2/3 cup salsa 8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional) 1/2 cup water 1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares 1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn 1 1- to 1.5-ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix Nonstick spray coating 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges 1 small zucchini, bias-sliced 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (optional) 2 tablespoons cooking oil
For marinade, in a medium mixing bowl combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken to marinade. Stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Spray a large skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet pepper, zucchini, and onion; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet. (If necessary, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil during cooking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains. Return vegetables to skillet. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve with warm tortillas and cheese, if desired. (To heat tortillas, wrap in microwave-safe paper towels; micro-cook on high power for 30 seconds). Makes 4 servings.
pizza crust 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces 3/4 cup black beans, refried or black bean dip 1 tablespoon water 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup white onions, sliced 1 green chili, canned, whole 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Make marinade by combining lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper flakes in a blender or small bowl with an electric mixer until well mixed. Marinate the chicken for 2 hours. Heat one teaspoon oil in small skillet over high heat. Cook chicken 2-4 minutes or until cooked through. Mix black beans with water and cayenne pepper. Roll out pizza crust or use prepared crust. Preheat oven to 475. Spread black bean mixture over crust, arrange chicken evenly over beans. Top with onions. Thinly slice the chili pepper into strips. Sprinkle over onions. Top with cheeses. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pizza crust lightly browns. Serve with tomatillo salsa and sour cream on the side.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/3 cup oil 3 tablespoons vinegar 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper 2 teaspoons Chili Powder 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 teaspoon salt
Place chicken in a large self-closing plastic bag and pour in remaining ingredients. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes or up to 3 hours for stronger flavor. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken 10-14 minutes or until done.
Heat peanut oil in a large deep pot to 350°F (do not fill more than half full–you don’t want a hot-oil spill-over accident!). For sauce mixture: in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add hot sauce and whisk together well. Pour this mixture into a large plastic zip-top bag. For seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. For dredging mixture: In a another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel. Cut breast pieces in half across ribs. Sprinkle chicken generously on both sides with seasoning blend. Drop a few chicken pieces of chicken into bag of sauce mixture and squish around to coat thoroughly. One piece at a time, roll chicken in flour mixture and drop into hot oil. Don’t crowd chicken pieces–I cook about half the chicken at a time. Fry chicken until brown and crisp. Drain on paper toweling. Dark meat will take about 14 minutes, white meat about 10 minutes. Remember smaller pieces cook faster than the larger ones. You can check for doneness by piercing to the bone in the thickest part with a fork. If the juices run clear, it is done.
If you need dinner in a flash, this recipe goes from stove top to table in just 20 minutes. Use your favorite enchilada sauce, mild or hot.
Salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Sour cream 1/4 cup prepared enchilada sauce 1 can (4 oz.) whole green chilies, drained and cut into thick strips Warm tortillas Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound chicken cutlets (about 1/2 inch thick) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 4 ounces sliced Monterey Jack cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Add cutlets to skillet and saute until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium. Spoon enchilada sauce over chicken; top with chilies and cheese. Cover and cook until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. ransfer to serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with sour cream and tortillas. Makes 4 servings.
Sharing my love of cooking and favorite recipes with you!
