Mexi Corn Dip

Mexi Corn Dip

3 cans mexi-corn (drained)
1 can of rotel (drained)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
1 cup shredded onion
chopped green onion

Mix all in bowl and let sit overnight.  Stir and serve with chips.

Mexican Cheese Dip

Mexican Cheese Dip

Source: Deana Magnuson

1 block velveeta cheese dip
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black olives (chopped)
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb  ground beef (sometimes she adds 1/2 lb ground pork sausage too)
Garlic Powder

Brown and crumble beef (season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder).

In a large sauce pan, add rotel, tomatoes, onion, and start heating while cutting velvetta into chunks and chucking into the pan.  Stir constantly to keep from scorching.  Before completely melted add beef and black olives.  Continue to stir until fully mixed and melted.  Serve with your favorite chips and enjoy.

Corn Casserole

This recipe was shared with me by my cousin Arna.  She doesn't cook much but this is one thing she does cook. And it is very good!

Corn Casserole
Source: Arna Vargas

1 can whole kernal corn, dranined
1 can cram style corn
1 8 oz package jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl stir together all the ingredients but the cheese.  Mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and top with cheese.  Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Chicken Enchiladas

This skinny recipe for Chicken Enchiladas is adapted from a recipe I found on the Cooking Light website.  I made them today for us and my two visiting nieces.  I thought I'd have leftovers for lunch Monday - - think again.

Chicken Enchiladas - each enchilada approx.150 calories

1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (cayenne)
2 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
12 oz. shredded, skinless boneless rotisserie chicken
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
12 (6 inch) Mission Extra Thin yellow corn tortillas
Cooking spray
2-3 cups 2% Mexican blend cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Plain Greek  yogurt

Preheat broiler to high. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Put the butter in a medium sauce pan and sauté the onion and garlic until tender.  Add chicken stock, spices, and tomato sauce.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups for later.  Add the beans and chicken and cook for about 3 minutes or until chicken is hot. 

Stack tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.  Scoop about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture into tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.  Top with reserved sauce and cheese.  Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and sauce is bubbly.  Top with tomatoes  Greek yogurt, and cilantro

Tacos - Barry Style

This summer we've started a new thing.  My best-est friend Jennifer and her husband bought a hot tub.  So every Saturday night (well maybe not every Saturday night but almost every one!) we go over for dinner, visiting, and a dip in the hot tub.  Sometimes Barry fires up the fire pit and we roast marshmallows. It's always a great time.  The kids love playing together and it's a relaxing evening for Dan & I.

This past Saturday night, I made an apple pie to take over and Barry made tacos.  His version of tacos are OUT.OF.THIS.WORLD.  Seriously! They are phenomenal.

Taco's Barry Style
Source: Barry Hoofnagle

Butter Crisco
Mission brand flour tortillas (super soft burrito size)

1 pound Hamburger -I brown my hamburger with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When it's cooked through then add in 4 oz can of tomato sauce and 1 package of Williams taco seasoning. Cook on low for a few minutes to heat up the sauce.

Toppings of your choice, we like:
Sour Cream
Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes, diced
Onion, diced
Black Olives, sliced
Salsa
Ketchup (I like this and I know it's a redneck thing, I'm okay with embracing my roots.)

So what I did was I assembled all the toppings.  Then I browned my hamburger, once I added in the tomato sauce and seasoning packet I put it on low to simmer and started on my tortillas.  (which is what makes this recipe so special.)

In a large skillet put a dollop of Crisco and heat.  When hot put in 1 flour tortilla.  Cook until brown (but still soft) --- be careful this doesn't take long, then flip and do the same on the other side.  Put on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Then cover with a paper towel and continue until you've cooked all the tortillas that you will need, adding more Crisco as you go as needed.

Per Barry the secret to making these taste so yummy...is this.  Nothing else will be as good.  After tasting his, who am I to argue?

Beef and Chicken Fajitas

We had dinner with our best-est friends today.  Deana made fajitas that were so good.   We had a fajita bar, guacamole, cheese dip, and fruit salsa with cinnamon crisps. 

Beef & Chicken Fajitas

Source: Deana Magnuson - who found the recipe on Pinterest

1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chipotle seasoning
3 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 2 lb.)
1 (2-lb.) flank steak

Whisk together first 8 ingredients. Pour half of marinade into a large zip-top plastic freezer bag, and add chicken breasts; seal bag. Repeat procedure with remaining marinade and flank steak. Chill 2 hours. (or overnight)

Grill chicken and steak at the same time. Grill steak, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness; grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove from grill, and let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak and chicken diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

Guacamole

I haven't always been a fan of guacamole and it wasn't until Dan and I went to Dallas that I realized that I did like it....if it was made correctly.  We ate at a fabulous Mexican restaurant and we tried their table side prepared guacamole.  I loved it!  Later we ate at Cantina Laredo in Branson and I watched carefully and have recreated (or something pretty close) to their guacamole.

Guacamole

1 lime
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 large avocado (ripe, slightly soft to squeeze)
1/3 cup red onions, finely diced
2 tbsp. jalapenos, finely diced and seeds removed (optional if you don't want it spicy)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup tomato, finely diced

Using a fork or one of those juicing gadget, place in the middle of the 1/2 lime and squeeze (turning fork or gadget) to get the juice into a small bowl.  Continue with the other 1/2 lime.  Mix in the sea salt, white pepper, and garlic powder.

Cut avocados in half and remove the seeds.  With a large spoon, remove the pulp and place into a mixing bowl.  With two forks, mash the avocados to make a chunky paste.

Pour the lime/seasonings over the avocados and mix.  Next add the onion, jalapenos, and mix to combine.  Last, add the tomatoes.  Serve with chips and enjoy.

Oven Baked Fajitas

This recipe has been on Facebook and a coworker friend Sheila told me how good it was.  I love Mexican and this is a healthy version so I knew I had to try it.  I made a few changes to the original recipe so here is my version.

Oven Baked Fajitas

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into chunks
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried cilantro
seasoned salt (I use Penzey's 4S, but Lawry's would work too)
2 cans Rotel
2 medium onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the chicken strips into a 13x9 baking dish (sprayed with Pam cooking spray).  Sprinkle the chicken liberally with the seasoned salt.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices.  Drizzle over the chicken and stir to coat. Next add the Rotel, peppers, onion, and garlic.  Stir to combine. 

Bake uncovered 25-35 minutes until the chicken is done and the veggies are tender.


I served with some low calorie tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheese.  Just watch the amount to keep your calories down.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
Source: Shirley (my husband's cousin)

2 cups of fresh strawberries
2 granny smith apples
2 kiwi
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apple jelly
Juice from an orange (I also put the orange pieces in)

Clean and cut all fruit into small (really small) pieces.  Mix brown sugar, apple jelly, and orange juice together.  Pour over fruit and mix.

Cinnamon chips:
10 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Brush chips with butter and sprinkle on cinnamon-sugar.  Cut each tortilla in eight wedges.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 5-12 minutes or until just crisp.  (my oven took 12 but watch because they are easy to burn.)  Serve with the fruit salsa.