Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Source: Cooking for Two

One of my favorite cookbooks has a grilling section, and I've been happily trying out the recipes. Each time I get kind of a "look" from Kevin - as in, you don't need recipes for grilling! Maybe not, but I always feel better with them, and the chicken would not have been as flavorful without the marinade! I've tried a few different fajita recipes, and this one will go in the regular rotation!

As a note, do not marinate the chicken for longer the 15 minutes. The acid in the lime will turn the meat mushy!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice from 2 limes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Salt and pepper

2 (6 to 8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 small red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rings (keep the rings together)

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered

6 6-inch flour tortillas

1. Combine 1/4 cup of the oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Measure out and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for serving. Add 1/2 teaspoon more salt to the remaining marinade and pour in a large zipper-lock bag. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2. For a gas grill: turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave the primary burner on high and turn the other burner(s) to medium.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, place on the hotter part of the grill, and cook covered until well browned on both sides, about 8 - 12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest.

4. While the chicken cooks, brush the onion rings and bell pepper with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the onion rings and bell pepper with on the cooler part of the grill and cook covered, until spottily charred on both sides, 8 - 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. Transfer the vegetables to the carving board and tent loosely with foil.

5. If you wish to pre-warm the tortillas, place directly on cooler part of grill and cook about 20 seconds per side.

6. Separate the onion rings and slice the bell pepper into 1/4 inch strips. Toss the vegetables in half of the remaining marinade. Slice chicken and toss with the remaining marinade in a separte bowl. Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, and shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or queso fresco (my favorite!) if desired.

Creamy Taco Mac

Source: Delish

I've seen this recipe making the rounds on different blogs, so I finally had to break down and try it. It's a healthier version of Hamburger Helper, and frankly, it's not that much harder to make! This came together quickly. The only change I'd make for the future is adding a little spice, whether through a pinch of crushed red pepper, or using canned tomatoes with jalapenos. Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Mac

1.25 lbs ground turkey
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

2. Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Top off with cheddar cheese if desired.

Tortilla Casserole

Source: Cooking for Two

I continue to LOVE this cookbook by America's Test Kitchen. Everything I've tried from it has been stellar, and although I always like to have leftovers for lunches, it's nice to have a cookbook with portions for two! This recipe intrigued me since it was a casserole, but it was made and finished in one skillet. It also lacked any cream-of-anything soup, which is certainly rare! Casserole + one dish to clean = win! This was such a satisfying meal. I've never cooked with chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned, in the Mexican section of your grocery store), and there's a reason you should only add one to two teaspoons. I stuck my finger in the can as soon as I opened it to get a taste, and immediately started choking and my eyes started burning. It's got some kick! We used one teaspoon, which was enough spice for us. If you REALLY love spicy food, add the additional teaspoon!

If you have more to serve, this could easily be doubled. Simply make the increased ingredients in a larger 12-inch skillet, and then transfer to a glass baking dish to broil.

This is great served right from the skillet, or topped with sour cream...yum!

Tortilla Casserole

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 teaspoons minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 ounces tortilla chips, broken into one-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped medium

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Adjust an oven rack to about 6 inches below the broiler unit, and heat the broiler. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.

3. Stir in half of the tortilla chips. Nestle the chicken into the broth and chips, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.

4. Return the shredded chicken to the skillet along with the tomato, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir in the remaining tortilla chips until moistened.

5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and place and skillet in the oven. Broil until golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Using potholders, remove the skillet from the oven. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Black-Bean Enchilada Casserole

Source: Cooking Light

I kept hearing about this recipe, so I finally caved in and made it. It was very tasty and easy! I was a little scared chopping up the jalapeno pepper that it would be too spicy, but I found it to be just enough spice for us. Instead of red enchilada sauce, I used medium-spiced green verdes enchilada sauce. It's essential that corn tortillas are used - flour tortillas will get soggy. This was quick, healthy, and I love that we have some leftovers, too!

Black-Bean Enchilada Casserole

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice or long-grain rice
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (19-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
Cooking spray
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/2 cup cheese, rice, and the next 7 ingredients (rice through jalapeño) in a large bowl. Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Heat remaining enchilada sauce in a skillet for 2 minutes or until warm, and remove from heat. Dredge both sides of 6 tortillas in warm enchilada sauce, and arrange tortillas, overlapping, over sauce in baking dish. Top with 1 3/4 cups bean mixture. Dredge both sides of remaining tortillas in warm enchilada sauce, and arrange tortillas, overlapping, over bean mixture. Top with the remaining bean mixture, remaining enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Taco Salad

Source: All Recipes

This recipe is so embarrassingly easy it's almost...well, embarrassing to post it. But we all need super-easy recipes for those nights we're feeling lazy! This is also one of my husband's favorites, as it may be. Of course, something that takes me 15 minutes is his favorite! Sheesh.

The original recipe calls for French dressing in the meat/bean mixture, which I skipped. Reviewers on All Recipes also suggested Catalina dressing and using Doritos instead of plain tortilla chips. The recipe also calls for mixing EVERYTHING. I prefer to layer it, trying to save the salad will mean you have soggy chips the next day. Layering it allows me to save extra salad, meat, etc., separately. This recipe is very versatile, so change it up as you like!

Taco Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing or Catalina dressing (optional)
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup prepared salsa (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Crush the bag of chips. Layer crushed chips on individual plates, then top with lettuce mixture. Top with meat mixture, and add sour cream or salsa if desired. Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

Adapted from: Good Eats n' Sweet Treats

I literally saw this in Cooking This and That TODAY and immediately made it! I mean, really, how can you go wrong with this combination of ingredients? Simple prep, clean-up, and extremely satisfying! Unlike the other bloggers, I am lazy and used packaged taco seasoning. I would also suggest spraying the tortillas LIGHTLY. If you over-coat them (NOT THAT I DID), they'll take longer to crisp up.

Mexican Pizza

1 1/3 pound package ground turkey or beef

1 package taco seasoning

Scant 1/3 cup water

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Cooking spray

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

6 ounces refried beans

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 1 medium)

3/4 cup taco sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the turkey until brown; drain. Return to the heat and add the taco seasoning and water. Continue to cook for several minutes, until cooked through, stirring often.

3. Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray and place directly on the oven rack (about 3 at a time). Bake for about 6 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Remove to a baking sheet and turn oven to 400 degrees.

4. Microwave the refried beans for 30-60 seconds, or until spreadable.

5. Lay 3 tortillas out on a baking sheet, and top each with 1/3 refried beans, 1/3 turkey mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese. Top with another tortilla and lightly press down.

6. Top the second tortillas with 1/4 cup taco sauce. Layer with 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup cheese, and 1 tablespoon green onions.

7. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and top with sour cream or salsa if desired.

Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from: All Recipes

Sometimes All Recipes bugs me. I love the fact that the recipes have ratings, but hate that sometimes people make SO many changes it's barely the original recipe anymore. In searching for a chicken enchilada recipe on their site, it seemed every high-rated version had tons of changes. So I threw caution to the wind and made this version, with the suggested alterations. Use this version if you want to make this recipe!

I LOVED this! The chicken filling was so delicious that I was eating it straight out of the pan while the enchiladas cooked in the oven! I think next time I will use corn tortillas. I'm starting to get a little turned off by the texture of flour tortillas. Queso cheese would also make a great topping.

Chicken Enchiladas

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cans of chicken broth or stock
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pint sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup salsa
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (12 ounce) jar taco sauce or enchilada sauce (I didn't use either)
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring chicken stock and garlic cloves to a boil. Add chicken to water, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is done. Set aside and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred chicken.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent. Add sour cream, cheddar cheese, and seasonings. Mix until cheese has melted. Add in salsa and heat mixture through.

3. Divide the mixture amoung the tortillas and place in a baking dish, seam-side down. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

I found this fajita marinade recipe on All Recipes. I've never made fajitas before, and this marinade was so simple and easy!



And, I always love it when I find a recipe I actually like that turns out to be healthy, too! This had plenty of flavor, and I'll definitely be making it again!

Fajita Marinade I

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons
water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
flavoring
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I went a little light on this. Season to your heat threshold!)
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper


1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Sliced chicken breasts (I used 4 thin-cut breasts for the two of us)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 medium white onion, sliced
Optional toppings: salsa, sour cream, queso cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large resealable plastic bag or glass bowl, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper.

2. Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade, peppers, and onion and heat until chicken is cooked through and onions are translucent. As the fajita mixture is finishing, heat another skillet over low heat. Heat tortillas, about 5 seconds each side, until heated through. Top tortillas with fajita mixture and any preferred toppings. Enjoy!

Gary's Turkey Burritos

Source:All Recipes

A healthy twist on Mexican! This is delicious, filling, and easy to make!

Gary's Turkey Burritos

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey
1/2 can of diced tomatoes with chiles (or jalapenos, however they come)
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili power
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 small onion, diced
1 can of fat-free refried beans
1 can of corn, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (optional)
6 10-inch tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground turkey. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings, corn and onion. Reduce heat and let simmer, about 20 minutes.

3. In a separate skillet, heat beans over medium-low heat. Spoon a portion of beans in the middle of the tortilla, then top with meat mixture.

Repeat with all tortillas, fold center and ends, and place in a baking dish, seam side down. Sprinkle tops with cheddar cheese. Bake for about 5-8 minutes, or until tortillas are warmed and cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Authentic Enchiladas Verdes

Source: All Recipes

Yum yum yum! I have made a lot of Mexican recipes, but this is one of my favorites. This has a green verdes sauce that is spicy and delicious. Boiling the chicken in chicken broth makes it seem even more "chickeny" in flavor. This is a great recipe! If you love cheese, you MUST try this just for the queso fresco. It's my favorite cheese--and that's saying a lot. It just tastes so fresh!

Ingredients:

2 bone-in chicken breast halves (I just use chicken breasts)
2 cups of chicken broth (I use 2 cans--there is no way 2 cups can cover the chicken breasts)
1/4 white onion
1 clove of garlic
2 teaspoons of salt (optional)
1 pound of tomatillos, husks removed (with the other vegetables, they're small and round and have green husks on them)
5 serrano peppers (Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have no idea how hot this recipe would be with 5. I use 1 pepper. Buy 3 and blend one at a time to get the right spicyness for you.)
1 pinch of salt
12 tortillas
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of crumbled queso fresco
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Cover the chicken breasts, 1/4 onion, peeled clove of garlic, and salt with chicken broth and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is done. Set aside until cool, and then shred the chicken. Reserve the chicken broth.

2. While the chicken is boiling, put serrano peppers and tomatillos in a saucepot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and boil until the tomatillos change from bright green to a dull, army green.

3. Put the tomatillos and serrano pepper(s) to taste in a blender. Add in another 1/4 onion, 1 clove of peeled garlic, and pour in the chicken broth until it's about an inch over the vegetables. Puree until blended.

4. At this point, the recipe says to fry the tortillas in an frying pan and then dip in the tomatillo sauce. I've never done this. I just put the shredded chicken, sauce, queso, and chopped onion in the tortilla, then set my oven to 350 and cook for about 15 minutes in the oven again, until the queso is slightly melted and the chicken is heated through again.

5. Serve and enjoy!