Green Chili Chicken Enchilada

1tb vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 or 3 cloves garlic or 3-4 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp Taco seasoning
2 cups/4 breasts chicken (cubed)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup black beans (rinsed)
2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
12 medium flour or corn tortillas
2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tomato, chopped

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle and heat to 325. Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken with 1/2 the onion until chicken is cooked and onion is clear, then add garlic and 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning. Cook for about 30 more seconds and transfer into a medium to large bowl. Cook the other 1/2 of onion in the same pan (no extra oil) and brown quickly on a higher heat - when nice and brown add 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning and mix well. Transfer to bowl. In same bowl mix in 1 can enchilada sauce, beans and corn.

2. Spray a 9 x 13 pan. I heat each flour tortilla for 15 seconds in the microwave between two paper towels. This makes it easy to work with. Arrange about 1/4 of a cup of mixture in the center of the tortilla, add a little cheese and fold together tortilla - place seem side down in the pan - repeat until all are done.

3.Whisk together one can of green chili sauce and sour cream. Bake corn tortillas 10-12 minutes until browned, flour tortillas 12-15 minutes until crispy (they may not brown the same unless you spray the outside of the tortillas). Spoon sour cream mixture and remaining cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted.

4. Serve with chopped tomatoes and cilantro on top.

Submitted by Petunia

Fettuccine Alfredo

This was a pretty good dish. It's supossed to taste just like Olive Garden's but it didn't. I could be a bad cook. I don't know. But it was good, so try it.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1/2 c. butter

2 Tbs. cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1 tsp garlic salt

salt n pepper to taste

2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese-fresh is best

1 lb fettuccine, prepared as per box direction (I used bow tie noodles because it was fun)

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add cream cheese. When soft, add heavy cream. Season with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes over low stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve over hot noodles. Grill up some chicken for some added yumminess.

Easy Potato Side

Good plain or dipped in ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.
Potato (i do one per big person, 1/2 per littler person)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Chop the potato into little squares (make wedges and then cut horizontally). Spread out in one layer on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray*. Drizzle with olive oil and mix around to spread it to all the potato pieces. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning you wish. I use Montreal Steak Seasoning or Seasoned Salt with pepper. I like to mix it up depending on what we're eating.

*you will be grateful when washing the cookie sheet.
Submitted by Tay Lynn

Beefed up Beef Enchaladas

The other night I was thinking enchiladas for dinner, but beef enchiladas just sounded boring, so I cooked this up in my head and it turned out great!

Beefed up Beef Enchiladas
1 pound browned hamburger
1/2 cup Spanish rice- recipe below
1 cup refried beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 small can green enchilada sauce
8 corn tortillas

In a 9x9 pan, layer corn tortillas. Dip them in the sauce first. Spread a thin layer of beans on the tortillas, then sprinkle rice on top of the bean, then add the meat and add cheese on top. Layer one more time. Bake at 4oo degrees for 10 minutes, or till bubbly. Top with lettuce, sour cream, hot sauce and olives.

Spanish Rice-I got the recipe from Becoming Betty. It's so good! Plus, most of the ingredients you'll have on hand.
1 cup uncooked rice (not minute rice)
1 onion, chopped (I made it without and it was great!)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. cumin (I didn't have any, and it still was great!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken broth
*Brown rice and onion in a little olive oil on the stove. Add tomato sauce, cumin, garlic and salt. Mix well. Put into a pot with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 20 minutes.
You can also do part chicken broth and part water if you don't have enough broth. Or just use all parts water.

Orange Chicken

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but we tried it last night and it was SO good!!

2 lbs of chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 c. cornstarch

1/4 c. flour

1 egg

oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbs minced ginger

salt & pepper

Sauce:

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tbs water

5 tbs sugar

4 tbs vinegar

zest of one orange

In one bowl, mix cornstarch and flour. In second bow,l mix one egg with salt and pepper for seasoning. On the stove, heat 1 cup of oil in skillet. Dip chicken into dry mixture and then into egg mixture and place in skillet. Fry until cooked through and crispy. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Drain oil from pan, then add ginger and garlic and fry for one minute. Add sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add chicken back into the mixture and serve over rice.

Parm Chicken

This was dinner Thursday night. A hit in my house for sure! It's super easy too...And I like easy!

Parmesan Chicken

6-8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins-you can use fresh or thaw them out from the giant bag I know we all get from Costco-that's what I did. ; )

6 oz spaghetti broken in half

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

oil

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs or 3/4 cup of buttermilk

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook spaghetti as directed, drain and then place back into pan, but don't cook anymore. In a dish, mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another dish, crack eggs or pour in buttermilk. In large frying pan, pour about an inch of oil in the bottom and heat till about medium high. Coat each piece of chicken in the egg or buttermilk. Then place in the bread crumbs and coat. Place in the oil. Continue until all your chicken is frying up. Cook in oil for about 3 minutes then turn them over. Watch them and turn down oil if needed. You don't want to burn them. Stab the chicken with a knife to see if it's still pink in the middle. While cooking, Pour 1/2 - 3/4 spaghetti sauce into the noodles. Eyeball it so it's not too saucy. Pour the noodles into a 9x9 baking dish. When chicken is done, place on top of the spaghetti. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake 6-8 minutes, so the spaghetti is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Candied Apples and Carrots- these are delish! Cook while chicken is in the oven.

1/2 bag baby carrots

2 granny smith apples

1 TBS butter

2 TBS brown sugar

Cube the apples. Melt butter in a small sauce pan on medium. Add the apples and carrots. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook about 5 minutes or till tender. OR use those Ziploc microwave steamer bags. If you use these, cook the carrots and apples separately. The carrots take about 4 minutes and the apples take about 2. Place in a bowl and mix together.

Caesar Salad

1/2 head romaine lettuces

handful crasins

handful croutons

a pinch or two shredded Parmesan cheese

2 TBS your favorite Caesar dressing

Toss together and enjoy!

Tasty Salsa

This is my secret recipe. Try it and let me know if you like it as much as we do!

Salsa
1/2 c. fresh cilantro-Pick the leaves from the stems
1 small onion diced- 1 like the white ones
1 small can diced green chili's
2 tsp diced jalapeno-I use canned ones-add more depending how spicy you like it.
1 lime or 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lg cans diced tomatoes strained


In a food processor or blender, add together onion, cilantro, green chili's and jalapenos and pulse till chopped. Scoop in strained tomatoes. Pulse until desired consistency. I pulse mine pretty well so there are no chunks. If you like chunky salsa, pulse less. Pour into a bowl. Now, you need a bag of chips ready. Squeeze the lime or lemon into the salsa. Stir and add 1/2 tsp of salt. Taste. Does it need more salt? Add more if needed. It's also yummy with chunks of avocado. The lemon or lime keeps it from turning brown. Enjoy!