Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 cans Rotel
Black pepper (to taste)
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I marinate ours in Allegro marinade)
2 cups shredded 2% cheddar cheese
8 Tortillas (I use Carb-Balance flour tortillas with 12 grams of fiber, but you can use what you prefer)

Saute the onion and garlic using Pam spray. Add mushrooms.  Add the cans of rotel and both peppers, let simmer until liquid reduces. Take half of tomato mixture and stir in with chicken. In each tortilla, sprinkle some cheese, then spoon 1/8 of chicken mixture into tortilla. Roll up, and place in a 13x9 baking dish. Repeat until you have made 8 enchiladas. On top of the enchiladas, spread the remaining tomato mixture and top with cheddar cheese (cheese is optional). 

Bake at 350 until cooked through.

Our kids have been known to pour all sorts of things on them at one time or another.  We've used taco sauce, salsa, salsa verde, or just nothing.  They are fabulous any way you do them.

Guacamole

Ingredients

2-3 Fresh Avocados - remove the seed and scoop out meat
2 Tomatoes- chopped
1-2 Jalapeños- chopped
1 Red Onion - chopped
1 Handful of Cilantro- chopped
1 Lime - juiced (or use the bottled stuff- it works too)
1 Teaspoon Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste

In one bowl place the avocado meat and mash.  In another bowl add tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and cilantro- toss together.  Add to the avocado.  Then season with lime juice, cumin, and salt & pepper.

Salsa

Ingredients

1-2 Jalapeños (depending on how much heat you like)
1 Onion (red is pretty, Vidalia is fabulous if they are in season, but any old onion will do)
Handful of Cilantro -  again just use according to taste
28 oz. can Whole Tomatoes, drained  (I use a quart of tomatoes I canned from our garden)
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes - drain one can, use the liquid from the other
1 pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of pepper
Juice of 1 lime - I use a squirt of bottle key lime juice ALL the time

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process.

DONE!

Green Beans Tossed with Garlic

Ingredients

1 Pound Fresh Green Beans
1 Small Onion, minced
3-5 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add onions, garlic, and green beans.  Toss to coat.  Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.  Deglaze pan with the chicken broth.  Put top on beans and let them simmer until desired doneness.

Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 Cup Long-grain brown rice
1 Cup Wild Rice
1 Shallot, minced (You can use a red onion as well)
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper to Taste
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Dried fruit (I used apricots and cherries this time.  You can use cranberries, blueberries, or whatever you want!)
1/4 Italian Parsley, chopped

In separate pots prepare both the brown rice and the wild rice.  Follow directions on the amounts of water.  Generally, you will use twice as much liquid as rice.  Water will NOT absorb into wild rice.  You will have to drain it.

While the rice is cooking make the dressing.  Mince the shallot (or onion) and add the balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Whisk together.  Then whisk in oil gradually.

Add the hot rice to dressing and toss.  Add dried fruit and parsley and combine.

The beauty of this is that you can serve it hot OR room temperature.  So, if you're making a big meal, make this first.

Prosciutto & Fontina Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients: 

For the Lemon Mushroom Sauce:

Olive oil (about 2-3 Tablespoons)
1 small onion, finely diced
10 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup chicken broth
Dash of teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
10 basil leaves, chopped

For the Chicken:
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I use thin sliced 3 oz. breasts)
Dried oregano
Cracked black pepper

Salt
Slices of Prosciutto (1 per chicken breast)

Fontina cheese (1 ounce per chicken breast)

1.  Make the chicken and grill

2.  While chicken is grilling/baking prepare the mushroom sauce.

For the Chicken:
Season each breast lightly with salt, pepper, and oregano (I only salt one side- VERY LIGHTLY). Grill over medium high heat until cooking through.

Place cooked chicken breasts on a cookie sheet and add one slice of prosciutto to each chicken breast, then top with 1 ounce of fontina cheese. Broil until cheese in melted. Place chicken breasts on serving splatter and spoon the mushroom sauce evenly over top of them. 

For the Mushroom Sauce:
In a large non-stick skillet, heat  olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes until they  soften.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms have softened and begin to golden.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Add butter and lemon juice and stir well. Lastly, add chicken broth salt and pepper and basil. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken a bit (5-10 minutes). Keep warm until ready to use.