside.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic

In a soup pot, drizzle the olive oil over the bottom and heat over medium high heat till it starts shimmering slightly. Add the chopped onion and cook until fragrant and slightly translucent (around 5 to 7 minutes). Then add the garlic, and cook another 30 seconds. 

Next, sprinkle more of the seasonings you used to season the chicken over the onion mixture and cook over medium heat for another minute. I didn't measure my seasonings, just used a good sprinkle of each. 

Remove the cooked chicken from your crock pot  and add to your soup pot with onions, shred with 2 forks. Next, strain the broth from your crock pot and add to the soup pot with onions and chicken. 

2 10-oz cans red enchilada sauce, I used mild but you can used medium or hot if desired.
2  14-oz cans hominy, I used 1 white and 1 yellow. Rinsed and drained
1 19-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature. (I warmed in a bowl in the microwave and mixed with one can of the enchilada sauce to get rid of big lumps.)

Add  all of the ingredients above to the soup pot. If you need more chicken broth to thin out a little, add as needed. I think I added another 2 cups. Taste for seasoning and add more salt , pepper,  and a little sprinkle of chipotle powder if you need it a little more spicy. Bring up to a boil, then turn to medium / medium low heat  and let this simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend. Prepare the garnishes while you wait.

Garnishes :

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

shredded green cabbage

Sour cream

Grated cheese

Chopped avocado

Tortilla chips

Pepitas

Serve! Let people pick the garnishes they like and enjoy!!

Sweet Chili Aioli (for Shrimp Tacos)

 I went to visit my daughter who is lucky enough to live close to Zion's National Park for a few days. While there, we ate at a few of the local restaurants, and one had the most awesome, life changing, shrimp tacos!! it was the sauce!!! My son-in-law talked to the chef and asked what was in it, so when I got home I googled a recipe similar to what the chef said he put in it.. and did my own thing too... cuz recipes are more like guide lines to me, are they? I came up with this recipe and grilled up some shrimp and these were close!! I LOVE this aioli....would be good on fish tacos too!! I'll share how I did my shrimp and assembled the tacos after the Aioli recipe.

Enjoy!!

Sweet Chili Aioli

1/2 cup Avacado mayonnaise (you can use regular too)

1 Tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon Sambal Olek (fresh Chili paste)or a garlic chili paste, (can add more if you want more spice)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste if desired

Combine ingredients in a bowl and use an immersion blender or whisk to mix. I added the 3 teaspoons of vinegar.... started with 2 then thought it could use a little more. You can use a garlic chili  paste too if that's what you have, then you can omit the minced garlic. 

For the Tacos

I used a large bag of the biggest shrimp I could find, 21-29 size I think? I thawed out and removed the tail and shell.

Blot dry on a paper towel. Then I drizzled a little olive oil and Kinders Seafood blend dry rub, and tossed them around. You can use any seafood seasoning you desire.

I preheated my grill then turned down to medium, then I put my shrimp on a grill tray and grilled for 2 minutes per side or until your shrimp are a nice opaque pink color. Remove from heat.

I fry my corn tortillas in avocado oil a minute or two, fry one side till they start to bubble then on the other until they lightly start to brown on the edge... remove and let drip on a paper towel lined plate.. I fold mine in half while they are cooking on that last side.

To assemble the tacos... I spread a good spoonful of the aioli on my taco shell, then lay 5 big shrimp, stacked slightly in a row... we topped ours with pre shredded cabbage, Cotija cheese, and homemade salsa or hot sauce. The picture above is what I took of my plate at the restaurant.... you could top with Pico d Gallo and chopped cilantro too.. top with your favorite taco toppings. Service with black beans and rice if desired.... bet ya can't eat just one.

Portabella Mushroom Tacos

I love tacos. My hubby and I thought it would be awesome to see if we could do a meatless Monday  and Portabella mushrooms have a great meaty texture. These were awesome! Didn’t even miss meat! We topped with avocado and salsa and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Portabella Mushroom Tacos

3–4 large portobello mushrooms caps

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 large onion, cut into thin slices

2 large sweet bell peppers, cut into thin slices

juice of 1 lime

tortillas

taco toppings such as avocado, salsa, hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, cilantro,      cheese, sour cream, etc.

Directions: 

1. To prepare the mushrooms, rinse them under water and rub your fingers along the dark “gills” on the underside to remove the gills. Remove any debris or dirt. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide pieces.
2. In a small bowl, toss the prepared mushroom slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the Worcestershire or soy sauce. Then add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
5. Add the marinating mushrooms and all of the accumulated juices into the hot pan. Add a little more oil if needed. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, 4-5 minutes.
6. Returned the vegetables to the pan and cook until heated through. Cook until the vegetables are to your liking without overcooking. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7.  Add the juice of one lime and stir to incorporate.
8. Remove from the heat and serve as you do other tacos, in a tortilla with all the toppings. Also makes a great topping for taco salad.

Chili Colorado

I LOVE Chili Colorado..... Had it for the first time at a restaurant in California with my hubby's family... have craved it ever since... but wanted to make my own. I watched a you tube video on the Bon Apetit channel and gave it  a try. This uses dried chiles that you can find in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores or specialty stores. This is sooooooo good! you can serve in a bowl with tortillas or on a plate with Mexican rice and beans. We like to break pieces off the tortilla for a scoop... YUMMO!

Chili Colorado

5 dried Ancho chiles

2 dried pasilla chiles

2 dried guajillo chiles

3 cups chicken stock

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 " pieces

Vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Mexican Oregano (if you have Italian oregano that's ok too)

5 cups chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

Take the dried chili's and remove the stems and seeds. You want soft pliable chiles, like a dried raisin. If they are dry and brittle they are too old and will be flavorless. (Throw those out.)

Bring the chicken stock to a boil then cover your chiles with it in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for about 30 minutes until the chiles are plump and tender. 

Next you put the soaked chiles and all the soaking liquid into a blender and puree until very smooth.

Season your cubes pork shoulder with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven pan, heat a couple of Tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the pork shoulder and brown all sides. You want to do this in two batches. If you over crowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of get a good brown caramel color on it. Remove the first batch to a bowl and do the same with the rest of the cubed pork. 

Add all the pork back into the pot, and add the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, chopped sage and oregano. Stir that around over medium heat until very fragrant (about a minute)

Next, add the 5 cups chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Then add the chile puree and simmer another 45 minutes or until the meat is very tender and your sauce is a rich thick mahogany red color. 

Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this in a bowl with tortillas on the side. I like to garnish with diced avocado and a bit of  plain cole slaw mix.  you  can also serve along side some Mexican rice. We like to use the tortillas like scoops by breaking off a small piece and scooping into the chili colorado... sooo goood. 

White Chili

I love chili...especially on chilly, rainy weekends. My hubby and I have been trying to eat less red meat and healthier so I was browsing recipes on the Food Network and ran across this one. I followed it pretty exact, except I used masa flour mixed with water to thicken the broth just a bit and it ads a great flavor, like an enchilada soup. LOVED it. I also swapped low fat sour cream for the yogurt for a garnish since that is what we like on our soups. I will make this again ! 

White Chili

adapted from Ellie Krieger / Food Network

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 medium poblano peppers (about 4 ounces each), seeded and white ribs removed, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

1 pound ground white meat turkey

2 (15.5-ounce) cans white beans such as cannelini, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed

Salt

  1/3 cup masa flour

  1 cup water

Garnishes:

1/4 cup low fast sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

grated cheese

  Diced Avacado

 Tortilla chips

Directions:

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery, poblanos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink about 2 minutes. Add the white beans, broth and oregano. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

Mix 1/3 cup masa flour with 1 cup water and stir. Add to soup with the hominy and salt and more cayenne pepper, to taste, and continue cooking, partially covered, 10 minutes longer.

Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with your choice of garnishes.

Cheater refried beans

I love tacos and beans.... my hubby was craving a taco with carne asada the other night, so I caved and made them. We used meat already sliced thin which I marinated and grilled then chopped and used in my taco topped with cilantro lime coleslaw and avocado slices. I had watched Trisha Yearwood make Cheater beans a couple of Saturday's ago and thought I would try the recipe. But alas I only had black beans which I like better than pinto beans anyway. So that is what I used. I also had some cooked bacon leftover in the fridge and I always save my bacon grease in a jar in the fridge to use when needed. Delicious! Enjoy

Cheater Refried Beans
recipe adapted from Trisha Yearwood's Cheater beans
(original recipe)

Ingredients:

4 strips cooked bacon, chopped (I like to bake mine in the oven ahead of time)
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
1 (15 oz) can Bush's seasoned recipe black beans (don't drain these)

1 (15 oz) can Black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium tomato, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
Salt and pepper
approx. a Tablespoon chopped cilantro (I use the cilantro in the tube.. and just gave it a couple of squirts) you can use fresh if you like.


Directions:
I bake my bacon ahead of time on a large cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or your desired doneness. Place cooked bacon on paper towel to cool, then chop and set aside. Drain the bacon grease into a small clean jar. I keep this in the refrigerator, very nice to have on hand.

In a large saucepan, add a 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and heat over medium heat; then add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent, a couple of minutes. Do not drain the bacon grease because it gives the beans a good taste. Add the beans, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and 1/2 can water, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add some salt and pepper, the cumin and the cilantro and simmer for enough couple of minutes.  Remove from the heat. I like to use a  potato masher and mash some of the beans. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve along side tacos, or your favorite Mexican dish, Enjoy!!

Sweet Spicy Shredded Pork

I came up with this recipe on my own.... My hubby and I have been eating LOTS of salads lately, and sometimes I get tired of cut up grilled chicken on mine. I love the pork that a popular restaurant puts on there salads so I tried to recreate it. This was awesome on a salad or in a quesadilla....would also be great as a filling for tacos with a cilantro lime coleslaw on it. YUMMO

Sweet Spicy Shredded Pork
a 2 or 3 pound pork roast (i like to use pork blade roasts)
1- 10 oz can medium enchilada sauce
1- 4 oz can diced green chilies
2 packed Tablespoons  brown sugar
ground chipotle pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Pour half the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large crock pot. Place your pork roast in next and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little chipotle pepper.
Add the brown sugar and green chilies to the other half can of enchilada sauce and pour over the roast.
Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours until pouk is falling apart. Remove pork and bones from crock pot and throw away the bones. Next, strain the juice into a large skillet and bring to a boil; simmer until it becomes slightly thickened.
While your sauce is reducing shred the pork. Once the sauce is thickened add your shredded pork and the chilis that are left in your strainer (be sure you have removed any bones.) Toss to coat the pork in the sauce. Taste at this point, add more salt and pepper and more chipotle pepper if desired for more heat.
This is so good on a salad with a cilantro-lime ranch dressing or in a taco or quesadilla or a burrito with beans and rice, there are lots of things you can do with this yummy pork. Enjoy!

Almost Famous Crunchwraps

I love fast food and eating out... but sometimes it can be expensive. Sometimes at home I try to come up with my favorite fast food items that I crave. I LOVE Taco Bell and their nacho cheese sauce...and I love the Crunchwraps especially. I decided to try to make my own  and this is what I came up with. Pretty easy once you have all the stuff and the fillings are prepped. YUMMO! We ate ours with carrot, celery and cucumber sticks. Now isn't that better for you than actually eating out with soda and everything???

Almost Famous Crunchwraps

1 to 2 -lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 to 2 cloves minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic that comes in a jar )
1 packet taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 package large flour tortilla's (the largest you can find)
tostada shells
1-15 oz. can Rico's gourmet nacho sauce (or your favorite nacho cheese sauce, Ricco's just has the taste of Taco Bells)
1 cup sour cream (or more, depending on how much you like on each one and how many you're making!)
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 or 3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 or 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:
In a large skillet brown the ground beef, onion and garlic together over medium/high heat. Drain of the excess fat (if there is any) Add your taco seasoning and water and cook according to the packet directions. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

While the hamburger is browning,  warm up your nacho sauce in a small saucepan.....
                                  (here's a pic of the can of Ricco's)

Also place the flour tortilla's on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. You need to be able to fold them without them cracking. Also in case you haven't seen tostada shells before here's a picture of them. There are a lot in a package... I couldn't find a smaller one, but the leftovers are great crunched on top of a salad..... or just for a snack! :)

Preheat another large skillet over medium/high heat.
Now to assemble the crunchwraps:
Place 1 flour tortilla on a cutting board or other flat surface. Spoon browned meat in the center, making a circle about the size of a tostada shell. Then drizzle the nacho sauce over the meat.

Next, place a tostada shell on top of the nacho sauce and spread a little sour cream on the top. Then add shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
Now fold the the tortilla: start at the bottom and bring the edge up to the center ( or as close to the center as you can. It doesn't matter if there's a little hole in the center) Continue folding this way working around in a clockwise direction.

Spray skillet with cooking spray and carefully place crunchwrap folded side down in the skillet. Cook until it's golden brown on the bottom, about a minute or two, then flip over and cook until that side is golden brown. Continue to cook all your crunch wraps this way.
I served mine with carrot, celery and cucumber sticks. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while...I seem to have run out of recipes.... and I've been trying to not eat flour and sugar too much lately. But I ran across this recipe for Fajitas in my new Cooks Country Illustrated recipe book and tweaked it just a bit of coarse. Instead of using Flour tortilla's we put ours on Corn tortillas so it was more like a Fajita taco. I've posted a recipe for the creamy poblano peppers before but it had corn in it .. this one did not, and I used skim milk and light cream cheese instead of heavy cream to lighten it up a bit. I also used my spicy dilly beans as a garnish... gave it some crunch!  Enjoy! Also the next morning I made omelets with the leftover chicken and poblanos... delicious!!!

Chicken Fajitas

Adapted From America's Test Kitchen episode: Chicken Classics, Improved.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN:

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 1/2teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/2-inch thickness

RAJAS CON CREMA:

1 pound (3 to 4) poblano chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

4 oz. low fat cream cheese

¼ cup milk ( I used skim milk)

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

8 – 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed (I used corn tortillas)

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

Grated cheese for garnishing

Spice Dilly beans and carrots (if desired)

Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Whisk 3 tablespoons oil, lime juice, garlic, paprika, sugar, salt, cumin, pepper, and cayenne together in bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

2. FOR THE RAJAS CON CREMA: Mean­while, adjust oven rack to highest position and heat broiler. Arrange poblanos, skin side up, on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and press to flatten. Broil until skin is charred and puffed, 4 to 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through cooking. Transfer poblanos to bowl, cover, and let steam for 10 minutes. Rub majority of skin from poblanos and discard (preserve some skin for flavor); slice into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 200 degrees.

OR you can heat your outdoor grill on hi and place the peppers on the grill. Close lid and time for about 3 to 4 minutes till the skin starts to blister, turn and time again for 3 to 4 minutes. Continue turning and cooking until the outside is mostly all blistered and charred in spots. Then remove from grill to a large bowl and cover with saran wrap and let steam and cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel the skin from the peppers and discard. Slice into 1/4-inch thick strips. 

3. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add onion and cook until charred and just softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring frequently, until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add poblano strips, lime juice, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and set aside while you cook the chicken.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and wipe off excess. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in another 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook without moving it until bottom side is well charred, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken; transfer skillet to lower oven rack. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes; do not wash out skillet.

OR you can grill your chicken on your outside grill on medium high heat. Depending on the thickness of the chicken I cook 5 to 7 minutes per side (mine is usually pretty thin so I go for the 5 minutes per side) Cook until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink in the middle, or is about 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

5. Slice chicken crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Return chicken strips to skillet and toss to coat with pan juices. To serve, spoon few pieces of chicken into center of warmed tortilla and top with spoonful of vegetable mixture, cilantro, and Spicy Dilly beans and carrots or grated cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

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Refried Beans

This was my Cinco De Mayo dinner.... I know it's past but you can always make this when ever you feel like a Mexican dinner. I usually buy canned re-fried beans but I had a lot of energy? or time? this year and decided to make my  re fries from scratch. I found a good recipe in my old Mexican cookbook I got for a wedding gift, I think. This takes a bit of planning because you have to soak the beans first, but I didn't find it hard to do. You can find my Mexican Rice recipe here and my tamale recipe here. Also I made some fresh Pico de gallo, recipe here and served with some fresh steamed green beans, you gotta have your veggies you know. These re-fried beans were delicious!!! Enjoy!

Re-fried Beans
Serves 6 or 8

2 to 3 cups pinto beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (or you can use lard, or bacon grease... I used butter-just call me Paula Dean)
Salt and Pepper
Ground Cumin, optional
Chile powder or chipotle powder, if desired
1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese , if desired

Rinse beans and place in a large soup pot with 8 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Over medium high heat, bring the pot to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, and let beans soak for 2 hours.
Drain the beans.
Place the drained beans and diced onion back into a 3 quart pot and add enough water to cover the beans and onions by 1 inch. Bring this to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until beans are very tender and mash easily (about 2-1/2 hours or so).  Add water if needed as they are simmering.
Once the beans are tender, drain BUT save about 2 cups of the liquid. Also set aside about 1 cup of the whole beans. Then, with a potato masher or in a food processor, mash (or whirl) the rest of the beans until coarsely pureed adding about a cup of the reserved cooking liquid.
Melt butter and add to the pot with the mashed beans and the whole beans. Cook stirring constantly over medium-high heat until the butter is absorbed and beans are very hot (about 10 minutes) While this is cooking add a little more of the reserved cooking liquid until you get the right consistency. I think I added about 1- 1/2  cups all together. Turn the heat to low and season to taste with the salt and pepper, cumin and chili or chipotle pepper powder as desired.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and cover until ready to serve.
Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

I think anything in a corn tortilla is delicious... I LOVE tacos. After making my Barbecue Chicken the other day, I had quite a bit of leftover chicken that I needed to use up. So I thought,  'why not make a taco?' I love Buffalo Chicken wings and thought I would make something with that flavor and put in a taco shell... this was easy and YUMMO! It has the spiciness of Buffalo Chicken wings and the flavor of the Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing all rolled into one corn tortilla. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
3 to 4 cups diced cooked chicken (more or less depending on how many tacos you want to make)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (or you can use your favorite brand)

1 small package coleslaw mix
Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing
grated cheese for garnishing (I used a grated Colby Jack)
Corn Tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Once the butter is melted stir in the hot sauce and then add the cooked chicken; cook and sir until the chicken is heated through and evenly coated with the sauce. (If using 4 cups of chicken you may want to add another Tablespoon of butter and a couple of Tablespoons more hot sauce. You want the chicken to be well coated.)
While the chicken is warming up, place the coleslaw in a medium size bowl and add a couple of squirts of the dressing. Stir to evenly coat, add a little more dressing is necessary, you want the cabbage coated with dressing but not dripping. Set this aside until ready to eat.
Spray the corn tortillas on each side with Spray Pam, then lay on oven rack in a single layer. Bake for 1 minute, then flip over and bake for 1 minute more. Remove from oven and put in tortilla warmer or a towel lined casserole dish with a lid, until ready to eat. Don't cook any longer or they'll get too hard, and they will be hard to chew.
To assemble the tacos, take one warmed tortilla, place a heaping spoonful of the chicken down the center, next sprinkle on some grated cheese, then add a spoonful of the coleslaw, fold in half and Enjoy!!
Serve with steamed veggies, or Mexican rice and beans!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wraps

One thing that my husband got me addicted to since I married him is Hot Wings, or Buffalo Wings... or maybe I should just say Hot Sauce in general... I put the stuff on pizza, eggs... alot of things and that's something I thought I would never do. This recipe was on my Betty Crocker Calendar (yes, I get things like that in the mail that I forget I have signed up for) and since I LOVE hot sauce and ranch dressing together this recipe screamed "Try me!" the moment I saw it. I didn't tweak it too much other than I used a bit more ranch, and I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. I did cook mine on the stove top by putting the chicken in water along with a stalk of celery, a slice of onion, garlic and salt and pepper, and I simmered for about an hour until the chicken pulled apart. But I"m posting the slow cooker recipe since I would have done it that way had I thought about it before leaving for work. The leftover chicken also makes great Quesadilla's...Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wraps

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Chicken broth
3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's hot sauce)
1/2 cup ranch dressing plus more to spread on the tortilla
1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas)
3 cups shredded lettuce
Grated cheese (if desired)

Place chicken in 1 1/2-quart slow cooker, sprinkle with salt and add 1/2 cup chicken broth.
Cover; cook 6 to 7 hours (if slow cooker has heat settings, use Low).
With slotted spoon, remove chicken from slow cooker and place on cutting board; discard liquid in slow cooker. (you can strain this juice and freeze for later use in a soup or stew)
In slow cooker or a medium sauce pan, mix buffalo wing sauce and the 1/2 cup of the ranch dressing. With 2 forks, shred chicken. Return chicken to slow cooker (or saucepan); stir gently to mix with sauce.

Next, you can warm your tortillas or have them cold for the wrap, I warm mine for a minute or two in a large skillet over medium heat, this makes them easier to roll.
To serve, spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon ranch dressing; top each with about 1/2 cup chicken mixture, about 1/3 cup lettuce and sprinkle with grated cheese if desired. Roll up tortilla, secure with toothpicks if you want to make a few and then serve.
I served mine with Mexican rice and sauteed zucchini, would be good with chips or french fries too!
Enjoy!

Quesidillas 
Left over Buffalo Chicken
Grated Cheese
Flour Tortillas
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Place 2 large flour tortillas on the cookie sheet, sprinkle with cheese, then left over chicken, then sprinkle again with cheese and top with another flour tortilla. Spray the top of the Tortilla with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the tortilla's are slightly browned around the edges.
Remove from the oven, cut in to fourths (like you cut a pie) and serve! This makes a great lunch!

my version of Taco Bell's Nacho Crunch Burrito

Don't you hate it when a fast food place comes up with something you love, in fact you crave it late at night or at lunch when you're starving at work...only to remove it from their menu after a short time?? I do..and that is what happened  to me with the Nacho Crunch Burrito at Taco Bell. While I was trying to make myself think that what I really wanted was the Crunch Wrap instead of the beloved Burrito I was craving, I thought ' I bet I could make them at home, I just needed hamburger, tortilla's, a cheese sauce, and crunchy tortilla chips or strips and I would have it!" So that's what I did! and I wasn't disappointed at all! I think mine were even better! Take that Taco Bell!! Enjoy....

Di's version of Taco Bell's  "Nacho Crunch Burrito"

1 to 2 pounds Hamburger (the amount depends on how many burritos you need, I did about 1-1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup chopped onion
Taco Seasoning (or a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, Chili powder, and chipotle powder)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can Rico's Gourmet! Nacho Cheddar Cheese Sauce (found in the Mexican food aisle at most Grocery Stores--see pic below)
1 pkge. "Fresh Gourmet" Tortilla Strips (Found in the salad section of most groceries, they come in a few different flavors)
10 Burrito size Flour Tortillas

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown your hamburger and chopped onion. When Hamburger is almost done, drain grease and season with Taco seasoning, or what seasonings you desire. Let cook for about 5 more minutes so flavors mix.

Meanwhile, heat your Nacho Cheese sauce in a small Saucepan over medium low heat until it's warmed through.


                           I LOVE this cheese sauce!

Heat your tortilla's in another large skillet over medium high heat, warming each tortilla for 2 or 3 minutes until warm and bubbly on one side and then flipping over--this should take 2-3 minutes total not for each side. Place warmed tortilla in between 2 kitchen towels on a plate to keep warm.

When ready to make burritos, take 1 tortilla, place a couple of spoonfuls of meat down the center, then a spoonful or two of the cheese, then sprinkle the crispy tortilla strips down the middle...

Fold in both ends, then starting at one side, fold over tucking over the filling and roll into a burrito! Enjoy!

I served mine with Mexican rice, black beans, and crispy garden veggies.

Also, feel free to add more toppings, I liked mine like this, but you could add salsa, chopped tomatoes, diced lettuce, guacamole, or chopped avocados.

Flour Tortillas

I used to make flour tortillas all the time when I was first married, my husband comes from a Mexican background, and his Grandma Margie taught me how on one of her many visits with my mother-in-law when we lived in Bremerton, Washington. I remember going to about every yard sale we came across trying to find the perfect wooden rolling pin so she could show me how to make them. I haven't made them in a while I'll be honest, and when I did make them again this last winter they didn't turn out like they used to so I gave up and didn't try again. But last week I went to a kitchen meeting, (yes I get to be the kitchen specialist in my ward! ) and we had some Mexican ladies come and show us how to make different Mexican foods. They made flour tortilla's and I was amazed at the texture of the dough!! It wasn't at all what I remembered! So of course I had to give them a try, and my hubby LOVED them!! I think next time I make them I might add just a pinch more salt (like 1/4 teaspoon more maybe) but other than that they were perfect!! It was so fun to watch those ladies roll them out!! I thank towards the end of my batch I got the technique down! I made mine into chicken fajita's but they would make great burritos or just to eat along side some Chicken Enchilada soup! Remember, this Saturday is Cinco De Mayo, so try whipping up a batch! YUM!

Flour Tortillas
Makes about 18

Ingredients:
6 cups flour (just regular all purpose flour, or you could do half white and half wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2 1/4 cups HOT water (as hot as you can get it from the tap or microwaved, doesn't need to boil)

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Then add the shortening and blend in with a pastry blender or your fingers.
Then add the water a little at a time, and mix well with your hands.... that's how they did it! I keep adding water until all the flour is incorporated and you have a slightly sticky dough. Knead in the bowl until the dough is more smooth than lumpy (about 3 minutes).
Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes at least or up to an hour.
Form into balls(about golf ball size or a little bigger), roll each ball out into the size tortilla you want. Cook on hot grill or skillet. Cook for a minute or 2 until  the tortilla is opaque on the bottom and starting to bubble, flip over and cook until it turns opaque and you may have a few slightly browned bubbles.
Enjoy!
I found a video that might help to watch... Her recipe is slightly different but the technique is about the same as the ladies I watched (except she seems quite picky about rolling her dough into balls...) Click here for video.

Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips

I had made this recipe last fall when I saw it on the Food Network show "Mexican made easy" but wasn't sure if I liked it enough to blog. I made it again the other day because I had some Poblano peppers I needed to use up and YUM!!  I grilled chicken strips that I had marinated in McCormick's Chipotle marinade and made tacos with them and used these Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips to go on top along with a little Salsa! YUMMO!! Best Tacos that we've had in a while. You could also just serve this recipe as a side dish to Enchilada's or tamales or what ever you happen to be making. I tweaked it just a bit to what I had on hand, my tweaks are in parenthesis. Enjoy!!

Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips
Serves:
4 to 6 servings (or 2 cups)

Ingredients:
4 to 6 fresh poblano chiles* (or canned, peeled)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 ears corn, kernels removed (or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche (3 ounces cream cheese, brought to room temperature)
1/2 cup, shredded Monterrey jack cheese (colby jack or pepper jack are good too!)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Char the poblano chiles directly over the gas flame on the stove or under the broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a plastic bag and let steam for about 10 minutes.

Add the oil to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and seed the chiles. Cut the chiles into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips  and add the strips to the onion and corn mixture and saute until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and Mexican crema (or cream cheese) stir and cook until bubbling, about for 8 minutes. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Season the Peppers with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and serve as a side or garnish for tacos. (This is what it looks like since my above picture it was on tacos!)

Notes:
*Cook's Note: The poblano chile is a fresh chile that ranges from mild to hot. It is a deep, dark green color and is large and wide with shiny skin. Ripened on the plant and dried it is known as "chile ancho" or "pasilla." They can also be found at most supermarkets or Latin specialty markets. Just keep your eye out, as some stores sell them fresh under the name "pasilla."
A great filling for tacos. You can use virtually any chile but a mild poblano adds the perfect amount of spice to any dish.

Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas

As you may already know, one of my favorite things to do is sleep in on Saturday mornings, (which usually means sleeping till about 7 ish, then watching cooking shows for about another 1 1/2 hours or until my stomach is growling so loud that I wake everyone else up. Last Saturday, I was watching Rick Bayless- Mexico-One Plate at a Time, and he made this dish. I did pretty much what he did, except I added a few more spices, all he used was salt. This was some of the best pork we had eaten in a long time!! It was easy to do too, most of the cooking was done in the oven while I was at church! We ate ours as tacos with pineapple salsa... and I made the leftover into enchiladas, but would also be good served by itself with refried beans and mexican rice with warm flour tortillas on the side along with salsa and guacamole!!  YUMMMMM!

Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas

 3-4 pounds Pork roast, (I did 2 smaller blade roasts, one boneless, about 2-3 inches thick)
Salt
Black Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Red Chili pepper
Chipotle powder
Ground Cumin
1/3 cup chicken broth (or water if you don't have any on hand)

Heat overn to 300 degrees. Lay your roast in a large roasting or baking pan. Sprinkle liberally on both side with all of the seasonings. Pour the 1/3 cup chicken broth or water around the meat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 3 hours.
After about 3 hours baking, roast should be done and kind of falling apart, but there are a lot of juices. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Uncover the meat and continue to cook until the liquid has mostly reduced and only the rendered fat remains, this takes about 30 minutes. Now continue to roast, carefully turning the meat every 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is good and brown. (mine fell apart but that's okay you want it kind of shredded). Do this for about another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and break apart. Taste to see if you need more salt or pepper or any other seasonings to suit your taste. Serve with warm tortillas, or fill taco shells, whatever you desire!
Enjoy!

Shrimp Chiles Rellenos

                                                                               
I LOVE Chiles Rellenos! Usually these are stuffed with just cheese and dipped in an egg batter and then deep fried. I first ate them when we lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the state fair that was in Albuquerque, those were the best I've ever had!! They were deep fried but crispy with a yummo sauce on them. I have tried to find some like those ever since we moved back to Idaho but so far they haven't been like those. The ones I  have had here are good, they just are softer on the outside. Jim's Mom has shown me how to make them too, and those were good, but not crispy. I was watching T.V. on Saturday Morning and Rick Bayless' show 'Mexico, One plate at a Time' was on. He made this recipe and they looked yummy and a bit more healthy than the deep fried ones I've seen so I thought I would give them a try. I followed his recipe pretty close, but added the black beans and corn to the filling. And I marinated my shrimp for more flavor.  I tried both the Anaheim Chiles and the fresh Poblano Chiles, we liked them both, but I think I liked the Poblanos best. They were bigger and some of the Anaheim chiles were quite spicy. Just a warning, these a take a while to make because you have to roast and peel the chiles, but I didn't mind... I like experimenting in the kitchen. So make these when you have a bit of time and feel like trying something different. YUM!
Also.. If you don't want to take the time to wrap these in cornhusks... you could bake them on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for about 10 minutes or until the filling is hot and bubbly.

Shrimp Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients:
An 8-ounce package dried corn husks
12 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds total) fresh Anaheim chiles or fresh Poblano Peppers ( I used 8 Anaheim and 4 Poblano because I wanted to try both kinds)
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
A little vegetable oil
Salt
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
Grill Mates Baja Citris Marinade packet, (mix according to directions on packet)
1/2 (14 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 (14 oz ) can corn, drained
12 ounces shredded Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesillo, asadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar, shredded (you’ll have about 3 cups)
1/4 teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
Dash or two salt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions:
1. Soak the corn husks. Fill your sink with hot water and add your corn husks to it, if they float, I put a cake pan that I've filled with water on top of them. Let soak for a good hour.
2. Roast the chiles, you can do this in the broiler, but I prefer to roast mine on my grill, either gas or charcoal will work, just get the grill hot. Lay the chiles on the grill and turn until blackened and blistered, about 4 minutes per side. Place in a large bowl and cover with a lid or piece of saran wrap, you want these to steam a little so the skin is easy to peel off.
Meanwhile, brush both sides of the onion slices with a little oil, sprinkle with salt, then lay in a single layer on the grill. Grill, turning at least once, until richly browned and soft, about 7 minutes. Scoop onto a cutting board and chop into small pieces.
Marinade your shrimp in the Baja Citris Marinade for about 15 minutes. (Mine marinades while I peel my chilles)
When the chiles are cool enough to handle, peel off the blistered skin. Make a slit in the side of each chile and use your finger to scrape out the seeds. Rinse briefly to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Dry with paper towels.
Saute the shrimp in a large frying pan for about 5 to 6 minutes or until they turn pink and start to curl. Remove from pan, and chop into about 1/4 inch pieces.
In a large bowl, mix together the chopped shrimp, shredded cheese, chopped grilled onion, black beans, corn, oregano, black pepper and salt.

 Spoon your filling into the peppers until full but you can still almost close them up again.

3. Grill and serve--Preheat your grill again. Choose 12 larger corn husks. Lay six on your counter top and dry with a towel. Lay the Anaheim chili's  in pairs lengthwise on the corn husks and roll up., or if you use Poblano peppers, do just one in each corn husk. Lay out 6 more corn husks. Lay each “chile relleno roll” on another corn husk, tapered end pointing the opposite direction. and roll up, Tear  1/4-inch strips from the remaining corn husks and use them to tie around the ends of each roll. Lay the rolls on the grill. Grill them for 10 to 12 minutes, turning them regularly, until the corn husks are slightly charred, the cheese has melted and the shrimp are warm.

Slide them onto plates, cut off the ties, pry back the husk and serve! (I slid mine out of the husks completely to serve)

I served mine with a side salad and spicy dilly beans and carrots. But you could serve these with a steamed veggie and Mexican rice if desired.
Enjoy

The top pic at the beginning of the recipe is the Aneheim Chile and the one at the bottom is the Poblano Chile.