Tag: chicken

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Aioli

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos

Have you ever had to cook two meals? Do you cook something that others will eat, then cook something healthy for yourself? I spent years doing that occasionally. I say “occasionally,” because it never lasted long. Preparing two meals because the kids or the hubs will not eat the low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie option was for the birds!

I have passed that stage in life. Greg is open to new tastes and flavors these days, Savannah doesn’t live at home, and Wes is so busy with school and coaching that he’s seldom home for dinner. However, if I were cooking something that everyone would enjoy these Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos would be perfect.

Pop the chicken in the slow-cooker in the morning, and it’s ready at dinner. Use beef or pork if you prefer. Shrimp or fish also work well. Skip the slow-cooker, prepare as you chose then top with the Mango Jicama mixture and Chipotle Sauce.

 

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Aioli
 
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Serves: 8
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Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 tbsp. reduced-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1-10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 c. shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1 c. chopped mango
  • ⅔ c. thin bite-size strips peeled jicama
  • ½ c. light mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ to 1 tsp. finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
  • 8 - 6" flour tortillas, warmed
  • Fresh cilantro
Instructions
  1. Place chicken in slow-cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and pour in the can of Rotel tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours on low. Remove meat, reserving cooking liquid. Shred meat using two forks. Toss meat with enough cooking liquid to moisten.
  2. In a medium bowl combine lettuce, mango, and jicama, set aside.
  3. To make the chipotle aioli combine mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic and chipotle pepper with adobo sauce.
  4. To serve, add shredded meat to a tortilla, top with lettuce mango/lettuce mixture and chipotle aioli. Serve with cilantro and lime slices.
Notes
6" flour tortillas = 3 points each
1 tbsp. chipotle aioli = 2 points
All other ingredients = 0 points
Assembled as listed one taco = 5 points

Serves 4 to 8, depending on the points you have to use. I served these tacos with Lightened-Up Cowboy Beans. I will share this recipe soon.

You will have enough meat for leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

 

Mother’s Day Luncheon

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The older I get, the more that I realize that all of those times that Mama said: “don’t spend your money on me,” she meant it. She wanted then what she still wants, time spent together. Time is something we can never get back, and the older my mama gets, time becomes more precious to me.

In comparison to many families today, my mother’s family was a big one. She had six brothers and sisters.  Today, my mother and her sister are the only siblings that remain. I decided that my mama would like nothing better than a little family time for Mother’s Day. So on a recent visit, I invited my aunt and a couple of cousins to a luncheon at mama’s house.  I kept the menu simple with homemade chicken salad, pasta salad made with fresh vegetables and purchased Italian dressing, cucumber sandwiches, purchased cheese straws, and I bought a fruit tray, cut up and ready to eat and made a poppy seed vinaigrette dressing.  The table was elegantly set with mama’s best china and crystal and the memories we made are priceless.

                           mothers-day-luncheon-4                                 mother's-day-luncheon-1

As you struggle to come up with a gift for mom this Sunday, keep in mind that time spent with you is something she will always treasure!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Simple Pasta Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb. pasta
  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ¾ c. sliced black olives
  • sliced red onion
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • chopped bell pepper
  • 1 to 1½ c. Italian dressing
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Toss pasta, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, feta cheese, and bell pepper with Italian dressing.
  3. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Notes
You may need to add a little more Italian dressing to salad just before serving.

 
5.0 from 2 reviews
Fruit Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 cups fresh fruit
  • 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • ¼ tsp. poppy seeds
Instructions
  1. Wash and cut up fruit, set aside. In a small bowl whisk vinegar, oil, sugar and poppy seeds. Pour over fruit an gently toss. Serve immediately.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Cucumber Sandwiches
 
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Ingredients
  • 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cucumber, peeled & seeds removed
  • 1 medium onion
  • dash salt
  • dash hot sauce
  • mayonnaise on bread, if desired
Instructions
  1. Grate cucumber and onion and squeeze dry. (I do this using a clean dish towel. Put in the center of a towel then roll towel and twist.) Set aside.
  2. Blend cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Store in refrigerator for 24 hours.
  3. If using mayonnaise, spread on desired bread. Top with cucumber spread and another slice of bread.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Perfect Chicken Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 lg. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
  • 1 to 2 c. mayonnaise, depending on how you like it
  • ½ to ¾ c. chopped celery
  • 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
  • ¼ tsp. poppy seeds
  • ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Mix shredded chicken, mayonnaise, celery, mustard, poppy seeds, and salt in a large bowl and refrigerate.

 

Fat Tuesday Fried Chicken

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One of the best things about living on the Gulf coast was being introduced to Cajun food and Mardi Gras. One of the first things we did on the coast was to attend a family-friendly Mardi Gras parade. We were all caught up in the spirit of the celebration with moon pies and beads. We often visited Louisana while living in Pensacola, especially during the years that Wes played with a travel ice hockey team out of Baton Rouge. We enjoyed the people, their food, and their customs.

We do not celebrate Mardi Gras in a big way here in Georgia, but I say, there’s no better excuse to cook up some good Cajun food. I found this recipe on www.raisedonaroux.com, where I found many other recipes that I can’t wait to try!  This chicken marinates for 48 hours for a wonderful flavor. It’s cooks up wonderfully crispy with the addition of corn starch, and it is incredibly moist and juicy. Don’t let the hot sauce scare you because it isn’t hot at all. The marinade simply gives it an excellent taste.

 

Fat Tuesday Fried Chicken
 
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Ingredients
  • Seasoning Mix:
  • 3 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp. onion powder
  • 2 tbsp. black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp. white pepper
  • 1 (3-lb.) whole chickens, cut into serving pieces
  • 4 c. buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp. Crystal hot sauce
  • 4 c. all-purpose flour
  • ½ c. corn starch
  • Peanut oil for frying
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine seasoning mix. Season chicken with 6 tbsp. of the mix. Reserve remaining mix. Place chicken in 1 or 2 large resealable bags.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauces; pour over the chicken. Seal and refrigerate for a least 4 hours or up to 48 hours, (the longer it soaks the better), turning occasionally.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and reserved seasoning mix.
  4. Set a rack on a large baking sheet.
  5. Working one piece at a time, remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into the bag. Dredge in flour mixture and shake off excess. Place on prepared rack.
  6. Pour oil halfway up the side of a large, deep skillet (preferably cast iron) and heat to 350° F.
  7. Prepare another large baking sheet lined with paper towels and a rack over top.
  8. Fry chicken in batches, starting skin side down. Do not overcrowd skillet. Once chicken is added to oil, the temperature will drop. Maintain cooking temperature of 315° F for ideal frying. Fry, turning, until golden brown and cooked through to reach an internal temperature of 165° F. Remove to rack and allow to drain. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

 

Buffalo-Chicken-Nachos

 

Typically, I would have topped these nachos with some green onions, maybe a few jalapeños or black olives. The truth is, these Buffalo Chicken Nachos are perfect just the way they are pictured! Chips with buffalo chicken, cheese, lettuce and drizzled with Ranch dressing.  Another Savannah recipe that happens to be one of my favorites!

I’m still relying on the family a lot these days. I recently came out of the boot and I can get around pretty good.  If I do too much in the mornings my surgery foot is swollen and in pain by mid afternoon.  That makes dinnertime difficult so thank God for an understanding family!

Last week I cooked chicken in the crockpot with no particular use in mind.  Savannah had a plan though.  She shredded the chicken, added buffalo sauce and proceeded to whip up these amazingly delicious nachos. We were hooked on them, eating nachos every day until all of the chicken was gone. I believe I mentioned that she’s buffalo crazy, but she’s also really good at pulling together a delicious dish!  Thanks Savannah!!

Buffalo Chicken Nachos
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • Frank's buffalo sauce, to taste
  • Tortilla chips
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Ranch dressing
  • Optional toppings: jalapeños, black olives, chopped scallions, sour cream, tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Salt and pepper the chicken breast and place in a crockpot. Cook on low several hours, until tender and done. Remove from crockpot and cool to touch. Shred chicken and mix with buffalo sauce, to taste, set aside.
  2. Arrange chips on serving dish. Top with shredded buffalo chicken and cheese (or other toppings of your choice). Heat in the microwave to melt cheese. Remove from microwave and drizzle with Ranch dressing. Serve.

 

 

Savannah’s Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Visit the Melton house any day of the week and chances are you will be here when we are serving something with buffalo sauce. Savannah is the buffalo sauce queen. It works out well for me, especially when I tell her that I’m craving one of her specialities and SHE cooks dinner! Because even though I enjoy cooking, I love a night off every once in a while.

These awesome buffalo chicken wraps are one of my favorites! On nights that we are grilling, we like to throw a few boneless skinless breasts on the grill to refrigerate and have later in the week.

When ready to assemble wraps, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and cut into cubes, then reheat in a skillet.  Savannah assembles the wraps and then toasts them on a skillet or a panini press. They are delicious served with Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing.

Make sure your tortilla is large enough for its contents because you don’t want a “blow out” as you are eating dinner. A good rule of thumb is to buy tortillas that are at least twice as big as the contents you plan to put in it.

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Savannah's Buffalo Chicken Wrap
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 to 3 boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into cubes
  • Frank's RedHot Wings Sauce
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • Purple onion, diced, optional
  • Ranch or Blue Cheese salad dressing
  • Large flour tortillas
  • Carrot sticks
  • Celery Sticks
Instructions
  1. Toss the cubed chicken in desired amount of buffalo sauce.
  2. To assemble the wrap lay the tortilla on a flat surface. Spoon a small amount of dressing down the center of the tortilla, leaving about 2 inches at edges. Add cooked and cubed chicken on top of the Ranch. Top with shredded Cheddar, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Add onions, if desired.
  3. Roll the wrap by bringing the left side of the tortilla over the contents. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the contents, then the top down and over the contents. Bring the left side toward you and using the tortilla as a guide, slightly pull the contents toward you and using both hands roll the wrap away from you until completely rolled into a cylindrical shape. Let the wrap rest for a minute or two with the flap underneath the contents.
  4. Grill in a buttered skillet or a Panini press until it is warm, toasted, and lightly browned.
  5. Cut wrap in half. Serve with additional Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing and celery and carrot sticks, if desired.