Black Bean and Chicken Tacos

2 chicken breast….cubed
4 teaspoons lime juice, divided
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Flour tortillas
1/2 cups of Monterey jack cheese
sour cream
Coat chicken cubes with ½ of the lime juice and ½ of the oil. Saute in pan until warm. Remove chicken and using the same pan add the rest of the oil and sauté garlic and green onions until tender; add beans and tomatoes until warm. Then add the remaining lime juice, salt and chicken. Cook until heated through, then add cayenne pepper to taste.

Chicken Rio Salad (the one we had at RS b-day dinner)

Warm tortillas

burrito size flour tortillas 

lightly spread tortillas with butter and fry on both sides until brown, but still soft.

Chicken

5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken  breast

1 small bottle zesty italian dressing

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. cumin

3 cloves garlic

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot.  Cook on high for 5 to 7 hours.  Remove chicken and shred with fork.  reserve a small amout of juice and pour over shredded chicken to keep moist.  Keep warm

Tomatillos Dressing

1 pkg hidden valley buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 tomatillos (they look like small green tomatoes)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 small jalapeno seeds removed

Blend ingredients together in a blender. Add additional mayonnaise if dressing is too thin.  Keep refrigerated. 

Lime Rice

2 Tbs. butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 2/3 cups water

8 tsp chicken bullion

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 tsp cumin

2 small cans diced green chilies

1 Tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups long grain rice

In a sauce pan saute butter, onion and garlic.  In a large pot bring to a boil; water, chicken bullion, cilantro, cumin, green chilies, lime juice and salt.  Add onion and garlic to boiling water.  Add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Pico de Gallo

4 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

combine ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Serve in the following order:

Tortillas

cheese (mexican shredded or shredded colby jack is good too!)

chicken

Black beans or pinto beans

lime rice

green leaf lettuce, or iceberg lettuce, shredded

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Fresh cilantro

parmesan cheese

fresh lime slice

Tomatillo dressing

serves 20 (so let me know when you decide to have it and we will be over!)

Special Request

People are still buzzing about how good the food was at Enrichment last week. Can we get the recipe posted here? My husband will love it, and I've been craving some ever since. Thank you!

Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

2 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Wood Picks
1/4 c. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce (or regular)
1 Tbs. Honey
2 tsp. Dark Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Sesame Seeds, to garnish

Cut up chicken into bite sized chunks and put on wooden picks. Mix all ingredients together reserving some of the sauce for later. With the rest of the sauce coat all sides of the chicken. Grill for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked all the way through. Use the left over sauce for dipping. Can serve over rice.

* I found this online and it is so yummy! And low in calories.

Chocolate chip cookies & S'More cookie bars

Chocolate chip cookies

(I got this recipe from my friend Shelley Simiskey)

3 cubes of butter unsalted (softened) if you use salted butter adjust your salt

1 1/2 cup white sugar 

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 Tsp salt (not Tbsp sorry Amy)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbs vanilla (very important I forgot it in the last batch.  I could only gag down half the batch)

about 4 to 6 cups flour (sometimes I use a cup or two of oatmeal if I don't have enough flour)

1 bag of chocolate chips or M&M's or what ever sounds good.  

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs one at a time mix salt, baking soda and one cup of the flour together, add and mix.  Add vanilla.  Add the rest of the flour and watch consistency.  The less flour you use the softer your cookies will be.  

Bake 325 for 9 to 12 minutes.  Watch and remove just before they start to turn brown.  Let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet.  

Last week I made these and took 2 cookies and smashed them together with vanilla ice cream in the center, then I rolled them in chopped walnuts.  It was an insane mess, but worth every bite.  

S’More Cookie Bars


1/2 cup butter, room temperature


1/4 cup brown sugar


1/2 cup sugar


1 large egg


1 tsp vanilla extract


1 1/3 cups all purpose flour


3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs*


1 tsp baking powder


1/4 tsp salt


2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)


1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick.
Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff.
Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small singles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely before cutting into bars
Makes 16 cookie bars.
*Note: 3/4 cup crumbs is approx 7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, whizzed in the food processor until fine.