Spicy Thai Chicken Enchiladas

Yeah, these were good.

I am very excited to make these again someday soon. The original recipe called for Sweet Chili Sauce but Happy Hubby has a sick obsession with Sriracha.

I also didn't want to buy a gallon jug of Sweet Chili Sauce (which was the only option my local grocery store had).

They were so good I walked across the street to the Chinese/Japanese restaurant to feed them to our bartender friend (Hi Sandra!). They were inhaled and I walked back home with clean plastic ware (Thanks Sandra!).

Spicy Thai Chicken Enchiladas

adapted from How Sweet It Is

8 flour tortillas
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I usually steam them in my rice cooker)
1 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped/shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped/shredded cabbage
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup chopped + crushed peanuts + more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro + more for garnish
2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons Sriracha (depending on your heat preference)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add canola oil. Throw in onions, cabbage, carrots, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Let cool until vegetables are soft, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add in chicken, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, remaining salt and pepper, tossing to coat, and let cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add in 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup Sriracha, mixing thoroughly to combine. Turn off heat.

5. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk together remaining coconut milk and Sriracha. Pour about 1/2 a cup or so on the bottom of the dish. Slightly warm tortillas if desired to make them more pliable, then place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each, rolling up tightly and placing in the dish. Cover with remaining coconut milk and chili sauce mix. I usually take a spoon and cover every inch of the tortilla with the sauce, just to make sure it’s coated.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and top with additional peanuts and cilantro. Since sauce is not as thick as traditional enchilada sauce, when you remove them from the oven, spoon sauce from the bottom of the dish all over the tortillas. Additionally this can be done halfway through cooking too.

...yeah, those were good...



Buffalo Chicken Soup

You may be asking yourself what I did with my extra watermelon from my Salsa Verde Burgers with Fontina, Watermelon, and Basil and the Watermelon Feta Salad? What else have I been doing with extra fruit other than making fruit pops!

Watermelon Kiwi Pops that is! I HEART YOU!!

I'm not going to go over this recipe because it is exactly the same as all the other Fruit Pops I have been making (give or take some sugar). I'll give you more ideas for fun fruit pops when I have something more interesting to share beyond not being wasteful with extra fruit.

A while back, Happy Hubby picked out a Jim Beam Hot Wing Sauce because we loved the Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce so much. We figured the alcohol based brands might know what they are doing when it comes to Man-Foods. I used the Jim Beam Hot Wing Sauce in my Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. We really like it because it is not a traditional Buffalo Wing-type sauce. It is less vinegary and more flavorful. Anything buffalo wing related is going to be good but this sauce is especially good for people that do not necessarily like the traditional hot wing sauce taste (Mom, I am talking to you).

I have had this Buffalo Chicken Soup on my mind since Jessica suggested it for Super Bowl and both Happy Hubby and I really loved it. I adjusted it to some of her suggestions (added cream) and added egg noodles because I like a soup that is full of lotsa stuff in every spoonful. Did I mention it is super quick and easy? It only takes 30-45 minutes!

I would have loved to have added Gorgonzola Cheese and Cilantro on top but I didn't have any...sad face...

Buffalo Chicken Soup

adapted from How Sweet It Is

 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8-10 oz), cooked and shredded (I usually steam them in my rice cooker, or use leftovers)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon flour
32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
1/3-1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/3 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Half a bag of Egg Noodles
sliced green onions, crumbled Gorgonzola and cilantro for topping

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions with a sprinkle of salt to the pot, stirring to coat, then cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

2. Sprinkle in flour and stir for another 1-2 minutes.

3. Add in stock, buffalo sauce, cream, chicken, and grated cheeses; stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, add noodles, then reduce and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often.

4. Serve soup and top with cilantro, green onions, and Gorgonzola. 

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Remember that Watermelon Feta Salad I told you about? 

...that was oh, so scrumptious and refreshing?

Well, it was paired with a yummy, crispy, crunchy, juicy chicken recipe that makes me question what culinary wonder made it. That not-so-culinary-wonder (more really-good-recipe-follower) was me! WHAT?!?! I generally avoid dishes that are just meat and usually gravitate more towards dishes that have meat mixed in. Rice, pasta, salads, etc. I think it has to do with growing up eating well done (dry) meat dishes that I thought I didn't like. Turns out I like my red meat prepared medium, and chicken can actually be made juicy! When I first made this, it was so juicy that I thought it was under-cooked. Hubby happily informed me that I had actually made it perfect!

Super yummy, and super easy! Dipped in garlic butter, coated in our favorite 7-year cheddar, and juicy and crunchy like it came from your favorite fried chicken place. The best part: It's baked, not fried! Oh, happy day!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

from allrecipes.com

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
• 
  
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 
  
• 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
• 
  
• 3. In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
• 
  
• 4. Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
• 
  
• 5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

...extra makes good sandwiches the next day.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

...back to my AWESOME week!


Happy Hubs and I celebrated both our one year wedding anniversary and our eight year anniversary! How did we ring it in at midnight you ask? With Taco Bell Dorito Tacos of course!! How else would you celebrate one year of wedded bliss?

And yes we went twice in one week...




Then we celebrated one of our two day festivities at Texas de Brazil where you spend lotsa money to have men in gouchos hand you endless supplies of meat until you burst. Then, since you only ate meat, you are suddenly hungry again two hours later. But, it was worth it. They didn't have my favorite Grape and Gorgonzola Salad at the buffet though...sad face...


The next day we saw Blue Man Group!! Sooooooooooooo much fun!






Then, I made this:

I can proudly say this is not only a "Happy Hubby" recipe. It is also a "Happy Sister-in-Law" recipe too! Yay! It also turned into a Happy-Lunch-the-Next-Couple-of-Days recipe. Which is always a bonus too. They would have preferred it without the peppers. I say, "bring on the peppers!" I'll enjoy them while they push them to the side of the plate.


Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
from aspicyperspective.com


13.25 oz. box Pasta (shells, penne, or rotini)

1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 small bell peppers, red and yellow, seeded and diced

1 bunch chopped green onions, divided

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup GOOD blue cheese dressing

1/2 – 3/4 cup Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce

3 cups shredded cheese, divided (I used my 7-year aged cheddar, of course)

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
3. Add the cooked chicken, chopped bell peppers, 3/4 of the green onions, and 2 1/4 cups of shredded cheese to the baking dish. Mix well.
4. Place the garlic, cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and 1/2 cup hot wing sauce in a food processor. Puree until smooth, taste and add another 1/4 cup hot wing sauce if needed. Pour over the pasta and toss.
5. Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cheese and the Panko together. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the remaining green onions.
6. Bake until golden, approximately 30-40 minutes.

...is there anything better than crunchy-topped baked mac & cheese? I think not...

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Is anyone else upset that Bruno Mars was completely snubbed at the Grammy's? I don't hate Adele or anything, but I reeeeaalllly like Bruno Mars. Adele got so many, she should have just gave one to him out of pity. His CD had so many hits this year, you would have thought he would get at least one Grammy. Besides, his performance was probably the best of the night...

Anyways, I had some left over shredded chicken and was going through different sites and blogs to see some creative options instead of just mixing in BBQ sauce and slapping it on a bun (which would have been really good anyways). No, that would have been too easy. So, I referred to my favorite blogger and sure enough, she had something right up my alley.


BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins
from www.howsweeteats.com


6 medium sweet potatoes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2-3/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil + more for brushing
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
fresh cilantro for topping


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then lay cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until soft. Once finished, let cool until you can touch them.


2. While potatoes are baking, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add sliced onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Add shredded chicken to a bowl and mix with BBQ sauce. Set aside.


3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out sweet potato flesh, leaving just the slightest bit of skin. Set aside about half of the sweet potato flesh, saving it for later use. Take the sweet potato skins and place them on the baking sheet cut-side down, then brush or spray the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 3-4 minutes more.


4. Take the other half of the sweet potato flesh and mash it with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.


5. Remove skin from oven and fill each with about 1-2 tablespoons of the cheddar sweet potato mash, some BBQ chicken, bacon and caramelized red onions. Top with additional cheddar and place on the baking sheet, repeating with remaining potatoes. Bake 4-5 minutes more, then serve hot and top with cilantro.

Anything topped with cilantro is good in my book.