Southwest Egg Rolls

Saw this Recipe on {Sisters Stuff} and I've had the appetizer at Chilis and really liked it, so I gave it a try.  They are REALLY good and REALLY easy!  I like them better than Chilis, because they actually seem healthy, too. :)

Southwest Egg Rolls
1 chicken breast
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
2 tsp dry minced onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 small can green chilis
1/2 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

Cook and dice chicken.  Mix all ingredients except cheese and tortillas in a large bowl.  Saute in frying pan until warm.  Move back into bowl and stir in cheese.  Warm tortillas.  Place 1/2 - 1 cup of mixture in each tortilla.  Fold well so mixture can't escape.  Place in panini or George Forman grill and toast.  Serve with this sauce:

1 avacado
1 cup ranch
1 tsp minced onion
salt and pepper

Mash or blend all ingredients together.

Yum!

Chicken Coconut Curry

Ok, so I'm a huge fan of indian food, and I saw this recipe on {My Kitchen Cafe} and HAD to try it. 

It. Is. Divine!!

  So flavorful, but not too hot and spicy.  The coconut calms the heat down.  My son even likes it!!

Chicken Coconut Curry

2 lbs ckicken breasts, cut in 1/2" cubes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp curry

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 sweet potato, cut in 1/2" chunks

1 can coconut milk

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

6 tbsp sugar

Jasmine rice, cooked

Season chicken with walt and pepper.  Heat oil, curry, and paprika in a large skillet over med-low head for 2 minutes, or until it's fragrant.  Do not let it burn.  Turn heat to medium and add onions and garlic.  Cook 10 minutes, until onions are clear.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Cook 7-10 minutes (I actually just put the chicken in with the onions and garlic to save time)  Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 - 40 minutes - until sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

You'll love it!

Crispy coconut chicken

****Please excuse the horrible picture! I realized after we were halfway through that I hadn't taken a picture! It's kind of a mess.

I got this from the Parents magazine. I really love the recipes from there.

Serves 4

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

2/3 cup crushed multigrain crackers (about 8)

1/3 cup flaked coconut (I added more because I like coconut)

1 jar (9 oz.) mango chutney

3 tbs. lime juice

1 tsp. curry powder

8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed (I used chicken breasts and it worked out beautifully)

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 up cooked brown rice

Heat oven to 375. Place crackers in a large zip-top plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or cup. add coconut to the bag and shake. In a small bowl, stir together the chutney, lime juice, and curry powder,. Remove 1/4 cup of chutney mixture and set aside. Dip the chicken, one piece at a time, in the remaining chutney mixture, then place chicken inside the bag. Shake to coat.

Bake chicken on a foil-lined shallow baking pan for 40 minutes, or until they're done. Cover chicken loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over browning.

In a bowl, toss peas with reserved chutney mixture. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. combine peas and rice and serve with chicken.

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups

I got this recipe from my friend, who got the recipe off of a website called picky-palate.com. Which I would definitely suggest checking out b/c there are lots of good recipes on there. Anyway, my husband and I loved these and they were super easy to make.

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)

1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ chicken (i just cooked chicken, shredded it and added bbq sauce)
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Ranch Dressing for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

I love ranch dressing and my husband loves anything with BBQ sauce, so it was the perfect dinner for us :). Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken & Cafe Rio Rice

This recipe comes from many different places. Someone gave me the recipe for Cafe Rio rice, chicken, and their cilantro ranch dressing, but I can't remember who it was! My step mom makes chicken like this all the time and I love it. But, I got this salsa recipe from Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy cookbook and I changed it a little. So...you tell me where I should say I got this recipe! :)

Chicken:

4 chicken breasts

1/2-1 cup flour

2 tsp taco seasoning mix

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix flour and taco seasoning mix together. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and place in frying pan. Cook 3-5 minutes, turning once until brown on every side. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Salsa:

1 can Mexicorn (whole kernel corn with red and green peppers), drained

1 medium avacado, chopped

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (I always use more)

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp honey

2 tomatoes chopped

the remaining taco seasoning mix packet

While chicken is cooking, mix it all together. This is also an amazing chip dip. You can add a can or two of drained black beans if you'd like. And I don't usually measure any of this. I just eyeball it.

Rice:

1 cup rice

2 cups water

1/3 tbsp butter

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp chicken boullion

1/3 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp chopped onion

Put rice, water and butter in a pan and bring to boil. Add rest of ingredients. Turn to low and cook 20 mintues, or until done.

Serve the salsa over the chicken. It's yummy!

Teriyaki Chicken Alfredo

I know teriyaki and alfredo NEVER go in the same title together, but that is just what this is called and having tasted it, I can't think of another name for it. It's one of my all time favorite dishes!! It may sound a little strange, but it is SOooo yummy!

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 chicken breast halves cut in 3/4" strips
1/2 c chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c milk (you can use cream to make the sauce thicker, but it may make you thicker too. ;)
1 pkg alfredo sauce mix
3/4 cup Very Very Teriyaki sauce (Yes, you need this brand. It is amazing!)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cup broccoli
1 sliced green pepper
1 sliced orange pepper
1/2 sliced red pepper
1/4 c chopped parsley
2 T chopped basil
1/2 c parmesean cheese
1 lb fettucini, cooked

Directions:
Melt butter and oil in a skillet and add chicken, onions, and garlic - stir fry until the chicken browns - it takes a little while. Add milk, alfredo mix, any veggies you may be adding, and teriyaki sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened (I always let it thicken longer). Add parmesean, parsley and basil and remove from heat once cheese is melted. Toss with fettucini and serve.

I got this from my step mom. It's seriously my favorite dish, I think. And I also really love it because it's really an all-in-one dinner: veggies-check, protien-check, grain-check, milk-check. Today I served some fruit with it because that's really all it's lacking. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Chicken Pot Pie!

So this is one of my favorites. I got it from Amy Openshaw....she is an amazing cook!!

Chicken Pot Pie

Thanks Amy

3 TBSP BUTTER

1 onion 1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp Flour 1/8 tsp. pepper

¾ c. chicken broth 2 pie crusts

¾ c. cream

1 cup corn

1 pkg. carrots and peas

2 cups diced chicken

Cook chicken...either fry it right then or I usually put it in the crock pot for a bit while I do other things. Set aside. Brown onions, using the butter, in a frying pan, once browned to your liking add flour. Mix in. Add all other ingredients, stirring and heating. Place in bottom pie crust. Add the top and punch a few holes in the top with a fork. Cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until cooked to your liking! Enjoy! We love this one!

Orange Chicken and Ham Fried Rice

This is one of those meals I try to make too much of just so I can have leftovers the next day...It's that good. I got it from a cook book I bought for a cooking class at BYU called "A Family Affair" or something...one of the teachers wrote it, but she's gone, so I don't think they sell it anymore. Anyway, it's really good. And pretty easy - again a meal that you can usually make with things on hand, so no rushing to the store. I love that!

4 chicken breast halves
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup cornstarch (once I used flour and it was just as good)
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350*. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Dip chicken pieces in egg wash made of beaten egg and water, then coat with cornstarch. Heat butter in frying pan and brown chicken in butter until golden brown. Place in baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients except cornstarch mix in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch slurry as needed to make a thin sauce. Pour over chicken pieces and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Serve with ham fried rice or regular rice.Yeild: 4 servings

Ham Fried Rice
It's really easy for me to make this while the chicken bakes. Once the chicken starts baking, the rice starts cooking - they both take 20 minutes. It's perfect.

2 cups hot cooked rice
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped celery (I once didn't have this and it was still good)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and ham. Stir fry until veggies are limp. Add rice and stir until mixture begins to brown. Push rice mixture to the side of the pan and add beaten egg, stirring until almost set, then combining with other ingredients. Stir in soy sauce and season to taste.Yeild: 4 servings

Honey Lime Chicken

This recipe is delicious and healthy and quick, and chances are most people have these items around the kitchen so no special runs to the store (which I love)! I got it on another recipe blog called Internecipes. They have a lot of great recipes! Check it out {here}

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (I cut them in smaller peices)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons honey

juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook about three minutes on one side, or until it is nicely browned. Turn chicken over and add garlic to the pan, lower heat to medium low. Combine honey, lime juice, soy sauce, salt, ginger, and cayenne and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl, stir, then scrape into the pan with chicken. Simmer for five minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). Remove chicken to plates and allow sauce to cook a little more to thicken slightly, stirring with a spoon to loosen bits of of chicken and brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with brown rice and a vegetable side. Sometimes I make double the sauce just because I want more. It's so good!!

Chicken Marsala

This is our "special dinner". Brent made it for me on Valentine's Day, I made it for him on Father's Day...you get the idea.

We love the Marsala sauce at Carrabba's and have been trying to find a recipe that comes close. I was flipping channels and saw Giada cooking this on "Everyday Italian" and grabbed a pen because it looked close. It's not nearly as good as Carrabba's, but we still really like it.

1 1/2 lb. cut chicken breasts

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 lb cremini mushrooms (the brown ones)

1 cup dry marsala wine

8 oz mascarpone cheese (I find this by the hummas and fancy cheeses)
2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5 tbsp butter

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp dijon mustard

12 oz fettucini (I didn't serve it over pasta this time)

salt and pepper

Cook fettucini, drain, and toss with 3 tbsp of butter and salt and pepper. Set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and brown 4 minutes per side, searing the chicken and locking in moisture. Transfer to a plate and cool slightly. I put the plate in the microwave (turned off) so it will keep warm while I do the rest. Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pan over medium high heat. Add onion and saute 2 min. Slice mushrooms and add them to the onions along with the garlic. Saute 12 minutes. Add wine and simmer 4 minutes, or until it no longer smells like alcohol. Stir in mascarpone and mustard. Cut chicken into 1/3" thick slices and return it to the skillet. Simmer over medium low heat until cooked through and the sauce thickens - about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve over fettucini or just by itself.

Mexican Enchiladas

I got this recipe from one of Brent's hispanic converts, Pedro and Candy Lopez, when we went and visited his mission. It's really good, and really easy!

Ingredients (just ball park estimates):

10 corn tortillas

2 cups enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)

1 pkg queso fresca cheese (find it by the sour cream and cream cheese)

lettuce

quacamole

2 tomatoes

sour cream (you could use the mexican version of this if you want to be really authentic - it's more runny)

2 chicken breasts (I'm sure it would be good with shredded pork, too)
cilantro

Boil the chicken breasts until they are no longer pink. While that's going, heat a skillet and spray it with cooking spray. Dip the tortillas in some of the enchilada sauce and sort of fry/toast them in the skillet on both sides so the sauce sticks to the tortillas. Crumble the cheese, shred the lettuce, dice the tomatoes. When the chicken is done, shred it. To serve, place a little chicken, a little warmed up enchilada sauce, a little cilantro, and a little cheese inside each tortilla. Roll them up. Top with more enchilada sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro. Eat up!

Crispy Chicken Salad

Before I get started if you want to be an author on this blog, and we would LOVE you to be! Email me at yourspicerack@gmail.com I am so excited so lets get cookin!

Ok, I love this salad and so does my hubby. Its soooo good. Its a great summer meal and don't worry, you can trick your hubby into thinking its a meal because it has pasta and protein...what more do you need?? Plus if your kids like chicken nuggets you can throw them into something healthy right?

Lettuce (1 package or about a head of lettuce)- I like Romaine or mixed

Angel Hair Pasta (as much as you want, I usually do enough for 2 people, or about a quarter size around)

Cheddar Cheese (shredded-just a small handful, maybe about 1/8 of a cup or to your liking)

1 large tomato chopped

1 large pepper (usually red, but here I didn't have red so I used green- still good)

Crispy or breaded chicken (choose your amount and use whatever. We have used chicken nuggets, chicken patties (2) and some may want to make their own breaded chicken). Bake as directed and slice into strips.

Now this is all for looks: Throw the lettuce in a bowl. Throw cooked chicken on top next. Then throw on the pepper, spreading out in a beautiful way. Then add the chopped tomato. Next throw the angel hair pasta on top in a little bunch. Then sprinkle with cheddar cheese and a few left over tomatoes.

Once its time to eat, mix it up like crazy!! Throw on your favorite dressing. I got this from UNOS a restaurant that I use to work at and they use honey mustard, which I don't like. So I use ranch...and it is divine! Enjoy!