Easy Beef Wet Burritos

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 Spicy Beef Burritos smothered in a red sauce and ooey gooey cheese!

I wish I could be a better meal planner.  I think that would be a good resolution or goal for me to work on this year.

You see, most of my meals ARE planned, however other factors, such as cravings and energy level take over quickly during the week and I end up making something completely different than what I had planned.  Do you ever do that?  (I'd love to think it isn't only me...!)

So the other night I was going to make a chicken stir fry, when I had a craving for Mexican food.  A beef burrito was calling me.  Dang, why couldn't I crave a chicken burrito??  So I pop by the store for some ground sirloin and flour tortillas and head home.  Then it hit me.  I really want one of those 'wet' burritos.  You know the ones that are smothered in sauce.  Yeah, that sounds really good!

Easy Beef Wet Burritos

So I rooted around in the pantry for something to make a sauce with and spied a pouch of Fontera Taco Skillet Sauce.  I had the one that is a red sauce made with mild red chili and cumin, labeled Texas Style.  This is usually used as a taco sauce so I decided to put some with the meat to give it a saucy bite and the rest over the top.  As these sauces are made from Chef Rick Bayless I knew it would taste wonderful.  I've tried several of his different sauces in a couple of dishes and they do not disappoint.  Let' just hope my improvisation works!

So this is how I used this sauce.  I browned up my ground sirloin and added about half the pouch, stirring to coat the beef.  Once I built the burrito I used the sauce again pouring it over the top and then sprinkling it with cheese like the restaurants do.  Pop those babies in the oven to heat it all up and melt the cheese and you are done!  Time to eat!

All in all we both loved this version of Easy Beef Wet Burritos.  What a great use of his sauces.  He also has a verde sauce that would take great over a burrito as well which I want to try next time.  But for now my craving for Mexican food, and beef burritos is satisfied.  I'll try planning that Chinese stir fry for another day!

Enjoy!







Easy Beef Wet Burritos

serves 4-6

1 lb ground sirloin
1 15 oz can refried beans (Spicy Jalapeno)
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
4 flour tortillas (I used burrito size)
1 pouch (8oz) Frontera Texas Original Taco Skillet Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat brown ground sirloin, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break into small pieces.  Cook until no longer pink and browned all over.   Add 1/2 pouch of the taco sauce to the skillet, stirring meat to coat.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan add the refried beans over low heat, stirring occasionally to heat.

Assemble your burritos.  On a flour tortilla place a 1/4 of the refined beans down the middle, top with meat, tomatoes, and 1/4 of the cheese. Fold both side in toward the middle and roll the long edges over the filling to make a burrito.  Place in a baking pan and repeat.

Cover the burritos with the remaining sauce and top with 1/3 cup cheese. 

Cover baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil and place in the oven.  Cook 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve.

Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with fun, laughter, and LOTS of great food! 

As I am completely beefed and turkeyed out, I thought I’d share something today that contains simple ingredients, totally non-Christmas related.  Also, because I would like to take a little break in cooking, this dinner is all in one pan!  On top of that, you can have this on the table in 16 minutes!

CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN & MUSHROOM STIR FRY

If you haven't noticed I love stir frys.  They are simple to make, and they a quick to cook.  I use the same formula every time.  (cook the meat, remove from pan, cook the vegetables, add flavors/nuts, add back the meat, add the sauce...done!)  Once you have this down you can make a gazillion variations of stir fry. 

Most times I make my own sauce, but on days like today where I want to save even more time, I use a bottle stir fry sauce that I find works well as a base.  I use this one here.  This sauce along with a couple of flavor add-ins works perfectly with this stir fry combination of chicken and vegetables.  I chose green beans and mushrooms, as both were on hand from our Christmas dinner.  You can certainly change up the vegetables to fit what you have on hand.  Bell peppers, carrots, celery, and zucchini, are all good ones to choose from.

So if you are trying to slow down after the holiday, do yourself a favor and forget the takeout.  Make this wonderful stir fry at home tonight.  It tastes 1000 times better than takeout, and you can control what goes in the food (mainly sodium ) and make this a healthy meal for your family. 

Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry is a favorite in our house, and hopefully will be a favorite of  yours too!  Remember, another celebration weekend is around the corner.  We'll be taking a look at some great New Year's Eve ideas in the next several days.

Enjoy!






Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves: 4 servings

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 c cornstarch
2 Tbls canola oil
1 Tbls sesame oil
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
30 French green beans, cut in half
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1/4 c stir fry sauce

On a plate toss the chicken with the cornstarch.

Heat the canola and sesame oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from the pan, and turn the heat up to high.

Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown.  Add the green beans and allow to cook 2-3 minutes more. .Add the garlic and ginger and cook/stir for 30 seconds.  Return the chicken and any juices back to the skillet.  Add the stir fry sauce and toss to coat.  Serve.

Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas

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Recently I had a huge craving for Flautas.  Weird huh?

Believe me I love a good taquito and have ordered them a zillion times over the years eating out at our favorite Mexican restaurants, but I really do love a good Chicken Flauta too.  I think it must be the flour tortilla that turns into this light and flaky yummy goodness when they fry them.

Out here in Los Angeles, our taquitos are made with corn tortillas and the flautas are made with flour tortillas.  So when I make either of them, that's how they have to be.  I grew up with them that way!

The other day we were going out to dinner, intending to eat Mexican food, and I was all set to get me some Flautas.  Well we ended up eating Italian and I was craving the Flautas ever since!  That's when I decided to cook up a big batch of Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat, which I posted the other day in anticipation of making Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas.

CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN FLAUTAS

I decided to bake them to save on all the fat you get when you fry them.  Who doesn't want a healthier Flauta?  These were so easy to throw together and with the chicken already made half the battle was already done.  I added sour cream to the chicken for a creamy filling, along with cheese, and flour tortillas.  I used what I had which were a little large, so I cut the tortillas in half and rolled them up.  I would suggest using a 6 inch fajita size if available.

You guys, these are SO GOOD. The chicken really tastes good and when you bake them at a high temperature they turn nice and crispy. You need to make these ASAP.

Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas

2 - 2 1/2 cups Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat

1/2 cup sour cream
10 fajita size flour tortillas (6 inches)
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
cooking spray
Garnish:  sour cream, guacamole, salsa

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl add the chicken and the sour cream.  Mix until well blended. 

Spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture along the edge of the tortilla.  Sprinkle with a little cheese and roll up.  Place seam side down on a baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining tortillas. 

Spray the flautas lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, turn them over and bake for 8 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with garnishes.

Baked Chicken Tacos

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The other day I brought you a recipe for a delicious Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat.  With that as a base recipe I wanted to share with you a few ways you could use that.  One obvious one is tacos.  I love a good taco!  I've grown up in Southern California and there is Mexican food all around so it's natural that I've been eating tacos most of my life. 

I don't think there is a week that goes by that we don't have some sort of taco!  Today's recipe is for Baked Chicken Tacos.  This is an easy way to make quick tacos for the whole crowd at the same time.

BAKED CHICKEN TACOS

The recipe uses the base recipe for the chicken taco meat that you cooked in your slow cooker.  You could also use rotisserie, poached, or roasted chicken in this dish if you like, but the slow cooker chicken is great because it is already seasoned with Latin flavors. 

The other time saver is that we are using store bought taco shells that you heat in the oven.  What we are doing that's a little different is stuffing the shells with cooked meat and cheese and then baking them, to crisp up the shells and get some melty cheese going.  Brilliant!  The shells also gain some flavor from the chicken, so they are extra special!

All that's left is to top them and serve them with a side of rice or a salad.  Dinner done!  I love making something simple on a weeknight and these Baked Chicken Tacos fit the bill.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Tacos


serves 4

1 - 1 1/2 cups Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat
8 Crispy Taco Shells (store bought)
1/2 cup grated cheddar
Garnish:  sour cream, hot sauce, jalapenos, olives, guacamole, onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the taco shells so they are standing in a baking dish. (11x7,  9x9 inch or 2 qt.)  Add meat to the shells and top with cheese.  Bake for about 6 minutes until the shells are hot and crisp and the cheese is melting. 

Remove from the oven and top with any garnishes.  Serve hot.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat

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I love my slow cooker, I really do. 

I think I've mentioned a few times that I got the Breville Risotto Plus last year for Christmas, which is an excellent multi cooker that sauté's, make risotto, steams veggies and rice and is a slow cooker to boot!  I certainly have put this baby to good use over the last year and since the weather has finally turned cold it's definitely slow cooker weather!

Plus, since my marathon cooking fest for Thanksgiving, I've got to admit that I'm a little tired of cooking (still)...and the slow cooker totally helps me out by doing everything for me.  I love coming home to a meal that is ready, don't you?

Today, we are doing a riff on my Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken recipe, but with a Mexican twist.  Same concept by adding chicken breasts to the slow cooker, but with some added taco seasoning and some diced tomatoes.  Oh boy, this is one of my favorite base recipes because you can make sooooo many different dishes with this one chicken.  I'll be sharing several of those with you over the next several posts to give you some inspiration. 

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED CHICKEN TACO MEAT

This is another dump and go recipe.  Just add your ingredients and then you can leave for the day.  Cook this on low for 6-8 hours or 3-4 on high and you'll have cooked chicken flavored perfectly for tacos, enchiladas, taco salad, nachos, tostadas, or whatever your heart desires!

Be sure to try this one, you don't want to miss out on something that tastes this great, and is so easy to make.  It takes Taco Tuesday to a whole new level.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning
14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

Place chicken, taco seasoning, and tomatoes into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken from the cooker to a cutting board.  Shred with 2 forks and place the chicken back into the cooker and stir to mix all the ingredients.  Use the shredded meat in your favorite dishes.

Slow Cooker Turkey Tortilla Soup

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It's Sunday, it's raining, and I'm so done with the Turkey!

Today's recipe, Slow Cooker Turkey Tortilla Soup, is the perfect dish for using up your leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving.  I'm getting a little tired of it so I decided that today was the day to use up all the rest of in a fantastic soup. 

You must be saying that tortilla soup is usually made with chicken, but both chicken and turkey are mild enough in flavors that you can substitute either.  And why not?  Turkey is a great protein in a hot bowl of soup.  So if you don't feel like making my Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, this spicy and hearty Latin flavored soup might tickle your fancy!

SLOW COOKER TURKEY TORTILLA SOUP

Most of the ingredients are pantry items which I pretty much keep on stock all the time.  It's as simple as chopping some onion, and then dumping all the ingredients (except the cooked turkey) in the slow cooker and turn it on.  You add the turkey about 45 minutes prior to eating to warm it through. 

There you have it!  A warming soup for a cold day.  One's that's easy to make and has great flavor.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Turkey Tortilla Soup

Serves 4

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 15 oz can sweet corn, drained
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cups of chopped cooked turkey

1 1/2 Tbls Wondra (for thickening)

Toppings:  Crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream, avocados, cotija cheese

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker with the exception of the turkey and Wondra. Cook on low 6-7 hours or on high 3-4. 45 minutes prior to serving add the chopped turkey and the Wondra. Stir to combine and turn the heat to high. Cook on high 45 minutes. Serve in bowls with added toppings if desired. 

Italian Style Roasted Chicken and Orzo Soup

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About a week ago I brought you a recipe for Mediterranean Chicken Salad in which I roasted the chicken breasts.  I actually roasted 5 bone-in chicken breasts to use for various dishes, but today's recipe, Italian Style Roasted Chicken and Orzo Soup, was the main inspiration. 

You see, we had a taste of fall weather around here.  Finally! It was cloudy and cool, even a little rain.  So even when we get a hint of a change in the weather I think of comfort food, particularly soup.  So roasted chicken breasts it is.  All for one of the most comforting Italian style soups!  I have the BEST recipe for roasted chicken breasts that you must try.  You can find the recipe here. 

Roasting chicken for this soup gives it a deeper flavor and keeps the chicken moist and tender.  You can of course skip the roasted chicken and use a rotisserie chicken instead and it will work just fine.  But why not roast up from chicken to use in several dishes for the week?  The addition of orzo pasta, along with some Italian spices makes this chicken soup something a little more special.  The dried herbs give it a little zip and the fresh basil at the end gives the soup a brightness you can't beat. 

Italian Style Roasted Chicken and Orzo Soup is comfort food at it's best.  It's family and kid friendly and perfect for a weekend meal.  Serve up a hot bowl of soups with my Simple Garlic Cheese Bread and a simple Italian salad for a great meal.

Enjoy!




Italian Style Roasted Chicken and Orzo Soup


2 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups carrots, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb roasted chicken breasts, skin removed and shredded or cut into chunks
10 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat orzo
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black ground pepper 
Garnish:  fresh basil leaves, torn or left whole


In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add butter to hot pan.  Add onions and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and oregano and saute for another 5-8 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.  Add roasted chicken breasts and the orzo.  Cook for 10 minutes until orzo is tender and chicken has warmed.  Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve:  Ladle warm soup into individual bowls and add basil. 

Note:  Recipe for roasted chicken breasts:  Roasting 101: Chicken Breasts or use a rotisserie chicken about 2 - 2 1/2 cups.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

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I get the pleasure of working from home a couple of days during the week, which allows me to play around with different dishes for lunch.

The other day we were at Panera for a quick lunch and I was so tempted to have their Chicken Salad Sandwich, which I just love.  I got a hold of myself an opted for something a little healthier, ending up with a half a turkey sandwich and soup.  But....let me tell you that chicken salad was still calling my name.

Up comes my work from home day, and with the chicken salad still on my mind I decided to make a healthier version, without all the mayo.  The previous night I had roasted 5 chicken breasts using this recipe here.  My intention was for us to eat two that night with mashed potatoes and veggies and then use the remaining one in various dishes.  I just love roasted chicken, and this recipe is simple...but it the BEST.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

So, using some of the roasted chicken I whipped up a Mediterranean Chicken Salad (without mayo) and served it over romaine lettuce.  It's filled with wonderful ingredients (mostly pantry items) such as artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, herbs, and is drizzled with olive oil and lemon.  Heaven! 

The zip of the lemon, tang of the artichoke, along with the chicken, and earthy roasted red peppers give this dish such a balance.  If you like olives, throw them in there too!  They would enhance this dish nicely.  This isn't a sweet chicken salad, but a few golden raisins would be fabulous as well.

A quick and easy meal is yours within 15 minutes!

Enjoy!

Related Recipe:

Roasting 101: Chicken Breasts

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

serves 4

3/4 cup roasted chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/3 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (from a jar)
3 Tbls fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbls fresh basil, chopped 
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 large Romaine lettuce leaves

To a medium bowl add all ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Serve over lettuce and serve. 

Note:  Chicken salad may be kept in the refrigerator until serving.  Any remaining will keep in a covered container for several days.

Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple

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Still feeling the summer heat?  We are. 

Even though the season has officially changed to Fall we are still getting 100+ heat in Los Angeles.  Typical for this time of year, we don't really get the fall weather until late October.  So it's still grilling season!  We love that we can actually grill all year round.  Grilled meat is the best, isn't it?

This weekend I was looking through another of my cooking magazines by BHG and came across a recipe for Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  YUM!  You had me at satay!  So I decided to make this yummy dish with a few slight modifications for our dinner.  Modifications?  Oh yea, let's spice this baby up a bit.  Then Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple happened.

Serving this with a Simple Asian Salad, this dish was fabulous!  The chicken satay cooks quickly on a grill and has a sweet and spicy beautiful glaze.  Grill up some pineapple spears or rings to go along side and serve this over rice.  The perfect dinner, or make this as game day appetizers for a group of people.  Either way this chicken really rocks!  The glaze is perfect with the Sriracha sauce added for a little heat.  You can either adjust the temperature to your liking or omit it all together.  This glaze is what makes this dish special so don't skip it.

So break out your grill and keep the summer feeling going by making this Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  Your sure to love it!

Enjoy!






Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple


Ingredients:

2/3 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon Thai seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
6 pineapple rings
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
2 cups hot cooked rice (optional)
Fresh basil, shredded (optional)

Directions:

If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in water to prevent burning. 

For Thai sauce, in a small bowl combine sweet-and-sour sauce, snipped basil, butter, Thai seasoning, garlic, and Sriracha Sauce.  Set aside.  

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to medium heat. 

Brush both side of the pineapple rings with canola oil.  Place on a tray.  Thread the chicken strips onto 12-15 wood skewers accordion style.  Place on the tray.

Place chicken skewers and cook (uncovered for charcoal, covered for gas) 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally and brushing with sauce during the first half of grilling. Discard any remaining reserved sauce. Grill pineapple slices for 6 to 8 minutes or until warm and grill marks appear, turning once halfway through grilling.

Serve chicken and pineapple with hot cooked rice, if desired. Garnish with basil shreds.