Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn kernels (thawed-out frozen corn)
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeded)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and serve.

I think it tastes best when it’s a little cold, or room temperature, but not heated.

If you've ever had the corn salsa at Chipotle, this tastes almost exactly like it. It's not exactly the type of salsa that you dip chips in, because it doesn't really stick to the chips, but it's great served on burritos. When I make this salsa, it's when I'm serving giant build-your-own-burritos, like at Chipotle or Freebirds. I grill chicken and/or steak, or I buy pre-cooked fajita meat, buy the giant tortillas, heat up a can of black beans (you can use refried or whatever beans you like), make instant rice (white or mexican), make some guacamole, make or buy some salsa, buy some sour cream and grated cheese, and have all those things in separate bowls where people can pick and choose what they want. You could also have diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, etc. Anything Mexican that you like. It's a lot of little things to get ready, but it's not hard, especially if you don't make it all from scratch. I really like making the regular and corn salsa from scratch, but I take shortcuts on everything else. If Clint's not around to grill the meat for me, I just buy that pre-cooked, pre-seasoned fajita meat from Wal-mart, and it's actually pretty good. All you do is heat it up in a skillet for a few minutes.

Enjoy Burrito Night!

Recipe with no name!

We have multiple names for this dish at our house. The person I got the recipe from called it "Chicken Chili". I've called it "Mexican Chicken". Jeremy calls it "That chicken thing in the crock-pot." Regardless, this is a crock-pot recipe for some kind of chicken dish..... :)

Ingredients:
4 frozen chicken breasts
1 can of kidney beans
2 cans of mexican corn
2 cans of rotel or 2 cans of diced tomatoes (depends on how "zesty" you want it)
tortilla chips
sour cream
fresh cilantro
grated cheddar cheese
chili powder
salt and pepper

I cook this in my crock pot, on low, all day while I'm at school. (roughly- 7:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Dump kidney beans, corn, and tomatoes (rotel) in crock pot. Place frozen chicken on top. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and chili powder on top. Let this cook all day.
When I come home and the chicken has cooked all day I take it out of the pot and shred and dice the chicken. It makes it more manageable when you are serving it. When you put the chicken back in the crock pot add 2 cups or so of crushed up tortilla chips. It seems to thicken up the "chili."
To serve: Place tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl. Spoon desired amount of "chicken chili" on top. Top the chicken with shredded cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro. Sometimes I will also cook plain white rice and serve the chicken on top of that instead of tortilla chips---it just your preference.
It's also one of those meals that tastes great as a left-over. We usually eat off it for 2 or 3 days.
Enjoy! (And let me know what name you think suits this dish!!!)

Hungry Girl

I do wish I could cook more often...right now I'm trying to eat healthy with limited time in the kitchen. YIKES! I found a resource that I love...Hungry Girl. She has a daily e-mail and website with neat ideas, receipes, reviews, etc. I've found some really great products because of her.

If you are interested the website is http://www.hungry-girl.com/.

Easy Salsa

We LOVE chips and salsa at our house, and this recipe is good and easy - you just throw it all in the blender.

Ingredients

• 1 Can Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Rotel)
• 1 Can Whole Tomatoes, including the juice (14.5 oz. can)
• 1 fresh jalapeno (or you can used a couple of tablespoons of canned jalapeno)
• 1/4 cup Yellow Onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic, to taste, or you can used minced garlic from a jar, or garlic salt if you're really desperate
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 tsp. Sugar
• Little bit of lime juice
• Cilantro—I use half of a big bunch because we really like it, but you may want to use less if you don’t like a strong cilantro taste.

These are all approximated measurements - I don't measure my ingredients most of the time, so it tastes a little different every time.

Directions:

In food processor or blender, place jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Blend for just a few seconds. (I use a blender for a smooth texture, but if you like chunky, use a food processor or hand chopper). Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, cumin, and a splash of lime juice. Process all ingredients until well blended. You can serve right away, but a couple of hours of chilling will improve the flavor. It’s even better the next day.

Note: You can use fresh tomatoes if you have them, but I would still add the can of Rotel, or at least some green chilies. You can also cook the tomatoes for a roasted taste. Place a few fresh tomatoes in a foil-lined casserole dish and cook on 400 for 45 minutes to an hour. I leave the skin on, but I cut out the stem part out before roasting. The skin will turn a little black, but that’s good. You can also roast the onions and garlic if you want.

Seasoned Fried Tilapia

Disclaimer: This recipe is not healthy, easy, or neat. Well, it's not hard, but frying for me is always a challenge, trying to get the breading just right without it falling off or getting burned. But this tastes so good!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tilapia or other fish fillet (Usually I buy the frozen tilapia filets at Wal-mart, but I've used fresh bass)
• 2 tablespoons fish seasoning, such as a combination of dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and paprika
• 1/2 cup flour seasoned with a little sea salt (or regular salt)
• 1 egg, beaten
• olive oil - enough to cover the bottom of your skillet
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (you can use more if you like garlic)
• 1 small shallot or other onion, finely minced

Directions:
Season the fish pieces on all sides very well with the fish seasonings. Then dip into the flour, and then into the beaten egg, and then back into the flour. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for just a minute. Quickly add the coated fish and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. The onion and garlic will stick to the breading of the fish, and it is SO TASTY!

Note: If possible, use a big enough skillet to fry all of the fish at once. If you have to do it in batches, the onions and garlic that stay in the pan get overdone and turn black.
Serves 2-3

Cowboy Cornbread Hash

1 - 1.5 lb ground beef
1 can pinto beans (15-16 oz)
1 can whole kernel corn (15-16 oz)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg cornbread mix
salt
pepper
2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce (or a little more)

Brown meat in iron skillet--or any skillet that can go into the oven. Drain. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain corn and beans and add to meat along with Worchestershire and tomato sauce. Mix cornbread according to package directions. Pour over meat mixture and bake according to cornbread package directions.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Ok, here's what I made last night for supper. It is SO easy, it's ridiculous. And it is a huge hit in my family... complete with leftovers for lunch the next day. I am a stickler for having a veggie with each supper I make, so I force David and myself to eat some green beans or broccoli or something on the side. But what I really just want is chips and salsa!

Needed:

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I use turkey and it is just as good)
2-ish cups of grated cheddar
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 package of Sweet Yellow Cornbread and the ingredients to go in it (usually milk and egg)

Brown the meat, having seasoned it however you like (garlic, salt, pepper, etc). I like to put in some red pepper flakes with the meat to give it extra spice, or chopped jalapenos. Drain the meat. Add the can of Rotel, drain and add the can of corn. Pour meat/tomato/corn mixture into a greased 13X9 pan. Top the meat mixture with the cheese. Mix the cornbread according to the directions on the package and pour over the cheese. It never looks like there will be enough cornbread, but there is. If it doesn't ooze (sorry, that word sounds gross but I can't think of another one...) down into the meat a little bit because the cheese is so yummily taking up room, kinda smush it with your spoon. Bake according to the directions on the cornbread package.