Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

Meat:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lime juice

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. carne asada beef or flank steak *

1/2 c. finely chopped white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

4 soft tortilla breads or tortillas

Guacamole:

2 avocados, peeled and seeded

1 T. lime juice

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. blacker pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (I'm throwing this one in there)

Toppings:

3/4 c. corn

1/2 c. finely diced red bell pepper

cilantro, chopped

cheese, shredded

sour cream

salsa

* We had some Wal-Mart ribeyes that we had purchased a long time ago (a mistake, because they are not good as a steak), but thought I'd give them a try in a taco. Besides, I had to use that meat)

Recipe:

1. Mix the corn and red bell pepper together. Set aside.

Meat:

1. Place oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

2. Place beef, onions, and garlic into a large Ziploc bag and pour lime mixture inside bag. Close bag and with hands, massage beef with marinade to coat evenly.

3. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 1 hour.

4. Heat 2 T. olive oil in grill pan over medium heat. Grill beef until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Cut thin slices against the grain or on the bias.

6. Serve in warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Guacamole:

1. Place avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper (and garlic) into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined.

Rating: 5 of 5

Despite the cheap-o steak meat, these turned out fantastic! The meat tasted just like carne asada in a restaurant. So good. The guacamole, I've got to give a good score to as well. Simple. Tasty. Easy. The meat is super easy to prepare and cook as is everything in this recipe! I will definitely be making this one again!

Source: Picky Palate, Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Chicken Ranch Tacos

Ingredients:*

3 c. cooked chicken, cut up

1 pkt. taco seasoning (chicken or beef)

1/2 c. Ranch dressing

taco shells **

To Garnish:

lettuce, finely shredded

cheese

Ranch dressing

tomatoes, chopped

avocado, chopped

cilantro, chopped

sour cream

salsa

* I went the crockpot way for this recipe. Here's what I did as mentioned by those who commented on this gal's blog. I used a pkg. of taco seasoning, a pkt. of dry ranch dressing mix, and about 3/4 c. chicken broth, 4 chicken breasts(defrosted).

** I went with corn tortillas and soft fried them (aka: fried them in oil but didn't let them get crispy and kept them pliable.)

Recipe:*

1. Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and warm it for a few minutes.

2. Sprinkle on the dry taco seasoning. Do NOT add any water.

3. Heat for 5-7 minutes until all heated through and powder is stuck to the chicken.

4. Add Ranch dressing, heat an additional 2-3 minutes to warm through.

5. Serve in taco shells with all the fixings you love - plus an extra squirt of Ranch.

*Crockpot version: put the chicken breasts in the pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning and ranch mix on top. Pour chicken breasts on top of that. The water is just barely enough to cover the chicken breasts so I rolled mine in the mixture a few times. I turned mine on high(I was in a bit of a time crunch), for 2 hours. At 2 hours I took the chicken out and shredded it. I then put the chicken back in for another hour. When it came time to serve the chicken I drained it of all the juices that collected at the bottom and served it in a new bowl. That amount of chicken fed LaDon, two missionaries, and myself about 16 tacos.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

In all honesty, I couldn't separate the chicken taste from the whole taco. So.....the chicken, plus the shells and everything I put on it was so delicious. I didn't put any ranch on my taco, though. Too much Ranch reminds me of my morning sickness with Ally and then all those sick-y feelings come rushing back. Anyways....I think the boys each averaged about 5 tacos, so it made a pretty good amount. The only thing I would have added is a lime wedge for a few squirts of lime juice. Yum! There is something absolutely delicious about cilantro and lime together. Oh, I'm sure that the way this recipe is supposed to be prepared is great, but it sure is nice being able to do everything in the crockpot. Especially when company is coming over.

Source: Do You Smell That!!?, Chicken Ranch Tacos

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

Pita Chicken

(terrible picture...phone camera)

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 T olive oil

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4 c. salsa *

2 pita bread rounds

1 c. shredded lettuce

1/2 c. sliced avocado **

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

sour cream, dolloped on top

**we added a little bit of shredded cheese**

*I used Wal-Mart brand Peach Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. Tasty!

** I actually chopped mine

Recipe:

1. Cut chicken into strips. In a skillet, saute chicken in hot oil until almost done. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper over chicken. Add salsa and simmer until chicken in done, about 5 minutes.

2. Split pitas in half, fill with chicken, and top with tomato, lettuce, avocado, and sour cream.

Rating: 4.75 of 5

We loved this! I'm not even sure what made it soooo good, but I wish I would have doubled this recipe! The chicken is divine and all the toppings compliment if perfectly (except the lettuce. Ditched the lettuce. I always ditch lettuce unless I'm making a salad.) Definitely recommend this one!

Source: AllRecipes, Dinner Tonight, pg. 232

Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:

1 c. finely chopped strawberries

1/3 c. orange, peeled and finely chopped

2/3 c. kiwifruit, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh pineapple or one 8-oz can crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 c. green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c. yellow or green sweet pepper, finely chopped

1 T. lime or lemon juice

1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped, optional

1 recipe Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps

Recipe:

1. In a bowl combine strawberries, orange, kiwifruit, pineapple, green onions, sweet pepper.

2. Cover and chill for 6-24 hours. If you're going to chill for longer than 6 hours, then stir in the strawberries just before serving.

3. Serve with Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps.

Rating: 4 of 5

Well, LaDon did not think this was going to be good at all. But, surprise! It actually was. The green onion is pretty strong among all the fruit, but it off-sets everything well. Also, the sweet pepper is noticeable but is good with the kiwi and strawberry. I will definitely make this again at some point.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, pg. 65

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

3 T. white wine vinegar

1 t. honey

3/4 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. smoked paprika *

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground red pepper

2 T. canola oil

Salad:

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

cooking spray

8 oz. skinless, boneless turkey or chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces **

1/4 t. salt

8 c. torn romaine lettuce ***

1/2 c. pico de gallo

1/2 c. diced avocado

1/2 c. (2 oz) crumbled queso fresco, feta, or shredded pepperjack ****

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

*Never knew smoked paprika was an option. So, I used what I had and that was ground paprika.

** Got my chicken breast from a rotisserie. Hooray for Costco's $5 chickens!

*** I'm a lettuce snob. I pretty much use green leaf over any other kind of lettuce.

****I went with a mix of shredded pepperjack, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses.

Recipe:

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine, or place in a jar and shake. Set aside.

2. To prepare salad, heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle turkey or chicken with salt and add to pan. Saute until done, about 4 minutes.*

3. Arrange 2 c. lettuce on each of 4 plates and divide ingredients among them. If you want to be specific, each serving should have about: 2 t. bacon, 5 T. chicken, 2 T. pico de gallo, 2 T. avocado, 2 T. cheese, 1 T. green onions, and 1/3 c. beans.

4. Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over salads.

*I'm not sure if the 4 minutes is for raw or cooked chicken. My chicken was already cooked. Rather than coating the pan with cooking spray, I cooked my bacon first, removed the bacon, drained the fat out, and then threw in the chicken. Not that that lowered the calories in any way...

Rating: 4.5 of 5

This salad surprised me! I wasn't expecting much since I knew the onion in the pico de gallo was really strong and the pepper hot, but the vinaigrette and every thing else on the salad blended perfectly! LaDon doesn't like vinaigrette very often, so the fact that he really liked this salad including the dressing is saying a lot. Good veggies. Lots of flavor. And very delicious.

Source: OurBestBites.com, Southwestern Cobb Salad

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

about 3 Roma tomatoes

1 smallish jalapeno pepper *

1/2 small onion

Measurements for remaining ingredients are approximate:

1/2 lime juiced (for more flavor juice the whole thing)

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Kosher salt to taste, optional

*our local produce store was out! So, we decided to experiment with pepper tastes and went for an Anaheim pepper.

Recipe:

1. Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane that contains the seed. It's okay if some seeds get in there, but if you have all of them, it's going to get a little sloppy. Cut into small chunks

2. Finely dice the onion. Toss with the tomato.

3. Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired. Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

4. Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. If you want more lime flavor, add a little more.

5. Add your giant pinch of cilantro. Combine well. Add a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt, taste, and add more if desired.

6. This is best if it stands for a few hours before you serve it, but the juices will run and gather in the bottom of the bowl.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

We like this recipe. The Anaheim pepper was really hot, but I think the jalapeno would decrease some of the fire. I rarely use raw onion in anything (always a dried chopped onion kinda girl) so the onion was a little surprising and strong for my taste. Love the lime and cilantro. In fact, I doubled the called for cilantro and used the whole lime instead of half. Next time I think I will cut the amount of onion in half and definitely try to find a jalapeno pepper!

Source: OurBestBites.com, Pico de Gallo

Sour Cream Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 c. salsa*

2 T. cornstarch

1/4 c. sour cream

* I used the generic Wal-Mart brand medium salsa

Recipe:

1. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken. Top with the salsa.

2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. *

3. When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Place about 2 T. cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir well. Stir the cornstarch mixture into salsa sauce. **

4. Stir in a 1/4 c. sour cream. Serve over chicken.

* As with most crockpot recipes, you can speed this up by cooking on High for 3-4 hours.

** You can substitute cornstarch with Minute Tapioca(says on the box how much you will need) or all-purpose flour (double the amount of cornstarch you would use).

*** So, I followed the recipe until it came time to remove the chicken. I let it cook for 7ish hours, took the chicken out and shredded it, then put it back in the crockpot for a half hour. After 30 minutes I stirred in the 1/4 c. sour cream. So rather than ending up with chicken and salsa, I just made a creamy/spicy chicken spread. ***

Rating: 4 of 5

We really liked this recipe they way I cooked it. We had it in tortillas and called it a taco night. This is super good with the Texas Caviar/Bean Dip in a tortilla. You can definitely taste the taco seasoning and salsa in this chicken. So...make sure you like taco seasoning and that you put in a salsa that you like! Daniel loved it...of course. I also loved it because it's super easy. Crockpots are my favorite.

Source: Slowandsimple.com, Sour Cream Salsa Chicken

Texas Caviar or Bean Dip

I've seen this recipe by a few names, but either way you call it, it's delicious!

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can black beans, drained

1 15-oz can corn, drained

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, chopped*

1 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. green onion, chopped

1 package dry Italian dressing mix, prepared as instructions direct **

1/4 c. vinegar

3 T. water

1/2 c. oil

* I left out the avocados this time. Honestly, I don't really think they add much other than a mushy factor. Avocados, by nature, are rather bland and actually absorb the taste of the flavors it's around.

** I actually half the vinegar, water, and oil, but keep the full amount of dressing mix. I do this just because as the dressing sits overnight or for a few hours, the tomatoes tend to run. So....when I half it the dip isn't soupy by morning.

Recipe:

1. Dump all ingredients except for dressing in a medium bowl.

2. Mix Italian dressing together in a dressing vase or ziploc bag. To do so, pour in 1/4 c. vinegar and 3 T. water. Add the dressing and shake well. Add the oil to the mixture and mix again.

3. Pour dressing over vegetables in bowl. Mix together.

4. Refrigerate approximately 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Rating: 5 of 5

Honestly, this is one of our favorites! It can be put together in less than 10 minutes and, I think, is pretty healthy. Love it! Eat it! I do think a little garlic might be a tasty addition...or maybe just a hint of lime. I'm not sure....I'll have to try that next time.

Source: um...not sure, but I've seen it everywhere. Today I'll site Ann Griggs.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

1/3 c. (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 c. green salsa

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/2 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 t. granulated garlic, or garlic powder

3 T. chopped cilantro

2 T. sliced green onions

2 c. shredded cooked chicken

1 c. grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas

kosher salt

Recipe:

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. (It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.) *

4. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. **

5. Roll the tortilla up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt of top.

6. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

* I, honestly, don't care if the tortillas cracked. I would roll some that were practically ripped in half.

** Rather than spreading the mixture on just the lower third, I spread it all around and really didn't pay much attention to this step. We like out taquitos thick and less corn torilla-y.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

We loved these! I don't really know what to say about them other than they are absolutely delicious! But, let's be honest, everything that comes from Our Best Bites is absolutely delicious. Really, though, I love the crunchy tortilla you get from baking them. The creamy chicken filling is a nice flavorful blend of everything American-Mexican. Unworthy review of the amazing-ness of these taquitos.

Source: Our Best Bites, Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Pork Barbacoa ~ Cafe Rio Style

Ingredients:

4-5 lb. pork roast

21 oz. Dr. Pepper or Coke, do NOT use diet soda

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (only use sauce unless wanted desire spice and blend 2-3 of the chilies)

6+ oz. salsa

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. cumin

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Recipe:

1. Place roast in crock pot, cover halfway with water and cook on low for 12 hours.

2. After 12 hours, drain water from pork.

3. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl. Do so until sugar dissolves.

4. Add mixture to the roast and cook on low an additional 4 hours.

5. Take out roast and shred. Add back to sauce and cook for 2 more hours.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I thought this tasted like the real deal. Definitely having more of this in the future.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing ~ Cafe Rio Style: Take 2

A few months back we tried to make Cafe Rio's famous "house" dressing. It was pretty good, but not quite there. So, here is a different recipe attempting to catch the same flavor as Rio's. Also, this version is was less labor intensive....not that there is that much to do when making a dressing, though.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. dry Ranch Dressing

3 T. salsa verde

1/8 t. Tabasco

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 c. mayonnaise

3/4 c. sour cream

1/2 grated lime peel and juice, to taste

Recipe:

1. Blend above ingredients in blender. Thin with milk if needed.

Rating: 4.75 of 5

I actually think this comes pretty darn close. I think it probably would have been spot on if I hadn't added as much lime juice as I did. I haven't had it on the salad yet, so it might taste more like it when all is added together. Either way, it's good. This one looks more like Rio's than the other recipe.

Source: Our ward's RS. I don't know where they got it from though.