BEST CHICKEN TACOS EVER!!

Ok so I love chicken tacos, and so should you!


Super easy... 1 can chicken broth, 2 cans salsa verde, 1 jalapeno, 3 cloves of garlic 2 large chicken breasts. Chop Jalapeno and garlic combine all ingredients except 2nd can of salsa verde and put into slow cooker on low for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred, drain liquid. Return shredded chicken and chunks ( from the sieving Pam) to crock pot add second can of salsa verde and some hot sauce, stir! Serve with Cojita cheese and Mexican pickled onions!
Food City is the best place to buy most of these ingredients! Mexican Pickled Onions

1 red onion
1/2 cup cider viniager
splash orange juice
splash lime juice
2 cloves of garlic
pinch salt and pepper

Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add sliced onion stir for 2 minutes, untill soft. Dump into a waiting jam jar, add the rest of the ingredients, seal, and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Serve on some kick ass chicken tacos!!

Man I'm Good, when I drink!

Made a killer dinner. You'll find out what it was if you're lucky!

Artichoke yer Chicken


Get it?

What started out as an attempt to recreate an appetizer from one of my favorite restaurants turned in to a lovely gooey and rich entree. That was a perfect complement to the first monsoon night of the summer. Artichokes weren't even mentioned in the description of this appetizer but when it came to the table there were 4 quarters of an artichoke heart at the corners of the plate. They were pretty much garnish! Well, I thought lucky me I get them all to myself because growing up in artichoke city California, Mark has never liked them. Having certain foods shoved in your face during childhood almost guarantees a distrust or hatred of said item for many years. Hey, don't even come near me with rosemary! It grew in my parents yard and I detest it!
But I digress. I put the fist quartered heart in my mouth and said "Wow! These taste like mini grilled cheese sandwiches!" Well, that did it Mark reached over and snatched the 2nd one off of the plate and after swallowing stated "But I hate artichokes?!?" We were both so amazed at the flavor and texture of the little bites I was determined to make them at home!

10 Cloves of garlic
1 Can quartered Artichoke hearts
butter
grated Parmesan
salt
pepper
Brie
2 Chicken breasts
Veggies of your choosing (Zucchini, squash, carrots, green beans)

So the brie is a strange addition and not something that I would usually have on hand. However, a vendor came to the restaurant and delivered this wheel of brie as a "thank you, please keep ordering from me" gift. We don't use Brie for any of our menu items so Mark snatched it up and brought it home. But what to do with a wheel of brie? Were not French.

Anyhoo, You want to start by roasting your cloves of garlic, drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt, for about 5 minutes at 350 until they are nice and gooey, This takes some of that raw bite out of the garlic and gives it a sweet smoky flavor and a texture like butter! Shell the roasted garlic and at it to a pan on the stove top with some butter. Then drain your art hearts and add them to the pan to heat thru. Meanwhile, arrange your sliced vegetable and chicken breasts in a baking dish, drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper and of course, Garlic Garni. Roast these guys for about 40 minutes at 375. Once the Art hearts are heated thru gradually add the Parmesan. Turn off the heat and cover. In the next half hour or so make sure you are stirring your veggies so that they roast evenly. When the chicken is almost done, pull it out of the oven and top each breast with a liberal slice of Brie, them cover with your hearts and garlic mixture.

Pop it back in the oven for another few minutes and then Voila!
A fast, Fancy looking meal in under an hour! That you don't have to dress up for. And don't forget, when you both eat this much garlic neither of you will notice!

Souper Cinco !!!!

Here is a soup that is a real Fiesta in yo Face!!

I was home last night trying to think of what to make for dinner, when my good friend ALC dropped by with some vino and a good load of gossip. So obviously my plans of hitting the grocery store flew out the window with my second glass of FishEye Merlot. What to do?? If I didn't start cooking Mark and I would have no lunch for the next day. So I "Top Chef"ed it. This is what we say when the challenge is to only use what is on hand to make a delicious meal. Luckily mark had made enchilada's about a week earlier so there were plenty of things laying around that needed to be used or chucked. So here goes....

2 Cans Chicken broth (always have at least 4 in the pantry for these occasions)
1 white onion
1/2 empty can of kidney beans (large can was used as the side for enchiladas)
Cilantro
1 can corn nibblets
1/2 Zucchini and Yellow squash (left over from grill night)
Cumin
5 cloves of Garlic (you know I loves me some garlic)
Leftover jar of Green chili enchilada sauce
The rest of the salsa (Hey, you know you'll buy more)
2 Limes ( from the Negra Modelo)
2 Chicken breasts,
Buy in bulk and freeze, You'll save a ton and always have some on hand!

Add the first 9 ingredients to your favorite soup pot and simmer for an hour or so when all your ingredients are simmering dice your chicken breasts and cook them to medium rare in a skillet with a little lime juice salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to the soup pot when its still a little pink so that it doesn't dry out while the soup simmers. Squeeze in some lime to taste.

Ok, here's where it gets weird....
After a few taste tests I thought that the flavors were good but the consistency was to thin. This tasted like enchilada soup but didn't feel like it. So, I went back to the pantry to see what to to. There was flour ( which can clump) and baking soda( which can muddle flavors) Tortillas (to thick) or tortilla chips (too salty). So whats a girl to do? And then I saw it! A bag of Yukon gold three cheese flavored dehydrated potatoes! I could add as little or as much as I wanted.

I added the whole bag! And it turned out delicious! And even better the next day.

So Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope you enjoy this Festive Mexican treat!!

Sicky Soup

**sniffles** Hedo ebbybody, ids dat dime ub year again. ebbyones dot a code!

Since the dawn of eastern cultures garlic has been known as a medicine of huge healing powers. Both preventative and as a stimulus. Hailed in ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman civilizations as a cure-all including diabetes,epilepsy and apnea. Whatever, I just like that its spicy awesomeness allows me to actually breathe through my nose when I eat this delicious, Good and good for you soup!!

Ingredients

Chicken broth
1/2 bulb of garlic (6-10 cloves)
Zucchini
yellow squash
spinach
onion
tortellini

Starting with the base, use what you have on hand, broth, stock, water and bouillon, whatever fits your taste. First add your garlic and onion. this is when I like to season the broth, a little salt, pepper,minced onion garlic powder, Cayenne, some Sriracha, anything that is going to get the blood flowing and the sinuses open. By the way, if I walk into your kitchen and there is no Sriracha, I walk out. This is a must have!!! This hot chili sauce can literally go on anything! It has heat without an overpowering flavor, which enables it to blend seamlessly and enhance any dish. Next is the tortellini, its pasta, give it about five minutes at a boil before you add your squashes .I like to julienne my squashes, that means make neat little match sticks. Now, turn down your heat! You don't want to end up with mushy squash. Right before serving, add your spinach , just to wilt it. Dump it in a bowl and inhale!!! Feeling better already, I bet!! Serve with lots of water and an Emergen-C .

Faked Potato Soup

A typo? No! You read that correctly, Faked potato soup! A soup that looks, smells and tastes just like baked potato soup, but with no potatoes. On average a bowl of potato soup loaded with bacon, cheese and heavy cream can run you 1000 calories and 50 fat grams. Now, I'm not afraid of some fat. I loves me the bacon. But if its possible to bring those numbers down, and still have a delicious meal, then do it! First take a head of cauliflower 2 shallots a 1/2 of a white onion and rough cut the white ends of a bunch of scallions and throw 'em in a pot to boil. Once they are nice and soft puree all these white goodies together (do it in batches if you have a mini-prep) then transfer into your stew pot. Add 1% or fat free milk and Low fat sour cream ( not fat free, its too runny) until you get your desired consistency. This should give you a very nice "potato" taste and allow you to season it to taste. Some salt, pepper, Sirracha etc... Serve it up with the green parts of your scallions and some bacos and your in fake potato heaven.


This makes a ton of soup depending on how thick you make it. So, to dress up the left overs add some chopped ham and a can of corn or some celery and minced clams with clam juice to make a New England Chowda. Whatever! This is a perfect base for any of your favorite cold weather cream soups. Enjoy!!

Not So Fat Tuesday

So, today is Fat Tuesday where everyone gets to pretend that they know something about New Orleans. Including me! I however, have an advantage over most people, because I have been there... Once... For 3 days... In the fall... Whatever! Lets celebrate!!! Laissez les Bon temps Roulez!!
Fat Tuesday, traditionally is the day and night of celebration before Lent ( Catholic Abstinence Month) preach all year, feast all year . Hypocrisies aside, Fat Tuesday used to be when Catholic families ate any Lard (fat), eggs and flour that they would abstain from for the coming month before Easter. Now it's Fat Tuesday because all the beer makes us fat ( and apparently slutty)

So I'm Making Gumbo!!!

The important thing about Gumbo is the Roux. This thickening agent means the difference between a Gumbo and a soup. A roux is typically made with butter, lard and flour browning the bottom of the pot and being scraped and stirred together. Not tonight!! For my Low-Fat Tuesday Gumbo I use Olive Oil and flour, and slowly mix in a whole chopped onion , Worcestershire,balsamic vinegar, and chicken stock. After these ingredients make a nice sludge, add a can of chicken broth, a can of stewed tomatoes (with juice) and chopped up Potato, celery, carrots, parsnip,jalapeno, yellow chili's and garlic. Simmer until soft.


Then add shredded chicken, sliced andouille and Tabasco. Let that sit for a while and season it to your taste with salt, pepper, Cayanne, old bay, and creole seasoning. Right before you are ready to serve it , 5 minutes or so, add 1/2 Pound of shrimp. Serve it up with some nice crusty french bread and settle in with some Southern Comfort on the rocks and Interview with the Vampire on VHS and you have your self one hell of a not so fat Tuesday!!