Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas

If you enjoy tequila this chicken certainly has a kick. I highly recommend cooking your chicken and veggies separately. This allows your chicken to stay juicy and prevents veggies from steaming with the chicken. 

Remember tequila is optional, if you choose not to add tequila you can still follow the same steps.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Chicken breast

1 of each green, yellow, orange & red bell pepper 

1 (8oz) container chopped mushrooms

1 medium onion 

3 limes 

1oz tequila 

Oil

1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cumin 

(Serves 4)

In a large ziplock marínate the chicken breast with salt, pepper, paprika & cumin. Add 1 tbsp oil and the juice of 1 lime. Marínate at least 30 mins or up to 3 hrs.

Slice bell peppers lengthwise and slice onion. 

*Make yourself a cocktail if you choose to use tequila!

The key is using a cast iron skillet or any large skillet but do not crowd the chicken breast while cooking to prevent from steaming. Sauté chicken about 5-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. 

Flip when chicken is noticeably browned. Remove from cast iron skillet and place in another skillet to rest prior to slicing. 

Next sauté your veggies. 

Add oil to cast iron skillet used for the chicken and sauté onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly caramelized but do not allow to completely soften. Remove. 

Follow same process with bell peppers, season and cook until slightly soften, remove. 

Lastly cook mushrooms, season, remove. 

 

I like my veggies to have a crunch and I keep them separate. 

Final step: Slice chicken, in the same cast iron skillet with all the browned drippings add tequila and the juice of 1 lime cook down about 1 minute and toss in sliced chicken, stir until juice is absorbed. Taste the chicken and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve immediately.

We love our chicken fajitas in tacos. To assemble we warm a tortilla, add chicken, veggies of your choice and garnish with more lime and crema frescas (which can be substituted with sour cream).

ENJOY!!!

Tip: Use leftovers to prep lunches. Below meal is shown with brown rice. 

Chicken Empanadas

Easy Chicken Empanadas

If you never made Empanadas, because they just seem too complicated. 

I’m here to change your mindset. These are my semi homemade chicken empanadas, why because I’m using 2 ready made ingredients you can find at your local Mexican market. The first ingredient is 

(masa preparada) prepared masa which is a dough made from freshly ground hominy. 

I always purchase the smooth consistency which is popular for making tortillas, because they also offer a course masa. The second main ingredient is rotisserie chicken, which I shred and sauté with other ingredients to elevate the flavor. Just by using these 2 ingredients you will save yourself a ton of time. 

Of course you can boil your own chicken in water with onion and salt and then shred. And also purchase maseca which is corn flour and make your own masa using the ingredients listed on the bag. 

Makes about 16 empanadas 

INGREDIENTS 

2 lbs bags of masa preparada

1-2 rotisserie chicken (shredded)

3 tomatoes per whole chicken

1/2 medium onion 

Cilantro 

1/2 -1 tsp chicken bouillon

Toppings:

Crema mexicana 

Cheese (queso fresco)

Lettuce 

Spicy salsa 

Begin by chopping the veggies.

In a large skillet add 1 tbsp oil, add onions sauté for about 1 minute, add tomatoes and cilantro cook another 2 minutes. Toss in shredded chicken, combine with veggies, season chicken with 1/2 tsp chicken 

bouillon and taste adjust seasoning if needed. 

 

Turn heat off.

Using the masa preparada, knead dough in a large bowl if needed to soften.

Begin by rolling golf size balls. Now using your tortilla press, lined with a large ziplock bag. 

(If you do not own a tortilla press, it's not a problem use the flat bottom of 2 plates.)

Lightly press golf size balls like your making tortillas, 

but you want a thicker tortilla or the empanada won't hold.

Open ziplock bag fill with about 2-3 tbsp chicken on one side. 

Using the ziplock bag, fold the empanada in half , covering the chicken mixture completely. 

With a fork begin to seal the edges, pressing lightly but careful not to press through.

Line your counter or a baking sheet with parchment paper, place uncooked empanadas while oil heats.

In a large skillet, add plenty of oil, heat on medium heat. Place empanadas and fry until golden brown, should take about 5-6 minutes per side. Keep an eye on them, flip sooner if needed.

Remove from oil, repeat process until all empanadas are fried. 

Place fried empanadas in a plate lined with a paper towel to drain an excess oil prior to serving.

Serve crispy empanadas with your choice of lettuce, queso freso, 

crema Mexicana, and of course a spicy salsa to dip.

(click the link below to try my Salsa Verde)

Salsa Verde

ENJOY! XOXO 

Whole Roasted Chicken

I've made & shared the recipe for whole chicken's before... I know! Why this one... well the difference is I accidentally roasted this chicken upside down or breast side down. This may or may not be ok!! But guess what... it turned out amazing, best part the breasts were very juicy.

 

 

RECIPE:

1 whole head of garlic (minced)

1 tsp. Paprika (for color)

1 tsp. Dried Thyme

Enough extra virgin olive oil to form a paste.. about 1/4 cup! 

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl! Preheat oven at 350.

Wash your chicken, I did anyways! Pat dry for a crispy skin. Rub entire paste onto the chicken. Lastly sprinkle generously with salt all over & some freshly ground pepper. Place breast side down cover with foil & throw into your oven.

 

1 hour later... after you bathed your kids or took a shower... drank a corona.. napped.. whatever.

Go back to your oven open & undercover your chicken & raise the temperature to 450 for another 25 mins. This will brown the top!

Lastly, take out your chicken, set on your stove & loosely cover with foil.

Let it rest for 15 to 20 mins... to insure you have a juicy chicken.

 

I chopped my chicken up into pieces for easy serving!

 

 

ENJOY!

Spinach & Mushroom stuffed Chicken Breast

I keep looking at my final product & it looks amazing!!! I took a total of 23 pictures for this dish, I narrowed it down to the most detailed.

As I walk you through this recipe, you'll probably say "I can do this".. which you can!!

As I googled stuffed chicken breast recipes (containing spinach & mushrooms) I found many asked for breadcrumbs, cheese & other ingredients... So I decided to try it my way, omit the other ingredients & simply stuff these with spinach, mushrooms, a small amount of cheese & (onion/ garlic for flavor).

RECIPE:

3 Chicken Breast

about half a small container of mushrooms (chopped)

1 1/2 cup of spinach (tightly packed)

1/4 onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove (minced)

some cheese (mozzarella)

Begin by heating up a large skillet, add some olive oil, saute onion & garlic (3 minutes), add mushrooms (3mins), lastly add your spinach & stir to combine... season mixture with salt & pepper. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed. Turn off, set mixture aside.

Butterfly your chicken breast (open up) I'm not sure I knew what I was doing here... but I opened them up & placed them in a ziplock (1 at a time) & banged them with a wine bottle to flatten out.

Next.. divided your spinach mixture into 3 parts or how ever many your making... spoon in equal portions onto middle section of the breast, sprinkle with a small amount of cheese.

Roll on one side & then over lap with the other side.. secure with at least 1 toothpick.. (Do your best)

Season with Salt & Pepper.. & heat up another large skillet. & PreHeat oven at 350!

Saute no more then 2 breast at one time.. or the won't brown (they will steam) about 4 mins per side, remove & place in your buttered or oil sprayed baking dish.. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins.

Meanwhile lets make a quick pan sauce!!

 Ingredients: 2 TB of butter, 2 TB of flour, 1/2 cup of chicken stock & 1/2 of white wine, salt & pepper (Halved cherry tomatoes *optional, I added these for fun)

In the same pan you sauteed your chicken breast, add the butter & flour... stir to combine, when butter melts & begins to evenly bubble.. add white wine & chicken stock.. reduce by half.. so pretty much keep stirring on a low simmer until the sauce reduces & thickens (enough to coat a spoon). Season w/ Salt & pepper.. taste! When I removed my chicken breasts from the oven I added the cherry tomatoes to the sauce & only cooked for 2 mins.

When you remove the chicken from the oven, let it rest for about 10 minutes...

So wait, don't cut into it just yet!

OK, now slice it.... keep it pretty...

Transfer each breast to your serving plate & spoon on the sauce, as much as you desire!! Seriously, the cherry tomatoes gave it such a fresh bite.. I really enjoyed them!!! This meal took us about 1 hr. tops.

Yes you dirty a couple dishes.. but the outcome is well worth the effort.

ENJOY!!

Roasted (no oil) Chicken Breasts

Something different... I'm on a health craze & began P90X... so I'll try to share some of my "healthy" dishes I prepare or what I consider to be healthy ;)

 

RECIPE:

3-4 Bone-in/ Chicken Breasts

1 cup (low sodium) Chicken Stock

1 Lemon (sliced)

6-7 Garlic cloves

Seasoning Salt

1 Tb dried Rosemary

Place chicken breast (bone side) down. Sprinkle seasoning salt all over.

With a small pairing knife stab each breast in slide in a whole garlic clove. Sprinkle with dried rosemary and place lemon slice on top. Pour chicken broth into dish, cover & roast for 45mins.

(Apparently it was so tasty I forgot to photograph the finished product) haha!

ENJOY!!