Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I think it's very obvious by my collection of enchilada recipes that I love enchiladas. I think these enchiladas might be my new favorite. This is definitely something I will make over and over again. They were so delicious!

Printable Recipe

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa


Salsa:
1 lb tomatillos, husked
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, with skin on
2 jalapenos
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
chopped cilantro
2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
salt and pepper to taste
10 flour tortillas
8 oz shredded cheese
chopped tomatoes & cilantro for garnish
sour cream
guacamole

Preheat oven to 400. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Roast for 12-15 minutes. Remove skin from garlic and tops from jalapeno. Transfer roasted vegetables into a food processor or blender. Add cumin, salt, and cilantro. Pulse until well combined but still chunky. Stir in lime juice. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour then add chicken broth. Continue stirring over a low simmer until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in half of the salsa and additional cilantro. Fold in chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn oven down to 350. Smear the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with some of the reserved salsa. Heat tortillas in microwave until warm and pliable. Place some meat mixture in the center of each tortilla. Top with cheese. Roll up and place in the baking dish. Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, and guacamole.

Recipe adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Printable Recipe

Oreo Cheesecake Bars


crust:
23 oreo cookies
2 Tbsp melted butter

cheesecake:
12 oz cream cheese at room temperature
6 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
12 oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil. Place the oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add melted butter and pulse until moistened. Transfer to prepared pan and press down to form the crust. Bake for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake. Using the paddle attachment, add cream cheese to the mixer and beat at medium-high speed until light and smooth. Add sugar and mix until well combined. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat in egg and egg yolk until well combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in chopped oreos. Pour mixture into crust. Bake for 40 minutes until set around the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Pork Hawaiian

Printable Recipe

Pork Hawaiian


2 lbs boneless pork chops, cut into cubes
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits
1/3 cup vinegar
4 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Drain pineapple and save syrup. Combine syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine flour, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Heat butter in a large skillet. Add pork and flour mixture. Mix well. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add remaining liquid, tomato, bell pepper, and pineapple. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Serves 6

Sesame-Grilled Asparagus Rafts

My husband made this with our Valentine's dinner and it was so delicious! I love asparagus and this recipe definitely takes it to another level.

Printable Recipe

Sesame-Grilled Asparagus Rafts
adapted from Primal Grill

1 lb asparagus
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus and discard. Trim the ends so they are all the same length. Skewer 4 or 5 asparagus spears together using bamboo skewers or toothpicks. (like a Huck Finn-type raft)

In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir with a fork to mix. Brush mixture on asparagus rafts on both sides. Season with a little salt and lots of pepper.

Place rafts on a hot grill until browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle asparagus with sesame seeds as they grill. Serve as rafts or unskewered.

Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs

Every year for Valentine's Day my husband cooks us a delicious dinner. He was a little ambitious this year because he decided to make shrimp kebabs, halibut, salmon, and asparagus. He didn't have enough time to make it all after work so I made the shrimp kebabs. If he would've read the recipe earlier he would've realized it was supposed to marinate for 1 to 2 hours and I could've made it during the day while he was at work. Instead it only marinated for about a half hour. But it was delicious! I can only imagine what it would've tasted like if it would've marinated the full amount of time.

Printable Recipe

Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs
adapted from Primal Grill

32 jumbo or extra large shrimp (about 1 1/2-2 lbs), peeled and deveined
1 1/2 onions
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch triangles
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch triangles
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed, cut into chunks
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
lime wedges, for serving
skewers

Soak skewers in water to prevent burning. Rinse shrimp under cold water then blot dry with paper towels. Take the whole onion and cut it into 8 pieces. Then break each piece into individual layers. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, alternating with onion and bell pepper pieces. Place in a baking dish.

Marinade:
Cut the remaining onion into quarters. In a food processor, finely chop onion, remaining bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add cilantro and pulse a few times just to mix. Don't overmix or it will turn green. Pour over kebabs and let marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, covered. Do not over-marinate or the shrimp will toughen. Turn the kebabs several times for even marinating.

Place the shrimp kebabs on a hot grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until shrimp is cooked through. Serve with lime wedges.

Just Like Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Frosting

If I had to choose any kind of cookie to eat, I would have sugar cookies with frosting. Every year on Valentine's Day I make these and frost them with the kids. It's such a fun tradition for us. This year I wanted to try a new frosting recipe. I used this sugar cookie recipe. They are the best sugar cookies. They're so soft. They remind me of Lofthouse cookies but they're not as thick. So I found this recipe for Lofthouse frosting to go with it. Delicious!!!

Printable Recipe

Just Like Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Frosting
adapted from Food.com

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp milk or half & half
5 cups powdered sugar
food coloring

Cream butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Mix over low speed until well blended.

Lindt Truffle Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I made these cupcakes last night and they were a huge hit. One of my absolute favorite treats is Lindt Lindor Truffles. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to make these cupcakes. They were so delicious!!! I didn't have quite enough truffles for the whole batch so I experimented and used some other chocolates I had. I recently discovered my new favorite chocolate. It's Hershey's Bliss milk chocolate with a raspberry meltaway center. I can't get enough of those. They're so addicting. I decided to use them for some of the cupcakes. Oh my goodness! It was so good. I almost think I like that better. But either way it was so delicious! 

Printable Recipe

Lindt Truffle Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from The Sisters Cafe

1 box devils food cake mix

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
24 milk chocolate Lindt Lindor Truffles

Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap truffles and place in a bowl. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water, and sour cream. Mix well. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 5 minutes. Lightly press truffle into partially baked cupcakes. Bake for an additional 13-15 minutes. Cool completely then frost.

cream cheese frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

food coloring, if desired

To make frosting cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar until mixed well. Add desired food coloring. 

Makes 24 cupcakes

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Printable Recipe

Lemon Garlic Tilapia
adapted from All Recipes

4-6 tilapia filets
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse tilapia with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over filets, then drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper. Bake for 15-20 or until fish is white and flaky.

Andes Mint Brownies

Printable Recipe

Andes Mint Brownies
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup andes mint baking chips or chopped andes mint candies

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and add sugar. Mix well. Whisk in vanilla and then eggs. Blend well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Gently stir in andes mints. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 32-35 minutes until set in the middle but not overbaked. Cook completely and cut into squares.