Creamy Coconut Chicken with Black Bean Salsa

So, by now you know that we are avid coconut lovers. Any recipe with the word coconut in it immediately gets my attention. Just for fun, I searched my blog for coconut and came up with 27 recipes that include this wonderful ingredient! Wow!

I found this recipe on Pinterest; originally from Publix. I know my chicken looks a little colorless, but the flavor was incredible. I changed the cooking instructions to grill the chicken next time; either on an outside grill or inside.

Even though I have a wonderful recipe for Black Bean Salsa, I decided to go with the recipe included on Publix with the chicken. My original recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, and has to sit for a while.  This one does not. (Although it's best after sitting for at least 15 minutes) 

I also served this with rice, so the wonderful sauce would have a place to live. I changed up the spices a little as well. The chipotle peppers really work well with the cool coconut.  Enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Chicken with Black Bean Salsa
Heavily adapted from Publix

Make the Black Bean Salad first. It will blend in the refrigerator while you are making the chicken.

12-16 sprigs fresh cilantro
 2 (15.25-ounce) cans black beans (drained)
1 (11-ounce) can Mexican-style corn (drained)  (I just used plain, frozen, corn)
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper


1. Chop cilantro coarsely; place in medium bowl. Rinse black beans and drain thoroughly; add to bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended; cover and chill 15 minutes or more. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)


Now, you can start your chicken!

1 lb boneless chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (The original recipe calls for adobo seasoning)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup pre-sliced green onions
1 lime
 3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Rice to serve


1. Preheat large sauté pan, or grill, on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with chipotle pepper and pepper.
2. Place butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned and internal temperature reaches 165°F.  Remove chicken from pan.
3. Place garlic, cumin, and green onions in same pan; cook 1 minute. Squeeze juice of one-half lime into pan; stir in coconut milk and salt. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce begins to boil.
4. Make rice
5.. Return chicken to pan; turning to coat. Serve sauce over chicken and rice.

Enjoy!

Green Verde Enchiladas

 

It's that time again! Time for a recipe from the Secret Recipe Club! This is such a fun club. I get secretly assigned to a brand new blog, and get to cook anything I want from it. 

This month was especially fun. I was assigned Prevention RD. Nicole is a registered and licensed dietitian. Her blog has a great mixture of food, all with a great balance for eating healthier. I was especially happy to see that she had done MY blog a few months ago! She made Crispy Baked Breakfast Taquitos! Check out her beautiful pictures. 

 

So, now it's my turn to make one of her recipes shine, and let me tell you, it was super easy! I picked these amazing enchiladas. They require you making your own Verde (Green salsa), but it was really pretty easy, and so, so worth it.  I would recommend doubling the salsa. I also made the mistake of using the whole 8oz of cream cheese, instead of 4.  That made these waaay too rich and creamy, and overpowered the salsa. That is not recommended! But, even with that mistake, we could tell that this recipe is a keeper. 

 

These are tomatillos, the basis of green Salsa Verde. My local grocer sells them, and they are becoming increasingly popular.  You peel them, chop them up, and add them into the salsa. They are great raw, and they are fabulous roasted.

 

Green Verde Enchiladas
Adapted from Prevention RD for the Secret Recipe Club

(I would recommend doubling the sauce ingredients!)


12 tomatillos, paper skin removed and cut in half
2 poblano peppers, quartered
1 head of garlic
1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (A rotisserie would be fabulous)
4 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
6 oz part-skim Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
10 whole wheat tortillas



In a large skillet, combine tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic cloves, and onion. Allow to dry roast over medium heat 3-5 minutes until tomatillos become very soft, garlic and onion begin to brown and peppers begin to blister.

Add peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, onions and cilantro to a food processor and process until smooth.

Add tomatillo sauce back to skillet. Season with salt and cumin. Season additionally to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add shredded chicken to remaining sauce in skillet over medium low heat. Add cubes of cream cheese to sauce. Stir to blend.

To assemble, spray 9 x 13 pan with non stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of reserved sauce in bottom of pan. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto one side of the tortilla; roll to close. Lay seam side down in pan. Repeat process until all filling or tortillas are gone.

Top enchiladas with 1/4 cup remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Yield: 5 servings (2 enchiladas each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 501 calories; 15.4 g. fat; 67 mg. cholesterol; 653 mg. sodium; 58 g. carbohydrate; 6.2 g. fiber; 32.6 g. protein


Thank you Nicole for the fabulous recipe!

Enjoy!

Grandaddy's Tostado Sauce

I grew up in Arizona, poolside! My memories include long swimming days at my Grandparents with yummy food cooking away on the bbq or in the kitchen. The two recipes that I can attribute to my Grandaddy are his teriyaki sauce and this. Spicy, flavorful, run-down-your-arm goodness of Tostado Sauce. I don't know what it is about this sauce that makes it so addicting, but it's the only thing worthy of topping tostados! Just trust me on this.

Grandaddy's Tostados

Corn Tortillas: Spray each side with cooking spray, and lay on a cookie sheet. Cook in a 450 degree oven for 3-5 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until crisp. Watch carefully!

Tostado Sauce:

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 can diced green chilies

1 small onion, diced

1 Tb white wine vinegar

1 teas ground garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Ok, so here's the trick. Put all these yummy ingredients in a bowl, and mix them up- not with a spoon, mind you, with your HANDS! That's right. Reach in there and squish things up. Somehow, it just works better. I promise. 

Make your favorite tostados. Toppings can include beans, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, lettuce, olives, guacamole, chicken, etc. 

Then, top with the magic sauce.

Enjoy. 

Caution: Will need lots of napkins! 

Roasted Tomato Jalapeno Sauce on Sirloin Tips

I recently purchased a new cookbook with authentic Mexican recipes.  Very excited about this book, I decided to start with the Roasted Tomato Jalapeno sauce. One of the serving ideas was to serve in on top of Sirloin. Well, I'm okay with that!

The sauce is spicy with 2 whole jalapenos, and fresh with the taste of tomatoes. You can substitute canned tomatoes, but I don't think you'd get the freshness that way.



Roasted Tomato Jalapeno Sauce on Sirloin Tips 
Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine


1 pound tomatoes (2 large or 3-4 small tomatoes)
1-2 jalapenos, whole
2 Tb oil
1 small white onion, chopped finely
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (This is my addition- the sauce needed a little more taste)
1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth (If serving over sirloin, use the beef broth)
1 lb Sirloin, cut into bite sized pieces
Rice 
Cilantro

Grease a cookie sheet, and turn your oven broiler on to high. Wash tomatoes and jalapenos. Place them on the cookie sheet and put about 4 inches under the broiler. Roast for roughly 6 minutes, until the tomato skins bubble and blacken.  Turn over with tongs, and roast another 5-6 minutes until the other side is blackened as well. (I pulled the jalapeno's out after the first round of roasting).  Place the veggies in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to cool.

In the meantime, heat 2 Tb oil in a large saucepan.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic, and saute for 8-10 minutes until soft.

Peel the tomatoes. Chop tomatoes and jalapenos finely, saving the juice. Place the chopped veggies and juice, including the cooked onions and garlic,  into a food processor or blender. Blend just a little to get big chunks, or process until smooth to use as enchilada sauce.  For this recipe, I left it chunky.  Turn the saucepan up to medium-high. When hot, pour in the sauce, and allow to cook until it's darkened and slightly thicker.  Stir often.

Cook your rice. 

In the meantime, start cooking the sirloin in another pan. Cook until brown. Add in half the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens more, and the meat is cooked through.

Serve the meat mixture over rice.  We added the extra sauce over the top to get more flavor.  Sprinkle with Cilantro and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Black Bean Salsa

It's time to reveal the secret Salsa recipe that I showed off on my Margarita Chicken recipe a few days ago. Are you ready?

This salsa is amazing. I found it on My Kitchen Cafe, and have made it countless times since. It's fast and easy, and is perfect for potlucks. Every time I take it somewhere, I end up handing out the recipe! It's great with tortilla chips, on burritos, fajitas, or even baked chicken.  I added the garlic, but everything else is directly from Mel.

Now, don't try to taste the salsa right when it's done mixing. The Balsamic dressing will knock you away. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and marinate. The vinegar taste will go away, leaving a great blend of seasonings and just enough tartness from the dressing.

Balsamic Black Bean Salsa 

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained well **I use frozen corn in the bean can to measure.
1/2 medium onion finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 teas minced garlic
1 (7oz) can salsa verde (Green salsa)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teas cumin
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Avocado (Optional- put on when serving) 

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the salsa marinate for a few hours or overnight before serving. If needed, you can drain the excess liquid before serving.

Enjoy!

Mexican Fiesta

I have the privilege, through my church, to be a part of a wonderful organization of women. My calling, or "job", in my church is to help organize meetings for the women every few months. Mostly they are service nights, craft nights, or other worthwhile activities.  Once a year, in the summer, we have a Social. It's just that. A time for all of the sisters to get together, relax, talk, and enjoy each other.  This year we decided to do a Mexican Fiesta, and I, of course, volunteered to do the food.

Let me show you what we ate!

We made 3 kinds of chicken: all in the crockpot. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Enchilada Chicken: Add Chicken to crockpot, pour sauce over, cook!

Add chicken to crockpot, add this SALT FREE herb mix from Kitchen Stories, and cook! This was the most popular!

We made a batch of plain, cooked hamburger- some of our ladies have allergies! We also made this wonderful Taco Meat recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe.  Try it! You'll enjoy it!

For sides, I whipped up a batch of Balsamic Black Bean Salsa (my new favorite party recipe), Pioneer Women's Resturant Salsa, and a batch of Mom's Salsa for the mild folks.

What was really good though, was my Guacamole!  I think I got more compliments on that then on anything else.  I really wish I had a picture of this. Just imagine smooth, creamy guacamole. I didn't make my Perfect Guacamole because of the allergy issues. Plus, I figured I probably should make something a little less spicy.  Costco has really great Hass avocados right now. Use those!

Creamy Guacamole

Hass Avocados

Sour Cream

Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Powered Garlic 

Mash the Avocados in a bowl to your desired consistency. I prefer this recipe nice and smooth. Add a large dollop of Sour Cream, and mix. 

Then, sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the top of the guacamole. Mix in. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed! 

Tip: Store guacamole in fridge. Place plastic wrap DIRECTLY on the surface of the guacamole to prevent it from turning brown too quickly! 

That's it! I made this again last week, but didn't get a picture... again! Hmmm... I'll just have to make it again... 

We had a great drink as well... recipe coming soon!

All in all, it was a terrific event! We had little party favors, and one of the ladies made a guitar pinata!

Fresh Salsa from Mom

There is nothing quite like Homemade Salsa.

This is my mom's recipe, and she could whip it up in no time flat. It is always amazing! I really prefer this recipe over any other salsa that I've found anywhere else.

In fact... I made this batch at 10:30pm one night...

So, it really helps to have a chopper, but if you don't, just get your chopping hand ready!

Fresh Salsa

The Double Dipped Life

1 1-lb can tomatoes

6 TB chopped green peppers

2-3 chopped green onion

6 TB chopped fresh tomatoes

6 TB chopped onion

1 TB Parsley or Cilantro (I love cilantro, so I use lots more)

1 small can green chilies

1 TB Red Wine vinegar

pinch of Mexican oregano

1/4 teas minced garlic (Fresh is best)

1/4 teas chili pepper

1 teas lime juice

1 teas salt

1/4 teas cumin

1/8 teas pepper

1/2 avocado, optional

If hotter taste is preferred (yes!) add 1/2 can of jalapenos, and more chili pepper

Mix all ingredients together.

Optional: Depending on the texture you like, you can place some or all of the salsa in a food processor and process until done. I usually only blend 1/4-1/2 of the mixture, as I like chunky salsa.

Let sit for 1-2 hours in refrigerator for flavors to blend.

Enjoy!