Baked Chicken Fajitas

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet!  I've made it about half a dozen times and each time it's so yummy and everyone raves about it.  It's a very simple, tasty dish that is easy to throw together in the evenings.  My current tactic is to have Zak prep the veggies, since I'm not a fan of cutting onions or peppers.  He has it done by the time I'm home from work, I throw everything into a big pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Simple and delicious, makes a ton and is great for leftovers!  The original recipe can be found here, below is what I've modified for us. 

1 - 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 onion, sliced
1 (total) bell pepper, seeded & sliced (I usually do 1/3 from a red, orange/yellow and green to give it a variety of color & flavor)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. taco seasoning

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
2.  Mix together chicken, tomatoes, peppers and onion in the dish.
3.  In a small bowl, combine the oil and spices.  Drizzle over the chicken & vegetables and toss to coat.
4.  Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

We usually get about 9-10 servings out of this!  Sorry there is no picture for now, maybe I will add one later!

Enchiladas

I love the enchiladas that my family makes. A few years ago, when my brother, cousin and some friends were over for Sunday dinner, I tried to make them. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned, and I ended up turning them into a casserole, layered like lasagna. It tasted good, but kind of scarred me, and I didn't really want to try them again for a long time.

I conquered my fears last month, and made near-perfect enchiladas! They rolled perfectly and everything. Yesterday I made some for the guys as they were working on the car, and they did not come out as I had hoped (the tortillas were a huge pain in the butt), but still, delicious. I realized I haven't updated this blog in like, two months, so I felt I needed to share some recipes. Here is the enchilada one.

Filling:

1 lb. hamburger, cooked with 1 chopped onion (do not drain, loses the flavor)

2 - 3 c. grated cheese

1 can chopped black olives

salt & pepper to taste

Sauce:

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 - 2 tsp. chili powder

3 - 4 c. water

1. Mix oil, flour, salt and chili powder over medium heat, like making a white sauce. When it starts to bubble, add in the water, slowly. Bring to a boil.

2. Dip tortillas in hot sauce, fill with meat, cheese, olives, roll up and secure with a toothpick (or two, or three, depending on how the tortilla cooperates).

3. If desired, sprinkle with extra cheese and sauce before baking at 350-degrees for 25 - 30 mins.

Makes 12 - 14, depending on how packed you fill them. Oh, and we have always used those small, corn tortillas, so I'm not sure how many they make with larger, ones. Zak wants me to try it with a flour tortilla sometime, so we'll see.

Stuffed Chicken Quesadillas

This week, as Zak & I were trying to decide what to make for dinner, ideas slowly formed in my head about this dish we made. I wanted something more than a cheese quesadilla, but wasn't thrilled about adding just peppers without chicken, etc. Once I realized we had enough ingredients to make 'fancy' quesadillas, I just went for it. And it was really good, with the exception of one thing: the really REALLY hot little pepper Zak cut up to add in. But overall, it was a success and we'll probably make these again this week!

I just thawed some chicken from the freezer, heated up a little butter and cooked the chicken (cut up, obviously) with some salt, pepper, a touch of minced garlic, and some chili powder. It turned out to be the perfect amount of spice!

While I was cooking the chicken, Zak diced red and green peppers, onion and a small little pepper we had (big mistake, it was beyond hot). I cooked those with a little bit of butter until they were tender.

Next, I heated up the tortilla, and added cheese. After a minute or two, I added some chicken and the veggies and let it cook evenly on both sides.

Then I transferred the quesadilla to the plate and added sour cream ('Mexican' kind, by Darigold--it has a bit more salt than normal sour cream--we really like it), corn and diced tomatoes on top.

I'm still really proud of this dish, because I am not one to just 'go with it' and make up recipes. But this was simple and fun enough, that I think I can handle it. We had a box of Spanish rice mix that I made to go along with, which was great. Next time, I might add the rice to the quesadilla when I add the cheese.

But in case you were wondering about the amounts, I'll list them below. This made three stuffed quesadillas, plus some extra veggies.

-one large chicken breast, cut into small cubes, tossed with a shake or two of: salt; pepper; minced garlic & chili powder

-half of a red pepper, diced

-half of a green pepper, diced

-half of an onion, diced

-half of a tomato, diced

-1/3 can of corn

-2-3 Tbl. 'Mexican' sour cream

-3 medium sized flour tortillas

Enjoy!