Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas - Protein Packed!



Servings:10
Cooking Time: 5-8 (depending on whether you use thawed or frozen chicken)

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 cups (or 1 can) kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes drained
1 each green, red, yellow peppers julienned
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups corn (optional)
1 cup tomato sauce (or salsa for a lighter, less saucy texture)
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 packet Fajita Seasoning Mix (Or use my recipe, which follows)

Serve with (options):
Large flour tortillas or (whole wheat tortillas, or flatbread or pita bread), warmed
Spanish rice
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sour Cream

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender. In my experience it can take up to 8 hours on low for thick frozen breasts. If you are using frozen and have the option to do 2 hours on high and 3 on low, you can do that!

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred chicken and return to the slow cooker; heat through.

Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with any combination of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream you desire.

Enjoy!



My Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix (equivalent to 1 packet from the store):
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 tsp chopped garlic if you don't need it dry!)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Monday, May 2, 2011

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to, Corn Chower


I LOVE this recipe. To me, it's the ultimate comfort food for a cold winter day and it freezes beautifully, so we always freeze half for a future dreary day! I like to use the potatoes WITH the peels (scrubbed clean of course) because it feels healthier (total lie) and they maintain their shape better, but it's got a delicious velvety texture if you peel them as well because they kind of blend into that creamy broth!


10 Servings, 7-8hr cook time
Ingredients:

4 cups Sweet potato, scrubbed or peeled and cubed
4 cups Russet potato, scrubbed or peeled and cubed
2 cans cream-style corn
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cans cream of celery (or mushroom, or chicken)
4 cups chicken broth (or equivalent bouillon & water)
1 cup diced ham or crumbled bacon (optional - great way to use leftover ham!!)
8 oz Cream Cheese (added just before serving)
2-4 cloves minced or chopped garlic (we love garlic!)
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp celery seed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper (optional, for mild heat) as well as:
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for medium heat)

Combine everything but the cream cheese in a crock pot. Cook on low 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Add cream cheese just before serving, stirring until it has melted. It gives the chowder that thick creamy texture! TIP: The cream cheese melts faster and more evenly if you cut it into 8 1 ounce blocks (also called pats) when you drop it in to the soup. :-)

Dish it up, Garnish as desired, and devour!

"Serve With" Suggestions:
-BREAD! Duh, it's comfort food!! For company I serve it in homemade bread bowls, but for day to day you can serve it with a nice crusty baguette of any type. I think the crustier the better, you want it to soak up that yummy chowder!
-Sour cream (I think it makes it too rich, but Ben loves it)
-Cheddar cheese
-Bacon Bits
-Chives