Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

**I've been making this weekly for months now. Makes great leftovers as well!


Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Source: skinnytaste


1 onion, chopped 
1 16-oz can black beans 
1 16-oz can kidney beans 
1 8-oz can tomato sauce 
10 oz package frozen corn kernels 
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies 
1 packet taco seasoning 
1 tbsp cumin 
1 tbsp chili powder 
24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts 
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro 
  
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).  

White Bean Chili

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Cayleen, and now I'm obsessed!

White Bean Chili

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP vegetable oil
48 ounces Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)
14.5 ounces chicken broth
8 ounces chopped green chiles
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whipping cream

Boil chicken and shred.  Saute’ onions in oil with Garlic Powder.  Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (uncovered).  Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream.  Serve

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Chicken Curry in a Hurry 

By Mark Bittman Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times

• 1 Tbsp corn, grapeseed, or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, or to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)*
• 1 cup sour cream
• Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

1 Put the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions (and optional raisins), sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with half of the curry powder, and continue to cook a minute or two.

2 Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.

3 Add the sour cream and stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes, or until cooked through, turning once.

Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve with rice.

Serves 4.

Spinach with Linguine

I posted this here the other night, but it really belongs on this blog! It's another one from my boy, Bittman. Perfect for a last-minute dinner that your kids will also eat.

Spinach with Linguine


Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound linguine or other long pasta

1 pound spinach, washed, tough stems removed, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Meanwhile, mince the garlic as finely as possible and combine it on the bottom of a warm bowl with the red pepper and olive oil.

Add the pasta to the pot and cook it until nearly done. Plunge the spinach into the water and cook until it wilts, less than a minute.

Drain quickly, allowing some water to cling to the pasta and toss in the bowl with the garlic and olive oil mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/Cook-It-Linguine-with-Spinach-1243871.php#ixzz1S6yQSFin

Southwest Chicken Salad

This is another tasty dinner brought to me by a friend after I had Solomon. It tastes super fresh and the dressing was so flavorful but light. She had the veggies below on it as well as avocado and yellow bell peppers. She also seasoned the chicken with the same seasonings from the dressing for added flavor. That's what I love about taco salads like this - you can add just about whatever veggies you have around and it's still delicious.

Southwest Chicken Salad I

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 4 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces tortilla chips

Directions

1. In a covered jar, mix the lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin. Cover, and shake until well blended.
2. Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with the chicken, black beans, onion, and tomato. Just before serving, toss with the dressing mixture and Parmesan cheese. Serve with tortilla chips, either crushed over the top of the salad, or on the side.

From here.

Quinoa & Chickpeas

We had dinner at my brother and sister in-law's house last weekend and, as always, the food was not only delicious but healthy. They are a vegetarian family that cooks with almost all fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as a variety of whole grains, all of the time. And they do it really, really well. We had a fresh salad with beets and endive from Martha Stewart with my sister in-law's own quinoa creation:

Quinoa & Chickpeas

serves 3

One cup of quinoa and two cups water in pot.

Cook for about 15 minutes bringing to a simmer and then turning down the heat.

Add one can of chickpeas (drained) and one can of drained diced tomatoes (diced) with minced garlic OR cooked fresh tomatoes with minced garlic (1 clove) in a saucepan and drain a lot of juice before mixing with quinoa and chickpeas.

Add about half to three-fourths teaspoon of cumin or to taste and then salt and pepper to taste.

Add a sprinkling of coriander.

Add a little grated parmesan.

Dollop of sour cream on the side (optional, but I highly recommend it).

Thanks, Abigail! I can't wait to make this a weekly staple!

White Wine Chicken & Potatoes

Last year my husband and I started the Valentine's Day tradition of enjoying a late-night romantic dinner at home after our little girl falls asleep. As soon as she's out we dress up, turn on something like Iron & Wine or Madeleine Peyroux, light the candles, and quietly dance around the kitchen as we put our feast together. We like it so much we even turned down a babysitter this year so we could keep the tradition alive. We have chicken with a white wine sauce, a recipe that my brilliant brother in-law created, with mashed potatoes, some type of bread, and a veggie like broiled asparagus on the side. You could call this meal traditional, French-American, "comfort food", but with a little more sophistication. The flavor is out of this world and the recipe is shockingly simple. There are a few times where you have to "eyeball" the measurements, but it's pretty hard to mess it up.

A special thank you to Leland for sharing this recipe with me and allowing me share it with you.

(I'll post pictures after our date tomorrow, but I wanted to post it beforehand in case you are looking for a new recipe to share with your significant other tomorrow evening.)

White Wine Chicken

From the memory of Leland Rowley

1. Brown both sides of two quality chicken breasts with butter in a heavy-bottomed pan (no non-stick) on high heat to lock in juices. Remove chicken.

2. Lower heat to medium-high.

3. Pour in chicken stock and white wine (the stuff for cooking). We just eyeball the measurements here, but roughly about two cups chicken stock to 3/4 cup white wine.

4. Put chicken back in and cover pan with foil, cooking on medium heat until cooked through. Don't flip the chicken in the pan - just cook on one side the entire time. Remove chicken (lightly cover to keep it warm for serving).

5. Pour in a little heavy whipping cream and cornstarch, or flour,(one tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired thickness) in pan juices to make gravy.

I thought I'd include my favorite mashed potatoes recipe as well:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Recipe by Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa at Home

kosher salt

3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the whole milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disk or blade over a heatproof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the pepper, or more to taste, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

Broiled Asparagus

From...everybody knows this recipe so I don't need a source, right?

1. Preheat oven on broil. Lay trimmed asparagus spears on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

2. Broil for about 10 minutes, shaking pan or rotating spears once or twice. Remove when spears are lightly golden brown and tender.

3. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve.

Still trying to think of a dessert? Flourless Chocolate Cake is probably the answer you're looking for.

Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

Jared and I are still baffled as to why these burritos are so incredible. We've made them three times in the last two weeks!

A few notes: I always use uncooked flour tortillas (so so so worth it), and I use taco seasoning, which is essentially the same thing as their seasoning mix. I also use whatever salsa happens to be in my fridge and I use baked chicken breast (bake in the oven at 425 in a little olive oil and sea salt and pepper covered in foil for about 30 minutes - remember my favorite trick: you can shred the chicken in about one minute with a hand blender!) rather than rotisserie chicken. One more thing, I serve it with corn tortilla chips on the side. Avocado, bell peppers, tomato, whatever could easily be thrown on top for some extra nutritional value.

You can find nutritional information here. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

(photo via Cooking Light)

Total: 30 minutesYield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)
Ingredients
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.
2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

Spinach Lasagna

I've decided that The New Best Recipe cookbook (it's from the editors of Cook's Illustrated so you know it's fancy) does Italian just right. I made this over the weekend for some family and I've been eating leftovers for lunch since then.

I don't think this recipe could get better (although I do have notes throughout it without slight changes I made that made it faster and cheaper). So even though this is going to take me an hour to type up, I feel I owe it to this noble recipe.

Spinach Lasagna

The New Best Recipe 2004

Serves 6 to 8

SPINACH

1 tablespoon salt

2 (10-ounce) bags curly-spinach, stemmed and rinsed

BECHAMEL

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 large shallots; minced (about 1 cup)

4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (generous 1 tablespoon)

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3-1/2 cups whole milk

2 bay leaves

3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1/2 cup)

CHEESES AND PASTA

8 ounces whole-milk cottage cheese

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 no-boil lasagna noodles from 1 box

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)

8 ounces Italian fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups) (*Heading of recipe says that you can substitute whole-milk mozzarella cheese for fontina which I did and the flavor was still amazing.)

1. FOR THE SPINACH: Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over high heat; add the salt and spinach, stirring until the spinach is just wilted, about 5 seconds. Using a skimmer or fine-mesh strainer, transfer the spinach to the ice water and let stand until completely cool, about 1 minute, then drain the spinach and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel rightly around the spinach to form a ball and wring until dry. Chop the spinach medium and set aside. (*I just used two bags frozen chopped spinach and boiled on stove and wrung dry.)

2. FOR THE BECHAMEL: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming; add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1-1/2 minutes; do not brown. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in the Parmesan and discard the bay leaves. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface, and set aside. (*I didn't have shallots on hand or bay leaves, and I only used a dash of nutmeg as this book seems to be a little nutmeg-happy at times.)

3. FOR THE CHEESE, PASTA, AND ASSEMBLY: Blend the cottage cheese, egg, and salt in a food processor or blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Adjust an oven rack tot he middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the noodles in a 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and cover with hot water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating the noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the noodles form the water and place in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. (*I used regular lasagna noodles and boiled as directed on the package.) Wipe the baking dish dry and coat with the butter.

Use a rubber spatula to spread 1/2 cup of the becahmel over the bottom of the baking dish; position 3 noodles on the top of the sauce. Stir the spinach into the remaining bechamel in the bowl, mixing well to break up the clumps of spinach (you should have about 4 cups spinach-bechamel mixture). Spread 1 cup of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles, sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over the noodles, sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the fontina (or mozzarella) and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over the noodles, followed by the cottage cheese mixture. Finish with the remaining 3 noodles, the remaining 1 cup spinach mixture, and the remaining 1 cup fontina.

Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover the lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Remove the lasagna and adjust the oven rack to the uppermost position (about 6 inches from the heating element) and heat the broiler. Broil the lasagna until the cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

Risotto-Style Orzo with Spring Vegetables

Hopefully this post isn't too late since it is now feeling like summer instead of spring, but I found this recipe on the Whole Foods app on my phone and it was delightful. I added a little bit of chicken because Jared could've "eaten a horse" that night.

Risotto-Style Orzo with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4 to 6

Try this quick and easy risotto-style dish made with orzo pasta. No constant stirring necessary! Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available in the Whole Foods Market Family of Brands.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter*
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta*
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas*
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth*
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until tender but not browned. Add orzo and stir to coat. Add carrots, peas and broth. Bring to boil and cook until orzo is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan and cover. Let rest 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper.

(Go here to see the recipe. The recipe and photo are from wholefoodsmarket.com.)

Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Piccata

I made this the other night in 15 minutes with some lemons we brought home from Jared's dad's trees in California. It blew our minds even though this picture isn't that good. I found it in Barefoot Contessa at Home, but it can be found here as well.

Chicken Piccata

2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients

• 2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• Good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Sliced lemon, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Pasta and Quick Tomato Sauce

In the last three months this recipe has become a Rowley staple thanks to Leland's introducing me to it. We eat it about every week. Last night I accidentally added 1/4 CUP sugar rather than 1/4 teaspoon which meant I spent the next hour tripling the recipe and adding lots of salt and still our guests raved over it. I think that means this recipe is beyond fool-proof. I also generally add a small can of plain tomato sauce just because we like it a little moister.

Pasta and Quick Tomato Sauce

Taken from The New Best Recipe cookbook 2004 edition.

Serves 4

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes packed in juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt

1 pound pasta (any shape)

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic in a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta tot he boiling water, stir to separate the noodles, and cook until al dente; reserve 1/4 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot. Mix in the reserved pasta cooking water, tomato sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cook together over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly and serve immediately.