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9/29/14

One Pan Chicken Burrito


http://www.number-2-pencil.com/

I hear a lot of people complain that they hate cooking. I think there are a few reasons for that. 1) they don't know what to cook 2) They try to make hard meals when life is busy and rushed. Don't take me wrong I make hard meals but I make them on the days that I have plenty of time to make them.

I have a crazy busy life ... with 4 kids all active in something or another. So I am always looking for shortcuts just like everyone else. One of the best things I ever learned was that I could take frozen chicken and put it in the crock pot with a little chicken broth and let it cook for about 4 hours and then come home to cooked chicken. I then take the chicken and cut it up or shred it and can make so many things in a short time. I know I have talked about it before but that's what I did with this one so had to remind you.



1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
1 cup of uncooked extra-long grain rice
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups of colby jack, monterey jack or cheddar cheese
kosher salt and pepper
freshly diced tomatoes
diced green onions
sour cream
guacamole

Sauté onions in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until they start to soften.
Season diced chicken with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
Add chicken to pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken has started to brown.
Move chicken to one side of pan, in the other side of the pan add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and sauté uncooked rice for about 2 minutes or just until some grains start to turn golden brown.
Stir in black beans, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Sprinkle with cheese, recover and let set for 2-3 off heat to melt cheese.
Garnish with fresh tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and guacamole

9/16/14

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Our Best Bites

This is the recipe that uses the leftover grilled taco chicken that my family LOVED! It is a really great soup. If you don't like lime cut back a little bit. Its not the normal meat and veggie soup so it is a great recipe to break up the norm.



Leftover grilled taco chicken
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced
4 (15 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes
1/4 c fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
garnishes:
crumbled cotija cheese or shredded pepper jack cheese, cilantro, advocado, lime wedges, crispy corn tortilla strips

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook a few more minutes until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings. Grate or crumble the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado, and fry the tortillas. Right before serving add lime juice, cilantro, and cooked chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and add desired toppings.

9/5/14

Grilled Taco Chicken

Our Best Bites

I was going through recipe books the other day when I came across this beauty. It looked so good we made it the next day. We drove 35 minutes just to get the limes because we were so anxious to try it lol. This recipe calls for 4-8 hours to marinade but we did it overnight because I knew I wouldn't be around to make it that day. I can not tell you how good this recipe is!!! I made 12 pieces of chicken because there is a follow up recipe for the leftovers, the kids were so mad I wouldn't let them have more. This is a new favorite for sure at our house. My husband doesn't like fruits with meat so he was really hesitant about it. But it was the BOMB!!!! This chicken is definitely finger licking good :)



1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2-3 juicy limes
1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place chicken breasts in a zip top plastic bag. Squeeze lemons over chicken. Add vinegar and the minced garlic. Seal the bag and shake to distribute the marinade. (I just mixed the vinegar, lime, and garlic together and then poured it over the top).
Preheat grill to medium high heat (about 400 degrees).

Combine chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from bag and discard the used marinade. Rub the spices onto the chicken. Place chicken breasts on the hot grill. Grill for 7 minutes, turn, and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat to a clean plate and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.