Chicken Fajita Bean Dip

Bear with me right now!  SOMETIMES looks are deceiving.  I know this may not be the most elegant meal I have posted, or that you have ever seen, but I promise you that we enjoyed it and that I don't want to post something I was disappointed in the flavor of in the end.

Slowly, little by little... we're getting through all the food in the kitchen that needs to be eaten before we head out of here!  Items used tonight?  Chicken, onion, peppers, tomatoes, refried beans, salsa, and sour cream (granted the sour cream WAS something I had purchased with this dish in mind).

When I see a can of refried beans, I often first think... 'Hmmm... I wonder if that's a "vegetarian" can, because if not...  I know there's lard in there as a stabilizer!"  If I have purchased the can myself, then I know that it's "lard free" and my worries are gone!  :)  Second on the list of things I think about?  Bean dip!!!  Just this past week when we had the chance to FINALLY hangout with the other student quartet at UT, we had a feast in which everyone brought something to snack on.  Someone read my mind!  BEAN DIP!!!  Well, did QUITE read my mind, as we didn't bring duplicate dishes.  However, I had been looking through the cupboards and thought of bean dip when I saw the can.  I was quite glad, though, that Willie and Sarah did bring it, because it's always a hit!

Tonight?  This "glorified" bean dip.  Honestly, I forgot how much I LOVE throwing something into the oven and "forgetting" about.  Although tonight had a lot of other aspects involved, it somehow didn't create as many dishes as I feel I usually make, and putting something into the oven somehow made me feel SO much better!  :)  Just a reminder for myself for when school starts again in the Fall!

Chicken Fajita Bean Dip
1 can refried beans
2 chicken breasts
1 onion
3 peppers (used one each of red, orange, and yellow)
4 - 6 tbs oil
salt & pepper
garlic powder
cumin
chili powder
2 small lemons (or 1 large)
salsa
sour cream
pepperjack cheese (grated)
fresh diced tomatoes
tortilla chips or fresh tortilla wraps

Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken breasts in an oven-proof pan.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over chicken breasts.  If you desire, toss the lemon rinds into the pan to roast while the chicken cooks.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and shred chicken into bit-sized pieces.  Season with desired amount of cumin and chili powder, stir, and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until chicken is moist and cooked through (no one wants dry chicken!).

While the chicken is baking, heat a skillet with oil on medium-high heat.  Once heated, toss in onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper (as well as garlic and cumin if desired).  Cook down until tender and lightly browned.  Remove from heat.

In a large oven-proof glass or metal pan, spread the refried beans in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  Next, spread an even layer of the onions and pepper, followed by the shredded chicken, and lastly by the grated pepperjack cheese.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and top with salsa and sour cream.  Want other toppings?  Look below for some other ideas!  Serve with chips as a dip or spoon into fresh, warm tortillas to make a "fajita burrito" style meal!


Other topping ideas?
fresh avocado or guacamole!
cheddar cheese
cilantro
roasted corn (silly me FORGOT to use the corn!)
salad greens (kind of like in a taco salad)

Lime Chicken Cilantro Salad

Now, if you're not a cilantro lover, don't stop reading now!  The cilantro is in the homemade dressing, so you could also substitute another if you'd like.  :)

Now this salad is 100% inspired by my mother's and my mutual obsession with Nordstrom.  Yes, you might be confused, understandably.  I know, I know - you're thinking that Nordstrom is a clothing store, and well, you're right!  That hasn't changed.  But in case you didn't know, many Nordstroms have a cafe/restaurant attached.  When my mom and I are out on a shopping expedition and it's around lunch time, we always "accidentally" end-up eating there.  ;)  Every time (with maybe the exception of once...) I get this salad.  It's just THAT good!  Sadly, when they revamped their menu after the remodeling of the store in our area, they also changed the salad...  Now I guess I just have to make it for myself!

Serve this up with some nice bread and you've got a complete meal!

Lime Chicken

2 chicken breasts
3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 - 2 limes
zest of 1 or 2 limes
3 - 4 olive oil (more if needed)
salt & pepper

Preheat a skillet with the olive oil on medium or medium-high heat.

Cut the chicken into about 1/2" slices.  Season with salt and pepper and toss into the skillet.  Stir and add in garlic.  After about a minute, add in the zest and lime juice and stir again.  Cook until tender and cooked through (lightly browning).

Lime Cilantro Dressing

2 bunches cilantro (reserving a little for the salad if you'd like)
zest of 2 limes
juice of 3 limes
4 -5 cloves garlic
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 - 4 tbs water

Toss all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth!

Lime Chicken Cilantro Salad (here are some good ideas of things to add!)

mixed greens or lettuce
tomatoes
corn (great if freshly roasted on a grill or roasted on high in a skillet)
avocado
cilantro
sunflower seeds
grated pepper jack cheese
fresh lime wedge

Plate everything together with the chicken and dressing and serve!

Paneer Balti with Chicken

INDIAN FOOD!!!!  I have to be honest.  My first experience?  Well... not so good.  I had to get-up the courage to try it a second time (which happened to be at a completely different restaurant... in a different city... in a different state.  I think that might have done the trick!).  You have got to like spice though.  :)  Which we here do indeed!

Our great friend Pierce made a FIERCE serving of this a couple months back.  Let's just say - it was LEGIT!  Granted neither of us have been to India to try some delicious grub first-hand, but comparing it to our favorite place here in Austin, we were quite impressed!  We told him we needed the recipe (ASAP), and since that day, Nicholas and I have been talking about making it.  We didn't get the recipe right away.  I have to say...  I "accidentally," but jokingly, bothered Pierce today for the recipe when I saw him, unbeknownst to his present headache at the time.  Whoops...  Sorry, Pierce!!  We got our hands on it, so... that's really what matters.  Right?  :)

This recipe was originally for shrimp, not chicken.  You may decide to use tofu even (in place of the chicken or shrimp, or even in place of the paneer if you can't find any).  I'm not sure where this recipe came from (since it is a scanned copy from a book that doesn't display the title, so sorry I can't give credit to anyone!).  Enjoy!

Paneer Balti with Chicken
1 lb chicken (cubed)
6 oz paneer (cubed)
3 tbs tomato paste
4 tbs plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic (minced or powder)
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp dried mango powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (or ghee)
1 tbs oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
3 green chilies (fresh, miched)
1/4 cup cilantro (fresh, choppped)
2/3 cup cream

In a bowl, combine the tomato paste, yogurt, chili powder, garlic, coriander, mango powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Cube the paneer and chicken into bit-sized pieces (about 1/2").  Melt butter and vegetable oil in a large saucepan or wok.  Once the butter has melted, turn the burner onto medium heat and add in the cubed paneer and chicken.  Allow to cook for a couple of minutes, to begin absorbing the butter and cooking the ingredients.  After a few minutes, remove the paneer and chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Add the tomato spice mixture to the saucepan and stir for a minute.  Add the paneer and chicken back in and stir.  Allow the chicken to fully cook through.  Turn heat to low and add in the chopped peppers and cilantro and stir.  Lastly, add in the cream and allow to simmer until ready to serve.

Serve on a warm bed of rice, with naan bread and chutney, or another delicious Indian dish!  :)

Lemon Chicken with Creamy Pesto Pasta

Have you ever purchased anything in "bulk" when you only need a little?  You know - when you decide that really, it's just more economical to do it that way, because you're getting a better deal.  Right?  Well... that was certainly me late last week! - from that Margarita pizza on Friday night...  I grabbed a huge container full of basil instead of a little bundle.  It just seemed like it made more sense.  :)  At the time, at least...

I knew that I wanted to make pesto.  That wasn't a difficult decision.  Thankfully, it's not a difficult food to make.  Honestly, though, it has been about four years or so since I have made pesto, and after thinking about it for... oh... let's say... two seconds, I knew I was going to use walnuts and not pine nuts.  Let's just say, first of all, we have some and they should be used, and secondly, unless you own a palace... well, you just don't buy pine nuts that often.

I spent about 36 hours racking my brain for the "most creative ways" to use this pesto.  Let's just say... I guess I haven't quite succeed at being super creative and unique... but I don't think it was a disappointment in the end.  Alas, however!  There is enough pesto for a second recipe.  Don't worry!!!  My goal?  To not let you down!  :)

So... here's take one of the pesto adventure.

Homemade Pesto
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup walnuts (you can also use pine nuts)
2 1/2 - 3 cups fresh basil, packed (or about 4 oz)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a food processor (or a blender if you don't have one), combine garlic, walnuts, basil, and Parmesan cheese and blend.  Once the mixture has begun to form a paste, add about a 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.  Begin to blend again and slowly begin to pour the olive oil into the mixture.  Add olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.  Taste to see if it needs any more salt or pepper and add as necessary.

Creamy Pesto Pasta
1/2 of the pesto recipe
about 3 cups fresh spinach
1/3 or so olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream
1 box pasta (I used shells, cause they're fun!)
salt

Prepare pasta as directed.

In food processor or blender, combine pesto, spinach, extra garlic, and olive oil.  Blend until creamy and combined.

Drain pasta and put back into the boiling pot.  On medium-low heat, add enough heavy cream to lightly coat the pasta.  Add in spinach pesto and mix.  Season with extra salt if needed.

Serve!

Lemon Chicken

4 chicken breasts (cubed or sliced into 1/4" pieces)
2 large lemons (sliced very thinly) with juice their juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic (crushed)
salt & pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  On medium heat, warm skillet and olive oil.  Once heated, add in chicken and cook the first side for about 3-4 minutes.  Turn chicken, re-season if necessary, add garlic, and place lemon slices on top of chicken (as well as any excess juice from slicing).  Allow chicken to fully cook, about another 3-4 minutes, stirring lemons and chicken as needed.

Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat and serve with pasta.  (Serve with lemon slices if desired, or just the chicken).

Lemon Fennel Chicken with Brown Butter Sauce

I guess tonight I don't have too much to say...  It was a night alone and I needed some dinner to inspire me to keep working and getting things done.  I started searching the cupboards and looking for what I could use without heading to the store (sounding like a theme?).  This was certainly not a planned meal, but all in all, I was quite pleased and rather sad that I enjoyed it all by myself.  While stuffing my face, I wished I had had a loaf of nice garlic bread or maybe some garlic mashed potatoes to accompany the meal, but despite that, it didn't discourage me from enjoying the creation.  (I highly suggest some if you make this!).

I can't take all the credit for this creation.  Props go to Julia Child, as she has a delicious white wine cream sauce with lemon and fennel chicken, that Nicholas and I quite enjoy (and as for the green beans, it's a twist on a regular in my in-laws household).  As I found I was lacking some good 'ol heavy cream and couldn't make that recipe, I decided to go with my instinct.  That's what you have just got to do!

 Lemon Fennel Chicken with Brown Butter Sauce
2 large chicken breasts (butterflied and cut in half)
salt and pepper
zest of one lemon
juice of lemon
3-4 garlic cloves (minced)
2/3 - 1 cup white wine
3-4 tbs butter
1 tsp fennel seeds

Prepare chicken by butterflying and salt and peppering both sides.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs butter on medium heat.  Once melted, add in chicken, browning both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side).  Turn up heat to medium-high and add wine (it will do that cool burning-off thing when it sizzles!).  Toss in garlic, zest, lemon juice, and fennel seeds.  Check to see if chicken is cooked through, if not, remove sauce and chicken to finish cooking.  If chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken from the skillet, add 1-2 more tbs butter, and allow sauce to thicken and brown (but not burn!).  Once sauce has reduced, add chicken back in for about 1-2 minutes to allow sauce to cover the chicken.

Remove from heat and serve.

Balsamic Green Beans and Onion
1 medium onion (sliced)
16 oz green beans
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
3-4 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat.  Add 2 tbs olive oil to skillet.  Once oil is heated, add onions and add salt and pepper to season.  Begin cooking down onions.  After about five minutes, add garlic.  Once onions have begin to nicely caramelize, toss in green beans, adding more olive oil if necessary.  Cook until desired tenderness.  About a minute before, toss on balsamic so it lightly coats the green beans and onions.

Chicken Piccata with Sweet Potato Mashers and Green Beans

Are you tired of the same old dried up chicken dinners?  Looking for pizazz?  Sweet and tangy with a side of AWESOME? Look no further.  This recipe brought to you by lonely without husbands, seeking food.  Luckily, we have each other and don't fall prey to the temptations of ice cream and donuts for dinner when the guys are off for a few nights at a time.  We rise above.  We even eat vegetables!  And like it!

Anna's friend Megan served this chicken dish at a recent dinner party.  So we decided to recreate it. It's moist, tender, and packed with flavor - and easy as pie to cook up in a jiffy!  Whether you're searching for the perfect no-hassle recipe to serve for guests or just want some comfort food to accompany your favorite chair and tv show, this is the recipe for you! Go get em!

Chicken Piccata (adapted from Giada)
2 chicken breasts (butterflied and cut in half)
salt and pepper
flour (for dredging)
4 tbsp butter
3 lemons (juice of three and zest of one)
1/2 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup capers

To prepare the chicken, salt and pepper both sides of your chicken and then dredge the chicken in the flour, making sure to shake off the excess flour.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tbs of the butter until nice and bubbly.  Once the butter is melted, place the breasts in the skillet and cook about three minutes on each side until lightly browned.  Remove chicken and place on serving plate.  To the skillet, add the sherry, lemon juice, lemon zest, and capers.  Deglaze the bottom of the pan, bringing to a boil.  Once the sauce has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and return chicken to the skillet.  Allow to reheat and finish cooking for about five minutes.  Once fully cooked, remove from the skillet, and place on serving platter.  To skillet, add the remaining 2 tbs butter and whisk until fully incorporated.  Pour over chicken and serve!

(Yields approximately four servings).

Sweet Potato Mash
1 large sweet potato
1/4 orange juice
1-2 tbs butter
salt (for tasting)

Add water to pot and bring to a boil.  Peel and cube sweet potato and add to boiling water.  Cook until tender.  Remove from water, place in mashing bowl and add orange juice, butter, and salt (to desired preference).

(Ratios of ingredients two large or three medium servings.  Adjust according to the number of servings.)

Green Beans with Red Onion
1/3 red onion (thinly sliced)
1 1/2 - 2 cups green beans
1 lemon (juice of)
olive oil
salt and pepper (for tasting)

Heat skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.  Once heated, toss in the red onion, season with a little salt, and cook until tender.  Add green beans, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper and cook until desired tenderness.

(Ratios are for about 2 large or 3 medium servings).