Recipes – Page 70 – The Pajama Chef

SRC: Chicken Tinga Tacos

January 7, 2013January 5, 2017 Sarah

Whoa, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a recipe post! Since before Christmas, in fact. Between Christmas, and my little sister’s wedding[!!!], and a quick trip to Chicago with my parents and Ben for New Years’… I’ve been busy. And got sick. 😦 But now it’s back to real life… and that means plenty of recipes! To start off the new year, it seems fitting to begin with a dose of the Secret Recipe Club! We took a break in December, but I’m so happy to be back in the swing of things. I absolutely love being part of the SRC. It’s a fun way to try new blogs and recipes and be part of a great community. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month, my assignment was for Holly’s blog, PheMOMenon. Holly is a mom of three, and uses her blog as an outlet to “conquer [her] world, one recipe at a time.” Sounds like a good thing, if you ask me!! I had a hard time deciding which recipe to choose, because it’s no lie to say that everything I looked at sounded so amazing! If I had my act together and made this recipe in December, before I OD’d on sweets, I probably would have made these crepes or this Sugar Plum Puff Pastry. YUM. Definitely pinned.

Instead of sweets, I decided to make a flavorful, spicy taco dish as our first home-cooked meal of 2013. Holly’s Chicken Tinga Tacos are absolutely incredible, and so super easy. I had never heard of chicken tinga before, but I had a suspicion that it was something legit, so I turned to the powers of Google to learn that it is a traditional Mexican dish of shredded chicken in a tomato and chili chipotle sauce. The source of that knowledge, Muy Bueno Cookbook, is definitely a site to check out too. But back to Holly.

Normally, to make a shredded/marinated chicken dish like this, I would throw these ingredients in the crockpot to marinate and cook all day long. In fact, I’ve made many similar Mexican-inspired shredded chicken recipes that way…and they are good. But sometimes the crockpot leaves everything tasting kinda the same, if you know what I mean. Or is that just me? Regardless, there’s just something to be gained by preparing this meal on the stove.

Instead of all day like a crockpot would take, the whole meal came together in less than an hour, most of which was idle simmer time. The taco meat was smoky, juicy, and pretty much perfect. And while our first-day tacos were super, I must say the leftovers may have been even better, as these flavors got better over time. As a special bonus, I’ll be sharing one of my leftover recipes on Wednesday… so be sure to come back for Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie. It is so good! Enjoy!

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Servings: 6-8
Time: 60 minutes
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from PheMOMenon as appearing on Smart Balance’s blogger recipe contest on Facebook

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chipotle salsa or 2 chipotles in adobo, pureed with a 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts [Holly used thighs]
tortillas
lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. for serving as desired

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven set over medium heat. Then add onions and garlic, and season with black pepper before cooking until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Next, reduce heat to low and add salsa and chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add chicken to the pan.

Spoon salsa mixture completely over the chicken, then cover pan with a lid. Simmer, covered, for 35 minutes or until chicken can be easily shredded with a fork.

Shred the chicken in the sauce with two forks, then simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve in warmed tortillas with toppings of your choice.

Be sure to check out the other fabulous recipes posted today [click below] for this week’s SRC reveal. Have a great day!

This recipe is also linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies

December 24, 2012December 24, 2012 Sarah

Soo….these cookies. Total Pinterest find. Wasn’t really sure how I felt about the recipe itself even though they looked amazingly delicious. See, I’m not a big chocolate cookie fan. But I loved the idea of the M&Ms, which then became the sole reason for a trip to Target, the only place where White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms can be found. As if you need a reason for a Target trip. Right? [But truthfully, for me, I do… as Target is pretty much on the opposite side of town and a huge pain to get there.] I digress…

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies | The Pajama Chef

These cookies are everything I thought they would be… AND MORE! They are rich and chewy… and absolutely beautiful. Don’t you think?

Two kinds of chocolate and two kinds of mint is a combination that cannot be beat. I mean, chocolate and mint together is classic, but white chocolate peppermint in the M&Ms provides the extra boost to the more traditional cocoa that makes the cookies uber chocolatey and thick as well as to the epitome of peppermint during the Christmas season: candy canes.

I know it’s Christmas eve, and you probably have a billion things to do. But I highly suggest that you head on out to Target to get some White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms before it is too late and they disappear for another year. These cookies are so worth it. And in case you’re finding this recipe many months after Christmas, do not despair–I think the base chocolate cookie for this recipe is the best I’ve ever had, so other M&Ms and candy/chips would be an awesome substitute. I’m thinking peanut butter M&Ms and peanut butter chips? Or Reese’s Pieces and dark chocolate chips? Or Coconut M&Ms and semi-sweet chocolate chips? Or even something really outlandish like Skittles and sprinkles? Why doesn’t anyone ever bake with Skittles? Oh, the mysteries of this life… [note to self: try this one day]. In the meantime, I think I’m off to have another cookie.

P.S. I’ll be back with more recipes, menu plans, and more after the New Year, but until then probably won’t be around much. 🙂 Merry Christmas!!

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies [slightly adapted from no. 2 Pencil]
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Ingredients:

14 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 small candy canes, crushed [~ 1/3 cup]
1 bag White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts and mix on low until combined. Then add eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each addition.

Slowly add flour and baking soda, mixing on low until dough forms.

Fold in candy cane pieces with spatula, then roll dough in balls of about 1 tablespoon each.

Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly, then press in 4-5 M&Ms on top of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 28-30 cookies.

Breakfast, Pancakes, Spreads

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup

December 12, 2012December 14, 2015 Sarah

When we’re home and I’m not training for a marathon that requires me to spend the majority of my Saturday mornings out on a long run, our typical Saturday routine is to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and then waste the day away with football games [Ben] and a good book [me] until we drag ourselves out the door to go workout, unless it is summertime, in which case we workout first thing to avoid the heat. Whoa. Run-on sentence. Sorry. All that to say, our leisurely breakfasts are the best. Except figuring out what to make. I’m a weekend breakfast snob, pretty much always insisting on some form of pancakes or waffles or egg casserole or french toast or or or… anything but boring toast or cold cereal. Not on the weekend…LAME!

Most men would delight in that. 1950s ideals and all. You know what the kicker is? 99% of the time, Ben would be just fine with eating dry Cheerios out of the box. Seriously. He uses a bowl, because of me, but how lame is that? So every week, our conversation is: what do you want for breakfast? Oh, cereal is fine. Really? Well if you really want to make something, I’d eat it… blah blah blah. But THIS SATURDAY!! This Saturday was different! When I asked Ben what he wanted for breakfast and said I was in a pancake mood, he immediately asked if there was a recipe somewhere for cranberry pancakes.

Cranberry pancakes? Well, I wasn’t sure, but a little Googling later led me to this awesome fare.

Yup, that’s definitely a big ‘ole stack of Cranberry Orange Pancakes with a bowl of Cranberry Maple Syrup! Can it get any better?

These pancakes were fluffy and sweet, slightly scented with a faint flavor of orange, while also having the unmistakable tartness of cranberries in each bite. So so so good! And the syrup! It was the star of the show, almost like a mixture of jam and syrup together… thick and sticky, as any good syrup is. It goes without saying that the cranberries in the syrup are tart…but a good tart, like cranberry sauce tart. Mmmm! A little vanilla in the syrup sophisticates this syrup. SO GOOD!

Wait! It does get better because it was the boring breakfast eater who inspired me to find this recipe. Except now that I look at the photos, I realize it couldn’t have been Saturday morning when these photos were taken because it was obviously dark out so I took them indoors. Sigh. That means my story is slightly invalid… but the principle still remains! And these pancakes are incredible. I think we must have made these Friday night. Exciting lives we lead…haha. They are sure to become a Christimastime favorite in your house too. Enjoy! 🙂

Cranberry Orange Pancakes [from Coastal Living]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted butter $
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh cranberries, thawed if previously frozen

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg, butter, orange zest, and vanilla extract.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then add cranberries and mix gently until incorporated. Let batter rest while skillet heats up.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil on a large griddle or skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, reduce heat to medium and add batter, 1/4 cup for each pancake, then cook for 2-4 minutes or until edges cook and top is bubbly. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: ~16 pancakes.

Cranberry Maple Syrup [from Coastal Living]

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup fresh cranberries, divided [thawed if frozen]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

Bring maple syrup and 3/4 cup cranberries to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low, then simmer for 3-4 minutes until cranberries begin to pop. Crush cranberries with a potato masher, then add remaining cranberries. Simmer for another 2 minutes, then stir in vanilla and butter.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 1 cup.

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Streuseled Cran-Apple Sweet Potato Casserole

December 10, 2012December 14, 2015 Sarah

Christmas is coming, faster than we know. And I didn’t want to let the season go by without sharing this awesome roasted sweet potato dish. Even though it’s a sweet potato casserole, it bears little resemblance to the typical marshmallow-y sugar concoctions that are ever so traditional.

I made this recipe for my family Thanksgiving dinner. I love roasted sweet potatoes as a side dish or light meal any time of year, so I thought that they would be the perfect basis for a new sort of sweet potato casserole! To make them a little more special than normal, I roasted the sweet potatoes in a lovely spiced maple syrup sauce. After they were nice and roasted, I added in some crisp apples and tart cranberries. A sweet oat streusel topped off the dish, and boy was it good! Even Ben, who usually passes on sweet potato casseroles, went back for seconds. That’s a success if I do say so myself!

Plus, as with all good Thanksgiving or Christmas special side dishes, most of this can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until it is ready to be baked and served. It is absolutely delicious and would be a great addition to your Christmas table! I would love to make it again soon. Enjoy! 🙂

Streuseled Cran-Apple Sweet Potato Casserole [adapted from Cooking Light]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks–about 6 cups, [peeled or unpeeled, your choice]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
1/2 of a large granny smith apple, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup half and half [I used fat free]
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place diced sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk together olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, then pour over sweet potatoes. Using your hands, coat sweet potatoes with olive oil mixture. Roast for 25-35 minutes, turning occasionally, or until fork-tender.

After sweet potatoes are done, transfer to a 10 inch round casserole dish [a 9×9 square dish should work too]. Mix in apples and cranberries.

Next, whisk together half and half, the egg, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Pour over sweet potato mixture, then bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

***Casserole can be made ahead up until this point and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, prepare the streusel. Stir together oats, brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Add melted butter and toss to form coarse crumbs.

Before serving, sprinkle streusel topping over sweet potatoes. Return to oven and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until topping is browned.

Time: 75 minutes [15 minutes active]

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Appetizers, Other, Recipes

Caramel Apple Dip

December 6, 2012December 8, 2015 Sarah

I know that we’re smack dab in the middle of Christmas cookie season and that it’s usually more fun to bring sweets to a party instead of the obligatory fruit or veggie tray. But truth be told, even though I enjoy making those sweets for parties, I am forever grateful to those who bring fruits and veggies to parties. Especially if they take the time to make the trays from scratch instead of hitting up the grocery store. And even more especially if they make a yummy dip like this one.

This dip pretty much tastes like a combination of fall and holiday cheer in one go. Instead of consisting of straight-up caramel, which is definitely good but a little messy, this Caramel Apple Dip replicates the taste of caramel in a creamy spread that is out of this world. It’s so simple to make, but the combination of brown sugar, honey roasted peanuts, vanilla, and cinnamon makes such a rich, flavorful spread that it seems like more work should be involved beyond the five minutes needed to mix everything up in a bowl. Simple, yes, but I’ll take it. 🙂

When Natalie called it “cheesecake meets peanut butter meets caramel” I was a little skeptical, but after one bite I had no doubt in my mind that that is exactly spot on. You’ll seriously be eating more and more apple slices just so you can enjoy more of this dip! Enjoy!