Creamy Southwest Chicken

I seem to have been experiencing Blogger's-block.  If that exists.

Every time I use Blogger, my computer crashes and my husband has to re-install the operating system.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with Blogger itself, but rather that my laptop has some kind of nasty virus that can't be completely undone.  Basically my laptop has spent a lot of quality time as a paper weight lately.  And then once he had it all up and running again, I was out of the Blogging-routine and in the middle of May-sanity (ie: end-of-the-schoolyear-over-commitment).  May-Sanity is over now so I thought I would give it another whirl.

Today I'm bringing you a recipe we really like that is great for summer in HellonEarth the desert because it is all cooked in the crockpot with very little prep!  AND it makes a lot so it's great for a few lunches too.

I found this recipe on ...yah, you guessed it--Pinterest.  Shocking.  I am currently making an attempt to go through my Pinterest account and either make the recipes or crafts I've pinned or get rid of them.  I did adapt this recipe quite a bit to make it more flavorful for us but the base is great!  We like this in whole wheat tortillas, on chips or over rice or quinoa.

Creamy Southwest Chicken

recipe adapted from The Larson Lingo

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen is fine)

1 8-oz block cream cheese

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Rotel, not drained

2 c. frozen corn kernels (I prefer Trader Joe's super sweet frozen corn)

1 packet taco seasoning mix

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

dash of cayenne pepper

Tortillas, tortilla chips or cooked rice for serving

Toppings:

diced red onion

jalapeno slices

shredded cheddar cheese

hot sauce, taco sauce or salsa

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Put the block of cream cheese, beans, rotel and corn on top of the chicken and sprinkle the taco seasoning, garlic and cayenne pepper on top of everything.  Cook on low 5-6 hours.  When you're ready to eat stir it well and shred the chicken.  Let the crockpot stand without the lid on for 10-15 minutes before serving and the mixture will thicken up a bit.  Serve as nachos or in a burrito with desired toppings.

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Someone in our household has been sick enough to stay home for one entire month. I will be so happy to say farewell to March next week!! We are finally better and I'm back to blogging.  To make up for my lack of posts lately, I'm bringing you not only Ranch Dressing, but also this delicious salad.

When I first made the BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad and we were "mmmmm-ing" Rob said, "You have to adapt this to Buffalo Chicken!"  So last week I made this.  We loved this.  It is perfect for summer.  This would be just as good without the chicken if you prefer vegetarian or you could add an extra can of chickpeas to bump up the protein.

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 c. quinoa

one cube or 1 Tb. vegetable bouillon

3 c. water

1/2 lb. chicken breast, cooked & shredded

1/4 red onion, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled & grated

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c. buffalo sauce + extra for serving (I use Frank's buffalo sauce)

1-2 Tb. Frank's Red Hot (optional)

1 tsp. granulated garlic

black pepper to taste

Ranch dressing for serving

Combine the water, quinoa and bouillon in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook 15 minutes.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and season with granulated garlic and black pepper.  In a large bowl combine cooked quinoa, chicken, red onion, green onion, celery, grated carrots, garbanzo beans and buffalo sauce.  If you like it extra spicy ad 1-2 Tb. Frank's Red hot sauce. Either serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat.  To serve, fill a bowl with a serving of the salad, drizzle with ranch dressing and extra buffalo sauce.

Chocolate Mallow Fondue

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!! Truly truly, I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's.  I think it excludes people, puts extra pressure on loved ones (especially men), and we should really appreciate our loved ones more than one day a year.  That being said, it is what it is and I AM so thankful for my husband so I'm going to tell him especially on this day.  But, this year we are going to focus on our kids and start a tradition to do fondue with them for dinner & dessert (which is an idea I stole from my friend).  Going to a restaurant on Valentine's Day is  not fun.  Not. Fun.

I have made this chocolate mallow fondue so many times, but sadly have never remembered to take a picture, so I will update with a photo later this week!  BUT, if you trust me at all...believe that this is a delicious treat and try it!  I love my fondue pot, but if you don't have a fondue pot, this would work out just fine if you made it in a sauce pan on the stove (medium heat) and poured it into a little dipper crockpot on the warm setting.  This makes a lot, but the leftovers are great and work perfectly as hot fudge!

For dinner, I am going to try this cheese fondue recipe for the first time, so I'll let you know how we like it!  For dipping in the cheese fondue: smoked turkey sausage, steak, french bread, soft pretzels, granny smith apples and red bell peppers.

Chocolate Mallow Fondue
recipe from my friend 

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz bag)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dippers:
banana
strawberries
apples
raspberries
graham crackers
pretzels
Oreo cookies
cream puffs
rice krispy treats
etc...

Turn your fondue pot onto medium.  Pour in the marshmallow fluff and sweetened condensed milk.  Stir with a rubber spatula constantly until the marshmallow fluff is melted.  Add in chocolate chips, milk and vanilla and stir constantly until everything is melted and incorporated together.  Turn pot to low.  When you're finished, transfer leftovers to a container and refrigerate. This will keep a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce & Enchilada Stacks

 We really, really, really like Mexican food.  Like, a lot.  If you've read this blog more than a couple weeks you've probably noticed that already.  I saw this recipe for homemade enchilada sauce and I had to try it, because I don't typically love canned red enchilada sauce.  This is a keeper!  We all loved it.  I adapted the recipe a bit to be vegan/vegetarian by using veggie stock instead of chicken and I used a cornstarch slurry instead of a roux so it would be gluten-free and not have any added fat/calories from the oil. It makes a lot, so I have plenty in the freezer to make chicken enchilada soup next week. 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

recipe adapted from Shrinking Kitchen

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1/4 c. chili powder

1 Tb. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder (you can sub some grated onion for this)

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. veggie stock or chicken stock

2 Tb. cornstarch

Dump the fire roasted tomatoes into your blender and puree.  In a medium-large sauce pan combine the pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion and salt.  Warm over medium heat.  In a small bowl mix together 1/2 c. of the veggie stock with the cornstarch and stir until combined well.  Set aside.  Stir the remaining 2 1/2 c. of stock into the tomato sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.  Slowly stream in the stock/cornstarch mixture and stir to combine well.  Simmer the sauce 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and use as desired.  I highly recommend the chicken Enchilada Soup or Chicken & Cream Cheese Enchiladas, or try the recipe for Enchilada Stacks below!  Freeze any extra sauce for your next use.

Enchilada Stacks

This recipe can be adapted very easily to your liking.  Substitute shredded beef for chicken, black beans for pintos, add corn, rice, various types of cheeses, etc.  It would be fun to set out all sorts of enchilada fillings/toppings and let everyone customize their own!

corn tortillas

Mexican style pinto beans

shredded chicken

homemade enchilada sauce 

Toppings:

avocado

shredded cheese

chopped onions or green onions

black olives

sour cream

Prepare the pinto beans ahead of time in the crockpot.  Cook the chicken either on the grill or in a crockpot or use rotisserie chicken.  To make the enchilada stacks it helps to have all of the ingredients/fillings hot and ready to eat.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and heat the tortillas a minute or so on each side.  To assemble layer a corn tortilla on a plate, top with shredded chicken & Mexican pintos and a layer of enchilada sauce.  Lay on a second corn tortilla and repeat the layers ending with a generous amount of enchilada sauce.  Top with your desired garnishes, I chose half a smashed avocado and some diced onion.  (I would've added a dollop of sour cream if we weren't out of that!)  Yummy!

 

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Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

When I was growing up my mom made caramel corn pretty often and we all loved it.  It's so weird that I was a fat kid now that I think about it...

Anyway, her caramel corn recipe is perfect, unfortunately she was driving to my house when I decided to make some so I had to use a different recipe from my friend, which is really close to perfect, so it all worked out!  I wanted to make it a little bit more gourmet so I added the peanuts and chocolate which put it over the top. I think next time I'll sprinkle some peanut butter M&M's in with the finished product to make it even more fun! Now I'm off to do cardio for 2 hours.

I highly recommend using candy quik, candy melts, or almond bark for the chocolate because it melts great and hardens up really fast.  I took a picture so you know what to look for! If you don't care for that option, 1/2 c. of chocolate chips with a tsp. of vegetable oil would work just great also!  I popped my own popcorn on the stove using this method.  It is kind of a pain though, so if you have an air popper (I want one!) or just prefer to use microwave popcorn that works awesome.  One tip I highly recommend, is to be very careful to remove all un-popped popcorn seeds or you could break a tooth on your caramel corn!

Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

recipe first posted on Cracked Up Kitchen

2 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. butter (real butter only)

1/2 c. corn syrup

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla

16 c. popcorn

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. dry roasted peanuts

2 cubes chocolate almond bark or candy quik (or more, if you like it super chocolatey)

2 cubes vanilla almond bark or candy quik (or more, if you like it super chocolatey)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Bring brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, cream of tartar and vanilla to a boil over medium heat and let boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Once the five minutes is up, remove from heat and add baking soda (it will bubble up) and stir well.  Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir well.  Pour caramel corn onto two cookie sheets, no need to grease them.  Bake 20 minutes, noting which pan is on the bottom rack and which is on the top, remove from oven and stir with a spatula.  Return the sheets to the oven, rotating the pans to the opposite (top/bottom) rack of the oven. Bake another 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the peanuts on the popcorn, stir with a spatula and rotate the pans again.  Bake 15 minutes, stirring and rotating pans, three more times, baking the popcorn a total of just under 1 1/2 hours. Remove pans from the oven and pour the popcorn onto wax paper or foil on the kitchen counter.  Let the caramel corn cool for a few minutes.  Then, heat the bark in a microwave safe bowl 20 seconds at a time until  melted (directions for melting on package) and drizzle chocolate all over the popcorn.  Let rest until completely cool and the chocolate is firm.  Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

This is not my best photography.  Stating the obvious.  However, this recipe could change your life so if you make it you'll be able to forgive the not so awesome photo!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and I've made it many times...most recently I made a triple batch because we seem to be going through it rather quickly.  It's great in hot or iced coffee (it's still ridiculously warm here) with a splash of cream and almost makes you think you never need to wait in the Starbucks drive-thru line again. 

I realize that you can buy a bottle of Torani pumpkin pie syrup at World Market pretty affordably, but this recipe tastes even better than the bottled stuff and ends up being way cheaper than that.  I live an inconvenient drive from World Market and it is very fast to whip up a batch of this so this frugal foodie is sold!

I make this with Splenda, which I realize is probably the equivalent of drinking cancer, but I just can't stop.  And I'm allergic to stevia.  And every other non-calorie sweetener is cancer-causing too so I'll just stick with the Splenda.  (I don't give it to my kids EVER though...if that makes you feel better.)  Anyway, that whole rant to say...the recipe works with sugar substitutes!  The syrup is thick and the pumpkin settles, so always shake well before using. 

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup
recipe adapted from Cook Like a Champion

1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar (or substitute)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tb. pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)

Mix water and sugar together in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until the sugar or sweetener is dissolved in the water.  Whisk in the spices and pumpkin puree and cook over medium heat about five minutes.  You don't want this to boil.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Pour the syrup into jars and refrigerate.  To make a coffee, shake the syrup and stir 2-3 tb. of the syrup into strong iced or hot coffee and add desired about of cream (not cream-er).  Enjoy with whipped cream!

Apple Slaw

This apple slaw is so good.  It's especially perfect if you're not a big mayonnaise fan because the sour cream in the dressing really tones down the mayo factor.  I'm super impressed with this because it doesn't get super soggy overnight like a lot of slaws do, and is almost as good leftover the next day.  Rob requests this often, which is great because it goes together fast, takes few ingredients, and is low on calories and Weight Watchers points.

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light and we're loving it.  Perfect with some roasted ribs, on top of a pulled pork or bbq chicken sandwich or alongside simple grilled chicken, definitely a great Labor Day BBQ side dish!

Apple Slaw
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 16 oz package coleslaw mix, or 7-8 c. shredded cabbage
1 c. thinly sliced red onion
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
3-4 Tb. mayo (reduced fat is great)
2-3 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar or sweetener of your choice (use less if using Stevia)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cayenne pepper

In a bowl make the dressing by combining sour cream, mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne.  If you like it thinner and more tangy add more vinegar, if you like the dressing richer add more mayo.  Once that is finished add in the cabbage, onion and apples.  Toss everything together and refrigerate an hour before serving.

Crispy Oven Fries

I realize that I have recipes on the blog already for oven fries and sweet potato fries, but I just had to give you this recipe also because of the way they crisp up in the oven!

I read a tip online that if you soak your fries in salt water they're be crispier so I had to try it.  It works.  It probably doesn't  hurt that I cut them much skinnier and did a little broil trick at the end, but whatever it is, my kids were very impressed with the results!

Crispy Oven Fries

2-3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
salt
2-3 Tb olive oil
seasoned salt
granulated garlic

Slice the potatoes lengthwise in 4-5 thin slices.  Stack those slices on top of each other and slice into skinny fries.  Fill a large pot with water and add in a good amount (probably at least 2 Tb) regular table salt.  You want the water to be salty like the ocean.  Stick the cut fries in the water and let soak for a couple hours or all day until you're ready to make them. 

Preheat the oven to 400.  Drizzle a large cookie sheet with a generous coating of oil.  Lay the fries on the pan in a single layer and sprinkle with seasoned salt and granulated garlic.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Stir the fries and bake another 15 minutes.  When the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to crisp turn on the broiler and cook another few minutes until brown and crispy.  These are great with a good burger.

Mango Quinoa Salad

My entire family loves this salad and I've adapted it a few times, finally coming up with the perfect recipe for us and perfectly acccomodates my Weight Watchers points allotment.  It isn't over-dressed just a small bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar.  The best part is this is naturally allergen-friendly.  You could easily adapt the veggies and fruit for what you have.  I think fresh pineapple or peaches would be good.  I've used red or green onions and many colors of bell pepper based on what I had.

Try this salad with meat off the grill this summer for an oven-free meal.  (We had some wild-caught Alaskan salmon...yum!)

Mango Quinoa Salad

recipe inspired from Our Best Bites

2 c. cooked quinoa (any color)

2 small mangoes, or 1 large, diced small

1 c. cucumber, diced (I peel conventional cucumbers, but not English cucumbers)

1/4 c. red or green onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)

1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tb. red wine vinegar
2 Tb. olive oil
3 Tb. fresh lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
dash of sugar or honey

Cook the quinoa and let cool.  In a large bowl mix together quinoa, mango, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and cilantro.  To make the dressing mix together vinegar, oil, lime juice, salt & pepper and sweetener.  Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat.

Even Better 7-layer Dip

I've always loved 7-layer dip.  But it's a real bummer when the good stuff is all scraped off and all that is left is the hard canned-refried beans that break your chip when you attempt a scoop.  That's been my experience at least.

This recipe solves that "problem" and I'm happy to say it was a giant hit at a Super Bowl party.

If you need to make this gluten free, skip the taco mix and add in some granulated garlic, salt, cumin and chili powder in place of it.

This makes a LOT so if you are making it for a smaller group of people, half it.

Even Better 7-layer Dip

1 28-oz can refried beans or 3 c. homemade
3/4c. - 1 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened (half a block)
2 Tb taco seasoning OR 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2-1tsp granulated garlic, 1/4 tsp salt
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. red onion, minced
2 large tomatoes or 3 small, seeded and minced
2-3 avocados, chopped (my taste-testers preferred more avacado)
1 small can chopped black olives, drained or 1/2 can whole black olives, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Mix together refried beans and salsa to your desired consistency.  Less salsa for thicker beans, more for thinner.  Spread the bean/salsa mixture on a large platter (or a cookie sheet if you don't have a big platter).  Rinse out the bean bowl and mix together sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning.  Spread the sour cream mixture over the beans.  Then sprinkle the rest of the ingredients in layers over the top of the sour cream. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

Goat Cheese Mac

I found this recipe and it looked yummy and then I forgot about it until recently....when we started my younger son on an elimination diet to try to get his intestines healthy and determine what foods are causing the upset.  So, for the next 4-6 weeks he can't have wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nuts or fish.  This pretty much eliminates my current recipe repertoire.  Then...I was going through my Pinterest recipes board and found it.  It was an "aha moment" for me.

I will say, if you don't care for goat cheese you probably won't like this.  I do think that a cream cheese/parmesan mix could work for this if you wanted to try this.  The thing I love most about this dish is it is so very simple, and comes together very quickly.  It does take time to roast the tomatoes but you can certainly sub some sundried tomatoes instead.  Unfortunately I ignored the "cover your plants it's going to freeze" warning and my basil plant died so I used dried...next time fresh basil for sure!

Goat Cheese Mac

recipe adapted from Nummy Kitchen

2 lbs roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

1 lb short-cut pasta (brown rice or quinoa pasta for GF)

3/4-1 c. pasta water reserved

2 Tb. olive oil

1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped or 2 tsp dried basil

salt & pepper to taste

6-8 oz goat cheese, crumbled (I used more like 8 oz)

Ahead of time, preheat the oven to 250, quarter the tomatoes if using roma and layer them on a baking sheet.  Roast for 2-3 hours, until they're dried on the edges but still moist in the middle.  Remove from the oven and let the tomatoes cool, chop them up and set aside until you're ready foor them.  Boil the pasta according to directions, before draining reserve some cooking water.  Add to the hot pasta: water, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper and goat cheese.  Stir until the cheese is melted and it's all combined.  Add more cooking water if needed. Stir in tomatoes and serve immediately.

Veggie Enchilada Bake

We're trying to eat more veggies.  This recipe is a direct reflection of that.  I threw it all together in my "Magic Pot" from Pampered Chef and microwaved it for 15 minutes and wah-lah...we all loved it.  You too can make this in the microwave, or if you don't have a magic pot, use a baking dish and bake it in the oven.

I had a bunch of collard greens sitting around and I chopped them up and put them in but spinach would be just great so use a bunch of greens of your choice.

Veggie Enchilada Bake

8 corn tortillas, cut in quarters
1 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bunch greens, chopped
1 c. frozen corn kernels, defrosted
1 can black beans, drained
1 heaping Tb. adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle in adobo (or 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder)
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 10-oz can green enchilada sauce (check for gluten if you're GF)

Preheat the oven to 350 (if you're using the oven.)  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 1 tsp. oil.  Saute the peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and greens 5-7 minutes, or until they are soft.  Stir in black beans, corn and adobo sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Pour some enchilada sauce on the bottom of your deep covered baker or an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  Layer half the tortillas, half the veggie mixture, half the cheese.  Then the rest of the tortillas, enchilada sauce, veggies and top with the cheese.  Bake 20 minutes (or microwave 15).  Once you remove from the oven, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

1/6th is 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

Cranberry Salsa

I spotted this recipe on Pinterest and really wanted to try it. I made a couple changes and we just love this stuff! It's great with tortilla chips on its own, or our favorite is spread over cream cheese with crackers. YUM.

This recipe is so simple and quick to make, I think I'm going to make it for the neighbors for Christmas. Making 10 batches of this would be WAY quicker than cookies. AND if I eat a whole bunch I wouldn't un-do all of my bootcamp hard work.
Cranberry Salsaadapted from bake-aholic

1 package of fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1/2 c. sugar
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, roughly chopped (I left in some seeds.)
3 green onion, roughly chopped
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp cumin

Pulse everything together in the food processer until chopped to your liking. I left in some chunks. Refrigerate 12 hours before serving. This will stay good in the fridge a long time (up to 2 weeks.) Serve with tortilla chips or over cream cheese with crackers.

Loaded Kettle Chips

Rob and I went out to dinner the other night to a restaurant in Central Phoenix called the Windsor. (Which we would highly recommend.) They have a delectable treat called "Loaded Chips." We ate every last chip and immediately decided I MUST re-create them.

Today, for Thanksgiving we obviously "needed" some appetizers before our big dinner at 6:00 so I made these Loaded Kettle Chips and I have decided that this is my favorite recipe I've ever invented or re-created myself.  A-mazing.  It would be really simple to make these vegetarian without the bacon. I did not make my own kettle chips because I didn't feel like it and I had already made an entire Thanksgiving feast with my sister and I was too tired to fry chips.  However, if you have a fry daddy all ready it would be super fantastic with homemade chips.

Loaded Kettle Chips
with Caramelized Balsamic Onions, Bacon, Blue Cheese & Chipotle Cream

Caramelized Balsamic Onions:
3 1/2 medium/large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 Tb EVOO (or reserve some bacon grease...YUM)
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Chipotle Cream:
1/2 c. sour cream
1 heaping Tb mayo
1 chipotle, minced
1-2 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle can
1-2 tsp granulated garlic

3/4-1 c. blue cheese crumbles
2-19 oz bags kettle chips
1 lb bacon, chopped and crisply cooked

To make the onions: Heat oil or grease in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until the onions start to soften and brown.  Pour in balsamic vinegar and lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 30-35 minutes until onions are completely soft and caramelized.  Season with salt & pepper.

To make the chipotle cream: Mix together sour cream, mayo, chipotle, adobo sauce and garlic.  Taste and adjust garlic and adobo to your liking.  It should be pretty spicy because it is just a drizzle on the top.

To assemble chips: Heat an oven to 350.  Line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and pour the chips in a layer on the sheet.  Sprinkle on the bacon, then the onions, then the blue cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the blue cheese starts to melt.  Remove from the oven and drizzle on the chipotle cream to your liking.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fresh Corn with Lime Chipotle Spread

We had something like this corn at a graduation party for my sister in-law's sister...which I guess it would be easier to just say our friend's graduation party...  So anyway, it was so awesome.  They served it with fajitas and mini-chimis

Then the other day I was making corn so I threw some things together and...it worked out.We loved it.  Then we repurposed the spread on a burger and I'll post that later. 

I think that the original corn had cotija cheese but I didn't have any of that so either one works.


Fresh Corn with Lime Chipotle Spread

6 ears corn, shucked and rinsed
2 Tb mayo
2 Tb sour cream
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder would work too)
1/2 lime, juiced
3 Tb feta or cotija cheese

Boil or grill the corn.  Or par boil it and then grill it the rest of the way.  While the corn is cooking mix together the mayo, sour cream chili powder, lime juice and cheese in a bowl.  While the corn is piping hot smear the spread over the corn and serve warm.  This would go great with enchiladas, burgers, or just about anything!

Classic Coleslaw

I have a roast cooking in the crockpot for some bbq beef sandwiches, which I will post the recipe for later, and while I was planning my meal I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites.  It looked so good I just quickly whipped some up to serve alongside our sandwiches, and possibly on top of them!

I adapted the recipe just a little bit because we like things vinegar-y.  The original recipe called for green pepper but I had red so I substituted and it turned out great, but I think that green pepper would actually be better in this slaw.
This would be a great Fourth of July menu item!

Classic Coleslaw
adapted from Our Best Bites

1 c. mayo (note--on this blog unless I otherwise note, I always use reduced-fat mayo)
2 Tb. dijon or spicy mustard
2-3 Tb. apple cider vinegar ( I use 3)
2 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 Tb. onion, minced (any color)
16 oz bag coleslaw mix or 6 c. shredded cabbage
2 shredded carrots
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped

In a small-ish bowl combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt.  Mix well and set aside.  In a large bowl combine onion, slaw or cabbage, carrots and bell pepper.  Mix in the dressing and refrigerate one hour--or more--before serving.

Marinara Sauce

I've mentioned "Use marinara sauce.  I made my own." many, many times.  Then once my friend asked me about the homemade marinara and I realized I should tell you how I do it.  The only problem is as previously mentioned, I don't measure very often so it gets complicated.  So in this recipe keep in mind that you keep tasting and adjusting the seasoning amounts to your liking.

Sometimes I get the "italian pack" that's offered through Bountiful Baskets and in that case I will use all of the fresh herbs in my sauce.  If I don't have fresh herbs I use italian seasoning which is much less expensive and easier to keep on hand so whatever you like.  The real trick to the sauce is cooking the vegetables in plenty of olive oil (just enough to cover) and then adding the tomato sauce and tomatoes and cooking it for a really long time.  I vary the vegetables in the sauce a lot based on what I have--zuchinni, mushrooms, and shredded eggplant are good in it too.

Here is what I did with the last giant batch of sauce. Make it your own and keep it in your freezer all the time...

Marinara Sauce

3 green bell peppers, chopped
3 onions, chopped
15 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
3/4 c. olive oil (or so)
107 oz can tomato puree or tomato sauce from a Warehouse store (or just a whole bunch of tomato sauce)
4 28oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2-3 Tb sugar
1 Tb crushed red pepper (or more)
1/4 c. italian seasoning (to start with)
black pepper to taste

Pour some of the olive oil in the bottom of a giant pot (or divide everything between two pots) and heat over medium heat.  Add in the peppers and onions (plus any other vegetables you want) and saute until they start to soften.  Add the rest of the olive oil, make sure there's just enough olive oil to cover the vegetables, but not to make them float in it.  Add in the garlic and cook another minute.  Slowly pour in some of the tomato puree or sauce and combine it well with the vegetable/olive oil mixture. You'll have to stir a awhile to get the oil to mix in completely.  Add in the rest of the sauce and all of the other ingredients and combine well.  Cook over low heat for at least an hour, but preferably a few hours, stirring, tasting, and adjusting the seasoning often.  I usually end up adding in extra italian seasoning and sometimes even some granulated garlic.

Let the sauce cool and portion into freezer bags or containers and keep on hand.  I'll defrost it and cook some sausage, ground beef, or meatballs and pasta and it's a super-fast dinner.

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrackedupkitchen.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fmarinara-sauce.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-6ECmXT-ylTo%2FUIQ2sEuKuwI%2FAAAAAAAAAKM%2FeU445x3lAXk%2Fs1600%2FP1010729.JPG&description=Big%20Batch%20Marinara%20Sauce

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

I made a new salsa and it's really good if I do say so myself.  I was making this casserole and the recipe was so involved and time consuming and I ended up making this salsa as a result to save time.  It's my new favorite.  I'll post my version of the casserole tomorrow!

I used a couple poblano peppers (they are dark green peppers about the same size of bell peppers) in the salsa but you could just skip those and add a 7 oz can of chopped green chiles instead.




Fire Roasted Tomato Sasa

3 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 poblano peppers cut into big chunks
6-10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 jalapenos halved, ribs & seeds removed (I reserved the ribs and seeds from one of the jalapenos because we like spicy)
1 onion cut into big chunks
3/4-1 c. cilantro
juice of a lime
salt to taste

Turn on the broiler to 500.  Place the peppers, garlic cloves, jalapenos and onion on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray.  Roast about 20 minutes, shaking the pan after 10 minutes.  You want the garlic to be browned and the other vegetables may have some black spots but not be completely charred.  Remove the veggies from the oven and let cool a few minutes.  In a food processer or blender combine cans of tomatoes, roasted vegetables, lime juice, salt and cilantro.  Pulse until chopped and combined.  Enjoy!!

Speedy Spinach Lasagna

My cousin is an English/Grammar genious and told me that you're only supposed to use one space after a period!! What?? So sorry that I've been failing you in my writing.  Then again, I just used a double exclamation point/question mark combo which I'm pretty sure isn't grammatically correct either so probably the double spacing is the least of my worries.  I digress. Onto the food!

My mom has been making this recipe a long time.  It is so easy, fast, and doesn't take any expensive ingredients.  You can really throw it together in 10 minutes plus baking time. It also happens to be low calorie/low fat so I'm always up for that.  Rob's been out of town a couple weeks so I made this on Sunday and have eaten it all week, needless to say I made my kids a quesadilla tonight because they're over it! I forgot to take a picture, but I think you all know what lasagna looks like. Just imagine this lasagna with no meat (unless you add some) and the cheese filling with a green tint...and then you've got the picture!

Rob is not exactly a fan of the meat-free meal so sometimes I throw in some turkey sausage or chicken. Do as you wish.  I had homemade marinara sauce in the freezer but jarred sauce works great.  It's hard to mess this recipe up.

Speedy Spinach Lasagna

4 c marinara (more or less depending on your preference)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
2-4 Tb parsley
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 Tb sour cream
16 oz cottage cheese
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
8-10 lasagna noodles, broken in half (oven ready noodles OR regular noodles both work.  This also works with brown rice lasagna noodles)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Make the cheese sauce by combining eggs, salt, spinach, parsley, parmesan cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in the food processer and pulsing until combined.  If you don't have a food processer just chop the parsley and stir everything together, that's how my mom makes it and it's great.  I just like it smooth.  Pour a little sauce on the bottom of a 9x13'' pan.  Layer half the broken noodles, half the cheese sauce, half the mozzarella cheese, half the sauce.  Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 60-90 minutes.  You'll know it's done when it's heated through, bubbly and a fork goes into the noodles easily.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

1/8th of this recipe is 281 calories.

Greek Salsa, Again

I made this for a meeting we had to go to Sunday.  It got rave reviews!  I remembered to take a picture this time and I thought it would be a great Superbowl idea....AND it's very healthy (It's healthy itself, the tortilla or pita chips you dip it with aren't super healthy though.)

Try the Greek Salsa!

*Disclaimer: This is best the day you make it so don't make it too far ahead of when it will be served.