Chicken Burrito

I remember when this style burrito which is called a wet burrito was becoming really popular in San Francisco. It's a regular burrito covered in enchilada sauce and cheese and put under the broiler until the cheese melts. The combination is awesome and if you've never had a wet burrito, do so soon!

Ingredients:

Flour tortilla's from Trader Joe's. No bad oils!

1 diced chicken breast

1 can black beans

1 cup cooked Rice or Mexican rice

1/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

1/2 bunch diced green onions 

1/4 bunch chopped cilantro

1 medium tomato

Sour cream

Preparation:

When I make burrito's, I toss everything into a medium sauce pan to make the filling. I start with black beans, heat them up and give them a quick smash to make them thick. Next, add the chicken, rice, cheese, green onions, cilantro and tomato. Mix all the ingredients and heat to to serving temperature.

Take a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and put in 1 tortilla. Place into the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove the tortilla to a plate and place about 1-1/2 cups burrito filling. Add some sour cream and roll up into the burrito shape. Spoon on some enchilada sauce and top with more cheese and place under the broiler for about a minute until the cheese melts. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a couple lime wedges.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

This is a really tasty stew with an exotic flavor. I'm using the classic North African spice combination with a tomato base. It takes some time to get all the ingredients together, but it's well worth the effort! Here I'm using a tagine to cook the Moroccan spiced chicken. A tagine is an eye catching piece of cookware that is made of ceramic and has a very wide base and tall conical lid. The tagine provides a hot moist cooking environment and as the food cooks, steam rises to the top of the cone, condenses and trickles down the sides and back into the dish.

Ingredients:
6 bone in chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon mace
1 cinnamon stick
1" piece peeled ginger root
1 yellow onion coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium tomato's quartered
3 or 4 yellow new potato's halved
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 fresh ground sea salt
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup clack olives
4 cups cooked couscous

Preparation:

Combine the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, mace, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper) in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and mix. Place the chicken and spice mix in a Ziploc bag and marinate for a couple of hours.

Prepare your tagine or crock pot by coating with a some olive oil. Add the chicken and the rest of the ingredients; cinnamon stick, ginger root, tomato paste, onion, tomato, potato, olives and chicken stock. Cook in the crock pot on high for 4 hours Cook in the tagne on the stove over lowest heat for 2 hours and you're done.

Prepare the couscous according to instructions, which is usually 4 cups water or chicken stock, pinch of salt if you're using water and 2 cups couscous. Place the water or stock in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and add the couscous and cover, turn off the heat. Let stand a minimum of 5 minute and when ready to serve, fluff with a fork.

To serve, place a portion of couscous in a flat bowl and top with the Moroccan spiced chicken. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley. 

Spaghetti with Rao's Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

A couple years ago I had dinner at Rao's in Las Vegas and it was pretty awesome. Rao's which is pronounced Ray O's now sell pasta sauce by the jar which is available at Safeway, but it's fairly expensive at $8.99. I was getting some pasta for dinner and notice that Rao's pasta sauce was on sale for $7.99, so I picked out the roasted garlic and thought I'd give it a try. In short, I was blown away! My family was like "what is this, this is the best pasta sauce I've ever had" and I agree! Give this one a try even if it's not on sale. 

Ingredients:

1 pound Barilla spaghetti

1 jar Rao's roasted garlic pasta sauce

Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil or chopped Italian parsley

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Take a large stock pot and fill with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt and bring to boil. Cook the spaghetti according to directions, which is usually 9 - 10 minutes to al dente, which is firm to the bite. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 

Place the pasta sauce in a medium sauce pan, cover and heat to simmer.

Take your 12" sauté pan and heat to medium. Add the spaghetti and half of the pasta sauce. Toss until the sauce has coated all the spaghetti. Add the cup of reserved starchy pasta water. Toss and you're ready to serve.

To serve, place a portion of spaghetti on a serving plate. Top the pasta with some sauce, a grind of salt and pepper and some Parmesan cheese. Garnish the dish with chopped basil or chopped Italian parsley. 

Chicken, Pear, Blue Cheese and Pecan Salad

I've wanted to make this salad for a while now and while traveling a week ago, I had this in a restaurant and it was awesome. I'm using Brianna's French Vinaigrette dressing which is an all time favorite and I'm using plain pecans instead of candied pecans because I want to keep the salad savory, not sweet

Ingredients:

Mixed salad green

Brianna's french vinaigrette dressing

1 poached chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces

1 bartlett pear, chopped

Maytag blue cheese, crumbled

chopped pecans

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Rinse and dry the salad greens and place in a large salad bowl. Add the chicken, pear and salad dressing and toss well. 

To serve, place a portion of salad onto a serving plate and top with crumbled Maytag blue cheese, chopped pecans and a grind of salt and pepper.

Barbecued Chicken Sandwich

It's National Sandwich day so I'm making a barbecued chicken sandwich. I made this a few weeks ago and it was so good that I've made several times since and I'm sure it won't be too long before I make it again. 

Ingredients:

Chicken breast sliced thin

BBQ spice rub

Lettuce

Sliced Tomato

Sliced red onion

Mayonnaise

BBQ sauce

Sourdough Hoagie roll 

Preparation:

Cut the chicken breast into 1/2" steaks and lightly coat both sides with BBQ spice rub of your choice, I used Kirkland Sweet Mesquite Seasoning. Place the chicken in Ziploc bag and marinate for an hour.

Grill the chicken over medium high grill for 3 - 4 minutes per side. When done, set on a plate and let rest 5 minutes.

Take the hoagie roll and place some BBQ sauce on the bottom piece. Place some lettuce, tomato, red onion and then the chicken. Place some mayo on the top piece of the hoagie roll and place on the chicken. Slice in half and plate.