Margarita Chicken Quesadillas

These were amazing! Tasted just as good, if not better, than most restaurants quesadillas. Perfect pairing with my homemade salsa.

Indgredients
4 Boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c. thawed frozen limeade concentrate
1 large onion, diced
1 medium orange bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Flour tortillas
2 cups colby jack cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag; add limeade concentrate. Seal bag, turn to coat. Refrigerate 6 hours or over night.
2. In skillet, saute onion and bell peppers in oil until tender. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside
3. Typically you would grill the chicken but since it's cold I just stuck it in the pan that I sauteed the onions & pepers in. I cut up the chicken into bite size pieces first. Then added additional seasonings (cumin, salt & pepper, garlic, adobe) Cook about 8 minutes or until done.
4. On one half of of each tortilla, layer cheese, chicken, pepper & onion mixture and more cheese; fold. Place quesadillas on baking sheet. Combine butter and lime juice; brush over tortillas. Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Sprinkle with cilantro.

All American Chili

Made this one while staying with my parents. I think it turned out good! Keeper for sure.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes (Rotel is the best)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
3 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt


1. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add beef. Cook unitl done.
2. Combine everything else in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4.
Great with a side of cornbread!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

recipe found on Pinterest. Very simple and basically like the salsa chicken recipe except a few more added ingredients and an extra kick!

In a slow cooker, mix together:

One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa

Juice from one lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

Add 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves to the slow cooker and coat with the salsa mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Serve the chicken with the salsa mixture spooned over the top. If you're feeling crazy, throw a dollup of sour cream on top with some crushed tortilla chips.

This is also delicious as a taco filling or in a taco salad. 

Strawberries & Cream Pie

I made this for a friend tonight. I think it turned out pretty good.


Ingredients:
(Crust)
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (About 9 full/long crackers — just throw them in a gallon bag, zip, and crush with a rolling pin.)
- 5 tbsp butter, melted

(Filling)
** Crumbly Cookie’s original recipe called for only 1 block of cream cheese and 1 cup of cream, but that didn’t fill my pie dish all the way and I wanted a really thick/deep-dish pie, so I doubled the recipe.
- 2 8oz blocks of cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups heavy cream + 1 tbsp
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 carton strawberries, sliced into thirds or halves
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Steps:
(1) Preheat oven to 375.
(2) In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until a crumbly, moist mixture forms.
(3) Gently but firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom/sides of a pie dish.
(4) Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
** This is the only baking that you need to do for this recipe, so don’t forget to turn the oven off!
(5) In a medium bowl, use an electric mixture to beat your cream until it holds firm peaks. Set aside.
(6) In a separate, larger bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth and creamy.
(7) Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into your cream cheese mixture to lighten it, then add the rest. Gently fold until evenly incorporated and smooth.
(8) Spoon filling into your cooled pie crust, and spread it out in an even layer.
(9) Layer sliced strawberries in an overlapping rows around the top of the cream.
(10) Melt chocolate + 1 tbsp cream, and stir until smooth and liquid. Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the strawberries.
(11) Stick the pie in the fridge for a few hours to allow the creamy filling to firm up.
(12) Slice and serve immediately. Enjoy!
** Strawberries go fast, so this won’t keep very long. Try to eat everything within 3-5 days.

Chicken, Black Bean & Rice Casserole

I wasn't too sure about this when I went to make it. I figured it would be another one of those new recipes where we eat a little bit and have tons of leftovers that never get eaten. Boy was I wrong! I thought it was quite tasty and since Derek ate half of the pan I think he did too! The kids didn't like it. Well, they didn't even try it because they are petrified of rice. Definitely a keeper for our meal rotation though.

Ingredients
1 c rice, cooked
2 1/2 c cooked, shredded chicken breast
15 oz can green enchilada sauce
15 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 c sour cream
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t cumin
1/2 of a can of black beans, rinsed & drained
2 c shredded cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray


2. Cook rice and layer on bottom of dish, put black beans on top of rice


3. Mix cooked chicken, enchilada sauce, sour cream, Rotel, salt, pepper, and cumin together in a mixing bowl. Add this mixture on top of the black beans


4. Top the casserole off with the shredded cheddar


5. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

Ingredients

• 2 cups peanut butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Taqueria Style Tacos -- Carne Asada

Ingredients

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
•  
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
•  
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 dried New Mexico chile pods
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
•  
• 1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas
• 2 cups grated cotija cheese (optional)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 1 chopped white onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toast chile pods in the skillet for a few minutes, then remove to a bowl of water to soak for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
4. Place the tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapenos, and 4 cloves of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. Place the roasted vegetables, and soaked chile pods into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add as much cheese as you like. Garnish with lime wedges, and serve.