Chicken Tostadas

By: Laura

I'm still getting out of my chicken breast slump, but feel that I'm near the end now that I've tried another new and festive recipe, Chicken Tostadas.  Yes, it's a simple meal, but quite delicious.  I've always wanted to try tostadas, but had never found the right recipe, until a few weeks ago as I was browsing through my "Everyday Food" magazine.  The recipe for "King Ranch Chicken Tostadas," was easy and looked fresh and fiesta-like so I had to give it a try.  Let's dive in.

The steps are so simple!  First, heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat.  Next, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for four minutes.  Add mushrooms if you wish (me, I do not wish to do so).  Cook them for a bit and then add salt, pepper, and canned tomatoes with chiles.  Allow the tomatoes to warm up and the mixture is complete.  Note: I also added some black beans for a little extra something. 

To assembly your tostada, start with a tostada shell, spread it with the tomato mixture and then top it with chicken, lettuce, cheese and sour cream.  Finally, dive in and get messy because there is no easy way to eat a tostada!

So there you have it, another easy weeknight chicken recipe.  And depending on the season, one can feel free to add peppers from the garden or maybe some corn or zucchini.  The list goes on folks.  

King Ranch Tostadas

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food

2 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion cut into 1/4 inch slices

10 ounces mushroom such as button or cremini, trimmed and sliced (optional)

course salt and ground pepper

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as Ro-Tel, drained

1 small can of black beans 

8 tostada shells

3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (about 3/4 of a pound)

shredded romaine lettuce, shredded Monterey Jack or crumbled Cotija cheese, and sour cream for serving

Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce

by Leslie

Ever been to a chain restaurant that serves an item similar to this?  I have to admit, at places like that, I would almost rather get a huge appetizer sampler platter than anything else--eggrolls, nachos, quesadillas, salsa, mozzarella sticks--these are the things that make me breathe.  Unfortunately, they are also the things that you feel like crap after you eat.   I knew there had to be a healthier option out there.  I found a variety of recipes floating around the web and finally settled on this one.  I only changed a few things, but believe me, these egg rolls were winners.

Imagine a crisp, flaky outer shell filled with a host of flavors and textures--black beans, chiles, corn and chicken pair wonderfully with cumin, cayenne, and chili powder.  These little beauties are not short on flavor or heat, so they pair really well with a cool dipping sauce.

In fact, the dipping sauce was so good, I had to finish off our little bowl with my finger (gross, I know, but the other option was licking my plate and my husband just doesn't approve.  Strange, I know, who wouldn't approve of that?).  

Give these a try on a fun festive weekend, or even for a party.  I made mine on on Monday and they definitely added some life to the night!

Print Recipe

Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by cakeandallie

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 9 oz package frozen spinach, thawed with extra liquid squeezed out
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (you can definitely use more if you want!)
1 7 oz can diced green chiles
4 green onions, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. chili powder
1 package of egg roll wrappers (I used Melissa’s brand)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a very large bowl, mix all ingredients except egg roll wrappers together.  Because there is a lot of filling, I just used my hands.  

Using a serving spoon, place a large dollop of filling on one corner of the egg roll wrapper.  Start tightly rolling the wrapper around the filling toward the other corner.  After one good roll, fold the sides of the wrapper around the filling.  Continue until the other corner is reached.  Seal the edge by dipping your fingers in some water and dabbing a bit on the end.  The egg roll wrappers have a pretty good diagram inside, but I think we’ve all been to Chipotle enough to know how it’s done...

Place the egg rolls on a greased cookie sheet and lightly spray the tops with cooking spray (this helps them get crisp and golden).  Bake the egg rolls for 15 minutes, turning them at least once during baking.  

For avocado dipping sauce:

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. cumin
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth and creamy.

Marinated Chicken Breast

By: Laura

Do you ever get in a chicken breast slump? Well, I do, a lot.  Last week when I was planning my weekly menu, I saw that chicken breasts were on sale and I frowned to myself.  What was I going to do this time, the same old lame-o jame-o stuff?  No, I refused! So I went in search of a new recipe (here) and what I found was quite a treasure, not only was it delicious, it was quick and easy; not to mention, I could prep ahead of time.  Sound too good to be true, not so.  Check it out...

First, begin by marinating the chicken breast in olive oil, mustard, spices (of your choice),  vinegar (your choice, again), and garlic powder. Put all of this in a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge overnight. Easy, right?

The next day, at supper time, get the chicken breasts out of the bag and slap them on a hot grill.  

Then, cook the chicken for about 4-6 minutes on each side.

In the end, there is a delectable breast of chicken to eat right up with a little couscous on the side.
Really, it's easy, and you could do it any night of the week.  It's not hard to throw a bunch of ingredients in a plastic bag and pop them in the fridge.  Not only that, I'm guessing that all of the ingredients are in your fridge or pantry right now.  I also love that this recipe gives you options for the ingredients, you can make it your own, or just use what you have and it turns out great. The instructions also note that you can freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to two weeks!  Crazy!  So, give this a try tonight and get out of the chicken breast slump.  I know I'm out and I've got another excellent recipe coming your way later this week.

Marinated Chicken Breast Recipe