Chicken and Bean Burritos

Ross loves bread, specifically tortillas...and more specifically, he loves stuffing anything and everything into a tortilla. So, for him, burritos are an ideal meal! This week I had leftover borracho beans and crockpot rotisserie chicken. We put them into a tortilla and viola! Dinner is served. 

Ingredients

Borracho beans

Crockpot rotisserie chicken

Shredded Cheese

Tortillas

Lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Salsa or hot sauce 

Directions

Warm borracho beans and crockpot chicken. Heat tortillas. Place all ingredients, in desired amounts, into tortilla. Roll and serve!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Ross loves homemade pizza...like, a lot. I'm not that big on pepperoni and sausage pizza, so I like to make it with chicken, veggies and pesto instead! It is so yummy!




Ingredients

My Cracker Crispy Pizza Dough
Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
1/2 jar of pesto; Classico is my favorite
1/2 bag shredded Italian cheese
Fresh mushrooms and spinach, or veggies of your choice

1- All you have to do is bake the crust on a pizza stone for about 7 minutes before you top it.
2- Remove crust from oven. Spread with pesto and top with toppings and cheese.
3- Continue baking for about 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

I love using rotisserie chicken. It is very flavorful and has so much meat, but at about $7.00 a piece, it's not always a practical option....until now!!! I made this one in my crockpot for $3.80! That's almost half the price! Plus- the meat is so versatile. This week I used it in Chicken and Borracho Bean Burritos, but I also  use it in pasta, as a main dish, in salads, tacos, etc.

I bought:

1 whole fryer chicken ($3.00)

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (wine; $.80) 

I had on hand:

Olive oil

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried rosemary

Cavendar's Greek Seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste 

 

1- Remove giblets from chicken and dispose. Rinse chicken and pat dry. 

2- Place chicken in crockpot and sprinkle well with salt, pepper and Cavendar's seasoning. Then drizzle with olive oil. 

3- Drizzle heated saute pan with olive oil.  Add garlic to pan and saute for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. 

4- Add wine (or broth) to pan, along with all seasonings and stir. 

 

5- Pour wine mixture over chicken in crockpot. Cook over high heat for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, turning chicken over periodically. I try to keep the breast side down for the majority of the time so that it gets the most moisture. COOK TIME WILL VARY ACCORDING TO SIZE OF CHICKEN.

6- Remove chicken from bone and serve as desired. I made chicken and borracho bean burritos.

Borracho Beans

Beans are pretty much a staple when trying to cut the food budget. They are full of protein and fiber, low in fat and fill you up! If you are trying to save some money, have a meatless meal once a week! Ounce for ounce, beans are one the cheapest proteins you can serve! I served mine over rice for a total of $6.87, plus the leftovers lasted for 4 days and were incorporated into several other meals.



Borracho Beans ($6.35 total)

Items I purchased:
1 lb dried pinto beans ($1.15 lb)
1 32 oz container of chicken broth ($2.50)
1/4 lb bacon (optional...mine cost $1.00)
1 can beer (optional...$.70)
1 fresh chopped and seeded jalapeno (one pepper at $.02; $.99/lb)
1 can Rotel ($1.00)

Items I had on hand: 
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried or fresh cilantro 
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1- NIGHT BEFORE: Sort and rinse beans. Soak overnight in cool water. Cover beans by at least 2 inches because they will soak up lots.


2- DAY OF: Drain and rinse beans.

3- Chop and brown bacon in large soup pot, leaving fat in pan. When bacon is almost finished, add onions and brown. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4- Pour in beer and chicken broth, stirring from the bottom to deglaze the pan. You want all of those bits and pieces to add extra flavor to your beans.

5- Add beans and all other ingredients to pot. If using fresh cilantro, wait to add it until right before serving.

6- Bring to a boil and let cook at low boil for about one hour. Then, reduce to simmer for 3-4 hours or until all beans are tender.

7- Serve over rice or quinoa. I made about $.50 of rice.

image source

French Dip Crescent Sandwiches with Au Jus

This was a good meal on a cold night...something about dipping the warm sandwich into the hot au jus just made me feel all warm inside. Plus, talk about E-A-S-Y! It's a win-win!


French Dip Crescent Sandwiches with Au Jus for dipping
adapted from Mama Loves Food, photo from bakingbad.com

You need
1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (8 individual rolls)
4 slices swiss cheese, cut in half
16 slices deli roast beef

Make it
1- unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles, following the perforated lines
2- place 2 slices of roast beef and 1/2 slice of swiss cheese onto each of the 8 rolls
3- roll up each roll, starting at the wide end
4- bake in preheated oven according to directions on crescent roll package

Au Jus dipping sauce
You need

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp all purpose flour (optional)

Make it
1- saute onion in olive oil until softened.
2- add garlic to pan and stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
3- add water, bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce, dissolving bouillon cubes as you stir. bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes.
4- uncover and let cook until reduced by about 1/2.
5- strain out all garlic and onion, keeping only sauce and serve immediately.
6- optional- if you want to thicken it up even more- whisk flour into a few tbsp of cold water, whisking vigorously to reduce clumping. return the sauce to the pan and stir in flour mixture. bring to boil, stir and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest, but was skeptical because I have never made a really good red enchilada sauce from scratch. Add to it, this recipe is fast and has few ingredients...really skeptical. I was wrong. It is THE BEST and Ross (who is obsessed with my green enchiladas) said that these are his new favorite! Do yourself a favor and make these asap!

I straight up copied this recipe and the pictures from Pink Parsley and I didn't change a thing, except for using flour instead of corn tortillas.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
adapted from Tide and Thyme, orginally from America's Test Kitchen

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
  
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medim cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas (I used flour)
  
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onin mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

My amazing, fabulous, super cool little sister is in town for a while! Yay! We both love getting in the kitchen and cooking together...just finished a late-night cookie making frenzy, in fact. For dinner tonight, we made this delightful (and quite healthy) summery-fresh meal! I'm sure that the dish isn't that original, but this is definitely our own version.

You need:

Mango Salsa-
2 roma tomatoes, rough chopped and seeds removed
2 mangoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, more or less to taste, rough chopped
Salt and pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper

Shrimp-
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

Taco toppings-
Tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Queso Fresco, crumbled

Make it:

Salsa-
1. Mix tomatoes, mangoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno.
2. Toss with lime juice.
3. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
4. Cover and chill in fridge for at least one hour.

Shrimp-
1. Saute shrimp in melted butter.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook until nice and pink.

Tacos-
Assemble tacos with desired amounts of salsa, shrimp, lettuce and queso fresco.

strawberry spinach salad

this is my new favorite salad. my brother's girlfriend, taylor, made it for us and it's addicting!!


since it's a salad, i don't really have measurements.

strawberries
fresh spinach
roasted almonds (or other nuts)
feta cheese
light raspberry vinaigrette
dried cranberries
freshly ground black pepper

wash spinach and strawberries. slice strawberries. toss all ingredients. it's also great topped with grilled chicken.

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!

New Mexican Lasagna

I always come back from New Mexico inspired to cook---I think it's mostly about New Mexican green chiles. Yum! So, upon arriving home from our trip last week, I made this dish. Ross named it New Mexican Lasagna. I was trying to make a dish that we had at his parents' house. It was different than his mom's dish but it was also so good!! I had made enough {I thought} for two meals worth. Well, Ross had other plans! I went to put the baby down for the night and came back to a tiny sliver left in the pan! So much for leftovers! I just LOVE when he likes something so much. It makes me feel like a good wife :)

New Mexican Lasagna

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup
1 can green enchilada sauce
15 corn tortillas
a few handfulls crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
fajita seasoning
chopped green chiles (not jalapenos)


-brown turkey. drain fat. stir in green chiles and sprinkle with fajita seasoning.
-in a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup and green chile enchilada sauce. reserve about 1/4 can of enchilada sauce for later.
-spray bottom of 8x8 pan. layer 5 corn tortillas, sauce mixture, meat, cheese and repeat three times. (you will probably have to tear up the tortillas to make them cover the entire pan)
-top with crushed chips. pour remaining enchilada sauce over chips. top with cheese. bake for about 30 minutes on 350, or until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Have you ever had the chicken gnocchi soup from Olive Garden? It's good. Mine is better. I think that it's the Italian version of chicken 'n dumplings.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, remove

meat and shred into strips
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
32 ounce chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil

1 pack of potato gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings)

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 tsp basil

Crushed red pepper to taste

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions: Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat. When the onion becomes translucent, add the flour to make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding chicken broth. Stir and let cook until well incorporated. Add the gnocchi and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then add the half and half and remaining ingredients and simmer until ready to serve. Be careful not to boil again; gnocchi will get mushy.

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Sweet and Spicy Brisket

I made this last night and it was great! Then, today I made the same thing with chicken but I cooked it in the crock pot.

3 lb brisket
1/2 can beer
Meat tenderizer
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of each of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, celery salt
1/2 tablespoon of each of the following: cayenne pepper (more or less to taste), cumin, paprika, sage

Generously sprinkle meat with tenderizer. Cut small slits in meat and stuff with minced garlic. Mix together all seasonings and sugar. Rub into meat very well. Put brisket in baking dish and pour beer over it. Cover tightly with foil or lid. Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Then, reduce heat to 200 and cook for 7-9 more hours, or until fully cooked and tender.

Taco Soup

I finally measured the ingredients when I was making this last night. Ross loves it. It's fabulous for days like we are having...snowy, 0* windchill. Bring on the warm soup!

1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1 pack taco seasoning
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt to taste


-Brown beef in large soup pot. Drain out all grease.
-Saute onion and garlic in olive oil and add beef back to pot.
-Add all ingredients except for beans and corn.
-When you add the baking soda, it will foam all up. This helps to cut the acidity from the tomatoes.
-Simmer for at least one hour, adding beans and corn about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.
-Serve topped with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.

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.

Cracker-crispy pizza dough

Last night I made margherita pizza using the Thin n’ Crispy Pizza Crust from this site. Ross is big on crispy pizza, so it was a hit. I added my notes in green.



Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
Italian seasoning

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir 1-1/4 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with coil, turning dough to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt (this is important!) and Italian seasoning to taste. Now, using a fork, poke lots of holes all over dough, to prevent bubbles. Place pan on lowest oven rack; bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; top with desired toppings and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until crust and cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spicy sausage pasta in cream sauce

I got this recipe off of my best friend's blog. My dad and brother hunt a lot so we constantly have a freezer full of deer sausage that I'm always trying to use. This was a great way to use some up! Ross loved it! I've noted my changes in green.

Ingredients:

* 1 pound italian sausage 2 links deer sausage
* 1 pound beef link sausage
* 1 small chopped onion
* 1 jalapeno, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 heaping teaspoon Paprika
* 1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning
* Salt and pepper
* 1 can diced tomatoes 2 cans diced tomatoes
* 1/3 cup vodka 1/3 cup pasta water
* 1 cup half & half
* 1 pound rigatoni 1 pound whole wheat spiral pasta
* 1 cup grated Asiago cheese
* chopped fresh basil and parsley I didn't have fresh, so I used dried

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan over medium heat brown italian sausage and add your cut-up beef sausage link. Add onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook a few minutes more.

Add your pasta to your boiling water and cook until al dente. Add your can of tomatoes to the meat skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes or so.

Now, add the vodka and half & half, and cook a few minutes more. Feel free to add real cream if you feel like living on the wild side. I'll stick with the half&half...it makes me feel better about myself.

Now, when everything is done, add your pasta to a big bowl, pour in your skillet creation, throw in your grated cheese and fresh herbs, give it a good mixin' and you're ready to eat!

This is absolutely delicious. I've made it twice in about a 2-3 week span. Oh, I forgot to tell you...I also sprinkled in some red pepper flakes to my meat/onion/tomato skillet while it was cooking. Just to give it a little extra kick.

Spicy, creamy shrimp and mushroom pasta

I hardly ever cook with real butter...but it's our anniversary so I went all out. Paula Dean would be proud! This was to die for and may actually cause a coronary aneurism. You have been warned. Ross said it was one of the best things he has ever eaten in his life! I'd say it's hubby approved.


Ingredients
* 1 (8 ounce) package of favorite pasta
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1/2 cup butter (yes, an entire stick)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 6 oz cream cheese cream cheese (a little less than the entire pack)
* 5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (about ½ of the bunch)
* 2 teaspoon dried basil
* 2 scoops (give or take) pasta water
* 1 pound shrimp
* Old Bay Seafood Seasoning to taste
* Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning to taste (very salty to use sparingly)


Directions
1- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add 1 clove garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Transfer to a plate.
2- Saute shrimp in a few tbsp butter and season with lots of Old Bay and a little bit of Tony’s. Tony’s is very salty, so be careful. Once shrimp are nice and pink, transfer to the plate with the mushrooms.
3- This is a good time to start your pasta. Cook until al dente.
4- In the same pan (with all of the drippings still in the pan), melt 1/2 cup butter with other clove of minced garlic. Stir in the cream cheese, breaking it up with a spoon as it melts. Stir in the parsley, basil, Old Bay and Tony’s. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in pasta water until sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked shrimp and mushrooms, and heat through.
5- Serve sauce over pasta. Bon appétit!

I'm in LOVE with this recipe: Veggies and Noodles with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites and I'm absolutely, totally and utterly in love with it. First of all, I love curry. Secondly, I love noodles....So, curry noodles are HEAVEN.

Veggies and Noodles with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce {aka Kate's Noodles & Company Bangkok Curry Semi-Knockoff from Our Best Bites}

Recipe heavily adapted from The Colorado Connection

1 lb. linguine (**Next time I'd use a little over half of the noodles so that there is more sauce.)

1 12-oz. package of frozen stir fry vegetables or 6 oz. frozen broccoli and 6 oz. frozen julienned carrots
**I added 2 cups of cooked chicken

1/2 c. green onions

1 medium red, orange, or yellow pepper, thinly sliced

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp. fresh, minced ginger

1 Tbsp. fresh, minced garlic

1 Tbsp. curry paste (**I used closer to 2 tbsp because I really like the flavor.)

Juice of 1 lime, plus more limes for garnish

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can of lite coconut milk

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce (available at Asian markets and Wal-Mart)

Black sesame seeds for garnish

Cook pasta according to the package directions. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. While the pasta is cooking, microwave the frozen vegetables according to the package directions, but only cook them for 1/2 the time--you still want them to be quite crunchy. If you're using fresh veggies, blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until they're tender-crisp.

In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Be sure to continue stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add the sliced red peppers and the half-cooked (formerly frozen) vegetables. Stir fry for about 1 minute and then add the coconut milk mixture and cook until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss to combine and then allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Toss again and serve with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and 2 lime wedges per person (squeeze the lime juice over the noodles before eating).

Asian Chicken Salad

This is a yummy, cool dish for a hot summer night.


Ingredients
Salad
* 1/2 bag of cole slaw cabbage mix
* 1/2 bag of lettuce shreds
* 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces
* 1 sliced cucumber
* Chopped cilantro
* Chopped green onions
* 2 cups thinly sliced store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)

Dressing
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 1/4 tsp minced ginger
* Sprinkle of garlic powder
* Sriracha chili sauce to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional
* 1/2 pack of crumbled ramen noodles, for garnish

Directions
For the salad, mix all salad ingredients and chicken.

For the dressing- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, chili sauce, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the ramen noodles and serve.

Green Chile Beef Adovada

Ross' family is from New Mexico and therefore, I have learned lots about the state's obsession with Hatch green chiles. They are SO fabulous! Another common dish in New Mexico is Carne Adovada. It is a typically a pork and red chile dish but here, I've made it with beef and green chile sauce and served it in tortillas with avocados. Yummy!


1 or 2 lb lean beef roast
Olive oil
2 cans or jars of Hatch green chile salsa

Brown your beef on all sides in the olive oil. This will take about 5 minutes a side; be sure to include the edges. This step is very important because it seals in all of the juices. Cover beef with salsa. Cover dish and bake at 350 for 2-3 hours. I actually make mine in an electric pressure cooker (amazing tool) and it cooks for 55 minutes. Shred beef and put back into green chile salsa. Serve.