Lime Chicken Tacos

Dust your crock pot off, and try this super simple recipe that will satisfy your craving for Mexican food!

6 Chicken Breasts (thawed or frozen, it doesn't matter)

1 pkg. Taco Seasoning

1 15oz can chicken broth

1 C. salsa of your choice

2 limes sliced into wedges

Hard taco shells

Taco Fixin's (e.g. chopped tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc.)

1. Pour chicken broth into a crock pot and stir in taco seasoning.

2. Add salsa and mix well.

3. Place the chicken in the crock pot with the liquid and cover with lid.

4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours or until the chicken can be shredded.

5. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, shred the chicken with a fork and place back in the pot with the juices.

6. Serve in hard taco shells with lime slices to drizzle over the meat.

Source: Janet Brown

Heinzen Rigatoni

When I was still in Primary, the Priests and Laurels had a cook-off as one of their mutual activities. The girls cooked Chicken Cordon Bleu, the boys (my oldest brother, Ammon, included) cooked this. The verdict? The Priests won!

This is a delicious "lite" version of your regular rigatoni. If you prefer a heavier, creamier sauce, this may not be for you.

Ingredients:
1 1 lb. package of Rigatoni (I used Penne because that's what I had on hand.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. Lite Jimmy Dean Sausage (33% less fat)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
2-3 garlic cloves pressed
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Ground Black Pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (use fresh parmesan if you can!)

1. Cook rigatoni in boiling water til aldente.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat 1 Tbls. olive oil and brown the sausage. (Jimmy Dean Lite sausage has almost no fat so you'll definitely need a little olive oil. As a result, you won't need to drain the sausage after you brown it). When sausage is cooked through, remove and set aside in a bowl.

3. Heat 1 Tbls. olive oil in the same pot you cooked the sausage. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until onion is transparent and mushrooms are tender but not mushy. Once vegetables are cooked, add sausage back to the pot and add 1 Tbls. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

4. Drain pasta. Return it to the pot and add the meat mixture, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Mix well and keep warm.

*If you desire a creamier sauce, just add more cream.

*To make this recipe even lighter, use whole wheat rigatoni and half n' half in place of the cream.

Source: My mother, Alexandria Heinzen

Egg Sandwich--To Go, Please

I'm sure many families have their own version of an egg sandwich, and we have more than one. This particular version is more truly a sandwich. I adapted it a bit from our English muffin version with an egg over easy so it could be eaten "on the go." It can be made in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2 eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 slice American cheese

2 slices bread (I use Arnold whole wheat)

Butter, to taste (we love Brummel and Brown)

1. Spray small skillet with cooking spray, even if it's a non-stick skillet. Crack eggs into skillet (they should touch) and begin cooking between medium & medium-high heat (the higher the heat the closer you will need to watch to avoid burning). Add salt and pepper.

2. When you notice some bubbling in the egg whites and browning around the edge, add cooking spray to the top of the eggs and see if your non-draining spatula will allow you to CAREFULLY flip the eggs over, picking up the skillet and tipping it a bit so the yolks don't have as far to "flop" and are less likely to break. (If the egg's not ready, try again in a bit.)

3. Add salt and pepper to this side. Put the slice of cheese on top (eventually melting it).

4. Put the bread slices in the toaster. (My toaster toasts plenty on its lowest setting; you may need to adjust the time at which you toast according to how toasty you like your bread.)

5. Break the egg yolks so that you don't have to worry about them dripping while you're eating on the go (they will get a chance to cook just long enough during the next step...). Why bother not breaking them until now? --I guess I prefer the slightly different taste, so I avoid "overcooking" the yolk.

6. Add butter to one side of each bread slice (butter sides in once the sandwich is made so you don't get it on your hands).

7. Add the eggs and cheese (maybe doubled over to fit the bread) to one bread slice, flip the other bread slice on top, and voila! Grab a paper towel and go! [I mean, enjoy your lovely protein-packed sandwich?... ;) ]

Source: adapted from joint effort by the hubs and me (Ok, mostly the hubs. And then I adapted it to make this version.)

Cookbook Nook: Worldwide Ward Cookbook

I had been eyeing this cookbook for quite a while when I finally broke down and bought it this summer.  I figured, "Hey, I started a recipe blog so I 'need' this for 'research'!"  <ahem>  Yeah, anyway, one of the reasons I really like it is because it's a compilation of favorite recipes from LDS sisters around the world.  I always love getting people's favorite recipes--you know they're tried and true.  I also like that with some of the recipes there are little personal tidbits from the recipe contributor, along with occasional personal photos.  Somehow it really does seem like it IS your world's ward cookbook.

I love the colors and decor of this book....so spring-like, vibrant, alive.

Inside cover shows the fun colors.  Table of Contents (notice a category just for Prophets....favorite dishes from some of our latter-day prophets.)

Above, an example of one of the recipe category divider pages and a full page recipe photo.  Mmmmm.....brownies.  And speaking of drool......

I am a Carrot Cake Fanatic (and snob) so I am definitely trying this recipe to see if it  REALLY is the best Carrot Cake ever (cuz if it is, that's one more item off my bucket list)

I'm a sucker for Cinnamon Rolls!

This book is 327 pages of mouth-watering recipes (well, maybe not the Hot Dog Casserole but we'll see since I'm trying that for lunch today....figured it might be a kid-pleaser).  I paid full price for mine with no regrets, but you can get them on Amazon used for as low as $14.95 (as of this posting).

I'll be sharing several recipe out of this book in the coming weeks and months, so be on the lookout!

Poppyseed Dressing (over Spring Mix Salad)

1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp onion, grated



1. Whisk together all ingredients.

2. Let it set overnight.



3. Toss with equal parts spring mix, baby spinach and romaine plus sliced pears (or apples).



4. Serve immediately.

Cafe Rio Goodness: Cilantro Lime Rice

 

Here's another installment to help you complete your Cafe Rio Salad.

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice (YYYUUUMMMM!!!)
2 T. butter
1 1/4 C. white rice
2 1/4 c. Chicken Broth (i used bullion cubes instead, worked just fine)
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cumin
Juice and zest of one lime.... or the juice from two w/o zest
3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter and rice in pan
Add remaining ingredients... except cilantro.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes. Add cilantro, and enjoy!


Next Friday, look forward to another recipe to help you with this delicious salad!

Mexican Mac & Cheese

I needed an easy dish to make for our local Masonic Picnic--they have had this picnic for 131 years here in Davie County--and that would also be easy to double for dinner guests that evening at the house.  This was my pick.  Found it in Better Homes & Gardens magazine under prize-tested recipes--this recipe was a $500 prize winner in the New Ways with Sausage category.

Ingredients:
12 oz. dried mostaccioli or rigatoni pasta (3 cups)
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 16-oz. jar green medium-hot salsa
2 8-oz. pkg. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 cups)
    Tomato wedges, sliced jalapeno peppers, and chopped fresh cilantro.
    Salsa (optional)


1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish; set aside.

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain; set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, in large skillet cook sausage and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender.  Drain fat. Stir in green salsa.

4.  In prepared baking dish layer half of the cooked pasta, half the sausage mixture, and half the cheese.  Repeat layers.

5.  Bake, uncovered for 35 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Top with tomato, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Makes 12 servings.

NOTE--Next time I make this I will use a smaller pasta.  The rigatoni seemed too big.  Farfalle might be fun!

Source: Better Homes & Gardens Magazine