Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Refried Beans

It wasn't until about a year or two ago that I actually liked refried beans.  To be fair, the first time I had them was on a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell!  Gross!!  That scared me for life.  Here's how I make mine:

Refried Beans

extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 - 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chicken bullion
2 tsp Fiesta brand pinto bean seasoning
2/3 - 1 cup water
black pepper
cilantro

Drizzle a little oil in a pan over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until they begin to soften.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash beans.  Before serving, add a couple dashes of pepper and cilantro, if desired.  You can also add some shredded cheese.

Skillet Chicken Fajitas

extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of sugar

shredded Mexican cheese

Drizzle olive oil in a extra large skillet and saute onion and peppers over medium heat until they begin to soften.  Add chicken and spices and lower heat.  Continue to saute until chicken is done.   Serve with shredded mexican cheese blend.

Yo No Quiero Taco Bell!

~M

French Onion Pasta

Do you love French Onion Soup!?  What about pasta!?  Then this recipe is for you!  When made with whole wheat pasta this is the perfect meatless main dish.  Or serve it as a side dish with a steak for a change from the usual meat & potatoes night.

French Onion Pasta

1 - 13.25 oz. box of whole wheat blend (such as barilla or ronzoni) penne pasta
3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbls butter or margarine
3 white onions, sliced
2 glugs (about 2 Tbls) red wine
3/4 cup beef broth
3/4 tsp thyme
black pepper
garlic powder
shredded Swiss, Gruyere, or Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al dente.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter and oil over medium heat in a extra large skillet.  Add onions and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Lower the heat to low and saute for another 10 minutes.  During this time the onions should begin to caramelize.

Add thyme, and a couple dashes of pepper and garlic powder.  Deglaze onions with red wine.  Reduce wine for 5 minutes.  Add beef broth and reduce again for 5 minutes.

Add pasta to skillet of onions and toss to coat.  Serve with shredded Swiss and Gruyere cheese (Sargento makes a blend) or Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Enjoy!

~M

Chili

Happy Spring!  Today is the first day of Spring, but it sure doesn't feel like it here!  After being in the 70's and even hitting 80 a few days last week, it was barely in the low 50's today.  I decided Chili sounded good for dinner.  Everyone has a Chili recipe; here's mine.

Chili

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, mined
1 - 1.25 lb. package of lean ground turkey
3 - 15 oz. cans of pinto beans
1 - 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 Tbls chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
Shredded sharp cheddar

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until they begin to soften.  Add ground turkey.  When the turkey is browned and crumbled, add remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low.  This can be ready in as quickly as 30 minutes, but the longer it simmer the better it gets!  Serve with sharp cheddar cheese. 

Other optional toppings: green onions, sour cream, fritos, crackers, and tortilla chips.

This is a great base for a dip.  It is also good served over a baked potato!  Or over hot dogs for chili dogs!

Enjoy!

~M

Crockpot Sausage & Peppers

This recipe can be eaten with a knife and fork, on a roll, or over pasta.

Crock pot Sausage & Peppers

2 lb. mild or hot Italian sausage
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 - 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/2 cup of red wine
1 Tbls Italian seasoning
salt & pepper

Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and peppers to the bottom of the crock pot.  Next add browned sausage.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

Tips:

1.  For easier clean-up, I always spray my crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  The wine is really what makes this recipe, but you can certainly substitute water or broth. 

3.  I usually mix the wine, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes in a bowl first, so it's easier to add to the crock pot. 

4.  This makes a lot and is perfect for a potluck or party.  Even if I am just making it just for us, I keep the recipe as is because then I get two meals out of it!  We had this a couple weeks ago, then I sliced the leftover sausages, froze them, and had the sauce over tortellini last night! 

Enjoy!

~M

Two thumbs up!

Hey Ang!  I hope your transition back to work is going well!!  I've made your "Parmesan Chicken" twice now - two thumbs up!  Tonight I made a variation, similar to a South Beach Diet recipe.

Low-Carb Chicken Parmesan

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup pine nuts, crushed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 cup Italian shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 450.  In one shallow dish, beat egg.  In another shallow dish combine crushed pine nuts (I ran mine through a food processor), Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.  Dip chicken in egg then coat with pine nut/Parmesan mixture.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crispy.  Add spaghetti sauce and cheese to each piece of chicken and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

This was so good!   

~M

Spaghetti Carbonara

I was first introduced to Carbonara back in high school by our Italian Exchange students.  Immediately, I was hooked!  I made it for Chris when we were dating and he was living in Kentucky.  I think this dish is what made him want me to move there!  The kids love this too!  If we don't go out to eat at a restaurant on birthdays, this meal is almost always picked!

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb. spaghetti

extra virgin olive oil

1 - 12 oz. package of turkey bacon, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 eggs

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

black pepper

Italian seasoning

1 ladle of starchy cooking water from pasta

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti al dente.  While spaghetti is cooking, drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and cook bacon over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until crispy.  Add garlic.  It is important to not add the garlic until the bacon is cooked because it will burn and taste bitter.  While bacon is cooking, prepare egg mixture.  Beat eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese and a couple dashes of pepper and Italian seasoning.  Once pasta is cooked, add to skillet of bacon.  Pour egg mixture over pasta.  Stir to coat quickly, so the eggs do not scramble.  If pasta is too dry, add reserved cooking water.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Mangia!

~M

Be creative in the kitchen!

Did you know that just about everyday of the year is some sort of holiday?  It's true!!  Last month was National bagel, wine, margarita, and tortilla chip day to name a few.  January we celebrated National Spaghetti day and earlier this week National Peanut Butter lovers day!

Today was Dr. Suess's Birthday, so I made Green Eggs and Ham!

Have fun!

~M