honey lime chicken enchiladas (guest post)

Oh my goodness, don't those look delicious???!!!  I'm so excited to welcome Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box as a guest blogger today.  You MUST go check out her blog - she's got some great stuff on there!  I can't wait to try out this particular recipe.  Maybe I'll get Cookie Bandit to make it for me after baby gets here... :)

Hey everyone! I'm Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box. I am happy to be here today to help Kristin out. I love it when I can guest blog or when I have guest bloggers on my blog. It lets you meet new people and find new blogs you may not otherwise. Let me tell you a little about myself.

I am a wife and mother of 3, 2 girls (9 & 3) and a boy (7). They keep me on my toes and I love having them in the kitchen with me. I love cooking and baking (especially desserts) and I'm a converted country girl. I used to be a total Utah city girl until I met and married a farmer from Idaho. We moved to the middle of nowhere and the rest is history! 

Today I am sharing a favorite dish of mine - Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas. These bad boys taste even better the next day as leftovers, if you ask me. The combo of honey and lime is incredible without being overly sweet. Give them a try, and you're sure to love them.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 Tbsp honey

4.5 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb cooked chicken, shredded (you can also use shredded pork. That's what I did here.)

flour tortillas

colby or monterey jack cheese, shredded

10 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Mix first 4 ingredients together and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least a half hour. Pour some green enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 10x10 casserole dish or 9x13 pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in the dish. Pour the rest of the can of green enchilada sauce over enchiladas then sprinkle with more cheese. (When using a 9x13 I like to use 1 1/2 10 oz. cans) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (Put it under the broiler at the end to make the cheese brown and crispy on the top.) Serve and enjoy.

I hope you'll come visit me at Mandy's Recipe Box. I'm also on Facebook, so visit me there, too!

Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box

Mandy's Recipe Box is on Facebook

ever considered blogging?

Have you ever considered what it would be like to blog?  Wanted to give it a try?  Have a favorite recipe that you are just dying to share with the world???

Well, I'd like to invite you to give blogging a shot by guest blogging for Delightful Country Cookin'!  You see, with the baby coming any day, I've been more than busy trying to get everything ready.  I haven't really had a chance to do much cooking, much less blog about my cooking.  And I miss it!  Delightful Country Cookin' is looking so empty lately!

I figured, why not use this time in my life to allow you to shine?  I know that several of you have delicious recipes that you want to share.  There are many of you with an inner writer or photographer just itching to get out. :)  And I've talked to quite a few who have always wondered what it would be like to blog.  Well, come find out!

If you are already a blogger, I'd also like to invite you to write a guest post.  It's a great way to draw attention to your own blog and hopefully expand your readership.  There are so many great food blogs out there - I just love learning about new ones!

If you are interested, go on up to the "Contact the Cook" tab and shoot me an e-mail!  I'll walk you through the whole process (which is incredibly easy, by the way).  I do hope that several of you will consider it, and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

rush-hour recipes: we have a winner!

We have a winner!!!

Congratulations to Spradlin.cindy@yahoo.com - you've won a free copy of Rush-Hour Recipes!  Here's what she said..."It is hard to choose out of these... but if I must it would be the cheesy potatoes for me."  

And good news for our winner...the winning recipe was the cheesy scalloped potatoes!!!  It was your overwhelming choice, and (I must say) it was an excellent one.

 First, you slice up about 6-8 potatoes.  The recipe says to peel them first, but I left the skins on.  I figured I should eat my fiber.

Then, combine a can of Cheddar cheese soup, a can of cream of broccoli soup, milk, swiss cheese, onions, and garlic.  It doesn't look all that appetizing now, but it's what gives this dish its great flavor.

Finally, shred some Cheddar cheese and chop up some green onions.

To assemble, grease a LARGE slow cooker and layer some of the potatoes...

...some of the soup...

...and then some of the Cheddar cheese and green onions.  Continue layering until all of the ingredients have been used.

Turn your slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours...and voila! You've got perfectly cooked potatoes in a delicious cheesy sauce.  Your house will smell out-of-this-world delicious, too.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
from Gooseberry Patch's Rush-Hour Recipes
10 3/4 oz. can Cheddar cheese soup
10 3/4 oz. can cream of broccoli soup
1 1/4 cup milk
2 cups Swiss cheese, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, chopped

In a bowl, mix soups, milk, Swiss cheese, yellow onion and garlic; set aside.  Spray a slow cooker with non-stick vegetable spray.  Layer some of the potatoes, soup mixture, Cheddar cheese and green onions.  Repeat layering until all of the ingredients have been used.  Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on high setting for 5 to 6 hours.  Serves 6 to 8.   

Thanks for all of your entries, and be sure to get your own copy of this cookbook in your local bookstore or online retailer.  You don't want to miss out on any of the other wonderful recipes!

rush-hour recipes: review and giveaway

Thought I'd disappeared???

Nope.  I was just busy celebrating the holidays, traveling, turning the big 3-0, and letting my husband do the cooking (that's what you do when you are pregnant, right?).  I was also testing out some delicious recipes from one of Gooseberry Patch's newest cookbooks...Rush-Hour Recipes! 

This is an awesome cookbook for those of us who need a quick meal or who want delicious food without spending all day in the kitchen.  I especially appreciated it at this point in my life...I've now got the figure of the Pillsbury Dough Boy and am moving at the pace of a snail.  It was nice to know that I could provide delicious meals for my husband even though I haven't really felt like cooking.  Everything was so easy that I didn't mind being in the kitchen one bit!

Rush-Hour Recipes is full of 230 recipes for those busy times in life.  I love the fact that it includes slow-cooker meals and potluck dishes as well as the run-of-the-mill family dinners.  You can find something for every occasion in this cookbook!  And like all of Gooseberry Patch's signature cookbooks, it's full of those cute little drawings and kitchen tips to make the cookbook just as fun to read straight through as it is to cook from.  I highly recommend it!

Once again, we picked a recipe from each chapter to try out and share with you.  Here they are, each given its own "reward"!

Messiest Main Meal

Crispy Corn Flake Chicken from the chapter "5-Ingredient Favorites"

 

These chicken legs were easy to assemble and had a wonderful flavor...but boy were they messy!  If you have kids, they'll love them (just make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand).  Being the refined adult that I am (yeah, right!), I think I'll use boneless chicken breasts next time so that I can use a fork and knife.  However you do it, the coating is delish!

Most Comforting

Tuna Tetrazzini from the chapter "One-Dish Dinners"

Tuna casserole is one of those dishes I associate with childhood, so it's perfect on those days when you just want something warm to fill you up.  I made this one when Cookie Bandit had a cold - I'm not sure he could taste much with his sniffles and all, but he ate every bit of it up.  I didn't have a cold, so I can vouch that it was excellent.  I loved how easy it was to put together, how creamy the texture turned out, and how much it reminded me of being a little kid.  It's definitely a must-try.

Most Flavorful

Tony's Peasant Soup from the chapter "Soup's On!"

Haha...so we have a confession regarding this soup.  We didn't actually follow the recipe.  We meant to, but I let Cookie Bandit make out the shopping list.  With him in charge, fresh basil turned into dried, and Italian sausage turned into sausage links.  We went with it though, and absolutely loved it!  I guess it just shows you how versatile this particular recipe is.  It's also an extremely quick fix if you use link sausage and precooked chicken breast like we did.  It was perfect for the one cold day we've had in Dallas...now if the temperature would go down, I'd make it again!

Richest Side Dish

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes from the chapter "Slow Cookers to the Rescue"

These scalloped potatoes were made in the slow cooker!!!  Can you believe it?  I couldn't!  I was so intrigued by the idea that I just had to try it.  Man, my house smelled amazing that day.  Cookie Bandit walked into the door and just started sniffing...it was all I could do to get him to wait for dinner.  The potatoes cooked perfectly, and the sauce was creamy and delicious.  This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so it's perfect for a potluck!

Best Make-Out Bread

Quick Brown Bread from the chapter "Make-a-Meal Sides"

Odd choice of an award?  Yes.  But let me tell you...every time Cookie Bandit and I ate this bread, we started kissing!!!  We don't know why, but we liked it. :)  He was very, very sad when we finished eating the loaf.  So...just a warning...don't serve this bread to anyone you don't like!  On a more serious note, this bread was a fantastic find.  I whipped it up in about 5 minutes, and it finished baking just in time for the soup to be done.  It's made with all whole wheat and flavored with molasses, so it passed my "relatively healthy" test.  And, it's amazing in the morning with jam or Nutella.  Loved, loved, loved it!

Most Crowd Pleasing

Very Best Texas Caviar from the chapter "Speedy Potluck & Party Foods"

This stuff was so good!  It took just minutes to assemble, made tons of servings, and stole the show as the most colorful thing on the dinner table.  I ate it as an appetizer with tortilla chips, slopped it on top of my nachos, and later ate it straight up as a side.  Either way, I thought it was delicious.  The nice thing about making this dish yourself is that you can adjust the heat by changing how much jalapeno you include.  It's also a great source of fiber and veggies.  Lately, it's been unusual for me to go gaga over a vegetable, but I really loved this.

Cookie Bandit gets to pick which one of the above recipes I share with you.  It didn't take long for him to decide on his overall favorite...of course he picked the bread!  What husband doesn't love kissing his wife??? :) 

 Combine the milk and vinegar and let it just sit and coddle...or, use straight up buttermilk instead!  Your pick!

Mix together the whole-wheat flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda...

Mix together the egg, molasses, and shortening or oil with the buttermilk mixture...

Then combine the wet and dry ingredients and pour the batter into a greased loaf pan!

Thirty minutes later at 350 degrees, your bread is done!

Be sure to try some warm and slathered in honey butter...yum.

Quick Brown Bread

From Gooseberry Patch's Rush-Hour Recipes

1 cup milk

1 T. white vinegar

2 cups whole-wheat lour

1 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup shortening, melted and cooled, or oil

Combine milk and vinegar in a small bowl; let stand for a few minutes.  In a separate large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Mix thoroughly and set aside.  Add remaining ingredients to milk mixture.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just enough to barely mix.  Pour batter into a well-greased 9"x5" loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean.  Makes one loaf.

So...how can YOU win a free copy of Rush-Hour Recipes?  Just leave me a comment answering the following question - which of the other recipes featured above would you like me to share?  I'll tally up the answers and share that recipe when I announce the winner!  (Please also make sure I have access to a valid e-mail so that I can contact you if you win.  No contact info, no entry!)  Giveaway ends January 8 at midnight (Central time).  Winner announced Monday, January 9.

PS - Gooseberry Patch gave me a free book to review as well as another to give away, but the views and opinions (and pictures!) presented in this post are entirely my own!   Disclosure...check!

creamy lemon-pepper bow tie pasta

The weather is finally getting cold here, and nothing warms us up like a creamy pasta dish.  This one is incredibly easy and makes a beautiful side or main dish.  The flavors are also fantastic and can be easily customized to meet your individual tastes.  You must try it!

First, sprinkle some strips of chicken breast very liberally with lemon pepper seasoning.  The lemon-pepper absolutely makes this dish, so don't go skimpy!  Cook the chicken with some minced garlic in some olive oil until it's cooked through.  Once it's done, remove it to another dish and keep it warm.

Pour some chicken broth into the skillet and add vegetables, cream cheese, and lemon juice.  You can use fresh vegetables or frozen, and you can use whatever mix you would like.  I chose to use fresh carrot strips and a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables (basically, I was trying to use up what was in my fridge/freezer...lol).  That's what I love about this recipe - it's incredibly versatile!

Cook and stir until your veggies are tender and the cream cheese has melted.  You want to create a nice sauce - if it's too runny, then let it cook a bit to reduce down.  If it's too thick, I'd add some cream to get it to the desired consistency.  At this point, you should also taste it.  Add salt or more lemon-pepper to get the flavors just right.

Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss in some cooked bow tie pasta.  Mix well so that all of the pasta and chicken are coated with your delicious sauce.

Serve as a side dish or as a main dish alongside a fresh salad or grilled vegetable.  Enjoy!

Creamy Lemon-Pepper Bow Tie Pasta
1 box bow tie pasta
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
lemon-pepper seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. canola oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup fresh or frozen vegetables
2/3 cup shredded carrots
3 oz. cream cheese
2 t. lemon juice
salt, to taste
heavy cream (optional)

Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken liberally with lemon-pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet, stir fry the chicken and garlic in oil until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove and keep warm.  Add broth, vegetables, cream cheese, and lemon juice to the skillet; cook and stir until cheese is melted.  Drain pasta.  Add pasta, chicken, and salt to vegetable mixture; heat through.  If desired, add heavy cream to thin consistency of sauce.

sourdough mushroom dressing

It's Thanksgiving week!!!  Last year for Thanksgiving, my husband and I were in New Zealand.  We couldn't find turkey anywhere (not even lunch meat!), so our Thanksgiving dinner consisted of Pad Thai in a mall.  Haha!

This year, we fortunately get to enjoy a classic American Thanksgiving, turkey and all.  I have to admit, one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner is the dressing or stuffing.  I don't really care which you give me...I'd be satisfied if that's all there were on my plate.

This recipe is inspired by Chef Bobby Flay's own recipe for dressing.  I didn't get to see his show down with Pioneer Woman, but I did go online and look through all of their recipes.  His sourdough dressing caught my eye.  Mine isn't exactly like his (I made it a little easier), but my goodness it was delicious!

First, chop up some sourdough bread into cubes...I say, leave the crusts on!

Spread the bread cubes onto a cookie sheet in an even layer and bake at 350 degrees until they are lightly golden (about 10-12 minutes or so).  Let these cool off, and then add them to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, bust out some mushrooms!  You can use whatever kind you'd like.  I chose to mix some regular pre-sliced button mushrooms with some portobello.  You want to clean them and slice or chop them.

Pour some oil into the mushrooms and coat evenly. 

Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet (might as well use the same one your bread was on), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until they are nicely roasted.  Be sure to stir them around on occasion to keep them from sticking.  They are done when they are tender and browned.

While the mushrooms are in the oven, chop up some bacon into a skillet and cook.  We loved using peppered bacon in this recipe!

When the bacon begins to turn brown, toss in some slices of onion and minced garlic.  Continue cooking and stirring until the bacon is nice and crispy and the onion is tender.

Remove the bacon and onion from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to let as much fat run off as possible.

Deglaze your hot skillet by pouring some chicken broth in and bringing it to a boil.  Add some herbs - I just threw in a couple of liberal shakes of thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary.  Fresh herbs work wonders here as well!

Now for the magic!  Combine the bread cubes, mushrooms, bacon and onions, broth mixture, and a few slightly beaten eggs in a large bowl and mix together.

Place your dressing into a greased casserole dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Then, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is nice and browned (another 30-40 minutes).

The outcome is out-of-this-world delicious!

 

Sourdough Mushroom Dressing

1 lb. sourdough bread, cut into cubes

1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms (pick your favorite or use a variety)

2 T. canola oil

salt and pepper (to taste)

1/2 to 3/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces

1 large onion, sliced

5 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

herbs to taste (i.e. thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley) - use liberally

Spread bread cubes onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and place in a large bowl.

Combine mushrooms, oil, salt and pepper; spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until tender and browned.

In a large skillet, cook and stir bacon pieces.  When bacon begins to brown, add onion and garlic.  Continue cooking until bacon is crispy and onion is tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Pour chicken broth into hot skillet and bring to a simmer.  Liberally add herbs (either fresh or dried).

Combine bread, mushrooms, bacon, onions, broth mixture, and eggs in a large bowl; mix well.  Spread into a greased casserole dish and cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes; remove foil and continue baking until golden brown (another 30-40 minutes).

quick-and-easy blackened chicken

Hey folks!  I'm back!

We have successfully moved to Texas, and I'm now cooking in the smallest kitchen I have ever seen.  Most of my kitchen appliances are still in boxes and likely to stay there until we get a house.  But, the good news is that I'm cooking!  I still have some food aversions and moments when I can't handle the thought of looking at raw meat, but I'm feeling SO much better.

To celebrate our move to Texas, I wanted to highlight an incredibly quick and easy Tex-Mex meal that we enjoy.  It's good enough for company but fast enough for a rushed night at home.  I love it served with Mexican rice and a salad.

A few confessions:

• Cookie Bandit actually made this - even though I'm cooking now, he's still being an awesome husband and helping me out.
• I have yet to figure out how best to take food pictures at my new location.  Natural light is nonexistent.  I hope you can be patient with me!
• I was so hungry that I almost forgot to take pictures of the finished product.  Thankfully at least someone in our house (ahem...Cookie Bandit) isn't dictated by hormones and constant hunger.

Start by combining chili powder, salt, and pepper and rubbing it all over both sides of some chicken breasts.  You want to choose chicken breasts that are relatively flat (or flatten them yourself) to speed up the cooking time.  Cook in a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet.

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and keep it warm (I just wrap mine in foil).  Toss some black beans, corn, and salsa into the skillet and heat until warm (2-3 minutes).

And there you have it - an easy meal in just about 15 minutes!  It's also loaded in fiber and protein.  To serve, just place about 3/4 cup of the corn/bean mixture onto a plate and top with a chicken breast.  Serve it alongside some Mexican rice and a salad for a complete meal.

Quick-and-Easy Blackened Chicken
from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty 2006
2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. canola oil
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chunky salsa

Combine the chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Rub spices over both sides of chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

Add the beans, corn, and salsa to the skillet; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Transfer to a serving dish and top with chicken.  Serves 4.

Nutrition: 297 cal, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol, 697mg sodium, 30g carbs, 10g fiber, 33g protein.