Chicken Tacos

This recipe is one that my mom has used for years. It is really easy and really yummy!

2 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
3 chopped green onions
1-4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 cup salsa (I like chunky)
3 oz. cream cheese

Saute first 4 ingredients in a little olive oil and then blend in the cream cheese. Serve these with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, etc. You can serve in hard or soft taco shells, or over chips as a sort of taco salad. Often I substitute regular onions for the green onions, and I rarely put in the green chilies because they can be hard on the tummy! This serves about 4.

Easy Stir-Fry

I started with a recipe from the Rachael Ray Show: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/citrus-soy-chicken-pork-or-shrimp-stir-fry/

I changed a few things up. Here's how my changed recipe ended up:

1 package stir fry vegetables
1 package angel hair pasta
1/2 Cup Apricot jam
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
1/4 teas. Ground Ginger
1 Chicken Breast


Combine the Apricot Jam, Chicken Stock, Ground Ginger and Soy Sauce and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer while you cook the veggies and the pasta. It while get a little bit thicker and syrupy. I added a little bit of salt and pepper to it as well. Saute the chicken and veggies, cook the pasta and then combine the pasta, veggies and sauce. This stir fry has a nice sweet taste to it. I don't love a strong soy sauce taste, but those who do can just add more soy sauce to their portion.

Mexican Beef Skillet

I found this super easy and yummy recipe in a "Family Dinner" magazine I was given at the grocery store. This recipe is awesome because you can really swap ingredients in and out of the recipe catering the recipe to what you have on hand and like.

Makes 4-6 servings; Prep Time: 10 min.; Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef (I used 1 lbs. of ground turkey burger. It's usually cheaper, less fatty, and I like the flavor better)

1 to 2 cups salsa

1 (15 oz.) can beef broth (I use beef bouillon or base)

1 lg. green bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. light olive oil

1 (1 oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix (I used the a couple tbsp. from this bulk mix)

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream (1 cup)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. noodles (egg noodles, rotini, macaroni or other)

2 cups cooked corn, optional

1 to 2 cups Cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese, shredded

Sliced black olives, optional

Chopped tomato, optional

Method:

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

Sauté onion and green pepper with olive oil in a small skillet.

Stir salsa, taco seasoning, beef broth, green pepper and onion, corn and black olives into the skillet with the ground beef.

Add noodles and sour cream to ground beef mixture and stir well. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until cheese is melted. Serve hot and garnish with chopped tomatoes, if desired.

This recipe is a great one to clean out the refrigerator you could throw a little rice into the mix or add some beans to stretch the meat (you could even leave out the meat and just use beans). I melted cheese on half the pan and it tasted yummy either way.

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

I found this recipe at recipezaar a little while ago and it is a great mix to have on hand. I just mix one or two batches up and store it in a washed out spaghetti sauce jar (a baby food jar would be the perfect size) so that it is ready to go when I need it.

Yield: 3/4 cups
1/4 cup dried onions, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon salt (may want to increase or decrease depending on personal preference)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried garlic, minced (I think I just used ground)
1 tablespoon cumin, ground
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed (optional)
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (I didn't have any and it still tasted great)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

I also added a dash of cayenne to give it a little zing.

Combine the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Add 2 tablespoons to 1 lb. cooked and drained beef and 1/3-1/2 cup water and cook until done.

I usually just throw a little and don't worry to much about exact measurements. You can use a couple tablespoons of this mix in place of a taco seasoning packet. Having this mix pre-made saves time and money!

Hello World!

All right ladies! We are up and running. Please feel free to add/change anything you think needs changed to make the sight work/function better! I'm excited!