Quick Tamale Pie

Quick Tamale Pie

Quick Tamale Pie

1 polenta roll (Note:  I didn't use the polenta roll)
9 oz southwestern chicken strips (or half a rotisserie chicken)  (Note:  I made my chicken with my Fajita Seasoning mix instead of using premade strips or rotisserie chicken)
1 15-oz can chili beans  (Note:  I used half black beans and half red kidney beans instead of canned beans)
1 cup mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper  (Note:  I didn't use the cayenne in mine this time and I think my taco seasoning would be good or a bit more fajita seasoning in lieu of the spices listed here)
cilantro, sour cream and additional salsa for serving

NOTE:  I also added some minced onion--just put it in first and sweat it.

Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or 9-inch square pan) with a little olive oil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the chicken strips, corn kernels, salsa, chili beans (and their juice—just dump the can in) and spices. Stir well to combine.

Slice the polenta into 1/4th inch slices. Cover bottom of skillet with overlapping slices. Pour bean mixture on top. Top with cheese.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes then remove and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. Serve with minced cilantro, sour cream and salsa.

NOTE:  Since I didn't use the polenta, I baked the other ingredients in cast iron pan, then wrapped it in a flour tortilla with some salsa and sour cream.  Not fond of cilantro, so didn't include that.  Very tasty!

Found at:  http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/10/quick-tamale-pie.html

Hummus (Nicole)

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS
CLASSIC HUMMUS


This classic hummus recipe is quick and easy to make, it's naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it tastes SO fresh and delicious!


PREP TIME: 5 MINS

COOK TIME: 0 MINS

TOTAL TIME: 5 MINS
INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons Tahini
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup water, or more if needed
optional topping ideas: extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, toasted pine nuts, chopped roasted red peppers, basil pesto
DIRECTIONS:


Add first seven ingredients (chickpeas thru salt/pepper) to a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add in the water and continue blending until the hummus reaches your desired consistency, adding additional water if needed.

Garnish with optional toppings and serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.




*Note Nicole doesn't use the Tahini and says it is just fine.
found at:  http://www.inspiredtaste.net/26901/easy-tahini-recipe/

Tahini

EASY TAHINI RECIPE

Store-bought tahini is usually made from hulled sesame seeds. This is our preference, too, but you can make it from unhulled and sprouted sesame seeds.

Hulled or “natural” sesame seeds are what you see most often in stores. Here’s a photo of both hulled and unhulled sesame seeds. The hulled seeds are the lighter color on left. On the right, the unhulled seeds are much darker and still have their hull or outer shell intact.

In our experience, tahini made from unhulled sesame seeds tends to taste more bitter and does’t get quite a smooth as when it is made from hulled sesame seeds.
Ways to Use Tahini

Arguably the most well known way to use tahini is when making hummus.

As I mentioned earlier, we prefer to use natural, hulled sesame seeds.

Most often, we will lightly toast the seeds to bring out some of their natural nuttiness, but you can skip this step all together if you’d like.

If you plan to toast the seeds, we recommend doing so on the stovetop and not in the oven. Sesame seeds are tiny and so they burn very easily.

We throw them into a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat then stir constantly with a spoon until the seeds darken ever so slightly in color and become fragrant.

Once the sesame seeds have cooled, we throw them into the bowl of our food processor, shut the lid then process until a crumbly paste begins to form.

Next, to help the tahini come to an extra smooth paste, we add a few tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil — we go for grape seed oil, vegetable, oil, canola oil or a light olive oil. You could eliminate the oil if you would like, but the tahini won’t be as smooth or pourable.

To reach a similar consistency as store-bought, we’ve found 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil should do it.

After more processing, a few stops to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and a little more processing after that, the tahini is done. Extra smooth and ready to use in whatever recipe you like. You can keep tahini covered in the refrigerator for a month, maybe a bit more.

You might find that after some time in the fridge it separates, like a natural peanut butter would. All you need to do to fix this is stir it well.

Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
5 minutes
Total time
15 minutes

Making tahini at home is easy and much less expensive than buying from the store.
We recommend looking for sesame seeds in bulk bins or at International, Asian and Middle Eastern markets for the best deals.
While tahini can be made from unhulled, sprouted and hulled sesame seeds, we prefer to use hulled (or natural) sesame seeds for tahini. Tahini can be kept in the refrigerator for a month.

Yield: 1/2 cup of tahini

1 cup (5 ounces or 140 grams) sesame seeds, we prefer hulled
3 to 4 tablespoons neutral flavored oil such as grape seed, canola or a light olive oil
Pinch of salt, optional

Directions
Toast Sesame Seeds (optional): Add sesame seeds to a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat and toast, stirring constantly until the seeds become fragrant and very lightly colored (not brown), 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer toasted seeds to a baking sheet or large plate and cool completely. (Careful here, sesame seeds can burn quickly).
Make Tahini Paste: Add sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor then process until a crumbly paste forms, about 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil then process for 2 to 3 minutes more, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a couple times. Check the tahini's consistency. It should be smooth, not gritty and should be pourable. You may need to process for another minute or add the additional tablespoon of oil.
Taste the tahini for seasoning then add salt to taste. Process 5 to 10 seconds to mix it in.
How to Store Tahini: Store tahini covered in the refrigerator for one month. You may notice it separates over time, like a natural peanut butter would. If this happens, give the tahini a good stir


Can be frozen.

Found at: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/26901/easy-tahini-recipe/

Hummus

Hummus

INGREDIENTS

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), liquid reserved
1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

(NOTE:  cut tahini and oil in half but make up the other 1/4 c with sour cream and cut back on other liquids)

Add liquids last to be sure of the right texture


PREPARATION

1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often find I like to add much more lemon juice). Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.

NOTES from comments section:
1) This is *almost* my exact recipe, except I like to add about 1/4 cup sour cream for extra creaminess and you can cut back on some of the liquids to keep it from getting runny.
2) The only thing I do is add MORE Garlic. I could see where people might not want as much tahini, it can be a little chalky with this much.
3)Very easy and good. I agree with previous poster that roasting the garlic would take away some harshness. I also cut the tahini and olive oil in half but made up the difference with sour cream which makes it a lighter version.
4)I cut the tahini paste down to 1/4 cup. I used half of the liquid from the canned garbanzo beans. Since the instructions weren't clear on whether to use cumin or paprika I used 1/2 TBSP of each. Once you get to this point it's all of personal preference. For example, I also wound up adding an extra 1/4 c of olive oil (but that's because I like it really smooth and creamy - this is my preference). If the recipe had gotten the tahini right, I would have given this 4 stars. TIP: If your Tahini is hard with oil on top, it's old or needs to be mixed. The best thing to do is to dumb the whole thing in a blender and mix it up. Then scoop out your 1/4 cup or how ever much you want to use.
5)This pretty much the way I've settled on for making humus. I soak a cup of raw beans over night before cooking them for about an hour next day. Save the cooking water to thin recipe if needed. I think raw garlic a little harsh, so I cook minced garlic in the olive oil until golden & then add garlic and oil to recipe. Everyone really likes my humus this way.

Recipe from:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hummus-237832

Hummingbird Food

Basically, I use a strong mixture in the spring or when I want to steal them from a neighbor. That is:

sugar to water 1:1. 

It can be mixed as lean as about ¼ cup sugar to 1 cup water. 

I use the lean version in summer when I want to keep mold at bay or if I want to see the birds coming around more. 

They will come and feed more with the lean mixture as they need the calories. 

I just boil the water (you want it to be pretty sterile anyway so you don’t mold as quickly) and then add the water and stir it in and then boil it some more until the sugar is totally dissolved. 

I just do it in a quart canning jar in the microwave and then I can put the lid on it and store until I need to refill. 

Those little buggers can eat though and a quart won’t even last a day once you get a good flock of them! 

Are they flocks? 

I am not sure…

Okay. According to a site on the internet, they are called a Charm. 

That does seem to fit them! A Charm of Hummingbirds….

Chicken Caesar Wraps

Chicken Caesar Wraps 

This recipe is healthy and delicious, and brings the best parts of a Caesar salad to a wrap! All you have to do is pull out your slow cooker and you've got chicken wraps for a crowd! This is the perfect meal to just set, forget, and roll up for lunch or dinner.



Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup water
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp parsley
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded
Romaine leaves
Sliced red onion

Directions:

Arrange chicken breasts in abase of slow cooker. Pour ½ cup water into basin and cook on low for 3-4 hours.




Remove chicken from slow cooker and drain water, then shred with two forks in a large bowl.




Stir in Caesar dressing, Parmesan, second teaspoon of parsley, and pepper and mix until well combined.

Serve wrapped up in a tortilla or pita with romaine.

Found at:  http://www.shared.com/chicken-caesar-wraps-will-fill-you-up-for-lunchtime-1950406955.html

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Recipe

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Recipe

This chicken bacon ranch pasta is one of my favorite recipes to make at home! Although it’s not the quickest or easiest, it’s always a winner with my husband. What recipe that includes bacon isn’t wonderful? You can serve this with a nice side salad or some garlic bread.



Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Ingredients

1 pound of penne pasta
6 strips of bacon, diced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 packet of ranch seasoning mix
2 cups milk
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:

Start by cooking your pasta, draining it, and setting it aside.
While you are making your noodles; cook your bacon on a skillet, drain the grease but keep 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan.
Add a tablespoon of butter to the bacon drippings and toss in your chicken breast pieces (cook until no longer pink/browned).
Pour the ranch dressing mix and flour over the chicken then add the 2 cups of milk. Stir until it is bubbly and thick.
Add the cheese and half of your diced bacon pieces to the pan; stir until melted.
Combine the sauce and pasta noodles together – add salt and pepper to taste.
Top off the dish with the extra bacon pieces and ENJOY!

Found at http://www.craftymorning.com/chicken-bacon-ranch-pasta-recipe/