Shredded Beef Chimichangas

Okay, first off….a chimichanga is fried, a burrito normally has nothing done to it but stuffed with ingredients, an enchilada is baked, and it can be wet or dry….geeze, Mexican food is confusing. 🙂

DH requested a “beef mexican dish” for dinner, and this recipe from Pennies on a Platter fit the bill perfectly. Nikki has some great recipes, so check out her site!

Little did I know that I was about to encounter the best Mexican shredded beef I’ve ever had.

You heard me.

This beef is phenomenal. Even if you don’t make this into chimichangas, make the beef. Put it in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, on top of nachos, whatever. It’s amazing.

This was also my first time cooking with chipotle peppers in adobo. I know…I was a little late getting on that ship.

Delicious, flavorful, and quick thanks to the crockpot beef and mere seconds in the frying pan, this is a great meal! Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Chimichangas

(Pennies on a Platter)

6 chimichangas

4 – 6 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 lb boneless chuck roast
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup beef stock (or broth)
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how much you love garlic)
flour tortillas
choice of toppings – lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

To make the shredded beef:

Combine the spices in a small bowl.  Rub into the beef, covering all the nooks and crannies and each side evenly.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering.  Sear the meat on each side, using tongs to flip it.  Remove and place in the bottom of a large slow cooker.

With the skillet remaining over the heat, deglaze with the beef stock and scrape up any brown bits.  Whisk in the tomato paste and chipotle peppers.  Once sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened and reduced.

Meanwhile, add the onion and garlic to the top of the beef in the slow cooker.  Carefully pour the sauce over top.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Once the meat is fork tender, remove and shred with two forks.   Pour a portion of the sauce, including the onions, over top of the meat and let soak to enhance flavor.

To make the Chimichangas:

Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering.

While waiting for the oil to heat up, warm the tortillas in the microwave for 10 – 20 seconds.  Fill with a few tablespoons of shredded beef and about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.  Roll the tortilla into a burrito shape.

Once the oil is heated, place the burritos (2-3 at a time) into the skillet and brown on each side until golden.  Start with the seam side down first.

Place on paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.  Serve with desired toppings.

 

Lemon Pepper Salmon + Giveaway!

The kind folks at MyBlogSpark and Progresso (General Mills) recently sent me a new cookbook and a box of lemon pepper flavored panko to test out. They also sent me one to give away to a reader!

The cookbook is fantastic! I don’t know that I was ever specifically a Michael Chiarello fan, but this cookbook has tons of delicious, flavorful recipes that I am dying to try!

Additionally, I couldn’t wait to try the lemon pepper panko. My biggest complaint about panko is it always seems a little…well..bland. And I LOVE all things lemon pepper, so how could this go wrong?!

I did, however, cop out on making an original recipe, and instead made the lemon pepper salmon, which is listed on the back of the box.

It was delicious! The lemon pepper panko is very flavorful, and it was fantastic on the salmon.

I’m also excited to try it on chicken, pork, and a white fish! 🙂

Lemon Pepper Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

(Progresso)

1 salmon filet, 1 1/4 lb (about 3/4″ thick)

3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

1/2 cup Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Directions

– Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a baking dish with cooking spray

– Place the salmon skin side down and brush with 1 tbsp butter

– In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, cheese, onions and remaining 2 tbsp butter; press evenly over the salmon

– Bake 15-25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork

Giveaway Instructions!

You can win a package just like the one I received; with the cookbook and a box of lemon pepper panko, courtesy of General Mills and MyBlogSpark!

To enter: Leave a comment below — what’s the best new dish you’ve tried recently??

Deadline: Friday, November 19 at 8:00 pm EST

I will draw one winner Friday evening and post the winner here 🙂

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was a delicious and easy crockpot soup! I got the recipe from my co-worker, and am posting the original below, along with my changes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 Servings

4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 garlic clove (I added 2)

2 tbsp margarine (I used 1 tbsp olive oil)

2- 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth

2- 14.5 oz. cans chopped stewed tomatoes and juice (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes and juice)

1 cup salsa – hot, medium, or mild – your preference

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I used 1/4 cup because we’re not big cilantro eaters)

1 tbsp cumin

8 oz cubed monterey jack cheese

sour cream

tortilla chips

rice (optional)

Directions

– Add minced garlic and margarine to the crockpot and saute

– Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, chicken and cumin; stir

– Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours

– Divid cubed cheese into soup bowls and ladle soup over

– Add dollop of sour cream and serve with chips

Changes

– I used shredded cheese, and added it on top of the soup

– To make the soup more substantial, I served it over brown rice

 

 

Waffles of Insane Greatness

….and they truly live up to their name.

These are delicious waffles that can be made the morning you need them — but make sure you are aware that the batter needs to sit for 30 minutes before you cook the waffles!

30 minute wait time or not, these are fantastic, and we’ve actually had them three times before I could get them up on the blog!

*I always, ALWAYS double the recipe, because we eat them leftover. My doubled recipe makes 4 belgian waffle-sized waffles. The recipe below is the original.

Waffles of Insane Greatness

(Annie’s Eats)

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. sugar
½ cup whole milk
½ cup buttermilk (I often use 1 c. milk with a little lemon juice in it…same thing!)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
– In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.

– In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.

– Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.

– Serve immediately.

Yield: depends on the size/shape of your waffle iron

 

Creamy White Chicken Chili

DH has already ranked this as “The Best New Recipe of 2010” —  and 2010 isn’t over yet! LOL

It was simple to throw together, and MEGA flavorful….I think. See, I have this cold…so I’m not sure I’m tasting it 100%. Nonetheless, we both loved it — it will go into the rotation!

Side note: This recipe isn’t spicy…don’t be scared by the 2 cans of chilis…they get dampered down by the creamy add-ins at the end. 🙂

We served it with tortilla chips, but it would also be delicious with cornbread, I think!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

(Eat Live Run)

Serves 4

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 medium onion, small diced

1 T vegetable oil

2 cans cannellini beans, with juice

14.5 ounces chicken broth

2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup half & half

8 ounce reduced fat sour cream

Directions

– Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

– Add the chicken and chopped onion and saute for about six minutes, or until the chicken is seared and the onion is translucent.

– Add the garlic and cook for another three minutes.

– Add the beans, spices, chicken broth and green chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

– Turn off the heat and add the sour cream and half & half. Serve with cheddar cheese and additional sour cream to top.

Ask Me Anything! Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie

Question

Your Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie recipe calls for vegetable shortening for the dough.  Can I use butter flavored Crisco?

Answer

Yes! Vegetable shortening is Crisco…and I can’t imagine the butter flavor would be a bad thing. 🙂

You could probably also use any pasta recipe…just make sure you keep the noodles sort of thick when you roll them out 🙂

Shepherd’s Pie

This was delicious! Why haven’t I ever made this simple, hearty, and satifying dish?!

This recipe will definitely be in our regular rotation — and I find it amusing and fitting that it was Amy’s first shepherd’s pie — and I chose her recipe to follow! LOL

Very tasty, and super-fast to pull together. And versatile. You could do mini ramekins, you could do one big casserole, you can freeze it (just thaw it in the fridge before you bake) or you can make it up to 2 days in advance of baking (I made the meat mixture, cooled it, then added the potatoes and put it in the fridge, assembled. Then on the day we were eating, popped it in the oven until warm. Perfect!)

Shepherd’s Pie

(Sing for Your Supper)

Mashed Potato Topping:
5-6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thirds
1/4 cup of milk
3 tbsp sour cream
2-3 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
1/2 cup Irish extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used standard sharp cheddar)
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Boil a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and cut into thirds. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back into the pan. Add the milk, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper then mash with a masher or blend with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Cover with a lid and set aside.

Meat Filling and Sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup beef broth

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery then cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the lean ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Once the beef is done cooking, mix the peas into the mixture until well combined. Pour the beef filling into a large baking dish and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix thoroughly then slowly add the beef broth. Season with sea salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the beef mixture and mix thoroughly. Top the beef and vegetable mixture with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Fish Tacos with Baja Cream Sauce

This recipe was DELICIOUS! I can’t believe it took me so long to make fish tacos at home. It was quick, super-easy, and tasty!

I used a general seafood rub for my spice mixture, but you could literally use anything you like the flavor of 🙂

(Sorry for the bad picture…fish doesn’t exactly photograph well LOL)

Fish Tacos with Baja Cream

(Bakin and Eggs)

FOR THE BAJA CREAM
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Salt, to taste

FOR THE TACOS
1 1/2 pounds white fish fillets such as tilapia, flounder or mahi
Seasoning rub of your choice
2 tablespoon olive oil
Shredded red or purple cabbage
Shredded cheese such as cheddar, colbyjack or your choice
1 avocado, sliced
Salsa
Lime wedges
Hot sauce, such as Cholula
8 soft taco sized tortillas

Directions:

FOR THE BAJA CREAM
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead.)

FOR THE TACOS
Drizzle fish with olive oil and coat with seasoning rub. In a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add fish and cook about 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove fish from pan and cut into slices.

Arrange Baja cream and toppings on a platter and serve with fish and warmed tortillas (I usually wrap mine in a paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds).

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

I made these tasty little buggers as a result of my no-heat jalapeno plants in my garden producing like crazy!

Hubs and I both really loved these – I left the original recipe’s BBQ sauce out, and I’m glad I did…we didn’t find it was needed!

And, of course….everything’s better with bacon and cheese 🙂

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

(Sing for Your Supper)

20 fresh jalapenos, cut in half and seeded

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound bacon, cut into thirds

bbq sauce

toothpicks

Directions

– Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

– In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese

– Spread some of the cheese mixture in each jalapeno half

– Wrap each piece with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick

– Brush with BBQ sauce, and place on a baking sheet lined with foil

– Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bacon is nicely browned

Refrigerator Pickles

With the garden this year, I had quite the bounty of cucumbers. Now, I love me some cucumbers, so for the first few months, I just ate them.

But even I have a cucumber limit.

When I reached it, I found this recipe on Delicious Melicious for refrigerator pickles and jumped on it because it literally took 5 minutes! Love that!

Refrigerator Pickles

(Delicious Melicious)

3 cloves garlic, minced

fresh dill

cucumbers

Brine:

3 cups water

6 tbsp white vinegar

3 tbsp kosher salt

Directions

– Put some of the fresh dill in the bottom of each jar.

– Pack 1/2 full with cucumbers. Lay more fresh dill on top and finish filling the jar with cucumbers.

– Put minced garlic on top, pour brine into jar until it’s full.

– Put the lid on, and leave them in the refrigerator for 2 days before using.