Posts Tagged ‘chicken’
I’ve pretty much lived in Arizona my whole life. Being from the Southwest, I really enjoy this side of the border Mexican food. I say that because real Mexican food is actually quite different from what we consider Mexican food. But what you can get here is very different from what you eat in other parts of the country-most are really tamed down and extremely Americanized. I mean do you really think Velveeta cheese and store bought precooked meat are authentic? Authentic Mexican food is really about fresh ingredients and food prepared with love (meaning a long time to cook 
). My chicken enchilada recipe won’t take hours but for the most part it is made from fresher ingredients.
Ingredients:
10 burrito-sized tortillas (I do use store bought-the kind that are made daily if possible)
2 16 oz cans enchilada sauce (I prefer green, you can use red. and I’m guessing on the can size :O )
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 smaller ones)
1/4 c water or chicken broth/stock (broth/stock adds more flavor)
1/2 c finely chopped yellow onion (sweeter, you can use whatever you have)
1 clove pressed garlic
1 c shredded cheese (shred it yourself-it’s cheaper and tastes better, we use cheddar you can use your favorite but not Velveeta)
1 6 oz can of sliced black olives (optional)
sour cream
Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts and water/broth in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 (I usually throw them in frozen, even if it’s against the directions but it works for me). They are done when they fall apart as you try to take them out.
2. When chicken is done, preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish-13×9 is a good size.
3. Using two forks (or your hands if you can take the heat) shred the chicken. Place in a bowl and mix in 1 can of enchilada sauce, onions, and garlic (and some olives if you like them).
4. One tortilla at a time, put a large spoonful of mixture spread down the middle longways. Don’t overdue it-it has to make enough for all of the tortillas.
5. Time to roll the tortillas! Fold both ends up about 1 inch. Bring one long side over the filling and tuck under the mixture. Roll it up the rest of the way.
6. Place them in one layer (can overlap some) in the baking dish. Pour the second can of enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until they are turning golden and the cheese is all melted. Top with sour cream and olives if you want.
Serving suggestions: beans (black, pinto, or refried), guacamole, chips and salsa, Spanish rice-super easy to make (check for the recipe next week)
*you can definitely make your own tortillas and enchilada sauce but for the price and time saved I choose to buy these-just get the best tasting sauce and the freshest tortillas*
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, chicken, child, Children, enchiladas, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Meal, Recipe, Uncategorized |
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We love all kinds of food in my family, but so many of our favorites can’t be eaten by my youngest the way it can be ordered at a restaurant. So we find ways to modify recipes at home that we love for him to eat. One of my husband’s absolute favorite foods is chicken parmesan-if we go to an Italian restaurant I can pretty much guarantee that’s what he’ll order. Here is my recipe and how I’ve modified his version:
Ingredients:
2 large or 3 smaller boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c shredded mozzarella (can substitute other meltable cheeses)
-for the breading-
6 slices of bread (I save the heels and freeze them to make bread crumbs)
1/4-1/2 c oatmeal (optional)
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c grated or shredded parmesan cheese (more if you want it stronger)
-for the sauce-
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 clove pressed garlic
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425*. Put the bread, oatmeal (it creates a slightly crisper breading), and the spices in a food processor until it becomes a fine bread crumb mixture. Add the cheese and mix together.
2. I cut the chicken breasts in half through the long side so that I have 2 squarer pieces. You will need wax paper, plastic wrap, or parchment paper (what I used), a flat surface you won’t damage (I use a cutting board), and something heavy and not breakable like a rolling pin for the next step. Place one chicken piece at a time into the parchment paper or other material and fold over to cover both sides of the chicken piece. Pound the chicken piece until it is about 1/2″ thick.
3. Moisten the chicken pieces one at a time (you can use egg, milk, or water like I did) and coat both sides in bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake 8-10 minutes or until they look slightly browned.
4. Mix the spices and garlic into the tomato sauce. Spoon over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.
To make this dairy and egg free:
After creating the bread crumb mixture, I used water to moisten the chicken piece and I breaded his piece before adding the parmesan cheese. I also left off the mozzarella cheese.
Ok you are right, that’s not mozzarella cheese. I was almost finished making it when I realized that I didn’t have any so I substituted cheddar-not quite the same but it worked.
Delicious with steamed broccoli!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, boudoir, chicken, child, Children, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Meal, Recipe, Uncategorized |
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With a sick boy home this week, I made homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner. Nothing says love and comfort like a warm bowl of mama’s chicken noodle soup 
Ingredients:
2 16oz can chicken broth or chicken stock (add more if you like a more liquidy soup)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg of noodles or pasta (whatever kind you prefer)
3 carrots or about 12 baby carrots
1 celery rib
1/3 large onion (I prefer sweet yellow onions)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c water
1 tsp parsley
salt & pepper to taste (I used a pinch of pepper and about 1/2 tsp salt)
Directions:
1. Cook the chicken breasts however you prefer. I put them in a crockpot on high for 2-3 hours with the chicken broth.
2. Cook your noodles and drain. I used spaghetti noodles that I broke into fourths before cooking since that is what I had on hand.
3. Chop carrots, onion, and celery separately. In a small pot, add water and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery onion and pressed garlic. Cook until carrots are tender but not squishy.
4. Cube cooked chicken. If you cooked your chicken with the broth strain it into a large pot. If not pour the broth into a pot.
5. Add the chicken, noodles, and pot of cooked veggies (including the water). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until all is warmed through
Serve with saltines if you like.
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, boudoir, chicken, child, Children, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, Scottsdale, senior, Soup, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Meal, Recipe |
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I love cranberry sauce! I’m not talking about the kind that comes out of the can, the one that has ridge marks and comes out in glop. That one reminds me of Spam, somebody out there likes it but why eat it when there are so many better things? No I like the homemade whole berry cranberry sauce. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of my grandmother and the holiday meals she cooked. Maybe it’s because it tastes so much better and has a real texture. Or maybe simply because I have a fear of possibly artificially colored red food (allergy, I know it’s weird). Whatever the reason is, I love cranberry sauce. It makes fantastic leftovers (think a turkey wrap with lettuce, cranberry sauce, and cream cheese…mmmm) and is super easy to make!
Fresh cranberry sauce
*from the Ocean Spray bag*
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
Directions:
Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 2 1/4 cups.
As the berries begin to pop
The finished product
Tips I’ve accumulated:
-If you think cranberry sauce is too tart you can use orange juice instead of the water (you may want to cut back the sugar). You can also use diced apples along with the cranberries to make a cran-apple sauce.
-Keep a close eye on it as it boils, it makes a big mess if it boils over! Trust me on this one.
-You can make this ahead of time and store overnight in the refrigerator, either serve cold or bring out early to bring to room temperature.
- It can also be made in the crockpot! Crockpot Cranberry Sauce
- And I saw this recipe for Catalina Cranberry Chicken in a Kraft Foods Magazine that looks delicious!
- And I’m looking forward to making cranberry, white chocolate, and macadamia nut cookies!
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Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, boudoir, chicken, child, Children, cookies, cranberry, crockpot, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, portrait, Recipe, sauce, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Recipe, Side Dish |
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The secret to making great shredded meat is cooking on low heat for a long period of time, perfect for the crockpot. You can use just about any kind of meat but I’d recommend a cheaper cut, they tend to not be quite as tender and this method of cooking makes them tender and flavorful. For this one I used a chunk of a pork loin because I bought it on a fantastic sale but you could use a pork shoulder or something similar.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork (you can use beef or chicken as well)
1/2 cup water
season salt
barbecue sauce (any variety BBQ sauce you prefer)
6 buns (or bread)
sliced cheese (we used mozzarella or we like provolone but use whatever you have)
onion slices (optional)
Directions:
1. Place pork cut in the crockpot and season salt to taste, add water and onion (or you can grill it later). Cook on low for 4-6 hours approx (I cooked mine frozen on high for two hours because I forgot but it worked).
2. Check the temperature to be sure it has reached at least 160 degrees. Remove the pork and place on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes (and cool off so you don’t burn your fingers).
3. Strain the onions and save for later or grill them at this point.
4. Using two forks, pull the meat apart. To make it easier I usually cut the meat into more manageable chunks.
5. Place a helping of pork on warmed/toasted buns and top with sauce, onions, and cheese. If you prefer you can add the sauce to the meat first.
Sometimes I just use my hands, the noise of metal on metal gives me the heebie jeebies ((shudder))
This is what it looks like when it’s shredded.
Our preferred barbecue sauce, love me some Sweet Baby Ray’s
Goes great with a salad (check here for the balsamic vinaigrette) or some seasonal veggies.
Tags: Adults, arizona, AZ, boudoir, chicken, child, Children, Engagement, Family, food, foodie, glamour, Glendale, maternity, Mesa, Newborn, No Bake, Peoria, Pets, Phoenix, photographer, photography, pin-up, pork, portrait, Recipe, sandwich, Scottsdale, senior, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Wedding
Posted in Foodie Friday, Meal, Recipe |
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