Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce

Since I had leftover chipotle chiles from our chipotle chicken tacos, I decided to try this recipe.  I love chicken skewers and my kids think it's the greatest thing on earth to eat anything off of a stick.  These were tasty, especially dipped in the sauce.  However, I think homemade ranch dressing would have been just as good... in fact, I may like that even better and it will try it that way next time.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce 

Chicken Skewers:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 medium chicken breasts)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (scrape out the seeds before mincing to reduce spiciness)
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 bamboo or metal skewers   

Creamy Dipping Sauce:

• 3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• 1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup lime juice, from 2-3 limes
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, about 1/2-inch thick. You should have right around 20 strips. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. In a Ziploc bag, toss the chicken with the brown sugar mixture coating all the pieces evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. For the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the flavors combine. Alternately, you can make the dipping sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Be sure to season the dipping sauce with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
3. 30 minutes before grilling, cover the bamboo skewers with water and soak. Skip this step if using metal skewers.
4. Preheat an oven broiler or gas/charcoal grill. Weave two strips of chicken onto each skewer. Broil or grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes until cooked through, using nonstick cooking spray on a foil-lined pan if you are broiling. Serve immediately (if you broil, you may need to cook in batches) with the dipping sauce.

Black Bean and Mango Quesadillas

This was the most unique quesadilla I've ever made and surprisingly delicious.  Ben thought it would have been great with the addition of chicken too... maybe next time.  I found this recipe at Our Best Bites.

Black Bean and Mango Quesadillas

1  cup diced mango (about 1 medium/large mango, 2 small ones)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1-2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon water
1-2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
4-6 small/med flour tortillas

Preheat a non-stick griddle or skillet to medium high heat.

Combine mango, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl.  Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and a few cracks of pepper.  Gently stir to combine and place in fridge to chill.
Place beans, water, cumin, coriander, onion and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and stir.  Cover with plastic wrap and prick plastic with a fork to vent.  Microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes (microwaves vary) until beans are hot.  Use a fork to lightly mash beans, leaving some beans still in tact.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly brush pan with a little oil and place tortillas on it.  Sprinkle tortillas with pepper jack cheese and cook until cheese is melted and tortillas are toasted and golden brown.

Remove from heat and divide bean mixture between tortillas, top with mango salsa and fold tortillas in half.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges.  Serve with sour cream if desired.

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

A few weeks back I bagged the regular dinner schedule and we had almost an entire week of Mexican food.  I don't cook to please the kids - we all know that can be hard to do - but if Ben likes a meal I consider it a success and this was definitely a success.  The ingredient list is long but the casserole actually comes together quite quickly.  You could also easily omit the meat and it would still taste great.

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

• 14 corn tortillas cut into thirds
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large poblano chile, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.  (I was only able to get 2 layers.)
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

I didn't get a picture of these but we really enjoyed them so I wanted to make sure I posted the recipe so I don't forget about it!  These do have a little kick, but with a generous helping of avocado and sour cream they were just right.  Actually, I realize now that the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons and I used almost 2 Tablespoons of chiles!  Oops.  I found this recipe here.  Yum!

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (you can find these in the Mexican Foods aisle at most grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds) - I used 6 half breasts and it was about the perfect amount for the sauce.
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas (I used Costco uncooked tortillas.)

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 12-13 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture left in the skillet until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the yellow mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro to the skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with tortillas topped with lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and avocado.

Ranch Dressing (My new go-to recipe.)

I love ranch dressing but I don't particularly like store-bought varieties.  (Plus they are full of a bunch of "unnatural" ingredients.)  I've been making this recipe for a while but I've found one I like even better.  It has a few more ingredients but is still pretty quick and easy to make.  The recipe works perfectly with my Magic Bullet but you could blend it up in any smaller-size blender.

Ranch Dressing

• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 green onions (use just the green parts) or 1 small bunch chives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I usually use 1 tsp dried.)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I usually use 1 tsp. dried.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I prefer just a dash.)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce

Monday is Italian night at our house so I was excited to find this new recipe to try.  Everything  came together really quickly - my kind of meal.  Another great one from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. 

Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces
• 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
• Diced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil for topping (optional)

1. In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
2. Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

Chewy Granola Bars

These granola bars are quick and easy and make a great after school snack.  I left off the chocolate chips (shocker, I know!) but they would have been delicious either way.  I also doubled the recipe and it filled a large cookie sheet perfectly.  The next time I make these I will probably use half as much brown sugar or leave it out all together... they were quite sweet and I think they'd still be good (and healthier) with the sugar adjusted.... I will have to play around with it next time.  This recipe came from here. 

Chewy Granola Bars

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup rice krispies cereal
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Lightly coat a 9X11-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. Or double the recipe and use a large jelly roll pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats and rice krispies. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes together, stirring frequently. Cook at a simmer (so the mixture is lightly bubbling) for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the wet mixture over the oats/rice krispies and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly moistened. Using a piece of wax paper, press the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down very firmly. If the mixture isn't pressed down well enough, the bars will be crumbly once they cool. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top. Press lightly if you want them to stick to the bars.
4. Let the bars cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Cut into rectangles. Store well covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.