Tantalizing Tuesday

Last night we tried something new, Chipotle Pork Tacos with Lime Cilantro Rice from Our best Bites.
Devin and i were the only ones who liked them, but I think my kids just aren't used to chipotle.  For something different give it a whirl, you just might like it!





Chipotle Pork Tacos
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin
1 ½ tsp grated lime zest
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite.  I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Recommended:  Lime-Cilantro Rice
Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt.  Set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil.  Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture.  Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink.  Add pork to onions.  Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture.  Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

1 cup dry white rice, cooked in 2 C water.
2 T real butter
Juice from 1 large lime, or two smaller ones (taste as you go, I add a lot!)
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained. (You may want 2 small cans)
½ – ¾ C chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rice. As soon as it’s done, toss in the butter and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

* You’ll want to serve this right away, if you don’t, the flavors tend to mellow a bit and you’ll probably need to add more lime juice because the rice kind of sucks it up. If you’re not quite ready to eat when your rice finishes cooking, just toss in the butter and keep a lid on it so it stays warm. Then right before you serve it, toss it all together.            Picture from Our Best Bites                                                                       

Tantalizing Tuesday

Want a fast dinner under 30 min. start to finish?  Why not try Chinese Fried Rice. This is one of my kids favorites, and I have to say I like it too.  I had left over ham this week from potato soup so I used the rest for this recipe, and I might just be able to use the ham for MacnCheese too.

Jarrie's Fried Rice
6 C cooked brown rice
1 T garlic
1 c green onion
1 cup cooked carrots
1 c frozen peas
3 eggs
1 c diced ham, shrimp or chicken
3 T oil
soy sauce to taste.(I use gluten free)

Cook up the rice in your rice cooker, I like brown rice because it is healthier, and my kids can't tell its brown cuz of the soy sauce.

Add 1 T of oil to pan and cook green onion and garlic for 1 min.  Add diced ham. Add cooked carrots and frozen peas.  Saute till fragrant and warmed through. Remove this mixture from pan and hold in a bowl.

Add 1 t oil to pan and cooked whisked eggs and scramble.  Remove from pan and add to bowl.

Now add the last T. of oil and add your 6 cups cooked rice.  Saute for a minute or two and add the mixture in the bowl to the pan.

Cook through and add soy sauce to taste.

Tantalizing Tuesday

Curried Chicken

1 lb Chicken

1 T oil

1/4 C chopped onion

1/4 C flour(I use Gluten Free Flour Mix)

1 t curry

1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

Dash of Ground Ginger

1/3 C water

 1/2 C sour cream

 1 Cup cooked cubed potatoes

1 Cup cooked carrots

Boil your veggies(pot, carrot) till al dente. Cut Chicken into 1 inch pieces , heat skillet with oil, add onions and chicken.  Combine flour, curry, sugar, salt, and ginger. When chicken is almost cooked through add the flour mixture.  Tumble lightly.  Add water and simmer cover for 10 min.until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in veggies and sour cream and remove from heat.  Serve over brown rice.

 

Tantalizing Tuesday

I like mexican food-A LOT!!  I like soup-A LOT!!!  By now you probably think I only post soup, but I just can't help it.  It is the perfect make in the morning eat in the evening type of food.  See I have this problem, if I don't get it made early in the day, by 4 pm I am too exhausted to think about wanting to cook dinner.  If only I had a personal chef!


Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 T oil
3 chicken breasts
8 T flour(I use a Gluten Free flour mix)
2 C tomato sauce
1 C milk
5 C chicken broth plus enough to cover chicken while cooking
1 T chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In crockpot place chicken breast and enough broth to cover the chicken.  Cook on high 4 hours.  Shredd chicken, leaving broth in crockpot.  Pour oil in sauce pan and heat till hot, add the flour and the shredded chicken. Stir for a minute and then  add the next 7 ingredients.  Cover and simmer 15 min.  Serve with jack cheese and tortilla chips- or whatever floats your boat.

I always double this recipe as my family eats it all!!  I like soup leftovers.

Aunt Nelle's Homeade Granola Bars

Ingredients + Paigey

I have tried to start makeing homeade snacks-it is just too expensive to buy all the boxed stuff anymore. Devin's sister Janelle, has this great granola bar recipe. Just thought I would share. Also this could easily be made with a gluten free flour instead of whole wheat.

Mix it all together.

Press into a oiled cake pan.

Simply Fabulous!!
(we did 1 batch of peanut butter, and 1 batch of chocolate chips)

2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, etc. to add to your liking. Our favorite is dried apples and craisins. I'll just rehydrate the apples before I put them in there. I also really like just the plain old chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients and press firmly into a greased 9x13 pan. Dough may be dry and crumbly so you can add a little milk to help keep it together. Bake at 325 for 20 min or until edges are browned. Let cool completely then cut into strips and store in snack size bags or wrap each piece in saran wrap.