Colorful Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa, thoroughly washed in a fine sieve

1 3/4 c. water

15-oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1 c. frozen corn *

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped**

1 Jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped ***

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic  vinegar****

salt and pepper

*used a can instead

** I used what I had on hand and that meant cutting out the red pepper and jalapeno and replacing it with just a green bell pepper.

*** I didn't have a red onion on hand so I just used my normal onion substitute of dried chopped onion.

**** I don't really like the balsamic taste, so I substituted it with lime juice. Much better.

Recipe:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer (not removing the lid!), until all of the water has been absorbed. *

2. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Mix well.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic and pour over the quinoa; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

*I don't have a rice cooker. I followed the instructions on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5

Did I like it? Yes. Would I make it again? Yes. Did LaDon like the quinoa? Surprisingly, yes! I really don't think I would have liked this with the balsamic, so I'm glad I switched it out for the lime juice. Cilantro and lime go better together anyway. Even Ally liked it and that girl never eats new food.

Source: Girl Cooks World, Colorful Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. freshly, finely grated ginger *

1 jalapeno, stemmed, sliced in half and seeds removed

1 29-oz can tomato puree

1 1/2 c. plain yogurt **

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

2 T. Garam Masala

1 T. cumin

1/2 T. paprika

2 t. salt, or to taste

3/4 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1-3 t. cayenne pepper***

2 bay leaves

1 c. heavy cream****

1/2 T cornstarch

prepared long grain white rice or Basmati rice

chopped cilantro, for serving

*I just used my ground ginger

** I had vanilla flavored on hand

*** This depends on how much kick you want in your food. I went for 2ish t.

**** Um....COMPLETELY forgot to put the cream in! Just now realizing this two days after making.

Recipe:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced jalapeno, tomato puree, plain yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.

2. Pour half of sauce mixture into a large slow cooker then add in diced chicken. Cover chicken with the remaining sauce.

3. Add in 2 bay leaves. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low heat for 8 hours OR high heat for 4.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch. Pour mixture into slow cooker and gently stir.

5. Allow mixture to cook 20 minutes while you prepare the rice. Remove bay leaves and sliced jalapeno and serve warm over rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Rating: 4 of 5

Based on taste. If it were on just ease, then it would be a 5. I mean, seriously, how does it get better than a crock pot?? Okay, so considering I completely spaced the cream, I thought this dish was super delicious. I've gotta think that the cream might tone down the amount of "kick" this dish has. It taste just like authentic Tikka Masala (well, at least the one time I've had it. There are a lot of Indians in our neck of the woods). Just from past eating experiences, everything Indian always tastes better with pita bread, which I didn't have time to make, so this dish would have been even better! If you're new to Indian food, then this is a good starter dish. Also, I loved how it made our apartment smell! So many good spices in this one. Um....delicious.

Source: Cooking Classy, Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine

1 t. canola oil

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 T. chili powder

2 t. ground cumin

3 t. sugar

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 c. water

1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)

2 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 6-inch soft corn tortillas

cooking spray

salt and ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 t. salt, and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

5. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

6. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

7. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 c. of the enchilada sauce, 1 c. cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

8. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cove with plastic wrap; microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

10. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

11. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

12. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

13. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

These enchiladas were good, but they weren't out of this world, or even on par with restaurant enchiladas at all. But, then again, I have pretty high standards for enchiladas. Have you been to Mama Chu's in Provo (their chimichangas are to.die.for. delicious)? I liked the browning process of the tortillas at the very beginning to give it the crunch factor. I thought the spicy factor for this dish was just right. I was expecting it to be a little bit more kick-y with 2 jalapenos AND 3 T. of chili powder. But, it was fine. At this point, I'm not sure if I would make these again. Not because they weren't good, but just because I think there is a better enchiladas recipe out there.

Source: Pink Parsley, Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

I'm pretty much failing at taking pictures. I just get so excited to taste the food that I forget to snap one!

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, defrosted *

1 24-oz. jar medium or milk salsa

juice of one lime

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped**

1 package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

*which, of course, I just threw in frozen

** we love cilantro so I put in about 1/2 c.

Recipe:

1. In a slow cooker, mix together salsa, lime, cilantro, taco seasoning, peppers.

2. Add chicken and coat with salsa mixture.

3. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

4. Serve as a whole breast, or shred and serve in tacos.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

This is a pretty average dish. It's not bad, but it didn't blow our socks off like I thought it might. We ate it shredded in tortillas. If you eat it with fresh cilantro, then it begins to rise to the "knock your socks off" levels. It was super easy though. So, you can't really taste the lime or the cilantro, and the taco seasoning taste is low too. Basically, you could really taste the salsa. I think next time I would double the lime and cilantro.

Source: PipandEbby.com, Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing ~ Cafe Rio Style

(This picture is not of the completed dressing. I forgot to take one, so imagine little pieces of cilantro and jalapeno blended in there and you got it.)

Ingredients:

2 c. prepared Ranch dressing (can use buttermilk ranch recipe) *

1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 c. chopped cilantro)

2 large or 4 small tomatillos

1/2 t. minced garlic

2 T. fresh lime juice

1 diced jalapeno pepper

* I made according to the directions on the package, but instead of mayo I used sour cream

Recipe:

Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you're following and set aside.
Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped. (If you don't have a food processor, I'd chop all ingredients well by hand and then blend dressing in a blender.) * Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed. Add the 2 cups of prepared dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve.

* I don't have a food processor and just used my blender. I thought it did a fine job of getting everything all blended.

Rating: 4 of 5
If you are looking for a spot-on Cafe Rio dressing recipe, then this is not it. But it is pretty darn close. I think the problem with my batch of dressing is that I put in a larger jalapeno and not one of the smaller ones. I have never cooked with tomatillos or jalapenos so I'm not familiar with the strength of the taste. Next time I will just use a smaller jalapeno. All in all, we liked it. LaDon kept saying, "This is so good," so I think it's a keeper and repeat. Also, it makes a pretty big batch!

Source: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/recipe-favorites-cafe-rio-style-creamy.html