Coconut, Red Curry Soup

 

This Thai soup is spicy, but if you like spicy curry, you may just like this soup.  Just a note about the Galanga Ginger, you do not have to use the powder, you can use the fresh if you like.  

Coconut, Red Curry Soup

2 pounds Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

2 heaping Tablespoons Red Curry Paste ( less if you don't want it too spicy)

1 to 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, just enough to help spread the red curry paste evenly over the chicken

2 heaping teaspoons Galanga Powder (you can find this at an Asian Grocer, this is Galanga Ginger Powder)

1 quart Chicken Stock

1 large onion, cut into large pieces

1 or 2 carrots, sliced into coins, or oblong coins (I like 2, but my husband likes only 1)

5 stalks Lemon Grass (long stalks removed, mince the inside soft white parts only)

1 can Coconut Milk

2 Roma tomatoes

Juice of 2 limes

5 mushrooms

Add to pan: 

ginger

Olive oil

Red Curry Paste

2 pounds chicken

When chicken is sealed on all sides, add:

chicken stock

onions

carrots

lemon grass

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, covered.

Add coconut milk, tomatoes, lime juice and mushrooms.

Simmer uncovered for 1 minute.

Serve with fresh green onions.  

Lasagna in the Slow Cooker (or Crock-pot)

I like to make this meal on the weekends when I'm busy with the kids, preparing a lesson, or just wanting to be lazy.  I don't think the Hot Italian Sausage is spicy, but if you are worried that your kids or yourselves might think so, then the Mild Italian Sausage will work just the same. 

Lasagna in the Slow Cooker

1 pound(16oz) Hot Italian Sausage

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 (24oz) jar pasta sauce

1/2 cup water

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 teaspoons dried parsley

6 (uncooked) lasagna noodles

In a large pan, cook Italian sausage and onion till sausage is no longer pink, and onions are tender.  Drain.  Sprinkle on the garlic.  Pour into the meat mixture, the pasta sauce and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. 

In a medium size bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, egg and parsley. 

In a 4 quart Slow Cooker, layer ingredients in this order:

 Meat mixture (spread evenly, enough to cover the bottom)

 3 lasagna noodles (break into pieces to fit the shape and fill in all the gaps)

 1/2 ricotta mixture (spread as evenly as you can)

Meat mixture (spread evenly, about half of what is left)

3 lasagna noodles (break into pieces to fit the shape and fill in all the gaps)

1/2 ricotta mixture (spread as evenly as you can)

Meat mixture (spread evenly, the rest of the mixture)

Turn the slow cooker onto the lowest setting, place the lid on top and cook 4 to 5 hours (Cook ONLY on LOW setting)

Banana Bread

 

Banana Bread always disappears quickly in our home.  My family loves this recipe, and it slices so nicely once it is completely cooled.  I love that this bread is not crumbly.   This makes one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, but you may want to double it like I do.   

Banana Bread

3 large ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, sugars, eggs, milk and canola oil.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix till combined.  Do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Remove carefully from pan and cool completely on wire rack.  Enjoy!
 

 

Sandwich Bread

 

For the past few years, minus the summer when it is just too hot to bake, I have been making our own Sandwich Bread. My family HATES it, if for some reason I have to buy bread from the grocery store. This bread is far superior to that which you will find at the grocery store. The list of ingredients in this recipe are simple and recognizable! I can pronounce every ingredient and I know what it is. I know that my family is eating this bread, they are getting something good. Have you tried my bread? You need to!

 This recipe makes two loaves, so if your blender is small, you are going to want to make half a batch. Also, this can be done by hand as well, and it turns out just as good.

 Sandwich Bread
(This recipe makes 2 loaves)

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup gluten flour
2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the warm milk, water and yeast. With a wire whisk, stir to dissolve the yeast. Add vinegar and olive oil and give it a quick stir with the whisk.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.  With the Dough Hook attachment, mix and knead the dough for about 10 minutes(or by hand).

Spread some olive oil over the dough, cover, let rise 1 hour to double.  Prepare two loaf pans (9" x 5" each), with butter and set aside.

Punch down and remove from mixer bowl.  Knead by hand for about a minute to remove any large air bubbles.  Cut dough in half with a sharp knife (do not tear in half!), and put half back into the mixing bowl.  With a rolling pin, roll your first loaf into a rectangle, trying to roll out as many air bubbles as you can (this helps your bread have a more uniform look to it inside.  If you find your dough is too sticky, add a little olive oil (do not add flour).  Roll, jelly roll style into a rectangle. Pinch the edges and ends together to make it into a loaf.  Fold each end over onto each other, so they are connected on the top, and pinch together to make a smaller loaf.  It should still be rectangular shape.

With seam side down, place into prepared loaf pan, then repeat with the second loaf.  Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes.  While these are rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Uncover, place in oven and bake 25 minutes, or until done.  (The oven I have now takes 36 minutes for them to bake, but my last oven we had only took 26 minutes to bake- Keep an eye on these!)  You will know when it is thoroughly baked, if, when you tap the bottom of your loaves and it sounds hollow.  These are so easy to slice, but make sure the bread is completely cooled before slicing.

Fruit Filled Hand Pies

 

Last summer I tried a recipe for some Rhubarb Hand Pies. The filling was delicious, but the dough was just not the way I wanted it. So, after doing some research this is what I've come up with. I hope you like them.

Fruit Filled Hand Pies

Filling
Fruit Filling for Hand Pies

Dough
1 cup cake flour
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small cubes
7 Tablespoons very cold water

Egg Wash
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer that has been chilled in the fridge for about 10 minutes, whisk the flours, sugar and salt till well combined. Add the butter and with the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then up to medium speed for another 30 seconds. Add the cold water and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. If the dough is not coming together in large clumps, it's too dry so add a bit more cold water so it will. Continue mixing till it turns into one big mass of dough that's all stuck together.

The dough should be cold to the touch the entire time you are making the hand pies. If at any time the dough does not feel cold, just place it back in the fridge for 15 minutes and you will be good to go. Lightly dust the surface you will be using with flour to roll out the dough. Using a rolling pin, carefully roll out the dough. You want the dough to be thin, but not so thin it will break when you move it. If it's too thick, you won't like the results. Using a 6-inch round cookie cutter or a bowl, press to make each circle. Gather any remaining dough and roll and press till you have used up the dough. Place each circle onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and place on each, two Tablespoons of fruit filling. Using your finger, brush cold water on the outer edge of each circle and fold in half over the filling. Using the tines of a fork, press around the edges to keep the edges from coming apart.

Whisk the egg wash together till well beaten, then brush egg wash over each pie. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown in color.

Fruit Filling for Hand Pies

 

There are so many possibilities with all the combinations one can come up with, using this simple recipe. The more tart the fruit, the more sugar you'll probably want to add. The samples that I have here, are from last summers fruit that I had frozen and kept in the freezer. I just stuck them in my food processor and pulsed till it was the consistency that I wanted. I usually like mine chopped pretty small, but not pureed. I accidentally pureed the Nectarines, but no matter, it still tastes AWESOME.

Fruit Filling for Hand Pies
3 cups chopped fruit(frozen works just as well)
2-3 Tablespoons sugar(to taste)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or lemon juice(optional-I left it out this time)

In a pan over medium heat, bring all the ingredients to a boil and boil for two minutes, or until it thickens.

Remove from heat, allow to cool enough to transfer to a container(I used jars because they are my favorite), set in fridge to cool completely before using.

Breakfast Cookies

 

There are no sugar or eggs in this recipe, yet they are not even missed. I just love these, and they are rather simple to make. It will bake in the same size and shape you make them, so what you see is what you get. The only dried fruit I had on hand was dried Cranberries, so that is what is in the picture, but anything you like will do.

Breakfast Cookies
1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup Flax seed Meal
1/2 cup chopped, Mixed nuts
1 cup dried fruit(a combination or just one fruit)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet, or line with Parchment Paper.

In a large bowl, combine Oats, coconut, Flax seed Meal, nuts, fruit, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Stir till well distributed.

In another bowl, combine, oil, banana and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well.

With your hands, roll about two Tablespoons of batter, squeezing tightly. Place onto prepared baking sheet, press down and shape into cookies. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Basic Bread Sticks(Hamburger Buns or Hot Dog Buns)

 

These take some time, but are quite easy to make. I made these to go with our soup we had last night.

Bread sticks

1 1/2 cups milk
1/8 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
3 cups flour, plus

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of the honey. Add milk, the rest of the honey, salt and oil and stir till mixed well. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, and mix well. Add rest of the flour and any extra you need so you can handle the dough with your hands. Remove dough from bowl, and knead on a floured surface, adding flour as needed and knead for about 10 minutes or till dough is springy, smooth and easy to handle. Place dough in a greased(buttered or oiled) bowl, smooth side up, covered and placed in a warm place till doubled in size.

Once dough has doubled, remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough (with a knife, or scissors) into 25 pieces, as equal as you can get them. Roll each peace with floured hands, into oblong sticks and place on prepared pans. Brush with melted butter, or oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, or any other toppings you like. Let rise till double in size and bake at 400 degrees until brown and crisp(about 10-14) minutes. Makes 25 bread sticks.

This dough can me made into hamburger buns or hot dog buns as well.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

 

This could not get any easier than this. Make your own, save some money.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

Mix well, and keep in an airtight container.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

 

I saved the seeds from our pumpkin carving night, and toasted them up the next day. This is one of my favorite things about this time of year! It was EXTREMELY difficult NOT to eat these all up before I could snap a photo. Now we can eat freely- such a relief.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt

After separating the seeds from the stringy-innards, rinse them in cold water, and dry them thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, add pumpkin seeds and olive oil then stir to coat well. Spread the seeds on a baking pan, in a single layer. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake 15-20 minutes being careful not to let them burn.

Brownies

 

Usually Brownies are either cakey or fudgy, but these are the perfect combination of the two. Try them, you won't be disappointed.

Brownies
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, sliced, plus more for pan
8 ounces Chocolate(or Chocolate Chips), bittersweet, semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour(sift)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 11 x 7-inch baking pan with butter.

In a bowl of a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over simmering water, stirring gently till combined. In a large bowl, with a mixer, beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla for two minutes or until it's frothy. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir till combined well. Add flour and carefully mix by hand, till no lumps remain. Pour the brownie mixture into your prepared baking ban.

Bake about 30 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the pan.

Cool on a cooling rack, cut and eat. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Homemade Caramels

 

These are a great alternative to making Caramel Apples, or to use up any Caramel left from making Caramel Apples.

Homemade Caramels
Ingredients

Wax Paper
Candy Thermometer
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Butter the bottom and sides of a rimmed Baking Sheet.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium high heat, and stir constantly. Add the Sweetened Condensed Milk and Corn Syrup, and keep stirring till the Candy Thermometer reaches 245 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

This mixture will be full of air bubbles, so once it's off the heat, stir until most of the bubbles have popped. Pour the mixture in the prepared Baking Sheet, and spread evenly. They will be completely set in 2 hours and ready to move.

After two hours, slice with a buttered knife, lengthwise and crosswise to divide Caramel into even pieces. Cut Wax Paper into strips, and cut those strips into smaller pieces to roll up your Caramels. This took trial and error for me, it depends on what size you made your Caramels.

Caramel Apples

 

I haven't perfected a corn syrup free recipe for Caramel Apples yet, so I decided to post these anyway. I think corn syrup has no place being in so many foods, but I give this one, the exception for now.

Caramel Apples

Ingredients
10-12 apples
Candy Thermometer
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Line two baking dishes with buttered parchment paper, or just butter the pans.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium high heat, and stir constantly. Add the Sweetened Condensed Milk and Corn Syrup, and keep stirring till the Candy Thermometer reaches 245 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

This mixture will be full of air bubbles, so once it's off the heat, stir until most of the bubbles have popped. Dip and roll each apple in the caramel, letting the excess drip back in the pan, and place on prepared pans to cool. They will be completely set in 2 hours and ready to move. Enjoy.

Margarita Pizza

 

I love to eat pizza, and changing it up is a must. Tonight we made this Margarita Pizza, which has a perfect combination of flavors, mmmmmm. After eating this, I realized that every bite should have a tomatoes, so don't be afraid to put lots of tomatoes on. In the picture I only used two, and changed it to four for the recipe. Use more if you like.

Margarita Pizza


Pizza Crust
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
Mix until smooth. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes). (Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Let dough rest for a couple minutes before rolling. It will make it easier to roll. Roll dough to whatever shape pan or stone you will be using(sprinkle your pan with corn meal, or spray with cooking spray)

Pizza Toppings

1/4 cup Roasted Garlic-infused Olive Oil
Fresh Basil
Feta Cheese
Fresh, grated Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Parmesan Cheese
4 Roma Tomatoes, sliced

Spread the Garlic-infused Olive Oil over the rolled out pizza dough(use the garlic pieces too), including the sides. Spread a single layer of Fresh Basil, a thin layer each of Feta, Fresh, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella, Tomatoes. Top with Parmesan Cheese.

Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes, or till done. Tell me how it went for you. :)

Granola and Fresh Fruit Topped Greek Yogurt

 

This is a great breakfast or perfect as a snack. I've never been a fan of yogurt, but I am a fan of Greek Yogurt. I use the non-fat, and it's packed with protein, and it's so healthy.

1/2 cup Greek style Yogurt
1 Tablespoon honey
Granola
Fresh Fruit

Mix yogurt and honey, mix well. Top with Granola and fresh fruit of your choice.

Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas

 

This same recipe also works for making Toquitos, just roll about 2 Tablespoons onto a corn tortilla, spread a little olive oil across them all, and sprinkle with some Kosher Salt and bake them at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Fantastic either way!

Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
1 28 oz can green enchilada sauce(red works too, we just prefer the green)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese or any other cheese you like here
1/2 cup non fat Greek yogurt(my favorite is FAGE Total 0% from Costco)
Juice from 1 lime
12 white corn tortillas
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 large white onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions
In a medium bowl add shredded chicken, half the cheese, yogurt, lime juice, and set aside.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and add sliced white onion and cumin. Cook until tender. Add to shredded chicken mix, and mix well.

In a 9 x 13" baking dish, spread 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce evenly.

To keep the tortillas flexible, heat and fill one at a time. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Spray both sides of tortilla with Olive oil cooking spray and heat in pan about 1 minutes each side.

Spread 1 teaspoon enchilada sauce down center of tortilla, and add 1 Tablespoon chicken mix down the center as well. Roll, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with each additional tortilla.

Using the remaining enchilada sauce, ladle over all the tortillas getting it covered as well as you can. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with Sour Cream, Guacamole, Spanish Rice, or whatever you like.

Banana Cream Pie

 

 

This couldn't be easier to make, the hardest part is waiting an hour before you can devour it!

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream, divided
1 3.5oz box instant banana pudding
1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
3 bananas sliced
1 9-inch Graham Cracker Crust, baked(recipe follows)

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip 3 cups heavy cream till it starts to thicken. With the mixer still mixing, add banana and vanilla pudding and mix until thoroughly mixed and completely thickened.

Layer, Graham Cracker Crust, banana slices, half the cream mixture, bananas and the other half of the cream mixture.

Whip 1 cup cream till stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe onto top of pie, covering completely. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Can sprinkle with Graham Cracker crumbs and add banana slices just before serving.

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar

Mix in a small bowl till mixed well, and press firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

 

These are very similar in taste to the Goldfish Crackers that you can buy from the store. To get that cracker crunchiness to them, they have to be rolled very thin. Either Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar works best with these.
My kids love and miss the packaged gold fish crackers. I refuse to buy them because of their ingredients, and so they were THRILLED that I made these. I chose to make them into triangles as you can see, but no matter the shape, they will taste the same. This recipe makes a little over 100 triangles. This was a fun treat for my kids, and next time I make them, I'll double the batch and keep them in an airtight container.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers
Yield: About 100 crackers

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups coarsely grated) sharp cheddar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and whir until the dough forms into a ball, about two minutes.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface(parchment works great), with a lightly floured rolling pin until very thin(this will help them crisp). Transfer dough to an ungreased baking sheet, and score, using a pizza cutter or any tool you may have. If using a small cookie cutter, cut the shapes and then place on baking dish, re-roll dough and repeat. Bake 12-15 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges. Place baking dish on wire rack to cool. Once cooled, carefully break apart the crackers, if scored.



On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick. Form shapes with a cookie cutter, dipping it in flour from time to time to ensure a clean cut. Gently transfer crackers to an ungreased (though mine were parchment-lined, because they are in despicable shape) cookie sheet with a 1/2 inch between them. Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are barely browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool. Store in airtight container.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets(Baked)

 

I don't know about your kids, but my kids LOVE Chicken Nuggets. Not only do they taste MUCH better than the pre-packaged ones, they are healthier and have that awesome crispiness to them. This is a recipe I've been meaning to post forever, but never got around to it. Gwen, you're keeping me going here, thanks. It is a recipe that is very versatile. In place of Crispy Rice cereal, I've used bread crumbs or Panko Bread Crumbs, and I always change the seasonings each time I make them. I've added Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Cajun Seasoning, Montreal Chicken Seasoning and some of the same seasonings I use to flavor ground beef for burgers, and of course just plain.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets
3/4 cups all-purpose flour(sometimes I use whole wheat)
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups crispy rice cereal (bread and Panko crumbs work also, or a combination)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pound chicken, cut into small pieces for nuggets (I always use thighs)

Defrost your chicken, cut into small pieces for nuggets. You will need three bowls(I use pie plates) and a cookie sheet(prepare with non-stick spray). Put the crispy rice cereal, olive oil and any seasonings if you like(Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Cajun Seasoning, Montreal Chicken Seasoning or some of the same seasonings you use to flavor ground beef for burgers, or just leave them plain), in a blender, blend till it's crushed into very small pieces. Pour into one bowl. Put your beaten eggs in another bowl and flour with salt and pepper into another bowl. Do this assembly-line-style. Start by dipping your chicken into the flour till it's coated all over, then into the egg making sure it covers the entire chicken, then into the crispy rice mix, then onto your pan. I don't like my hands to get too thick and gooey, so I use one hand for the wet and the other for the dry ingredients. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Dip into whatever dips you like(my kids like ketchup, but I like BBQ sauce, or honey mustard too. I like to serve cut up fresh carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, green beans, or other fresh veggies as well with this meal. Enjoy.

Baked Creamy Chicken Toquitos

My sister, Julie made these Baked Creamy Chicken Toquitos, and I knew I had to serve these to my family. So, finally, after a few weeks I was able to get around to making these. I used the flour tortillas like my sister did, the first time, and then I used the corn tortillas the second time. When Julie made them, she used Cream Cheese like the recipe said, but I used Greek Yogurt as a substitute when I made them. I was pretty worried and ready to make a run to the store for some cream cheese if it didn't work. I didn't have to worry.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese(or Greek Yogurt, plain)
1/4 C green salsa
1T 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 (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

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

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.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

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.

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


Then roll it 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 on top.


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

The ones pictured below are actually flour tortillas- which I found out I like just as well (maybe even better!) than corn ones.


Dip ‘em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, dressing.

Makes 12-16