Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Enchilada the BEST!

I am not kidding when I say this is the BEST recipe for Shredded Chicken Enchiladas!! Here is my secret recipe...it has taken a while to perfect it from several recipes =D

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Red Bell Pepper chopped

1/2 Onion chopped

1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 can La Victoria Brand Picante Enchilada sauce (green)

1 can sliced Olives

1 small can diced green chilies

1 can ReFried Beans (I used lowfat)

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Chili powder

Salt 

Pepper

Put all ingredients (except the refried beans)in the slow cooker and let cook on low for 8hours...once done...shred chicken with a fork. Get the flour tortillas and take a pan on medium heat...add a little canola oil and place a tortilla on the pan...heat for about 15 seconds on each side. I made about 6 of them. Then get a 9x13 inch baking pan and spray with oil. Take your heated tortillas and spoon some refried beans down the middle. Shred about a cup of medium sharp cheddar cheese and a cup of Monterrey Jack cheese. Sprinkle both cheeses  on top of the refried beans and then add the shredded chicken mix on top. Fold them over and place in 9x13 pan. 

Then top the wrapped enchiladas with remaining

shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and 

YUMMY!!!!

Greek Salad Recipe

Greek Salad homemade dressing **secret...shhhh**

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (this will not make the dressing spicy, just flavorful)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 c. canola oil
 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. dry oregano
1/4 tsp. dry thyme
a dash of dijon to kick it up =D


For the Salad:


3 Medium ripe vine tomatoes
1 cucumber (I left it out tonight in pic for my little guys)
1/2 red onion
1/2 pound feta cheese(left this out tonight too because my little guys won't eat it)

1 Green pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives
Use cold Rotisserie chicken to salad (perfect when you have leftovers to add) 
I used Penne pasta...after cooking pasta rinse with cold water 

	Directions
	Cut the tomatoes in to bite-sized pieces. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, seed it, and slice. Slice the onion thinly. Cut the pepper in half, discard the core and seeds, and cut into strips Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, pepper, and feta cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Add the olives, capers, and oregano. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients. Let the salad sit for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Do not refrigerate, or the tomatoes will lose flavor.

French Dip Dinner Tonight

3 1/2 pounds of Beef Chuck Roast (this is what I used tonight...you can also use rump roast)

16 oz beef broth (I use the Better than Bouillon organic beef broth its the best =D)

1 10.5 oz can condensed French Onion Soup

6 oz of cooking Red wine

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

4-6 French Rolls

sliced provolone cheese

Trim any fat off the beef roast and season all over with salt and pepper. Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place the beef chuck roast in the liquid.

Cook on low setting for 7 hours. Take beef out and rest it for about 15 minutes when done cooking.

Cut your French bread in half and put sliced Provolone cheese on each slice. Broil in oven for 3 minutes. Add the beef onto rolls and ladle the juice in slow cooker into a small bowl for dipping. Using the juice as its own dip is oh so YUMMY!!

note: I will post the Greek pasta salad in my next post

Mozerella, Tomato and Basil Salad Recipe

This is one of my favorite summer salads =D its so easy to make and tastes sooo good. In Italy, this is known as insalata caprese (Capri-style salad).

 4 vine firm tomatoes (I used Roma)

Fresh cuttable Mozzarella cheese (I purchase mine at Costco) cut into about 12 slices

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• **optional you can add balsamic vinegar to taste

Just mix it all together and Enjoy!!

Note:Fresh mozzarella cheese is packed in water. It has a softer texture and sweeter, more delicate flavor than the regular part-skim mozzarella that is more commonly used in cooking.

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Filipino Pancit Canton Noodles

Pancit Canton Ingredients:

1 package 1 lb pancit canton (egg noodles) I buy these:

(wash the noodles under cold water before using)

2 cups chicken broth 

2-3 cup chicken breast cut in strips (I buy the Costco Rotisserie for this)

1 cup pork (optional)

Chinese Sausage (optional)

1 cup shrimps; shelled (optional)

2 cups cabbage; cut in strips

2 cups cut broccoli

1 cup snow peas

2 medium carrot; cut into strips

1 onion; chopped

5 cloves garlic; crushed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and pepper 

Fish sauce to taste

Oyster sauce 1/3 cup

Cooking oil

1/4 crushed chili pepper

2 lemon; sliced

I add a couple boiled eggs and slice them and add on top when done

other things you can consider adding is baby corn or mushrooms

Pancit Canton Cooking Instructions:

Best thing to do is have everything chopped, minced, cut and ready to go.

In a wok, saute garlic and then add onion

 Add meat ingredients and continue sautening until meat becomes tender( if you have an already made rotisserie chicken I just add the cooked meat in the end when its all done) Add soy sauce and simmer for a while. Add vegetable ingredients, broth, crushed chili pepper, oyster sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the vegetable ingredients are crispy tender, add the pancit canton noodles. Mix well and cook until done. Serve hot with sliced lemon.

How to Use a Grill - Swagbucks TV

How to Use a Grill - Swagbucks TV

Chinese 5 Spice Lettuce Wraps

This is what we had for dinner this evening =D Starting today until my birthday on June 2nd I am going to be making meals that are going to help speed metabolism and help lose the pounds...going to lose 15 pounds...are you with me? =D

These wraps were a HIT with my little boys ages 5 and 3...they actually ate seconds

From EatingWell:  June/July 2006
Based on a popular Chinese dish, these fun wraps also make appealing appetizers for entertaining. Make it a meal: Serve with chile-garlic sauce and rice vinegar for extra zip; toss diced mango and strawberries with lime juice for a quick dessert.
4 servings, 1 1/4 cups filling each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup instant brown rice
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives
• 1 large carrot, shredded

Preparation

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
3. To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.

Nutrition

Per serving : 285 Calories; 11 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 66 mg Cholesterol; 24 g Carbohydrates; 26 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 543 mg Sodium; 390 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the filling (through Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Serve cold or reheat in the microwave.

• Notes: Hoisin sauce is a spicy, sweet sauce made from soybeans, chiles, garlic and spices. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a year.
• Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe

8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 Teaspoon cornstarch
2 Teaspoon dry sherry
2 Teaspoon water
salt and pepper
1−1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
5 Tablespoon oil
1 Teaspoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
2 small dried chilis, (optional)
8 Ounce can bamboo shoots, minced
8 Ounce can water chestnuts, minced
1 package cellophane Chinese rice noodles, prepared according to package
Cooking Sauce:
1 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dry sherry
2 Tablespoon oyster sauce
2 Tablespoon water
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
Iceburg lettuce "cups"
Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and
discard woody stems. Minces mushrooms. Set aside. Mix all ingredients for
cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch,
sherry water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken
thoroughly. Stir in 1 tsp. oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok
or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 TBSP oil, then add chicken and
stir fry for about 3−4 minutes. Set aside. Add 2 TBSP oil to pan. Add
ginger, garlic, chilies(if desired), and onion; stir fry about a minute or
so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional
2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until
thickened and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and
cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of
noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.

Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Tomato Salad

Time 6 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 6.5-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

8 baguette slices, toasted (optional)

 

Mix the artichokes, parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of the thyme in a small bowl. Cut a 2-inch pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff a quarter of the artichoke mixture into each pocket. Rub the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Mix the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil and thyme in a large bowl. Slice the chicken, if desired, and serve with the tomato salad and baguette slices, if using. Substitution: If you don't care for artichokes, try stuffing the chicken breasts with one of the following: olive tapenade; Feta and pine nuts; or roasted red peppers and Parmesan.

Too Cute Apron ideas!

"Aprons Search Results | Overstock.com, Page 1"


VIEW HERE

Oreo Cookie Mini Cheesecakes

Valentine's Candlelight Kid's Dinner

With my battery operated candelight setting and heart

shaped pancakes per my little boy's requests it made for a

very memorable Valentine's dinner. They were so impressed over this

dinner set up =D  

Heart jello jigglers for dessert =D

Happy Valentine's Day Bento Lunch

Sharing with you the bento lunch I made my little Jayden today for his school lunch. I found these really cute heart shaped cookie cutters at Target and the largest one of the nested set worked perfectly for my heart sandwich =D I used the littlest cutter to make the red pepper hearts on top of the sandwich and then sliced some more red peppers under the heart shaped cheddar cheese (shown on the left) I added as a little treat some pink wafer cookies. Fruit choice was sliced kiwi with little heart food picks

Rigatoni with Spinach, Sausage and Mushrooms

TONIGHT'S MENU:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lb. mild Italian pork sausage, casings
    removed
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lb. assorted mushrooms, such as
    cremini and shiitake, brushed clean and sliced
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 8 oz. chopped spinach
• 9 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 9 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 6 cups milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped assorted fresh herbs, such as
    basil, thyme, rosemary and sage
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 lb. rigatoni, cooked until tender
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, brown 

the sausage,  stirring and crumbling with a fork, until cooked 

through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. 

Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and just beginning to

 brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook,

 stirring occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes. 

Add the sherry and cook until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

 Add the  spinach and cook until wilted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. 

Add the flour and cook, whisking until light brown and fragrant,

 about 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. 

Reduce the heat to low and whisk until the sauce is smooth 

and slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

 Remove the béchamel sauce from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, 

1 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the assorted fresh herbs,

 nutmeg, salt and pepper until well blended. 

Fold in the sausage and the mushroom mixture, then stir

 in the béchamel sauce and the cooked pasta. Season with

 salt and pepper.

Spoon the pasta into a 5-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the

 remaining 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta. 

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to

 bake until the top is golden and the cheese is melted, 10 to 

15 minutes more. Sprinkle with the parsley. Let stand for 

5 minutes before serving.

Chinese New Year- Chinese Noodle Soup

Happy Chinese New Year!

To celebrate the occasion and also to soothe our sore

throats I made this very tasty Chinese chicken soup. The garlic, chicken

and ginger are excellent in boosting your immune system to help

fight off colds =D 

I served this soup along with Chinese spring rolls with a ginger sauce

(I cheated on these as I purchased them already made at Costco =D)

INGREDIENTS

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon pure sesame oil

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, but into 1/4 pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 1/2 cans low sodium chicken broth or homemade 

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1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs

3 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam)

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves plus 1/4 cup chopped 

cilantro

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 pound spaghetti 

1 pound of baby bok choy cut into 1/4 inch slices

or fresh spinach

1/4 cup lime juice (from about two limes)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat both oils over medium heat. Add

the onion, celery, garlic, ginger, chili powder, and red-pepper flakes.

Cook for about five minutes stirring occasionally

Add the broth, diced can tomatoes, chicken thighs, fish sauce,

cilantro leaves and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the 

heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about

15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large pot bring water to a boil to cook

the spaghetti according to package directions, about

9 minutes.

Remove the chicken; when cool enough to handle, cut

it into small bite size pieces. Keep chicken aside and continue cooking

soup add the bok choy or spinach on medium heat. Cook until just

done, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.