Chicken Wrap

Chicken Wrap
Source: Adapted from Valentina's Corner

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
2 cups lettuce, sliced thin
4 slices bacon, cooked

1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper sliced thin
1 tomato, cubed
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced or cubed
3 Tbsp shredded cheese, optional
1/4 cup ranch
1 tsp Southwest Chipotle seasoning
flour tortillas

chicken breast seasoning:
¼ tsp ground paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp oil, for sautéing

OR Kickn' Chicken Seasoning


Instructions
In a bowl, combine seasonings for chicken. Season both sides of the chicken.
Cut bacon into small pieces. Over high heat, cook until crispy. Empty onto plate with paper towel. In same pan, using reserved bacon grease- Sear chicken 2-3 minutes per side. Turn heat down to low, close lid of the skillet and cook another 5-6 minutes, until chicken is tender.

Slice lettuce and onion, cube tomatoes and slice or cube avocado.
In a small bowl combine together the ranch and seasoning.
In a skillet, heat the flour tortillas until desired crispiness. (Or layout tortilla on wire rack in oven and bake until crispy.)
Slice chicken into thin strands, add to tortilla. Add remaining ingredients over top of chicken. Drizzle with the ranch.
Roll the wrap. Enjoy, friends.

Mexican Haystacks

I looove this dish. It's got all the flavors that we love, but it's freshened up in a different application. Plus, the addition of the mango on top of the taco meat and rice is so refreshing (don't skip this ingredient - the mango really makes it!) This isn't the prettiest picture because we'd basically eaten all of the food before I remembered that I needed to take a picture so I just added the few remaining things that I had - but we've made this at least 4-5 times and never gotten a picture - so I knew I just needed to take a picture to get it on the blog, because this recipe is a keeper for sure! (We've also made this when guests were over and it was a huge hit.)  

Mexican Haystacks

Source: Adapted from Whole and Free and The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rice

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lb ground beef
2 TBS taco seasoning (chili powder, onion salt, garlic powder, cumin)

1 onion, chopped
¾ cup water
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

salt & pepper to taste
2 cups salsa

Toppings: diced mango, diced avocado, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa

Directions:
Start rice in a rice cooker. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion. Add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. When browned, add salsa and cream cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.  In the meantime, chop the cilantro, avocado, and mango and prepare remaining toppings. When the rice is done, stir in almost all of the fresh cilantro, leaving just enough to garnish each dish. 

Plate with rice on bottom, then meat mixture, then any of the desired toppings. 

Middleton Tacos

Our friends the Middletons make the most amazing tacos. We begged for their recipe so we could add it to our repertoire. Toasted corn tortillas, melted cheese, tender marinated meat, and a avocado pico for the top. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. When the Middletons invited us over for dinner, they didn't know that their name would forever live on in our dinner rotation - because we call this dish "Middleton Tacos." (Chicken tacos doesn't seem to do the dish justice.) 

Middleton Tacos

Source: Mike and Ali Middleton

Ingredients: 

Chicken

Marinade - equal parts, garlic powder, cumin, season salt, pepper, paprika, coriander, chili powder, and Caldo de Tomate, and lime juice + enough vegetable oil to coat/cover the chicken. 

Corn tortillas

Cheese

Lettuce

Avocado Pico - equal parts diced tomatoes, onion, avocado, and cilantro

(For three chicken breasts, I used about one teaspoon of each spice for the marinade and about 1 1/2 -2 cups of oil. I also used 2 tomatoes, 2 avocados, and one onion.) 

Directions: 

The night before, slice chicken breasts into tenders (allowing more of the meat to come into contact with the marinade). Combine marinade spices and oil.  Pour marinade over chicken in a tupperware container and thoroughly coat chicken. Let sit overnight. 

Grill chicken until cooked through. Slice into thin strips (or you could shred). 

Place corn tortillas on a griddle, toast on one side (abt. 1 minute) then flip and cover with cheese. When cheese is melted, add chicken, pico mixture, and lettuce - and serve! 

*When making this for a group of people, you can start crisping up the tortillas and melting the cheese right before serving, then place the tortillas on a cookie sheet. You can cover them with parchment paper and then add a second layer of tortillas for people to grab as they start making their tacos. But don't use wax paper or the cheese will stick. It's also good to have someone manning the griddle to keep the warm tortillas coming. 

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I love Costa Vida's Sweet Pork Salads, but I'll be honest and say that my favorite part of the salad is the dressing. When I came across the idea to use the cilantro dressing on top of a regular chopped salad - I knew that I needed to try it. This recipe is so much easier to prepare than the sweet pork salad, and it was a nice refreshing meal. I think adding some grilled chicken would be yummy if you wanted to add a little meat to the dish.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can sweet corn OR 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 roma tomatoe, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 head lettuce, chopped (Romaine is better, all we had was iceburg at the time)

Directions:
Finely chop lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions. Dice avocado. Drain and rinse corn and black beans. Place lettuce on a plate, add toppings, cover with creamy cilantro-lime dressing. (I just used leftover dressing, but the recipe is below.)

**When I made this, I was about 9 weeks pregnant and chicken seemed like the yuckiest food on the face of the planet. However, now that I'm 15 weeks and like meat again I think that some grilled chicken would be great on this. I also think that crunching up some tortilla chips would be a yummy addition. Also, David doesn't really like the cilantro dressing - so I got some cubed ham and turkey for his salad and topped everything with ranch dressing.  It's pretty flexible. 

Tomatillo/Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Source: Adapted from A Mommy's Life with a Touch of Yellow

Ingredients:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup mayo/Miracle Whip
1 Cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)
1 bunch of cilantro (after you wash, make sure you pat dry)
2 tomatillos husked
1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Put the mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender and mix until blended all together. Squeeze lime juice directly into the blender. Cut up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and pat dry. Add to the blender and blend until everything is mixed together and creamy. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This can be stored in the fridge for several months - so don't throw your leftovers away. If it starts to separate - just shake it all back together.

7-Layer Tostada

I absolutely love seven layer dip. Like love love love it. When I came across these 7-Layer Tostadas I knew that they needed to be made at my house immediately. David isn't usually a a 7-layer dip kind of guy, but he was a good sport and I think we both enjoyed them. Next time, I think that I will make the layers thicker - I needed just a bit more of the toppings I think. Anyway - It was yummy.  

7-Layer Tostada 
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
1 cups guacamole (Avocado, garlic salt, red pepper flakes)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning)
1 cup grated cheese

1 cup salsa
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced black olives (or use a 4 oz. can sliced olives)

Alfalfa sprouts
6-8 tostadas

Directions:
Put the refried beans in a bowl, stir to break them apart, and microwave 2-3 minutes, or until they're hot. Stir the taco seasoning into the sour cream. Chop the green onions, and slice the olives. Prepare guacamole and grate cheese.

Put crisped tostada on a plate and top with:
--a thin layer of refried beans (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of guacamole (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of seasoned sour cream (1-2 tablespoons)
--several generous pinches of cheese
--several alfalfa sprouts
--thinly sliced green onions
--sliced olives

Serve right away, with salsa if desired.

Creamy Chicken Fajitas

I originally made this recipe using Philidelphia Cooking Creme. However, the last time I went to the store they didn't have any of the Sante Fe cooking creme. So, I decided to improvise and I actually liked the end result even more when I made it myself! I'm not surprised, because we typically like these flavors and ingredients - but I am happy, because anytime I can make something from scratch instead of paying money for a pre-packaged good I'm all for it. I will probably never buy the cooking creme again because I can save money making it this way and it was de.lic.ious.

Creamy Chicken Fajitas
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
1 green or red bell peppers, sliced
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8tsp onion powder
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Tortillas
Sour Cream
Cheese
Avocado
Lettuce

Directions:

Cut chicken into strips and cook in olive oil in a pan. When chicken is cooked, add peppers and onion and saute until soft. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add cream cheese and sour cream and stir until melted and heated through.

Serve in tortillas with cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.

California Club Pizza

This pizza is a knock off of the California Pizza Kitchen's California Club. In fact, most of the time I refer to it as "California Pizza Kitchen's California Club Pizza of Deliciousness." But... lets be honest, that title is quite the mouthful, and you are going to want to save all of your mouthfuls for this delicious recipe. Thus, from now on, we will refer to this meal as "The California Club." (p.s. The recipe may look a little daunting, but it's really easy and so worth it!)

California Club Pizza

Source: Insipration from California Pizza Kitchen

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust (recipe below)
1 large chicken breast
5 strips bacon
3-4 cups Iceburg lettuce
3-4 cups Romaine lettuce
Avacado, sliced
3 cups cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons Miracle Whip
Lemon Juice
Garlic Powder

Directions:
First things first, make the pizza dough: 

Pizza Dough (adapted from here)
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. 

Add salt and stir. Add about half of the flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Pull dough out of mixing bowl, spray with cooking spray and place dough back in. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 and place bacon inside for 10-15 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy. 

Move onto making the toppings for the pizza:
Defrost chicken slightly so that it is still frozen but easier to cut. Cube chicken and grill in a tiny bit of oil until brown. Crumble bacon into little bits.

Remove pizza dough from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and roll/stretch dough to fit pan. Place dough onto pan, poke a couple of holes with a fork and then bake for 10 minutes or until dough starts to slightly brown. 

Chiffonade lettuce. Mix iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce together in large bowl. Add a dash of lemon juice and the miracle whip. Mix until lettuce is well coated. Slice avocado. Set aside.

Remove crust from oven and add cheese to the top of the pizza. (The more cheese the better.) Sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder over the entire thing. Spread cubed chicken and crumbled bacon over the entire crust. (Then throw a little bit more cheese on top of that.) Put crust (with cheese, chicken, and bacon) back into the oven until cheese is melted and chicken is warm.

Top with lettuce mixture and avocado.  Serve immediately.

Seriously, the very first time we ate this at the California Pizza Kitchen I was blown away. I am pretty sure I described it as "a party in my mouth".  This recipe may not be exactly the same, but it sure was just as delicious. One warning though, it doesn't make great leftovers, so it's better to try to make exactly the right amount.

*Note: As a variation, you can toss the bacon and chicken in with the lettuce. This way you see more of the meat without it all being covered in lettuce. We like to put it with the cheese because it sticks a little bit better, but when I make it for guests I put it in with the lettuce because it looks better.