Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

I love a good chimichanga, whether smothered in queso or dipped into guacamole, salsa and sour cream, it's all delicious.  I have never attempted making actual fried chimichangas at home.  I can get amazing chimichangas at one of the many amazing TexMex restaurants near our house, but I am totally happy baking up chicmichangas for dinner.  The Instant Pot makes shredded steak a breeze.  Miss F is a huge fan of anything that allows her to have guacamole, these chimichangas were a huge hit in our house.

Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound flank steak, cut into cubes
¾ cup salsa

4 burrito (large) size tortillas
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Place the oil in the Instant Pot and turn to “sauté.” Brown the steak pieces on all sides, then stir in the salsa. Cover and lock the lid, selecting the “meat/stew” setting for 30 mintues. When the beef is finished cooking, allow to rest for 10 minutes before manually releasing the steam calce. Shred the beef with two forks.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. Combine the shredded steak with the cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, placing them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of the Chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, tomato and guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Beef

I am still learning on perfecting my skills with the Instant Pot, but I do very much love the results when I cook with it. The only thing I wish is that I had a better grasp of how long it will take to come to pressure and for how long it will take to release the pressure naturally.  When I have other things cooking for dinner, like the cheesy refried bean casserole, it would be very helpful to know exactly how many minutes before the Instant Pot is done.  If you do things well in advance, there is no worry since the Instant Pot switches to an easy "keep warm" mode.  This beef was amazing.  We had tacos the first night and then into quesadillas with the leftovers.  This recipe was adapted from Taste and Tell.

Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Beef

1 pound beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 teaspoon dried cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ onion, peeled and quartered
½ green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
½ cup water

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the olive oil. Brown the roast in the heated oil, about 3 minutes per side. Spread the chipotle over the roast, then sprinkle with cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and chili powder. Add the onion and bell pepper, pour the water around the edges of the roast. Close the Instant Pot and set for high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the natural pressure to release when complete. Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks and return to the Instant Pot, stirring into the liquid. Serve in warmed tortillas.

Pin It Now!

Beef Fajitas with Corn Salsa

I will order pretty much any kind of fajitas before I will order beef fajitas. Pork, shrimp or chicken are my usual go tos, or some combination of those three. I will even throw in lobster when we are eating at El Tiempo. This fajita recipe may change my mind. The rub provides the perfect fajita flavors and the flank steak is tender and delicious with the overnight marinade. What really stands out is the corn salsa. It is sweet, crunchy and tastes like summer. I am so thrilled to have a grill at our new condo in Colorado. I would grill on it every night if I could. And these fajitas are going to be in regular rotation this summer.  The salsa would also be fantastic on pork, shrimp or chicken fajitas, but I think I prefer it best on beef.

Beef Fajitas with Corn Salsa

1 pound flank steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
1 cup corn kernels
1 avocado, cut into a small dice
1 tomato, cut into a small dice
1 small onion, cut into a small dice
juice from half a lime
dash of hot sauce

tortillas
shredded cheese
sour cream

Trim the fat from the flank steak, set aside. Whisk together the oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper and salt together. Pour over the steak and let marinate overnight.

Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Saute the corn for 5 minutes or so. Set aside to cool. When cool, toss with the avocado, tomato, onion, lime juice and hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the grill to medium, grill the steak about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Cover the steak with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice the steak into ¼ to ½ inch-thick strips and serve with warm tortillas, corn salsa, cheese and sour cream.

Pin It Now!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

I love fajitas. If we are out for TexMex, nine times out of ten I am ordering fajitas. The main problem I have with making fajitas at home is that I am usually juggling warming the tortillas, setting out the toppings, warming the sides and cooking the meat all in the final ten minutes before we eat. It is usually kitchen chaos! Enter Baked Chicken Fajitas from Alida's Kitchen.  This recipe solves the kitchen chaos and makes delicious fajitas.  I omitted the diced tomatoes from the recipe because I have never seen tomatoes in fajitas and it just didn't seem right for me.  Rotel works great for soft tacos, but not so much for fajitas.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
1 lime
12 tortillas, warmed
Toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken, onion and bell pepper in a 9x13 baking dish in a single layer. In a small dish, whisk together the oil, cumin, hot sauce, salt and juice of the lime until combined. Drizzle over chicken mixture and toss well to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Serve the chicken, peppers and onions in the warm tortilla topped with cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Steak Fajitas

I love fajitas. C much prefers enchiladas, tamales and anything else served in a TexMex combo plate to fajitas. Recreating a combo plate is a bit beyond my cooking skills, so when we eat at home, fajitas are what I serve. I adapted this recipe from I Was Born To Cook. For whatever reason, flank steak is pricy around here. I can get NY strip, sirloin or beef tenderloin for cheaper than a flank steak. So even though flank steak is what traditional fajitas are made with, I decided to make them with steak. And it was amazing! The beef is delicious and tender. Miss F devoured hers, though she added black beans in her tortilla. C ate the meat without a tortilla because he is never a fan of store bought tortillas. One of these days I will get around to making my own, but for now, store bought works fine for me.

Steak Fajitas

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
½ fresh Jalapeno pepper, seeded, rib removed, diced

1 NY Strip
½ onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and jalapeno. Pour the marinade over the steak, turning to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Wipe most of marinade off before cooking. Sprinkle with salt.

Heat a large grill pan for a minute. Add steak, frying each side for about 3-4 minutes for medium rare. Remove from pan, tent with foil and let rest.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan, mix with tongs until slightly tender.

Slice meat against the grain into thin pieces. Serve with shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and warm flour tortillas.

Pin It Now!

Chicken and Corn Empanadas with Chipotle Cream

I adore empanadas.  One of my favorite meals in Rio de Janeiro is going to the empanada stand and picking out a variety of the tasty little pastries.  I cannot get enough of the flaky dough and savory fillings.  I really like to serve empanadas with soup for a quick meal.  Any leftover shredded chicken will work fine in these empanadas.  In fact, I used this leftover taco meat from the freezer for this batch.  One of these days I will stop finking out and actually try my hand at empanada dough.  But the flakiness of the puff pastry works just fine and makes for a quick weeknight meal.

Chicken and Corn Empanadas with Chipotle Cream

1 chicken breast
1 can Rotel
¼ cup water
1 cup frozen corn
½ cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

½ cup sour cream
3 chipotles in adobo
1 teaspoon salt

In a small sauce pan, combine the chicken, Rotel and water. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the corn.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl, stir together the cooled chicken and cheese. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Cut 10 six inch circles on each sheet of pastry, you will have 20 circles in total. Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture onto 10 of the circles. Top each with the remaining 10 pastry circles, crimping at the sides to form a seal. Place the empanadas on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Add the sour cream, chipotles and salt in the bowl of a small food processor. Puree until smooth. Serve the chipotle cream with the empanadas.

Pin It Now!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I could eat Tortilla Soup every day and be completely happy. In fact, the day I made this soup I had tortilla soup for lunch at Chick-fil-a (Miss F and I have a shared love of it.) When I pinned this recipe on Pinterest, I was intriqued. Cream cheese in a blender? Well, it totally works. C really enjoyed the soup as well, though next time he wants the tortilla strips to be fried. He was not a fan of the baked tortilla strips, they weren't crunchy enough for his liking. My thinking is that the get soft in the soup anyhow, so why not save the mess of frying the tortillas? Miss F loved this soup so much she went back for seconds AND requested it in her lunchbox the next day. Thanks to That's Some Good Cookin for the inspiration!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1-3 chipotles in adobo, minced (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock, divided
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with chiles (Rotel)
1 can (15-16 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
½ package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, chopped
¼ cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken, half of the tortillas, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and tomato paste. Sauté until onion is translucent, stirring as needed, about 2 minutes. Add the 3 cups of the chicken stock, tomatoes (with juice), black beans, and corn to pot. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.

Pour the remaining cup of chicken stock into a blender. Add the softened cream cheese and puree until smooth. Pour the broth and cream cheese slurry into the soup pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low, simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Place the tortilla strips on a baking sheet in a single layer and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the strips are crispy; tossing once or twice during baking so that the strips will bake evenly.

Serve the soup topped with cilantro, avocado, cheese and tortilla strips.

Pin It Now!

Lime Chicken Tacos

I love all tacos. Fish, pork, shrimp, beef, chicken...doesn't matter, I love them all.  I saw this recipe from Taste of Home on Pinterest and I knew I wanted to try it out.  Corn in tacos?  Sign me up!  I made a few changes, but overall stuck to the idea of the recipe.  Miss F added black beans to her tacos, which would also be an easy add to the crockpot when you add the corn.  Once again, the crockpot serves its purpose to create deliciously shredded meat.  This makes a lot of taco filling, which also freezes wonderfully, so you can have tacos anytime.

Crockpot Lime Chicken Tacos

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chunky salsa
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen corn
8 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

Place the chicken in a crockpot. Combine salsa, lime juice, oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove the chicken and shred meat with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir in corn. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with cheese, guacamole, tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.

Pin It Now!

Red Snapper Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

I love fish tacos, especially ones with snapper. I wanted something lighter for dinner after eating our way through Disneyland for five days. These tacos fit the bill perfectly. The slaw is light and provides a great crunch to contrast the delicate fish. I much prefer corn tortillas with fish tacos, not sure why, I think the flour tortillas can often be too heavy.  Any firm white fish would work perfectly with these tacos, they would also be amazing with grilled snapper.

Red Snapper Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound red snapper filets
1 lime
1 cucumber, sliced thin
1 carrot, shredded
½ cup shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
8 corn tortillas

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, cumin, cayenne, pepper and juice from half of the lime. Rub the seasonings over the snapper filets. Saute the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Remove and set aside.

Toss together the cucumber, carrot and cabbage with oil, vinegar, hot sauce and the juice from the remaining half of the lime.

Warm the tortillas on the hot skillet.  Slice the fish.  Top the tortillas with a slice of snapper, top with the slaw. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Pin It Now!

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajitas

I am obsessed with fajitas. I could eat them once a week. Now that we don't have a grill, I don't make them as often as I used to. I saw this recipe on one of my most favorite blogs, Tide and Thyme. She is a Maryland girl, like me, and I usually want to make nearly every recipe she posts. Everything always looks so amazing. These fajitas were a huge hit at our house. I adapted the recipe to cook the chicken indoors, but I bet it would be even tastier on the grill. Miss F even gobbled up the bell pepper. She cleaned her plate with no issues at all.  I freeze chipotle peppers individually in ice cube trays from the large can they come in, that way I can always have them on hand and don't waste any.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajitas 

1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
Juice from 2 limes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 bell pepper, sliced
½ onion, sliced
Flour tortillas
Shredded Colby Jack cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

Whisk together the chipotle, juice, oil, water, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and marinate for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over the chicken, re-cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until peppers and onions are tender.

Slice the chicken into strips, toss with the pepper and onion mixture. Serve on warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Tangy Slaw

I will be completely honest here, I cut the slaw recipe in half because I knew it would be rejected by C and Miss F. They had guacamole and shredded cheese on their tacos. C still questioned "why is the pork cubed?" but both he and Miss F gobbled it up. I had bought pre-shredded carrots and cabbage from the salad bar for the slaw, so C questioned "why did you buy prepared slaw?" If he isn't going to eat it anyhow, why does he care?  And it was just from the salad bar!Nonetheless, this recipe was a winner. I adjusted the seasonings to suit my tastes and it turned out amazingly well.  Thanks to For the Love of Cooking for the inspiration.

Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Tangy Slaw

2 teaspoons olive oil
½ sweet yellow onion, diced
1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, cubed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ lime
6 flour tortillas

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Add the pork, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, salt, cayenne, coriander and pepper. Squeeze the lime over the pork. Stir until seasonings are coated evenly over the onions and pork. Cook the pork and onions for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until pork is cooked through. Divide pork among warmed flour tortillas, top with slaw.

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Juice from ½ a lime
2 teaspoons olive oil
Pinch of sugar
Dash of hot sauce
½ cup shredded cabbage
½ cup shredded purple cabbage
½ cup shredded carrots

Whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, sugar and hot sauce. Toss together the cabbages and carrots. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cabbage and vegetables, salt and pepper to taste.

Pin It Now!

Beef Tenderloin Quesadillas

I make quesadillas at least once a week for Miss F. They are easy, I just throw whatever leftover meat we have in the fridge with some beans and cheese and lunch is ready.  I am a huge fan of quesadillas myself.  When I first moved to Texas, they were my safe order at most TexMex restaurants.  I have branched out a lot since then, but I still enjoy a good quesadilla.  I use the end of a beef tenderloin to make these because it is usually too small to serve on its own and is tender enough for a quesadilla.  Miss F and C approved, our family cleaned off this entire platter of quesadillas.  I think Miss F had equal parts guacamole to quesadilla.  Smart girl.

Beef Tenderloin Quesadillas

½ teaspoon cumin
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, sliced
12 tortillas
1 ½ cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Coat the beef tenderloin with the olive oil. Rub the spice mixture all over the beef tenderloin. Place in a shallow baking dish. Roast for 10 minutes at 475 degrees and then reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, about 25 minutes more.

While the tenderloin is in the oven, heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small sauté pan. Add the onion to the butter and sauté until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the tenderloin from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into ¼ inch pieces. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Place half of the tortillas on the griddle. Top each with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Layer the beef slices and onions on top of the cheese and top with an additional 2 tablespoons of cheese. Top with another tortilla. Cook until the bottom tortilla is crisp and the cheese has begun to melt, flip over and cook until all the cheese is melted. Slice each quesadilla into quarters with a pizza cutter. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Pin It Now!

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

C went out offshore fishing with his friends from work, I was very excited to see what he would come home with since they had come home with a ton of red snapper the weekend prior. Turns out C is a bit of a curse, no one caught anything but a couple of baby sharks. They did some fishing in the bay the next day, so C did bring home some trout and redfish. I used a filet of the redfish for this recipe, but any mild white fish would work perfectly. C and Miss F both enjoyed their fish, which is especially shocking since C rarely (if ever) eats seafood.

Beer Batter Fish Tacos

1 12 ounce bottle of beer
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound white fish, such as tilapia, red fish or cod
vegetable oil

1/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, chopped
8 tortillas

Stir together the beer, flour and salt. Slice the fish filets into 1 inch thick slices. Add the fish pieces to the batter and toss to coat. Heat 2 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the fish pieces one at a time, turning them over after cooking for 5 minutes. Cook for five minutes more, remove and drain on paper towels.

In a small food processor, combine the sour cream, avocado, juice of one lime and salt. Pulse to puree.

Serve the tortillas with the fish, avocado cream and tomatoes.

Pin It Now!

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider Pork Tacos with Jicama Apple Slaw

When Michelob ULTRA Light Cider contacted me about their new product, I decided to incorporate it into a recipe for pork tacos. Since it is sweetened naturally, it provides the perfect braising liquid for pork tacos. These pork tacos are light, a touch sweet and make an incredibly easy summer dinner. You don’t even have to heat up your oven since they are braised all day in a slow cooker. The pork roast falls apart easily after simmering all day in the slow cooker; you really can shred the meat with just one fork. The jicama and apple slaw provides a tangy crunch to complement the pork. I first had jicama in a cooking class years back, we made a jicama apple slaw and I adored it. Jicama is a cross between a potato and pear, with the same crunch as an apple. Jicama is usually found near the potatoes, turnips and other root vegetables in most grocery stores. If you aren’t usually a fan of corn tortillas, try them with these tacos. When I first moved to Texas, I was a flour tortilla girl all the way. After being her for over 15 years, I have realized that corn tortillas have their place and are really delicious. I doused my tacos with hot sauce, but they would be equally tasty without if you are wary of heat. The recipe only requires one bottle of Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, so feel free to enjoy the rest of the six-pack with dinner, we sure did.

If you are looking for the perfect summer beverage, look no further. Most hard ciders are heavy and rather sweet. Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is light and refreshing, with only 120 calories per bottle. That is one third less calories than traditional hard ciders, which makes it even more perfect for sipping poolside. With a bikini friendly calorie count and a light apple flavor that isn’t overly sweet, I know I will be enjoying these all summer long. Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Cider?

Please be sure to visit the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on BlogHer.com and the Sponsor’s site.

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider Pork Tacos with Jicama Apple Slaw

2 to 3 pound pork roast
¼ onion, chopped
1 bottle Michelob ULTRA Light Cider (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ to ½ jalapeno, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste

1 jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks
1 granny smith apple, sliced into sticks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Cilantro

Place pork roast fat side up in a slow cooker, layer the onions over top. Combine the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, oil, garlic, cayenne, salt, pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Pour over top of the pork. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred with two forks.

Toss together the jicama and granny smith apple. In a small bowl whisk together the oil and vinegar; pour it over the jicama apple mixture.

Warm the tortillas, fill with pork and top with the jicama apple slaw, cilantro and drizzle with your favorite hot sauce.

Pin It Now!

Tomatillo Chicken Tacos

For the longest time I was obsessed with Crockpot Chicken Tacos. I used the filling in so many things: Chicken Taquitos, Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Cups, and Baked Chicken Chimichangas.  I was ready for a change.  And I was ready to abandon the seasoning packet.  I love tomatillos, they are incredibly cheap and add so much flavor.  I started cooking with them from a can, but now I buy them fresh, they are so easy to roast.  This recipe could not get any easier, toss everything in the crockpot and let it simmer away.  Miss F was eating the meat like crazy, she didn't even mind the green stuff.

Tomatillo Chicken Tacos

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 tomatillos, husked and quartered
½ onion, chopped
½ jalapeno, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
¾ cup chicken broth
½ lime
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Place the chicken in the bottom of your crockpot. Layer the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos and garlic overtop of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth into a 1 cup measure. Add the juice from half a lime, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to the chicken broth; stir to combine. Pour the chicken broth over the chicken in the crockpot. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and tomatoes.

Pin It Now!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

I spied this recipe on Pinterest, originally from Healthy Delicious.  I adore flautas, but I don't love the idea of frying tortillas, chicken and cheese in my own home, so this baked version is a much better option.  These flautas were amazing and I cannot wait to try them with other fillings.  The chicken preparation was awesome, nearly as good as crockpot chicken tacos in one tenth the time.  Both C and Miss F were big fans, this recipe makes a dozen flautas and I was only left with three after dinner.  I especially liked them and I was very happy with how crunchy they turned out without frying.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 Jalapeno pepper, minced
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
12 flour tortillas (8 inch)
6 ounces shredded Colby jack cheese
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine the beer, water, salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and half of the jalapeno. Add the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks or add it to the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment and let her go.

Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the remaining jalapeno and spinach; cook over low heat for a couple minutes, until the spinach is wilted.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture near the edge of the tortilla. Add a spoonful of spinach and cheese over top of the chicken. Roll the tortilla up tightly. Place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spray the prepared flautas with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip over and back for 5 to 10 minutes more until the tortillas are golden brown. Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Pin It Now!

Citrus Fajitas

I love fajitas. Whenever we go out for TexMex, nine times out of ten, I order fajitas. And the one out of the ten, I usually regret not ordering fajitas.  And I like them very simply dressed, with just guacamole and a tortilla. I was looking for something new to brighten the flavor of my usual fajitas. The citrus juice infuses flavor, but does not overpower the meat. Miss F really enjoyed these, but I have yet to find TexMex that she doesn't enjoy. She also enjoyed her guacamole, she eats hers with a spoon, chips aren't really necessary.  I made these with my grill pan, placing a pot lid on top of the meat to retain the heat.  Worked like a charm!

Citrus Fajitas

Juice of half a lemon
Juice of one lime
Juice of one orange
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken to the bag, seal and shake to combine. Allow the chicken to marinate for 2 to 4 hours or 30 minutes at room temperature. Toss the bell pepper and onions with the olive oil, set aside. Grill the chicken breasts over medium high heat until cooked through. Add the peppers and onions for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with warm tortillas, cheese and guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Tacos

I saw The Pioneer Woman make Dr. Pepper pulled pork on her television show. I love my recipe for Dr. Pepper pulled pork, but her recipe had chipotles in it, which I adore.  Once again, the crockpot came through when it came to making shredded meats.  I used two boneless botk chops and two bone-in because that is what I had in our freezer.  These smelled wonderful bubbling away all day...does anyone else notice how often Ree Drummond says "bubbly" on her show?  It is a lot.  So much so that it should be a drinking game.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Tacos

1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 pounds of pork (shoulder, roast or chops)
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo
1 can Dr. Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Layer the onion at the bottom of your crockpot. Place the pork on top and spoon in the chipotle peppers. Pour an entire can of Dr. Pepper over the pork, add the salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred the pork and return to the crockpot. Let cook for 15 minutes more. Serve on warm flour tortillas with cheese and guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Pork and Peppers Fajitas

One of my most favorite TexMex restaurants is El Tiempo. There used to be one in the first floor of my building, back when I was single and living downtown. We made fast friends with one of the managers over their notoriously strong margaritas. He would always bring out all sorts of TexMex treats to try. One of the best dishes there is the mixed grill which includes lobster, quail, shrimp, fajitas, ribs and pork.  Since it is a huge platter, I only ever get it when we have a large group.  But I always order the tender pork fajitas when I am dining on my own.  They are delicious.  I tried as best I could to replicate the fajitas at home.

Pork and Peppers Fajitas

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 jalapeno, minced
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 boneless pork chops
1 large bell pepper, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced

Combine one tablespoon oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and lime juice in a small bowl. Rub the oil mixture over the pork chops and let marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops and cook through, turning once. Remove the pork chops from the pan and let rest. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Saute the peppers and onions until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Slice the pork and return to the pan. Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole and cheese.

Pin It Now!

Recipe Swap: Shrimp Tacos

The theme of this week's swap was a "secret," meaning we were assigned a fellow blogger and we could choose any recipe from their blog. I was given Carrie's Sweet Life, so I thought I should choose a dessert from her extensive collection.  I attempted her Vanilla Fudge Marble Cake, but half of the cake stayed in the bundt pan...whoops.   Miss F loves shrimp, so I searched for a recipe that had shrimp and would make an easy lunch for the two of us....Shrimp Tacos fit the bill. These tacos are originally from the swap's hostess, A Taste of Home Cooking.  The tacos were full of flavor and totally delicious!  I added some avocado to the sauce because I cannot have tacos without avocado.

Shrimp Tacos

1pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons Olive oil
Juice of half a lime
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 jalapeno, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
½ avocado
corn tortillas
diced tomatoes
your favorite hot sauce

Combine shrimp, olive oil, lime juice, garlic and cayenne in a bowl. Marinate shrimp for up to 30 minutes. Broil or grill the shrimp until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine jalapeno with ranch dressing, sour cream and avocado in a food processor and blend until smooth. Warm the tortillas while the shrimp are cooking.

To assemble: smear some sauce on a tortilla, then top with shrimp and tomatoes. Drizzle with extra sauce and a few drops of hot sauce

Pin It Now!