Baked Tortilla Chips

i had a pack of corn tortilla chips that were on the verge of going bad. so... i tried an experiment. yum! homemade fresh tortilla chips that aren't loaded with fat from frying!


10 corn tortillas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
beef fajita seasoning

lightly brush tortillas with oil. cut tortillas into quarters. sprinkle with fajita seasoning and place on cooking sheet, seasoning side up. bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. watch carefully, so that chips do not burn. serve while warm with salsa, guac or queso!

Chipotle Shrimp

1 lb peeled shrimp
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp chipotle adobo sauce
salt

heat pan over medium high heat. saute garlic in olive oil until slightly golden. add shrimp and cook until nice and pink. add adobo sauce and salt to taste. cook until shrimp are done.


put the kid to bed early, eat out back with the hubs, drink some beer and watch the stars! or...serve as an appetizer, over rice or in tacos!

Chicken-chile emPIEnadas

I was looking through my kitchen a few days ago, trying to come up with a dish that didn't require a trip to the store. This is what I came up with and they were amazing...so good, in fact, that Ross wants them again this weekend! They are kind of like empanadas made with pie crust and baked.


2 refrigerated pie crusts
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into tiny bites
3/4 block of cream cheese, softened
2 tsp chopped green chiles (adjust amount to taste)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 tsp beef fajita seasoning
1 egg
Coarse sea salt (optional)

-Mix together chicken, cream cheese, green chiles, cheddar and fajita seasoning.
-Cut pie crusts into circles. I used a large cup to cut the circles. It made about 12 empienadas.
-Spoon about a tablespoon of chicken mixture onto each pie crust circle. Fold crust over mixture to form a half circle shape. Press the edges of each closed firmly with a fork.
-Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
-Scramble the egg and brush over each empienada. This makes them beautifully brown and crispy in the oven.
-Sprinkle tops with sea salt. This is purely decorative :)
-Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown, at the temperature on the pie crust box. It varies by brand.

We ate them all and didn't take a picture. Here's the site where I got it.

Jalapeno Cheesy Popovers

saw Sunny Anderson make this recipe on TV....adapted it to be more "Ross"
he said it had to be put on the blog...hence earning the hubby approved seal
my changes are in green

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely grated Cheddar
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons minced chives (deleted)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (deleted)
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• red pepper flakes
• lots of chopped jalapenos
  

Directions

Special Equipment: 24-cup mini muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk in the flour and salt and fold in the cheeses and chives until evenly incorporated. Cover batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Put a mini muffin pan on the middle rack in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

Remove muffin tin from oven (careful, hot!), spray with non-stick spray and pour the batter into the cups of the hot tin, filling almost to the top. Bake the popovers until crisp and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets

I served these beside a nice wedge salad, although, Ross had eaten a handful of them before dinner was ever on the table.

1 box puff pastry, defrosted (2 sheets)
1 8oz container Philadelphia Chive and Onion flavor Cream Cheese
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 C cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 C cooked crumbled bacon
3 Tbs finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Red pepper flakes to taste (my addition)
1 egg
1 Tbs water

**I defrosted the puff pastry dough in the fridge overnight before using it.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Place in a mixing bowl with mozzarella cheese, chicken, bacon, red pepper flakes and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and set aside.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll one sheet at a time into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut 4, 3 inch strips each direction to make 16 squares, 3 x 3" each.


Place about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture onto each square. With your finger, brush a dab of water around the edges of each square and fold over diagonally to make a triangle. Press edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.

After stuffing and folding each pastry, place on a baking sheet. Whisk egg and 1 tablespoon water together and brush over the top of each pastry. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Can also be served at room temperature. Recipe by Our Best Bites.

Freezer instructions: Follow directions through egg wash. Place baking sheet in the freezer. When pastries are solid to the touch, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. When ready to bake, place frozen pastries directly on a baking sheet in preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Chicken and Green Chile Taquitos

I found this idea on this website and changed it up to my liking. I used her pictures because they were way more pretty! We liked the flour ones better and yes, they get super crunchy when you bake them! They would be great with queso or guacamole!!

I'm so glad that I learned about how to make them crunchy without frying them! I can make all sorts of cool little taquitos now! They were great for watching a movie on a cold day with the hubs!

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
1 block of cream cheese
Green chile salsa
Hot sauce (we like Cholula)
Adam's Beef fajita seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Corn or flour tortillas
Cooking spray


Directions:
Boil chicken breasts until fully cooked. Remove from water and shred with fork and knife. Soften cream cheese in microwave for about 30 seconds. Mix chicken, cream cheese, several tablespoons green chile salsa, hot sauce to taste, fajita seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover tortillas with damp paper towel and warm in microwave for about 45 seconds. Spoon a few tablespoons of chicken mixture into warm tortilla and roll very tightly.
Place on lightly sprayed cooking sheet. Spray with cooking oil and sprinkle with salt (I like using sea salt here because it is bigger). Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!!