Chicken Fajitas

I buy boneless, skinless chicken breast in bulk when it's on sale and then prepare the meat in a variety of recipes and freeze them. When it's time to decide what to eat for dinner, I have meals already half prepared and not just packages of frozen meat. It's my "sort of" freezer cooking method.

One of our favorite chicken recipes is this fajita marinade. I prepare the meat and freeze it, then when it's time to cook it, I made sure I have tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. We like to have tortillas chips, refried beans, Mexican rice, and/or a salad alongside these yummy fajitas.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4 large breasts)
• green pepper (I use 2)
• onion (I use 2)
  

marinade:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Worchestshire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 cup oil (any kind)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley
  

DIRECTIONS

Mix marinade ingredients together and pour in a ziploc bag. Add chicken, green pepper strips, and onion strips. Seal and double bag if freezing. This full recipe serves 6-8 adults, depending on appetite.

Last night I made 1/2 the recipe and fed 4 adults and 4 young children. Yum. Yum!

Best Ever Popcorn Balls

I discovered this recipe in the fall of 2008 while my in-laws were visiting around Thanksgiving. I had lots and lots of popcorn and decided it would be fun to make sweet, sticky popcorn balls. After trying several recipes, we (my MIL and I) decided this was the best!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 5 quarts plain popped popcorn (I use my large Pampered Chef Micro Cooker and put just plain popcorn kernels in it. I microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes until it stops popping. Good, pure, plain popcorn!)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar, marshmallows, and vanilla. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.
2. Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

The process of pressing it into balls can be really, really sticky (I know...they're popcorn balls!). But, we found that we liked it just as much if we tossed the sugar mixture with the popcorn, spread it on a sheet to cool, and just ate it as sweet popcorn crunch!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This recipe is so simple. I found the original idea on the Picky Palate website, but decided the extra marshmallow, chocolate, and mini M&Ms was too much fuss!

This makes such a yummy, easy cookie. Everyone loves them!

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

1 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 Cup sugar

1 egg

12 mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped (Sam's Choice works great...the WalMart brand)

36 mini marshmallows (Don't use)

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips (Don't use)

2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream (Don't use)

1/4 Cup mini M&M’s (Don't use)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place peanut butter, sugar and egg into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Scoop dough evenly into a 24 count mini muffin pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. (I don't do anything else except wait for them to cool and then pop them out to eat!)

If you want to top the cookies with the extra stuff:

2. Top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted smooth. Stir in 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream until silky and smooth. You can return back to microwave for 15 seconds to get a thinner consistency. Spoon chocolate over top of puffed marshmallows and sprinkle with mini M&M’s.

Mexican Chorizo & Cheddar Cups

Chorizo is a Mexican pork sausage that is somewhat spicy, depending on the brand you get. Having grown up in Arizona, I loved chorizo, egg, and cheese burritos from a few spots in town, like Stan's or Chile Pepper. This recipe is a nice new way to enjoy this old favorite.

Mexican Chorizo & Cheddar Cups

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls, reduced fat, 8 count

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

¼ Cup diced green chilies from can (I usually don't add these b/c they aren't on hand)

½ Cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (I use regular cheddar)

½ Cup cooked chorizo, about ¼ lb (just brown it in a skillet for about 10 minutes over medium heat)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll crescent rolls and press the widest part of triangle into 8 muffin cups, pressing up the sides and bottom of cups, leaving points of dough hanging over sides. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, chilies, cheese and cooled chorizo. Pour into muffin cups filling nearly to the top. Take 2 longest points of dough and lightly twist them, then set on the top and middle of cup. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove from muffin cups and EAT!

8 servings

This recipe is from Picky Palate. She is creative, fun, and has a neat website to browse. Visit her here!