Baked Chicken Taquitos

I had some leftover corn tortillas from our fish taco night so I decided to look for a good recipe to use the rest of the tortilla. When I found this recipe I was so excited. I menu plan 1-2 weeks at a time and I have literally been counting down to this meal.

It was amazing. They were full of flavor and I couldn't stop eating them. They were so easy to make because I made the filling the night before so I just wrapped them out and baked them  and dinner was served. They would also make a great snack for girl's night or a party. Make them and enjoy.

Baked Chicken Taquitos


 adapted from Our Best Bites
Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did – I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don’t crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray sprinkle somecoarse salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately plain or with sour cream or guacamole.

*We had a few extra so I froze them and when I needed to heat them up I did 425 for 12-13 minutes.

Egg and Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

People always ask what I eat or what diet I'm on and I pretty much dabble in everything. Sometimes my meals are paleo and sometimes they are low carb. Other times they are rich pastas or delicious desserts. I'm a big fan of moderation. I've been trying to do a little more Paleo in the morning because we all eat different things at this house for breakfast so I can experiment a bit more.

I was pretty excited when I stumbled on to this recipe. Paleo and breakfast. Score!

At Crossfit my trainer told me about this breakfast they made where they cracked eggs into a tomato, baked them, and ate them. It sound very interesting and easy so I went on a search for temperatures and recipes.

I love pesto so of course this seemed like the obvious choice to try. I made these the next morning and they were awesome. Definitely not something I would make for the whole family since I am the only tomato lover in my house but definitely a me breakfast. I've made them a few times since and each time is better.

You should try these.

Egg and pesto stuffed tomatoes
adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle
2 large tomatoes
2 eggs
1 Tbs. pesto

Preheat oven to 400. Remove core and seeds from tomato. If it doesn't have a flat bottom slice a little off the bottom so that it sits upright. Place tomatoes in an 8x8 pan. Add pesto to tomato shell and crack one egg on top off pesto. Be careful to not break the yolk. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Bake 18-21 minutes. Remove from oven and Enjoy.

Pesto
*This recipe will make more than necessary but I just put it in the fridge or freeze it and use whenever.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add basil, cheese, lemon juice, nuts, and garlic in to a food processor and pulse until combined. With motor running slowly drizzle olive oil in to food processor. Add salt and pepper.

 

Pesto and Pea Salad

When I went home to Vancouver Washington for our annual vacation to see my parents we arrived at 11:30 at night. Normally I would be asleep but Sam and I were both starving and I can always count on my Mom having delicious food in her fridge and once again she did not disappoint.

There was an nice size container of some of the best salad I've had. I love pesto so I knew this would be right up my alley. I asked my Mom for the recipe and then forgot to get it from her but it seemed pretty basic. Pesto, pasta, peas, and pine nuts. I knew I wanted to make m own pesto and I've made it weekly since our trip. It's a great, easy snack and the kids and Sam LOVE it.

Pesto and Pea Salad
adapted from Serious Eats


1 cup packed fresh basil or mint (or combination), plus more for garnish
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pinenuts, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 lemons (bottled lemon juice tastes different, use fresh)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound (8 ounces) gemelli pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) frozen green peas, thawed
6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

To make the pesto, combine the herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and peas. Add the pesto little by little until salad is adequately dressed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Garnish salad with chopped nuts and chopped herbs, if desired.

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies.

 

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe


*Makes between 2 and 3 dozen cookies (depending on how big you make them)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into eight pieces
3/4 cup M&M’s
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and the butter. Microwave for one minute at 50% power. Stir. Microwave again for one minute at 50% power and stir well. If the chocolate is not fully melted, continue microwaving in 30 second intervals at 50% power until the chocolate and butter are well combined (don’t overheat the chocolate or it can seize and turn hard and unusable). Let the mixture cool slightly, about 2-3 minutes until it is at room temperature or just slightly warm (but not hot).
In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually mix in flour mixture on low speed. Fold in M&M’s with a wooden spoon (don’t use a mixer as the M&M’s will break into pieces and not stay whole).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease them with cooking spray. Drop dough onto baking sheets by tablespoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. If desired, place five or six M&M’s on top of the cookie dough balls (even perched slightly on the rounded sides). Bake the cookies until they have slightly flattened and there are a few cracks on the surface, about 13-14 minutes. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies sit for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 2 days. I freeze them between sheets of wax paper in a large tupperware container and they defrost beautifully at room temperature or for a few seconds in the microwave.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
from Baking Bites

Brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 oz bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake
8 oz cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposing sides to lift the brownies out afterward. Spray the foil/pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the brownies: Add the butter and chocolate to a small heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring together in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until well combined. You can adjust the color here - if you want a more vibrant red, add up to an additional 1/2 teaspoon food coloring. Sprinkle the flour and salt onto the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until just barely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then spread in an even layer.

To make the cheesecake layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Drop dollops of the cheesecake batter onto the brownie batter then swirl the two gently with the tip of a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean (the edges of the cheesecake will brown slightly). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool to room temperature then chill them thoroughly in the refrigerator before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.