Baja Fresh Style Grilled Chicken

Just made this tonight and it was SO good!  We chopped up the chicken into cubes and served it on flour and corn tortillas.  I also made some tilapia in a second bag, and it turned out really well too.  I think that tomorrow, the leftovers will end up on top of black beans and brown rice in homemade burrito bowls.  You can use whatever type of meat or fish you like, really.  I hear that Chipotle uses thighs but I'm a breast gal, myself.  Very easy and effortless, with a lot of flavor.

Side Note: This was originally titled "Chipotle Grilled Chicken" but Jason and I decided it didn't have quite enough kick to be worthy of that title.  So we scaled it down to Baja Fresh style.  Still very good, absolutely worth making, but the search continues for a Chipotle copycat recipe.

Baja Fresh Style Grilled Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
2 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. black pepper
3/4 t. kosher or sea salt
fresh cilantro, optional
lime wedges, optional.

Put the meat in a gallon size Ziploc bag, add the oil, and then toss/turn to coat all of the meat.  Combine the spices, and then add them to the bag, seal it and toss and rub the meat until it is well coated.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.  Cook over direct heat for 5-6 minutes per side, until there is no pink in the middle.  Let it rest for a few minutes before chopping it up.  If you have some fresh cilantro to garnish with, and maybe some lime wedges (after squeezing the juice on top, yum!) then that would be pretty.  Enjoy!

Firehouse Hot Sauce

Jason came home raving about this sauce and with the recipe, so I'm taking the hint. I haven't had or made this yet, but I trust that it's good. Personally, I am more of a chunky, fresh, pico de gallo kind of gal most of the time but Jason prefers the smoother sauces.

Firehouse Hot Sauce

4 small cans of PLAIN tomato sauce
1 heaping T. garlic powder
1 T. mexican oregano
1 T. salt
1 T. chili flakes (I assume this means crushed red pepper flakes?)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. white vinegar
1 T. cumin

Combine in saucepan over low heat, mix with spoon.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, let cool.

Cincinnati Chili

I spent much of my childhood in Cincinnati, and I remember my mom taking us to get Cincinnati Chili (or Skyline Chili, I think the other place was called) and it was SO good!!!  On top of a hot dog, on top of pasta, and lots of finely shredded cheddar cheese.  I found this recipe in a magazine a month ago and while I haven't made it yet, I am really excited to give it a try.  I'll update after I make it.

Cincinnati Chili

• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked
• Finely shredded cheddar cheese and diced white onions (optional)

1. Whisk together broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper in the base of a slow cooker. Add garlic and yellow onion, and crumble in beef; mix. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

2. Ladle chili over cooked spaghetti. Garnish with finely shredded cheddar cheese and diced white onions, if desired.

nutrition facts

• Servings Per Recipe 8
• Calories(kcal)325
• Protein(gm)28
• Carbohydrate(gm)24
• Fat, total(gm)12
• Cholesterol(mg)74
• Saturated fat(gm)5
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3
• Sodium(mg)654
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Smashed Potatoes

This is a Rachel Ray recipe that I love, it is my go to for mashed potatoes.  I am a fan of skins-ON potatoes so I never peel them.

Smashed Potatoes

3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 T butter
1/4 C. sour cream
1/2 C. milk
salt and pepper
optional - cheddar cheese, scallions

Cover the potatoes in cool water in a medium saucepan.  Bring them to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until fork tender.  Drain the potatoes, return them to the hot pan and stir over low hear to dry them out.  Add the butter, sour cream and milk and smash to your desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper, then add in some cheddar cheese (optional) and some chopped scallions.  If you add the scallions, they are supposed to taste like sour cream and onion chips!  As Rachel says, "yummo!"

Black Beans in the Slow Cooker

So if you know you are going to use a bunch of black beans and you have the foresight to buy a bag of dried beans, and then soak them the night before, then you can save yourself some dollars and some sodium by making them in the slow cooker.  I got this from Stephanie O'Dea's website but I'll paraphrase it here.

Pour the bag of beans in the slow cooker, throw out any that look yucky, and then add water and cover the slow cooker.  Do NOT turn it on yet.  Let it sit for 8 hours or overnight.  In the morning, dump out the water (it will be bean colored) and then add fresh water, enough to cover them with 2-3 inches of water.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  They are done when they are bite tender.

1 2/3 C. is equal to one 15 oz. can, and a 16 ounce bag yields about 3 cans worth.  The only thing is that they are lacking in salt, and you can tell.  But aside from that, they're great.  They'll keep in your fridge for 3-4 days (maybe more but I get weirded out after that) or you can freeze them for later use.  I usually make them this way when I know I am going to be using a ton, like for the Healthy Turkey and Black Bean Chili.

If you're going to do this with red or kidney beans, make sure you boil them for 10 minutes plus first, so you kill off any weird diseases.  You don't have to do this with black beans.