Chicken Fajitas on the Grill

It was actually a little cold out tonight but we grilled up dinner anyway and just ate it inside while watching last week’s Top Chef Masters.  These were delicious, I devoured them!  Loved the texture of the grilled peppers and onions, and the chicken was really juicy and flavorful.  I liked that the marinade was quick to mix up and that you didn’t have to marinate the chicken for too long (this is great when you work all day but still want marinated chicken at dinner!)

Chicken Fajitas (as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, originally from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients:

⅓ cup juice from 2 to 3 limes
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
table salt and ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, pounded to ½-inch thickness
1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¼ cup marinade in a small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to the remaining marinade. Place the chicken in the marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and the peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, using a large chimney starter, ignite 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes and burn until the coals are fully ignited, about 20 minutes. Empty the coals into the grill, spreading them in a single layer; place an additional 20 unlit coals over the lit coals on one side of grill to create a two-level fire. Position the grill grate over the coals and heat the grate for 5 minutes; scrape clean with a grill brush. (For a gas grill, light all burners and turn to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes; scrape the grill grate clean with a grill brush. Leave one burner on high heat while turning the remaining burner(s) down to medium.)

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it smooth side down on the hotter side of the grill; discard the remaining marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers (skin side down) on the cooler side of the grill. Cook the chicken until it’s well browned, 4 to 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it’s no longer pink when cut into with a paring knife or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 160 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cook the peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice as needed; cook the onions until tender and charred on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

4. Working in 2 or 3 batches, place the tortillas in a single layer on the cooler side of the now-empty grill and cook until warm and lightly browned, about 20 seconds per side (do not grill too long or the tortillas will become brittle). As the tortillas are done, wrap them in a kitchen towel or a large sheet of foil.

5. Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl; slice the bell peppers lengthwise into ¼-inch strips and place them in the bowl with the onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to the vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in another bowl; arrange the chicken and vegetables on a large platter and serve with the warmed tortillas.

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Chicken Enchiladas

This was our first time making enchilada sauce from scratch and I was surprised by how easy it was.  I’ve always used Old El Paso enchilada  sauce, because that’s the brand I grew up on and I like it, but this tasted just as good, it was just not quite as thick as the canned stuff, next time I’ll try to thicken it better.  The shortcut we took on this recipe was to use rotisserie chicken rather than cooking the chicken breast ourselves.   I picked one up at Costco the other day and needed to use it so this was a good recipe for that.  I think the mixture of sharp white cheddar and monteray jack cheese added an extra zing that we both noticed.

Chicken Enchiladas (from Annie’s Eats)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas as they come in a slightly larger size)
Cooking spray

Directions:
Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Chipotle Bean Burritos

These burritos were delicious, and much healthier than a 1200 calorie burrito from Chipotle.  These are meatless as the name suggests, but incredibly filling and packed with flavor.  Serve with a side of guac if you are a fan of the green stuff like me!  Sorry for the mediocre picture.  I didn’t want to get off the couch to seek out better lighting because 1) I was freezing and getting up involves removing the blanket from my lap and 2) I could not wait to devour this meal!  In my defense, burritos are kinda hard to photograph  These will be going into our regular meal rotation, I especially love that they are meatless (in other words, CHEAP EATS!)

Chipotle Bean Burritos (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1  tablespoon  canola oil

1  garlic clove, minced

1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1/3  cup  water

1  (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained

1  (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained

3  tablespoons  refrigerated fresh salsa

6  (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas (such as Mission)

1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese

1 1/2  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 3)

1 1/2  cups  shredded romaine lettuce

6  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions

6  tablespoons  light sour cream

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

7 WW pts per burrito

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Steak Tacos of Yumminess

We have a grill ya’ll.  A bonafide gas grill with three burners.   One of the many priveledges of being a homeowner!  So far we have made hamburgers and steak tacos.  I foresee much more steak in our future now that we have a fabulous way to cook it!  Tyler picked this recipe out and made it himself.  Delicious!  We did not actually make the salsa, I chose to make guacamole instead since I had the ingredients on hand and love guac!

Grilled Flank Steak Soft Tacos with Avocado-Lime Salsa (adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• STEAK:
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 2  teaspoons  grated lime rind
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• SALSA:
• 1  cup  diced peeled avocado
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped tomato
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated lime rind
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 
  
• 8 corn tortilas
• lettuce

Directions:

1. To prepare steak, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak. Rub chili powder mixture evenly over steak. Cover and chill 1 hour.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

4. To prepare salsa, combine avocado and next 7 ingredients (through pepper sauce) in a medium bowl.

5. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon steak mixture evenly over each of 8 tortillas. Top each taco with 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 cup cabbage.

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A taste of the garden

Now that our garden is starting to yield wonderful herbs for us such as basil, parsley, and cilantro, we have been planning our meals around what we can pick in our own backyard!  I had some leftover tomatoes from a meal earlier in the week (store bought, too early for home grown tomatoes!), so I decided to whip up a batch of salsa to make use of our cilantro.  No real recipe here.  I just threw some tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt and pepper into the food processor and voila!  Delicious salsa!  I can’t wait to have jalapenos and tomatoes from my garden to spice this up!

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Farmers Market Fresh

I made my first trip of the summer to the local farmers market this weekend and despite the disappointment of no dogs allowed (poor Toby had to wait outside the market) it was a great little trip.  I didn’t find the produce that much cheaper than what I could get at the grocery store, but I love supporting local farms and the produce just tastes so much better!  I came home with: beefsteak tomatoes, zucchinis and yellow squash, peaches, basil (this was actually my best deal at $1 a bunch), and green beans.  I decided to make some fresh salsa with the tomatoes and just kind of threw some things together and I think it turned out fantastically!  Next time I will try to buy all the ingredients for the salsa at the farmers market, I just kind of bought whatever looked good this time and planned some dishes around what I brought home.

Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:

3 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
1/2 sweet onion
2 jalapenos, seeded
2 handfuls of cilantro
2 garlic cloves
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in your food processor and chop to your desired consistency.  I had to do mine in 2 batches since I have a small food processor.

Serve with chips or your favorite Mexican dishes.  Yum!

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Easy Mexican

I’ve been craving Mexican a lot recently, in fact I have a date with a friend to go out for Mexican food tomorrow night, free espinaca dip, mmmmm! Love those coupons Clearly my cravings were acting up when I made our meal plan for the last week. Chicken enchiladas (I’ll post those later) and steak fajitas! Tonight we made the fajitas and they were delicious and really easy to whip up. So much cheaper than the ones you’d pay $10-15 for at a Mexican restaurant too! I made these with a side of cilantro lime rice which was good but not excellent. I went ahead and put it in my fajitas (Chipotle style!) since the rice was a bit mushy and not very appetizing as a side dish! Fajita marinade was great though! Thanks to the hubby for cooking them up! We cooked the meat and veggies in our wok since the grill pan smokes up the apartment! I found this recipe by doing a search within my Google Reader, I love love love Google Reader! I can always do a search there and find great recipes by other food bloggers that I know and love and this was no exception!

Steak Fajitas (adapted from Joelens Culinary Adventures)

Ingredients:

1 lb beef skirt steak or round, cut in thin strips
colorful bell pepper slices of your choice (We used red pepper)
1/4 large red onion, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
pinch of kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking

Directions:
In a grill pan, add a touch of olive oil.
Add beef strips and all ingredients except the bell peppers and onions (We marinated the steak in the sauce for 2 hours, then added the steak and the marinade to the wok for cooking)
Allow the beef to cook through.
When beef is almost cooked, add onions.
When onions have slightly softened, add bell peppers.
Season with additional salt & pepper to taste.

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Tasty Tostizzas

We live across the street from a Half Price Books. It’s a dangerous place to live. I feel drawn to the store, pulled in by the cookbook section, where I can peruse hundreds of cookbooks at discounted prices. A few months ago I purchased a copy of Pillsbury Best of the Bakeoff cookbook. I brought it home, flipped through it, and then set it on my bookshelf where all of my cookbooks sit, untouched. See I really prefer to find recipes online where I can read reviews. I have been burned by too many recipes where I followed them to the letter and they turned out terribly (i.e. the lasagna with 5 tablespoons of italian seasoning, blech). Now that I’m figuring out this cooking thing I figure it’s time to turn to my cookbooks and trust that maybe, just maybe, they won’t let me down. Tonight’s dinner was quick, simple, and very good. I love Mexican food, anything Mexican-ish I will try and likely love (oh, except for mole, Tyler loves it but I do not).  I think this recipe is a keeper, especially on game days!   It’s a good football finger food!

Chicken and Black Bean Tostizzas (from Pillsbury)

Ingredients:

1 can large refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup green or red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish: guacamole or sour cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Separate dough into 8 biscuits (my can had 10).  On ungreased cookie sheets, press or roll each biscuit into 5 1/2 inch circle (mine were not that big, maybe 4 inches max).  In medium bowl, combine salsa, chicken, black beans, cilantro and cumin; mix well.  Spread evenly over biscuits to within 1/4 inch of edges.  Top evenly with green onions, bell peper strips and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 24 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and cheese is melted.  To serve, garnish with sour cream and guacamole.

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It doesn’t get much easier…

Tacos. Why do we never make tacos? Why am I always trying to make complicated meals?! On the way home from church today I realized I was craving tacos, and since we spent the last of our October dining out budget at chick-fil-a the other night (mmmm I love you forever chick-fil-a) it was make tacos myself or let my craving go unfulfilled. Tyler actually made the tacos, while I watched 40 First Dates for the millionth time (oh how I love that movie!) Tacos are truly a 30 minute meal (if that).

Taco Seasoning I (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

We cooked 1lb of ground beef, then drained the fat. Added 1/2 cup water with the taco seasoning and half a can of black beans. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Served with cheese, lettuce, and spicy guacamole. (FYI to KC area girls, the wholly guacamole can be found in the produce section and is on sale at HyVee this week, 1.87 each, and I used a coupon I clipped a couple of weeks ago for $1 off). On soft taco shells (heated the tortillas on the stove top for about 2 minutes each.)

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Celebrate Chili Season!

Tyler was nice enough to whip up this batch of white chicken chili while I made the beef and bean chili tonight. Honestly I’m not sure where I got the original recipe and it’s driving me nuts. If you know please jog my memory! I just have a copy of it that I printed out ages ago, probably off an old email account so I can’t really trace the origins! Actually it looks like a photocopy…omg I’m going to drive myself crazy. Here’s the recipe!

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic
1-2 cups chopped chicken breasts
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cube chicken bouillon
15 oz can white beans
1 pkg taco seasoning (we were out so we used this recipe instead)

Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic, chicken, and 1/2 tsp taco seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add canned tomatoes (can be run through the food processor to chop into smaller pieces if desired), chicken bouillon cube, rest of taco seasoning and if necessary some water if too thick. Simmer and then eat! Serve with tortilla chips or tortillas, cheese, sour cream, whatever you like! Tyler adds Tabasco sauce because he loves more heat.

I believe this recipe is WW core friendly.

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