Green Chili Pork Stew

This is a spin on Chuy's Green Chili Chicken Stew.  Mine calls for pork and a crock pot!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 chiles roasted, peeled & seeds removed (instructions below), chopped
    **I used 1 poblano & 3 Anaheim peppers
4 tomatillos husked and quartered
3 garlic cloves minced
1 onion chopped - a heaping cup or so
1/4 C flour
4-5 large carrots chopped to 1/2" pieces
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 C chicken stock
1 tsp cumin
    **I was out so used Penzey's Bold Taco Seasoning!
About 1 C chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
About 3 pounds of pork loin cut into 1" cubes
Salt & Pepper
Sour cream & corn tortillas for serving

Instructions:

1.  In a heavy skillet heat a few tablespoons of oil & toss in tomatillos.  Sauté for a few minutes then add garlic.  When garlic is fragrant add the onions.

2.  After sautéing a few more minutes add flour, stirring it in to make a roux.  Put all of this into your crock pot along with the peppers, carrots, tomatoes & seasoning.

3.  Wipe out the pan if needed & return to a medium high heat with a little oil.  Sear pork in batches, add to the crock pot.

4.  Pour in stock and stir all together.  Set crock pot on high, cooking until carrots are soft & pork is tender (About 3 hours).  Throw in the cilantro & salt/pepper (if needed) during the last hour or so of cooking.

Serve topped with sour cream, fresh cilantro & freshly heated tortillas.

For some extra variety you can add some black beans, corn and diced potatoes for an even heartier stew.

To roast your peppers put them under your broiler or on your grill.  Watch closely & turn as needed to blacken them all over.  Immediately put them in a ziplock and let the steam do it's thing.  Once they're cool enough to handle you can peel off the skin & remove seeds then they're ready to chop up.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas - sort of!

Ok, so this recipe is not completely crock pot… but the meat of it is and that's the hard part!  I can't remember where I found this recipe.  I jotted it down from a website somewhere so can't take all the credit but either way, they were yummy so here ya go!

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Taco seasoning (I used a couple tablespoons of Penzey's Chicken Taco)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t chili powder
Small onion, chopped
4 oz green chilis
1/4 C water

1. Put the chicken in the crock pot (mine started out frozen).  Sprinkle all the powdered seasonings over the chicken then spread the green chilis over the chicken… then in go the onions and water.
2. Cook on low 6 hours.
3. Remove chicken from pot and shred with 2 forks; set aside.

Ingredients - part 2:
1 C sour cream
1/4 C (or so - didn't measure) broth from crock pot
2-3 C shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1 can enchilada sauce
Tortillas - flour or corn, your choice
Sliced black olives
Chopped green onions

4. Mix together sour cream and 1/4 C broth and stir into shredded chicken.
5. Roll enchiladas with chicken mixture and cheese and place in a baking dish.
6. Pour enchilada sauce over all… then top with more cheese, sliced black olives and green onion.
7. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes and serve!

NOTE:  I made about 8 enchiladas in flour tortillas the 1st go-around and froze the remaining chicken filling.  I later used that leftover filling for another batch made with about 10 corn tortillas so the filling part of this recipe really made enough for 2 whole batches!!

Crockpot Chicken Barbacoa

I lose the love for cooking sometimes when it's required at the end of a long day that was preceded by and will be followed by more long days… so had to get organized.  My sister inspired me to finally get a new crock pot that does more than turn on and off - and to plan ahead with freezer-to-crockpot meals!  My 1st one was super tasty so I decided to share… you can make this on the spot or freeze ready to go in the crockpot… enjoy!  Recipe inspired by www.slenderkitchen.com

Ingredients:

2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts

7 oz can Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, chopped (find in the Mexican food isle)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, quartered

1 tsp oregano

1/2 C chicken broth

1. Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer.

2. When ready to cook, dump everything in a crockpot and set to low for 8 hours.

3. Remove onion pieces and shred chicken with 2 forks.

4. Serve in warm soft taco shells, topped with fresh corn relish (recipe below), cheese and sour cream!

To make "on the spot", use raw chicken and cook on high 4 hours.

Fresh Corn Relish:

Simply cut kernels off an ear of corn and combine with chopped red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro!

Kitchen note:  This would also be delicious with pork!

Accidental Chicken Chili Soup

I didn't know what else to call this one since it turned out totally different than what it started out as... It was supposed to be a Mexican chicken with creamy, cheesy sauce but here's how it turned out:

Ingredients:

2# chicken tenderloins

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

EVOO

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 C sour cream

1 C salsa verde

1 T chili powder

1 C water

1. Layer chicken in the crock pot.

2. Start sauteing onion & garlic in a little EVOO, until soft.

3. While onions & garlic are cooking, mix together soups, sour cream, salsa & chili powder.

4. Add onions to soup mixture then pour over chicken.

5. Cook on high for 1 1/2 hrs then turn to low for another 1 1/2 hrs.

Here's where things got "accidental"... the plan was to have the chicken with sauce over it next to a salad.  But when I tried to take the chicken out it FELL APART!  So I shredded it & returned it to the pot, added a little water & served up with shredded cheese, sour cream & sauteed peppers.  Next time I'll add some veggies!

Enjoy :)

Leslie's Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I got the idea for these from the Penzey's Spices catalog but had to put my own spin on them, of course! :) Enjoy!!

The recipe as follows makes enough filling for about 15 chimichangas but they're small enough to eat 2 if you're hungry! You can always freeze extras for later... or make what you want and freeze the filling for another time (which is what I do).

Ingredients:
3 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T adobo seasoning**
**I suggest using Penzey's Adobo. Typical storebought is very salty & will potentially ruin your dish.
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 T EVOO
1 C chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4oz can chopped mild green chiles
14oz can diced tomatoes, 1/2 of juices drained off
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
Salt & pepper
15 - 10" flour tortillas (I use Guerrero)
Shredded cheese of your choice - I use a Mexican blend.
Black beans, prepared as below (OR use refried beans in a pinch)
2 T vegetable oil for basting
Sour cream & guacamole for serving, if desired

To prepare the beans:
29oz can (Goya) black beans, drained & rinsed
2 T EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper

Heat oil over medium-high & add beans, garlic, salt & pepper (to taste). Stir, heating through and lightly mash as you go. Add a little water for a spreadable consistency. Set aside.

1. To make the best use of your cutting board, first prep onion & garlic, set aside. Prep cilantro, set aside (seperately).
2. Slice chicken & season with adobo, cumin & chili powder. Stir to coat & set aside.
3. If using the Guerrero tortillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high and lightly brown tortillas on each side. Stack on a plate. If using regular torts, heat in the microwave until warmed through... this makes them more pliable & less likely to tear.
4. In the same skillet, heat 2 T EVOO (eyeball it) then add chicken to cook. When done, put aside in a large bowl to cool.
5. Add another tablespoon of EVOO to the pan then cook the onions & garlic until tender. Add chiles, tomatoes & cilantro, stir together & let simmer down until most of the liquid is gone. Salt & pepper to taste.
6. Meanwhile, on a clean cutting board, chop the chicken into small pieces & return to bowl. Add tomato mixture to the chicken and stir together.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

7. Assemble chimichangas: layer beans, cheese & chicken mixture. Fold in the ends then roll up like a burrito. Brush the seam side with vegetable oil and place seam side down into a large baking dish. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
8. Coat the tops with a brush of vegetable oil. Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden, then carefully turn over each chimichanga & bake another 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully!
9. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole!!

Kitchen Note: As mentioned above, you can freeze leftover filling for later. If you have leftover beans, they make great bean & cheese quesadillas - a regular snack at my house!!