Recipe of the Week - Sante Fe Chicken

All busy parents adore their slow cookers for the benefit of producing delicious meals without having put forth very much effort. It's easy to get stuck in a rut with a slow cooker, so this take on a shedded Mexican chicken is delicious, especially when served over cilantro lime rice!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Servings: 8 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies 15 oz can black beans 8 oz frozen corn 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 15oz chicken broth 3 scallions, chopped 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste) salt to taste Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice -- see other recipe for delicious cilantro lime rice!

My take on Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice 1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice 1/2 lime, juice of 2 cups water 1 tsp salt 3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro 3 tsp vegetable oil

In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Recipe of the Week - Thai Rice Bowl

My husband is half Chinese, so you can imagine the amount of rice we go through!  He has been a trooper as we have transitioned from white rice to brown rice, and recipes like this have definitely helped!  This dish is so warm and comforting—a wonderfully filling dinner, especially with black beans! The recipe comes from the Food Babe blog (http://foodbabe.com/2012/04/20/thai-rice-bowl/).  The ingredients are all the same, but I changed the preparation to make it a quicker meal.

Thai Rice Bowl 1 cup water 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup brown rice ¼ cup red onion or green onions Handful of fresh cilantro chopped ¼ cup diced carrots 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 tsp ginger root minced (or ¼ tsp. ground ginger) ¼ tsp turmeric ½ tsp sea salt or more to taste (I don’t add the salt and it still tastes fine)

Toppings ¼ tsp lime zest + juice Red pepper flakes Toasted jungle peanuts or raw cashews

  Directions:

1. Sautee onions and carrots in oil, about 5 min.
2. Add spices and sauté about 30 seconds.
3. Add rice and cilantro and stir for about 1 minute.
4. Add liquids, bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20+ minutes.

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Recipe of the Week - Easy Breaded Chicken Cutlets

This is my go-to recipe when I don't know what to do for dinner and I don't have much time. I love that you don't need many ingredients and the mustard really insures that the chicken will stay moist. Enjoy! Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 Tablespoon mustard of your choice (I love using Dijon!) Italian breadcrumbs 1 Tablespoon desired oil (I use coconut, but any kind will do)

Directions:

Melt oil on medium heat in frying pan. If desired, cut chicken breasts in half (long ways) for quicker cooking time. Brush mustard on both sides of chicken. Coat both sides with bread crumbs. Place chicken in frying pan and cook approximately 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

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Recipe of the Week - Sweet Potato Biscuits

In our house, we thank God for our daily sweet potatoes.  They have become such a staple, not only because of their awesome nutritional value, but because they’re just plain scrumptious and versatile.  I was thrilled when I came across a Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe by Martha Stewart.  I have no doubt that the great Martha’s recipe is delicious, but I immediately set to work modifying it.  I am allergic to milk, so we couldn’t use cow’s milk and butter.  We’ve also cut out refined flours and sugars at our house, so I knew I would want to substitute the flour and sugar it called for.  The recipe below is the first batch I tried with all the changes.  They turned out perfectly—I think the moistness of the sweet potatoes makes them pretty fool-proof, so feel free to experiment!  They are now vegan, amazing, and a weekly occurrence.  To elevate them even more, serve them with honey or apple butter!

 Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 pound sweet potatoes

2½ cups white whole wheat 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled [To make this vegan, I use soy free earth balance spread.] 2 tablespoons honey ¼ cup milk [I use coconut milk.]

1. Heat oven to 400.  Peel sweet potatoes, roughly chop , and steam in rice cooker.  You could also prick with a fork, bake until done, and scoop out the flesh.  You should have about 11/4 cups of puree.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. In another bowl, whisk together milk, honey, and sweet-potato puree.  Add to dry ingredients, and mix until well combined.
4. Place dough on lightly floured board, knead once or twice, and pat out to ½ inch thick.  Cut out biscuits with a floured 2-inch-round cutter (I have a specific drinking glass that works well for this). Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for about 20+ minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Eat half of them immediately.  Quickly!  Before anyone else comes in the room.

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Recipe of the Week - White Chocolate Snack Mix

Making this "snack mix" at Christmas time has become a tradition in my extended family. We also call it "Christmas Crack" because it is addictive! I don't even like white chocolate and I could eat a whole recipe of this! After our children were born, my husband decided that we should call it "Christmas Snack" instead of "Christmas Crack." You can decide for yourself what you'd like to call it. Buy red and green M&Ms to make it more Christmas-y. You can also dye the melted white chocolate with food coloring if you like. Work quickly. The white chocolate cools and hardens in a short amount of time. 10 oz mini pretzels 5 cups cheerios 5 cups corn chex 2 cups salted peanuts 14 oz M&Ms 2 11 oz packages of white chocolate chips 3 T vegetable oil

Line three baking sheets with waxed paper. (You can also tape a long piece of waxed paper to the counter or your dining room table. It's easier to work with this way.) In a large bowl combine all ingredients except white chocolate chips and oil. Heat white chocolate chips and oil in the microwave on medium-high for two minutes, stirring once. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and mix well. Spread onto prepared sheets. Allow to cool and then break apart and store in airtight containers.

Recipe and photo from allrecipes.com.

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