Friday, March 26, 2010

Yolanda's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is sooo good!
My best friend Yolanda (since we were 14) gave me this recipe.

Chicken enchiladas: 
  • 2 lb. chicken
  • 2 T. Knorr powdered chicken flavor bouillon (green and yellow plastic jar -- pictured below)
  • 3-4 c. mozzarella cheese
  • 16 corn or flour tortillas
  • 1 sliced onion
►Add bouillon to a pot of water and boil chicken until tender.  It usually takes me over an hour to get it like I want it.
►Start on enchilada sauce and have rice ready to start as soon as the chicken is done.
►Remove chicken from pot, saving the liquid for the rice.   
►A good time to start the rice now.  Shred or cut chicken into strips.
Yolanda told me to get El Milagro corn tortillas, but I was unable to find them. 
If you use corn tortillas, you can place them in heated olive oil, a few seconds both sides, and shake off a little before placing in baking dish.  We tried some that I'd bought, but only Rebekah liked them.  So except for her, we used flour tortillas.
►Fill tortillas with chicken, sliced onions, and mozzarella cheese.  I poured a tsp. of liquid over the cheese in each tortilla.
Cover with saran wrap if not ready to bake yet.  Bake at 350° 12 - 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Enchilada sauce:
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 6 medium tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced in half and seeded (wear gloves!)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 T. Knorr chicken flavor bouillon
  • ¼ tsp. powdered cumin
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt -- the bouillon is salty)
►In large pan, fry onions in 2 T. olive oil. 
►In a pot of water, boil whole tomatoes, sliced and seeded jalapeño, and whole garlic clove for about 5 - 7 minutes until skin starts to peel from tomato. You don't want the tomato to split or all the juice will go out into the water.
►Remove from water and run all three thru food processor (with skin and all) until it is liquid.  Pour slowly into pan with onions, checking for unchopped pieces of garlic.
►Add bouillon, cumin, garlic powder; cook on low for 10 - 15 minutes until thickened.
Rice:
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 c. Mahatma Jasmine rice
  • 1½ - 2 c. broth from the chicken (taste first; if too salty, add a little water)
  • 1 T. parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder (not salt)
  • ¼ tsp. powdered cumin
  • 1 envelope of Goya brand Sazón (seasoning) that says "con culantro y achiote" (coriander and annatto)
►Heat olive oil on medium heat, and fry dry rice for 2 - 3 minutes.  Add in broth and spices.  Cook as directed on package.
Jasmine rice is a type of rice.  You can use another kind if you like.
Serve with enchilada sauce poured over enchiladas.
Other suggestions: sour cream, sliced avocado, additional tomatoes.
This took awhile for me to make, since I'd never made it before.  But I think I can multi-task a little better next time.  And there will be a next time!  YUMMY!!!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Meatloaf


This is my mother-in-law's recipe.  =)  I love my MIL!
  • 1 jumbo egg 
  • 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes (or half tomatoes, half ketchup; or 15 oz tomato sauce) 
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper 
  • 1 large onion, finely diced (approx. 1 cup) 
  • ½ green pepper, finely diced 
  • 1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers (about 34) OR 4 end pieces of bread 
  • 2 lb. ground chuck 
►Whisk egg in mixing bowl.  Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, onion, and green pepper.  Crush crackers or run bread thru food processor.  Add to bowl and mix well.  Break the ground chuck into pieces, and mix thoroughly in bowl. 
►Put in non-greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Divide in the middle so there are two loaves.  This helps it to cook more evenly.
►Bake at 350° for 1 hour, 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully tilt dish and drain most of the grease.  You can get out the rest by using tongs to press a paper towel down in the corners.
Spread ketchup over the top of the meatloaf and return to oven for 15 more minutes.
If making half a recipe, cut first cooking time to one hour.

--Once I didn't have crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, so I ran 3 medium tomatoes thru the food processor, and it made about 10 ounces.  I added ketchup to make up the difference, and did not use salt.

--I've also used one 10 oz. can of tomato soup, and 5 oz. ketchup - just filled the soup can halfway.

We had meatloaf tonight with creamed potatoes, green peas, salad, and yeast rolls (that Bethany made =) with honey butter.  Yummy!
We ate about half that recipe of meatloaf.  (fam. of 5 w/ one 12-yo boy)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Debbie's Chili Beans


This recipe has been moved.
You can find it here.  =)


Cooking Conversion Calculator

From their website: 
"Forget how many teaspoons in a tablespoon? Or how many cups in a gallon?
Here's an easy to us conversion calculator that will help you convert various cooking units. Use it to convert cooking units."
Also see conversion of dry beans, cooked beans, canned beans.
Many more helpful links and recipes!
Go to ReluctantGourmet.com.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Chicken Fajitas

  • 4 large chicken breast halves
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded, sliced
  • 1 large green pepper, seeded, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. crushed basil
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 T. olive oil
  • 12 flour tortillas
Rebekah has been wanting Chicken Fajitas, so she and I made this today.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Add in garlic, sliced green and red peppers, and onions.  Add spices. Thinly slice chicken and add to pan.  I sliced mine about ¼ inch thick.  Cook on medium high, uncovered for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
If you have very much liquid left from the vegetables, tilt pan and spoon out liquid into a small bowl.  Some people like to use this for dipping.
We served ours with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes.  Some recipes I found online served them with salsa.
These were soooo good!  I just wish I had made extra for leftovers tomorrow!  =)
Other ingredients on various recipes I saw:
1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. black pepper, cilantro, 2 tsp. lime juice to sprinkle over top, 1 tsp. ground cumin.