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.

Tangy Turkey & Swiss Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup coarse-grain brown mustard
•  
• 8 slices country style French Bread
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 pound thinly sliced roast turkey
• 8 slices tomato
• 8 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the red onion, thyme, mayonnaise and mustard. Spread some of this mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. Spread butter onto the other side of the slices of bread.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place 4 slices of the bread into the skillet with the butter side down. On each slice of bread, layer 1/4 of the sliced turkey, then 2 slices of tomato, and top with 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Place remaining slices of bread over the top with the butter side up. When the bottoms of the sandwiches are golden brown, flip over, and cook until golden on the other side.

Sue's Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 (14.5 ounce) package nacho-flavor tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup ranch-style salad dressing
• chopped tomato
• chopped lettuce
• chopped green onion

Directions

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble until well done; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix. Set aside to cool.
2. Place chips into a large bowl, and crush into bite-size pieces. Combine with seasoned meat, cheese, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions. Pour dressing over all, and toss to coat.

Chris' Bay Area Burger

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 4 hamburger buns, split

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Mix together the ground beef, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil. Divide into four balls, and flatten into patties.
2. Cook the patties for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. The internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove from grill and place onto hamburger buns. Top with desired toppings and condiments.

Jenny's Grilled Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ground black pepper to taste
• seasoning salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.
2. Dip chicken in lemon juice, and sprinkle with the onion powder, ground black pepper, seasoning salt and parsley. Discard any remaining lemon juice.
3. Cook on the prepared grill 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.