Category Archives: Main Dish

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Brunch, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Apple Sandwich

Are you ever at the point where you just crave something really simple but oh, so good?  That happened to me not long ago.  We had been out doing Saturday morning errands and  it was rainy, windy  and chilly.  When I got home I just wanted something hot, and satisfying.  My husband suggested Grilled cheese sandwiches, which I thought was a good idea, but as I got started preparing them one thing led to another and I ended up creating these sandwiches that were oooey, gooey good with the addition of crisp bacon and thinly sliced apples with the cheese.  These have now become my new go-to sandwich for when I need some comfort at lunch time.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH BACON AND APPLES

YIELD:  makes 2 sandwiches.  Scale ingredients up to make  more.

  • 4 slices bacon

    Maple Syrup, Apples and Cheese, Yum!

  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 4 slices whole-grain bread
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese
  • 1 apple, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
  • soft butter

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush each side of bacon slice with maple syrup.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Turn over, and continue baking for another 8 minutes.  Since bacon slices will vary, times are approximate.  Watch closely that it does not become too crisp or burned.

2.  To assemble the sandwich, butter one side to each slice of bread. Lay two bread slices buttered side down, top with a slice of cheese.  Lay 2 bacon strips on top, then some sliced apple, another slice of cheese, and then the last piece of bread, buttered side up.

Building the Sandwich

3.  Place sandwiches, buttered side down, in a hot skillet or grill pan, and cook until cheese is melted, turning over about half way through.  Sandwich should be golden and melty.

Ooey, Gooey, Good!

Quick Fall Minestrone

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals, Soups and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Fall Minetsrone Soup with Cheese Quesadillas

Hit the Road, Jack!  Yep, that’s us. We’re hitting the road, going on a little vacation, going south, going to visit family, going, going, almost gone.  But before I go, I need to clean out the refrigerator, use up all the bits of veggies that are in there.  So what I’m making is a minestrone soup.  This easy soup  is made up of fresh fall vegetables, some orzo and a can of beans, making it hearty and filling.  I plan to freeze what we don’t eat so we will have it waiting for us when we get back home.  I know that after a long day on the road we will be happy to have a warming, nourishing soup to  return to.

While I’m away, posts that I have already written will be published, but I will not be available to respond to your comments for a while.  I hope you enjoy reading what I’ve prepared for the next week or so.  When I get back I hope to have some new sights, foods, and dining experiences to tell you about.

QUICK FALL MINESTRONE  (alias, Clean- out -the- refrigerator- before -I -go -on- vacation soup)

YIELD:  8  servings

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

    My ingredients differ slightly from the recipe, because of what I had to use up.

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash ( I only had about half that amount so I added about 1 cup of cauliflower florettes)
  • 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
  • 1 cup cut-up green beans, about 1/4 pound
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrot ( I used fennel instead)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups chopped greens, such as kale, spinach, broccoli rabe
  • 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
  • grated fresh Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

1.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic, sauté  2 1/2 minutes or until tender.  Please excuse me,  I got so caught up in this step, I forgot to photograph it.  But I’m sure you know what sautéing onions and garlic look like. 🙂

Broth and seasonings added to the sautéed vegetables.

2.  Add the broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.

Greens added; in my version I used broccoli rabe.

3.  Add greens, orzo, and beans;  cook 7 – 10 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender.

Ready for the soup bowls.

4.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese to serve.

My version of Fall Minestrone served with Cheese Quesadillas

To go along with the soup I made Cheese Quesadillas:  6 – inch flour tortillas with Monterey Jack cheese in the middle, warmed in a skillet till cheese melted.

Corn Chowder

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Soups and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Yesterday was a day that I definitely wanted to stay indoors.  Outside we had torrential rain and strong gusty winds.  Even though the air was humid and warm it put me in the mood for a hot soup for dinner.  Remembering the corn I had cut from cobs and froze, I decided to make a corn chowder.

Corn Chowder

There are any number of recipes out there for corn chowder, and I have tried several, but the one I keep coming back to is this one which includes bacon.  I like the smokiness it adds, and the bits of color in the finished soup.  This version also includes potatoes, and they make it a bit more hearty, especially  if served for a dinner meal.  This could easily become a vegetarian meal by omitting the bacon and using a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

CORN CHOWDER

YIELD:   about 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 slices thick bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced

    Ingredients for Chowder. One can of chicken broth, not two.

  • 3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped red or green pepper
  • 1 can chicken broth (approx. 2 cups)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 medium potatoes, cup into small chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • chopped parsley, optional

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large saucepan, cook bacon till crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  Reserve bacon drippings in pan.

2.  Add onion, celery and pepper to saucepan. Sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes.  (I didn’t have any peppers so I added some roasted red pepper at the end with the corn).

Add broth, water and potatoes, salt, pepper, basil, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer covered 10-15 minutes or just until potato is tender.

3.  Stir in  milk, corn,  and bacon;  return to a simmer, stirring occasionally and cook just to warm through.  Do not allow to boil.  Prior to serving sprinkle in chopped parsley if using.

Corn Chowder and Rustic Whole Grain Bread: True Comfort Food.

When I haven’t made this chowder in a while I forget how good it is, but one taste is all it takes to make me know how much I love it, and why this is the one recipe I make over and over.  I’m so happy to share it with you.  You must make it on a damp chilly day and serve it with a hearty loaf of rustic bread.  True comfort food!

SOURCE:  This clipping has been in my recipe box for ages.  I don’t know it’s origins.

Thai-style Chicken Squash Stir Fry

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

Thai-Style Chicken and Squash Stir-Fry

With the weather still being relatively warm I wanted to prepare something light yet still take advantage of some fall vegetables, so I made up a stir-fry that incorporates butternut squash. The original recipe for this dish called for snow peas and carrots, but I substituted the butternut squash instead. It incorporates the robust flavors of Thai cuisine.  The ingredient list looks long, but if you get all of the ingredients prepped and organized before proceeding, the cooking itself is quick.  Serve it with steamed rice, fried rice, or to save on carbohydrates, wrap it in lettuce leaves.

THAI-STYLE CHICKEN, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, AND ONION STIR-FRY

YIELD:   6 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and thinly sliced

    Prep all the ingredients first.

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup mirin, rice wine, or dry sherry
  • 1/4 cup water
  •  2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
  • 1 small butternut squash ( about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 onion, cut into thick wedges
  • 4 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint or cilantro
  • 1/3 cup crushed unsalted peanuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Wrap chicken breast pieces in plastic and gently pound them very thin.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, and water; add chicken, toss to combine, and chill 15 minutes.

3.  In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and sesame oil, set aside.

4.  In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, broth, lime juice, sugar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; set aside.

5.  Drain chicken, pat dry, and toss with cornstarch-sesame mixture until thoroughly coated.  Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large non-stick fry pan or wok over high heat until just smoking.

Add chicken, using tongs to separate and spread pieces out, and cook, stirring, until both sides are well browned and interior is almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

6.  In now empty pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil until smoking and cook butternut squash, stirring occasionally, until just tender and browned on the edges, about 6 minutes; transfer to bowl with chicken.

Add onion wedges to pan and cook, without moving, until nicely charred on one side, about 1 minute; continue cooking for an additional minute, stirring frequently.

Push onions to the outside edge of the pan; in the center, add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Putting it all together.

7.  Move onions back to center of pan, add reserved chicken and squash, and stir in fish-sauce mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to serving dish, garnish with herbs and crushed peanuts ( if using) and serve immediately .

SOURCE:  Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light

Crab Imperial

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

Crab Imperial

With the remains of the crabmeat my husband brought home  I made this dish.  In a sense it was an experiment because  I had not made it before, but I had all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a try.

Before I get to the recipe I thought I would share with you some facts about crabmeat.  Fresh crab meat will keep in your refrigerator for about 3 days, but  crabmeat which has been pasteurized will keep for several months in the refrigerator.  One pound of crabmeat equals 3 cups.  Crabmeat is packaged as follows:

  • Backfin, or Lump:  Solid lumps of white meat from the body muscles of the crab—the best!  It contains very little shell or cartilage, and is preferable in special recipes such as Crab Imperial or Crabmeat Salad.
  • Regular:  Small pieces of savory white meat from the body.  Still considered excellent, but takes more picking over for cartilage and shell removal.  Great for crab cakes, casseroles, salad, dips, etc.
  • Special:  A mixture of backfin and regular; also fine for dishes listed above.
  • Claws:  Meat from claws has a brownish tint, and comes in thin pieces.  It’s mostly used where appearance isn’t important.

The crabmeat that I had came from two large crab legs, part of which I had already used for the crab cakes, and what was left weighed about half pound, so I made only half of the following recipe.  The full recipe makes 4-5 servings.

CRAB IMPERIAL

SERVINGS:  4-5

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
  • 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 1 pound crabmeat, backfin or lump preferred
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 10-15 Ritz crackers, crushed

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a shallow baking dish or individual shell dishes.

2.  Remove any shell or cartilage  from crab meat.  Mix together all ingredients except crabmeat.  Gently stir in crabmeat.

3.  Put mixture in prepared baking dish(es).  Mix crushed crackers with the melted butter, then sprinkle on top of crab mixture.   Bake for 15-20  minutes.

My Evaluation:

Although we both liked the dish as prepared and presented here, I think if I make it again I would modify it in the following ways:  Add a few bay scallops and shrimp to the mixture for some variety in texture. Because the crab I used came from the legs, the pieces were small, and therefore there wasn’t enough “chew” factor.  The overall color of the dish was rather bland, so I would add some chopped green onion, maybe some roasted red pepper for color. Lastly I think it would be more enticing if it were served in a small pastry shell like phyllo cups.  These are just a few thoughts “in hind-sight” for anyone who decides to make it.  If you make it and have some good ideas to improve upon the recipe I would be interested to hear about it.

Crab Imperial

SOURCE:   Savory Shellfish Recipes of the Shore

Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers, Italian Style

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , ,

Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers and Rigatoni

One day about a year or so ago I was watching Lidia’s Kitchen on Public Television, and on that day she made several dishes all featuring cubanelle peppers.  One of those dishes was the stuffed peppers I have for you here.  Although I did not take notes as I watched I remembered basically what she did.  I must point out that this is my adaptation of her recipe since I did not get exact amounts of ingredients.  Given the fact that these peppers are readily available at this time of year, I tend to make this when they are abundant.

Cubanelle peppers, also known as Italian frying peppers, are not what you usually think of when you want to make stuffed peppers.  Usually the bell pepper is what comes to mind.  In a previous post I presented my recipe for Homestyle Stuffed Peppers, using bell peppers,and promised then that I would tell you of my other recipe for stuffed peppers.  So this is it.  I like these particularly well because the skins are very thin, and the flesh surprisingly meaty.;  they also bake in their sauce in about 90 minutes. I like to serve them with a pasta; one shaped to hold the sauce well.  In this case I used a ribbed rigatoni.  A tossed salad completed the meal.  Oh, yes, a glass of red wine, too.

INGREDIENTS 

SERVINGS:   6

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 nicely shaped cubanelle peppers, seeds and ribs removed (do not choose peppers that are bent and gnarly )
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild, or hot;  your preference
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup seasoned fine bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large jar prepared spaghetti sauce or home made marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.  Prepare the peppers:  cut off tops, remove bulk of seeds and carefully remove the ribs with your fingers, taking care not to crack or break the pepper.  In the bottom of each pepper, cut a small hole.  This lets the meat juices escape and the sauce to enter.

2.  Prepare the meat filling:  In a large bowl, combine the sausage, ground beef, egg,bread crumbs, minced onion and garlic.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Using a tablespoon, put meat filling into the peppers, pushing down gently with the spoon or tapping the pepper gently on the counter .  Take care not to pack the meat too tightly.  It needs room to expand so the filling will be  tender.  If you have meat filling left over after stuffing the peppers, form it into small meat balls.  These can be tucked in around the peppers.

4.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray; one that is large enough to hold the peppers and the sauce.  Pour enough sauce in the dish to cover the bottom.  Lay the stuffed peppers on the sauce (and any meatballs).

    

Pour the remaining sauce over all.

5.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 1/2.

The smell of these cooking is so wonderful it will make you hungry.  In the last half hour of cooking time, boil water and cook pasta.

Serve with the sauce spooned over the pasta with grated Parmesano-Reggiano cheese on top.

SOURCE:   adapted from a recipe by Lidia Bastianich

Zucchini Crab Cakes

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

Zucchini Crab Cakes

I was introduced to crab cakes on my first trip to the Chesapeake Bay area, and I have loved them ever since.  The trouble is I don’t find fresh crab meat very often in my local market and even though crab cakes can be made with canned crab meat I prefer fresh—the pieces of crab are bigger.

I asked my husband to stop at a shoreline fish market to purchase some lobster one day after work, and he did;  but he also brought home two large crab legs with the request that I make crab cakes.    I promised him I would if he would crack them and extract the meat.  HA! (The cook has to protect her hands.)

OK, now the search begins.  What recipe should I use?  Things I considered in the search:  we don’t like red or green pepper in our crab cakes, so eliminate any recipes with those in it. The mixture is flaky and hard to hold together, so I wanted something with moisture to help bind it together.  Yeah, eggs do that, but wait, here’s one that uses zucchini as part of the mixture. Wow, moisture, binding power, and a vegetable to take the place of peppers.  This is it!  Usually I can read a recipe and know if it will work and taste good.  My instincts didn’t fail me on this one.

ZUCCHINI CRAB CAKES

SERVINGS:   makes 8 crab cakes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2-3 teaspoons cooking oil
  • 1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 -1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
  • 8 ounces fresh cooked crabmeat (about 1 1/2 cups)  Purchase about 1 1/4 pounds crab legs to get 8 ounces of meat. Canned crab meat works, too.
  • cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons cooking oil.  Cook and stir the zucchini and green onions about 3 minutes or until tender and the liquid is evaporated.  Cool slightly.

2.  In a large mixing bowl combine the beaten egg, bread crumbs, mustard, thyme, and, if desired, the red pepper.  Add the zucchini mixture and crabmeat; mix well.

3.  Using a 1/4 cup measure for each crab cake, scoop out and shape into 8 patties about 1/2 inch thick.  Spray each patty with cooking spray.

4.  Using the large skillet previously used lightly spray it with cooking spray, and reheat it.  Place the crab cakes sprayed side down in the pan, and cook for about 3 minutes.  Spray the uncooked sides and turn over.  Cook another 2-3 minutes till nicely browned and crisp.

These were really good.  I served them with another vegetable (broccoli ) and a salad consisting of roast golden beets, yellow cherry tomatoes, and baby greens with feta cheese.

SOURCE:   Savory Shellfish Recipes of the Shore

Maple-Soy Chicken Thighs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , ,

I don’t know of a food more universally well-liked or commonly eaten than chicken.  We certainly eat it quite often.  For that reason I feel the need to have a large variety of recipes featuring chicken.  Whenever a new one comes along that looks interesting I try it out.  The recipe in todays’s post is a new one for me that I took for a walk around the kitchen this weekend.  It turned out quite well, and was tender and tasty.

Maple-Soy Chicken Thighs

The preparation of this dish is simple:  mix up the marinade ingredients in a plastic zip-lock bag,  add in the chicken pieces,  marinate for at least an hour, then oven bake or cook on the grill. The marinade provides a nice flavor of maple mixed with the typical asian ingredients of  soy sauce,  fresh ginger, and sesame oil. A little crushed red pepper flakes gives it some “punch”.  This recipe will be a keeper in my file for chicken dishes.

MAPLE-SOY CHICKEN THIGHS

SERVINGS:   4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2  cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon peeled, grated, fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs ( I had a package of mixed drumsticks and thighs )
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

1.  Combine first   7 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Place in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add chicken thighs to the bag and seal.  Marinate in refrigerator  at least 1 hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees or prepare grill.

3.  Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade.  Place marinade in  a small sauce pan over medium heat;  Bring to a boil.  Cook until marinade reduces to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes).  Arrange chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined  baking sheet,  or place on grill.  Baste with the maple mixture,  sprinkle evenly with salt.  Bake chicken at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn pieces over, baste again and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Same procedure for cooking on a grill.  Before serving, sprinkle with green onions.

To complete this meal I served fresh green beans and couscous, adding some orange sections and sliced almonds to the couscous.   This, along with a glass of our favorite chardonnay, was a most enjoyable dinner in deed.  To finish it off in grand style we had home-made peach ice-cream.   Dee-lish!  I’ll be telling you about that tomorrow.

SOURCE:  Eating Well

Corn Pancakes With Lemon Chive Cream

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Breakfast, Brunch, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

I think I was meant to live in a place where the weather is warm all year long.  I just love summer;  the sunshine, being outdoors, wearing summertime clothing, and especially the gardens and fresh produce to eat.  That’s why I go kicking and screaming into Fall, hanging onto the last remnants of summer.

One of the foods I particularly enjoy is fresh corn.  Mostly we eat it on the cob either steamed or grilled and slathered with butter.  As the season begins to wind down, however,  I begin to cut the kernels from the cobs and freeze them so I can continue to enjoy the corn later on in other ways.  This recipe is one which uses kernels of corn in a non-traditional way:  in creamy pancakes.

Since the amount of corn in these is substantial, and the pancakes are quite filling, they can stand in for a meal by adding some meat such as ham or sausage.  I like to make these for a Sunday night supper after a busy day outside.

CORN PANCAKES WITH LEMON-CHIVE CREAM

SERVINGS:   6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup light sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels, divided (about 3 ears)
  • 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and chill.

2.  Combine flour and next 5 ingredients – through pepper- in a medium bowl.

3.  Combine 1 cup corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and egg in a blender; process until coarsely pureed.  Add pureed corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.  Fold in remaining 1/4 cup corn.

4.  Pour about 2 Tablespoons batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or large skillet.  Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.  Carefully turn over; cook another 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Keep pancakes warm in a low oven while you finish cooking all of them.  Serve with the chive cream to dollop on top.

Corn Pancakes Hot off the Griddle with Lemon Chive Cream.

SOURCE:  Cooking Light,  August, 2012

Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa

Occasionally when I’m out for the day and I know I won’t have much time to prepare a full meal I’ll pick up a Rotisserie Chicken at my local market.   I’ll add a vegetable and a salad and dinner’s ready.  But what happens to the chicken that wasn’t eaten at that meal?  Usually I make chicken salad  with it for lunches.  But last week when I was confronted with this situation, I wanted to do something different; I was tired of chicken salad.  Luckily for me I came across this recipe for Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Salsa that calls for two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.  With a few additional ingredients that you probably already have on hand, this goes together quickly, and is fun to eat.

My husband and I were comfortable eating this whole recipe.  Unless you are serving children, just one of these is not enough.  They are a little messy to eat, but the flavor is sooo  good.   I’m sure any substitutions you might make would not detract from the enjoyment of eating these.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice ( juice of 1 lime)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (remove as many seeds as possible)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion or scallions
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 4 ( 6-inch ) flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded green lettuce
  • 1 ( 15 ounce ) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, or other favorite cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.  Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add the tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado;  toss gently to coat.

2.  Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 3/4 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned.  Repeat this 3 more times with remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons oil and tortillas.

3.  To serve:  place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates.  Layer each tortilla with 1/2 cup lettuce, about 1/2 cup beans, 1/2 cup chicken, 1/4 cup avocado salsa, and 1 tablespoon cheese

SOURCE:    Cooking Light Magazine