Easy, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

The hubby and I love Tex Mex! The hubs has it for lunch at least twice a week. Enough said. There's just something about the gooeyness of the cheese, the tender meat, fresh tortillas, and don't you dare forget about chips and salsa! Anyone else have trouble refraining themselves from consuming an entire basket (or two) of chips by themselves?? No? Good. Me neither! Right... Darn you Chuy's for your awesome Happy Hour of unlimited queso with ground beef and your drool worthy creamy jalapeño ranch dressing!

In my recent attempts of eating healthier and my undying craving for unhealthy foods, this recipe didn't make me feel too guilty with each bite I took. Plus, it was super duper easy to make and even the hubs loved it! He's pro-full fatty foods all the way and refuses to consume anything I make that has a slight healthy spin on it. Needless to say, I had to make sure the hubby stayed out of the kitchen while I prepped this meal so he didn't see the ingredients. However, I did reveal them after he consumed 5 enchiladas. I think I might have persuaded him to try healthier versions of food. Might have.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (use more if you want more meat or substitute it for other types of meat!)
8 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used 0% Fage Greek Yogurt)
8 oz. Light Ranch salad dressing
tortillas (I used low carb whole wheat)
jar of salsa
shredded Mexican cheese

Simple enough right? I was super excited to learn that Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for sour cream! I have this stuff stashed in my fridge 24/7 yo! Any way, let's cook!

1. Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the Greek yogurt and half of the Ranch dressing. In a smaller bowl, combine the rest of the yogurt and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 9 x 13″ pan with cooking oil. Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. This does get a lil messy so I suggest doing this on a plate or cutting board for ease of clean up later on.

4. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). I baked it for 27 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Look at all the gooeyness flowing out!! nom nom nom

That's it!! This was soooooo good y'all. I made it for dinner last week, and the hubby has already requested it for dinner again. Healthy rendition and all!

What's your favorite Tex Mex food and why??

Chicken Improv

You're probably tired of all the chicken recipes I've been posting lately (sorry! I'm on a cleanse. More on that later on), but at least I'm alternating them with other types of meat right?? For the first time ever, I took a running recipe and made my own ingredient substitutions and guess what? I really, really liked the flavor! I'm not going to lie, I patted myself on the back afterwards because I was so darn proud of myself. Ha! The original recipe made 4 servings, but I used half the amount of chicken while keeping everything else constant. Why? Because I usually only have 2 servings worth of chicken defrosted at a time. Plus, who doesn't like a lil extra sauce!

Okay, I'll quit jibber jabbering and show you what I made!

Basil, Chili, and Garlic Chicken
Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper (feel free to add more if you really want a kick)
1/2 pound thin Asian rice noodles or vermicelli pasta (or rice)
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 (green) bell pepper, diced
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves (I used 1/16 cup of McCormick's dried basil leaves)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground pepper
cooking spray

Gathered all the ingredients and have everything all diced and chopped up? Awesome! Let's get the cooking party started!

1. In a bowl, season chicken bites with salt and pepper; set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch; set aside.

2. Cook your pasta/vermicelli/rice according to directions.

3. Meanwhile, thinly coat a large, deep skillet with cooking spray (or 2 tbs of vegetable oil) and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Toss in onions, shallots, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant and softened but not browned. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

4. Coat skillet with another thin layer of cooking spray and heat for about 30 seconds. Spread the chicken in a single layer in the pan without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until the edges change color. Turn and continue cooking, occasionally tossing, until lightly browned all over. Give the reserved sauce a quick lil stir then add it and the onion mixture to the skillet. Cook while tossing until the chicken is cooked through and evenly coated. Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, tossing until evenly coated (if you're using fresh basil, toss until slightly wilted). Serve the chicken over cooked noodles/vermicelli/rice.

Ta da!

I think the shallots really added a lil something extra to the dish. Feel free to add additional vegetables also to make it even more flavorful/healthy. If you don't like it to be too saucy, you can easily half the sauces. The sauce was also slightly thick so thin it out a bit with 1/4 cup of water. Otherwise, easy, peasy, yummy chicken dinner for the win, once again!

Are you tired of my chicken recipes yet? If so, substitute the chicken with pork, beef, shrimp, or any meat of your choice! How's that for changing it up? Ha!

Chicken and Cashews

At our house, we almost always have chicken defrosting in the fridge. Work has been extremely hectic this year and I got home late last night so I whipped out this recipe because it's super easy and quick to make. Plus, I got the "I don't eat greens" hubby to eat a good chunk of the bell peppers. Yay for some veggies in his diet!!

Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry
Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 bunch scallions, separating white and green parts

1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts instead)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbs vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbs finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (I used less because ginger can be overwhelming, but if you like the extra kick feel free to add even more!)

1/4 tsp dried hot red-pepper flakes

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup salted roasted whole cashews

Gathered and portioned out everything? Great! Let's cook!

 

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch chunks and toss with salt and pepper.

 

2. Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Don't overcook it or it'll be dry and rubbery. Ew! Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon (mine didn't produce excess liquid so I just dished it all over into a bowl via tilting my skillet and shoveling the chicken out with my spatula).  

 

3. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and scallion whites (some of the scallion greens got in there. Oops. Oh well!) to the skillet and stir-fry until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir together chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar and add to the vegetables.

 

5. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Like this! I'm talented, what can I say!

6. Stir in cashews, scallion greens, and chicken along with any juices accumulated on plate. I didn't have any cashews and wasn't in the mood to go to the store and pick some up just for this recipe so I made cashew-less chicken stir fry. Then plate and consume!

As always, I had this with jasmine rice and braised baby bok choy. The flavor turned out alright, but it could definitely use some additions, but the simplicity of this recipe won it over. Next time, I think I'll marinate/season the chicken with some soy sauce along with the salt and pepper and cook it with garlic. Who doesn't love extra garlic right? We sure do! The hubby and I love onions and mushrooms so I'll definitely add that next time. And maybe some green bell peppers too. Plus, isn't stir fry all about tossing together whatever ingredients you have/want any way?  Definitely!

What's your favorite stir fry? And suggestions on what changes you would make to this recipe?

Chicken Soup for the Soul

No, not this Chicken Soup for the Soul:

{source}

Although I remember those inspirational books being uber popular during grade school days. I'm talking about this chicken soup for the soul:

You see, I was craving something brothy (is that a word??) the other night (why? I have no idea. I just did!) and it got me drooling thinking about all the different soups my dad used to make for dinner. It made a nightly appearance at dinner, no matter what. Soup just gives off that special warm, fuzzy feeling. *snuggle*

I previously mentioned my dad is the most awesome chef - ever! Unfortunately, the seasoning in his (non-existent) recipes consist of one thing - "you just taste it", and I can't cook anything without a written down, precisely measured recipe!

Ladies and gentleman, embrace yourself because I made my dad's chicken soup last night, without a recipe! I seasoned it by "just taste it" and it actually turned out good! Not great, but good (it was a little on the sweet side and I overcooked the chicken because I didn't turn the pot off in time. wah wah waaaah).

The following recipe requires a trip to the Asian market. On the other hand, you can pick up a lot of stuff while you're there and it's usually a little cheaper than regular grocery stores. Especially in the vegetables department! Just don't mind the grimy floors and the potential bumping and pushing of other patrons with their shopping carts... Have I already turned you away from making this recipe?? Oops! You could always order stuff via the internet! That's what we all do now days any way right??

Recipe was adapted from my dad!

Ingredients:
Cornish hen
2 handfuls of Dried lycium fruits*
8 pieces of Rhieong Dioscoreae*
3-4 pieces of Codonopsis pilosula root*
1 tsp Monosodium glutamate
Sugar
Salt

Note: Normally, it's cooked in a regular pot for 50 minutes, but I didn't want to wait that long after I get home from work so I stuck it in a crockpot!

1. Rinse off your hen. If you prefer lean soup, remove all the skin from the hen. Place the hen into the crockpot and fill with water about 3/4 full. Add the dried lycium, rhieong dioscoreae, and codonopsis pilosula root into the crockpot.** Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

2. Season with sugar, salt, and very, very little MSG to your liking. Spoon out the chicken and broth into a bowl and serve with rice. And since I forgot to take a picture of it plated last night, here's a pic from my lunch leftovers!

I like to combine my rice and soup, but you can serve

each item separately to avoid "cross contamination"

And that's it! Comfort food in mah belly!! What's your favorite comfort food? Are there any recipes your parents used to make that you (would) replicate?

Oh! and while I was prepping dinner, this is what the two girls we're doing:

They make baby dog-sitting a breeze!

*At the Asian market, these can be found packaged together in the spice aisle. The pre-packaged ones also include additional spices, but I find them unnecessary. I prefer to buy the spices individually to avoid waste and have plenty for next time!

**If you don't mind waiting or normally have a later dinner, cook the hen and spices in a regular pot on high until it begins to boil. Turn the temperature down to medium-low, and cook for 50 minutes.

My Love-Hate Relationship: Chicken

To prepare yourself, let's all stand up and do the chicken dance! Why? Because I think it's an awesome idea and who doesn't love a little exercise? Here, I'll even include the soundtrack so you don't have any excuse to not participate mkay!


All warmed up? Good! Zumba's got nothing on you honey! Oh, who am I kidding. Only I was lame enough to google blogger (can I use Google as a verb when web searching within other applications??) on how to embed a song in a post, then test it out by playing the entire song and performing the chicken dance to the best of my ability prior to settling down in sweat to finish this post. Phew! Talk about a l o n g sentence. It probably isn't grammatically correct either. My grade school English teachers would be so disappointed. Tsk tsk.

Um, wow! That was quite an intro to today's (eh) post, so if you wanna leave now while I'm still ahead of the game - cool! If not, proceed with caution (why, I'm not sure...)!

Chicken. I probably eat this meat way too often. Don't get me wrong, I love me some chicken and it can be prepped in so many ways, but chicken is, well, chicken. It can get boring so I took a small break from it beginning of February. Last week, I started having chicken withdrawls. So chicken for dinner it is! Super easy peasy new recipe too? Even better!

Hoisin Five-Spice Chicken
Recipe adapted from Elly Says Opa! who adapted it from Cathy's Kitchen Journey who adapted it from Epicurious. Check out Elly's blog to get the full story.

Ingredients
4-6 chicken drumsticks (I used chicken breasts instead)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Amount of red pepper flakes to your liking


Step 1 - combine all the ingredients in a bowl and let the chicken marinate overnight in the fridge (30 minutes should be sufficient as well if you leave it out at room temperature, but you know how marinating goes, the longer, the better!)

It looks like a heart (to me)! I sent this

picture to the hubby, but he said it looked

like something else...

Step 2 - I had this with rice so if you want to as well, I would start that now. If not, then skip this step, of course and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3 - Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinate and place it into a baking dish. I also drizzled the leftover marinade into the baking dish. This may or may not make cleaning more difficult afterwards. Since you're smarter than me, you probably lined your baking dish with something and made clean up a snap. Yea, I definitely didn't. Thank goodness we're internet friends so I don't have to hear you laughing hysterically at me. :) 

When the oven beeps to let you know it's ready for your chicken, slide the baking dish into the top third of the oven and cook for about 25 minutes (or when it's cooked through). Since the hubby wasn't home, it means veggies for me! Sweet! I made some stir fry baby bok choy with oyster sauce and soy sauce.

Step 4 - When the oven beeps again to notify you its job is complete, remove the baking dish, plate the chicken, scoop some rice over, and add the bok choy.

TA DA! Easy peasy winner winner chicken dinner!

Chicken, hope you've forgiven me for abandonening you for so long. I mean, you got an entire post dedicated to you today so we're cool now right?

What's your take on chicken? Any (simple) yummy chicken recipes to share?


P.S. Why am I talking to chicken breasts like it's human and has feelings? Skurry!