corn – Page 3 – The Pajama Chef

30 Before 30, Beans, Chicken, Main Dishes, Other, Recipes, Salads, Sides

Mystery Dish: BBQ Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Basil Ranch Dressing

May 30, 2014June 5, 2015 Sarah

Today I have the BEST SALAD EVER to share with you!! I am so psyched, I can hardly wait to tell you about it [even though it is not original at all. But that’s okay.] But first, this recipe qualifies for not just one, but two challenges. Woohoo! First of all, I created this recipe for Mystery Dish. But since it includes a fantastic homemade ranch dressing, it also helps fulfill one of my 30 before 30 goals. Score!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Basil Ranch Dressing | thepajamachef.com #mysterydish #salad #summer

This month for Mystery Dish, Chez Catey Lou is our host. Cate is so sweet and gave us such a creative list to work with! We had to use at least two ingredients from this list: raspberries, peanut butter chips, edamame, lemon, yeast, whole wheat pastry flour, bacon, buttermilk, basil, and zucchini. There were a thousand ways I thought about going [I probably say that every month…sorry] but my craving for a salad won out in the end. I used a few of Cate’s ingredients [lemon, buttermilk, and basil] to make an awesome Jalapeno Ranch Dressing to dress up a BBQ Chicken Salad.

I have long searched for a good homemade ranch dressing. I’ve made this recipe once before and let me tell you..it’s a keeper! It’s creamy, spicy, and best of all… clean! No weird mystery ingredients in the powder, thankyouverymuch. The key to this recipe is the jalapeno. It just elevates this creamy, herby dressing with a bit of spice. Oh so good!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Basil Ranch Dressing | thepajamachef.com #mysterydish #salad #summer

You know what else is good? This salad! I know a zillion restaurants have variations of BBQ Chicken Salad and this was mine. I just used seven ingredients so it’s pretty basic: lettuce, chicken, BBQ sauce, corn, tomatoes, black beans, and ranch dressing. You could also add avocados, onions, bacon, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

I kept it simple though so the flavors could really shine. You will really want to make it again and again. One bite of this and Ben was swooning. Seriously! This is a man’s salad, and definitely fancy enough for a restaurant. Hope you enjoy it as much we do!

one year ago: Strawberry Muffins
two years ago: Sweet-Tart Quinoa Salad
three years ago: BAST sandwich

BBQ Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

Servings: 4 meal-size salads or 8 side salads; 2 cups dressing
Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken [leftovers from a roasted chicken work great]
1 cup bbq sauce [I used Sweet Baby Ray’s]
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups fresh corn, cut from 3 ears of corn
1 head romaine lettuce
Jalapeno Ranch Dressing, recipe below

Directions:

Stir together chicken and bbq sauce in a skillet set over medium-low heat. Heat for 5-7 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, toss together romaine lettuce and Jalapeno Ranch Dressing in desired amounts. Divide lettuce between four plates, then top each with a quarter of all ingredients: chicken, tomato, black beans, and corn. Toss together and enjoy!

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing [slightly adapted from The Lively Kitchen]

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk [for this I use real buttermilk, a substitute could be kinda weird]
4 green onions, chopped, with white bottoms removed
1/2 of a chopped, deseeded jalapeno [~2 tablespoons]
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped [or 1 teaspoon dried parsley]
1/3 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped [or cilantro, basil, etc.]
1 clove garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIrections:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. An immersion blender works great!

Dressing thickens in the fridge so add some extra buttermilk before serving leftovers as desired.

Please check out the other awesome recipes from this month’s Mystery Dish!

1. Raspberry Lemon Sweet Roll Cake with Buttermilk Glaze – Baking a Moment
2. Twice Baked Zucchini Boat – Chelsea’s Messy Apron
3. Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Raspberry Mint Compote – Blahnik Baker
4. Lemon-Raspberry Bundt Cake – I Dig Pinterest
5. Peanut Butter Chip Cookies – The Dessert Chronicles
6. Mini Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – I Want Crazy
7. Zucchini Noodles with Meat Mushroom Tomato Sauce – Joyfully Healthy Eats
8. Baked Wonton Cups Filled with Edamame Corn Salad – The Well Floured Kitchen
9. Easy 30 Minute Orange Rolls – Yummy Healthy Easy
10. BBQ Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Basil Ranch Dressing – The Pajama Chef
11. Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes – Culinary Couture
12. Zucchini Muffins with Lemon Glaze – The Weary Chef
13. Lemon Bundt Cake – Chez CateyLou

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Spicy Chicken, Spinach, and Corn Enchiladas

February 28, 2014February 27, 2014 Sarah

This month for Mystery Dish, Christine from I Dig Pinterest and I Did it Too was the head honcho. She gave us the following ingredients to work with: fresh mushrooms, pork, spinach, cream cheese, pineapple, butterscotch chips, macadamia nuts, Sriracha, Ritz crackers, and tortillas. When I first saw the list, I had dreams of a fabulous dessert. But things just didn’t work out due to family and work things… so dinner it was! But shhhh! Don’t tell these enchiladas they were a second choice because they’d be oh so sad. They were SO tasty and SO spicy and SO worth it.

The two ingredients I used from Christine’s list were spinach and tortillas. I thought about also using Sriracha in the spicy enchilada sauce, but after a quick test taste, I realized there was no way I’d be able to handle the heat if I added that. 🙂 So two ingredients it was! Obviously tortillas are an essential part of enchiladas–but spinach? Sounds a little weird. But I’m never one to shy away from adding veggies where they are unexpected. The combination of chicken, spinach, and corn made for a delightful enchilada filling, and when we had a little leftover, I saved it for quesadillas later in the week. Also an excellent choice for this filling! If a super spicy sauce isn’t your thing, feel free to buy some or try my [old old old] recipe for a classic enchilada sauce.

We loved how flavorful, fast, and unique these enchiladas were, and I bet you will too! Be sure to check out some of the other creations made by my Mystery Dish pals. 🙂

one year ago: Italian Sausage and Red Rice
two years ago: Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole
three years ago: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Spicy Chicken, Spinach, and Corn Enchiladas
click to print

Ingredients:

4 ounces tomato paste
1 cup tomato juice or water
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
6 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
2 handful spinach, torn
1 cup corn
1/2 cup salsa
8 flour tortillas
1 cup white cheddar cheese [pepperjack or a Mexican blend would also be good]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine tomato paste, tomato juice, onion, green pepper, garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Process until smooth. Spread 1/3 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together chicken, spinach, corn, and salsa. Divide mixture between the tortillas, then place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 4 servings.

1. Grilled Pineapple with Nutella and Macadamia Nuts by Joyful Healthy Eats
2. Hummingbird Cake by Baking a Moment
3. Three-Cheese Spinach Squares by The Well Floured Kitchen
4. Easy Pesto Pita Bread Pizzas by Yummy Healthy Easy
5. Minty Pea Prosciutto Toast by Chez CateyLou
6. Pina Colada Cheesecake by Blahnik Baker
7. Chocolate Banana Cheesecake Chimichangas by Culinary Couture
8. Pork with Pineapple Fried Rice by I Want Crazy
9. Tropical Green Smoothie by The Dessert Chronicles
10. Spicy Chicken, Spinach and Corn Enchiladas by The Pajama Chef
11. Pineapple Drop Cookies by I Dig Pinterest

Appetizers, Recipes

Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip

October 28, 2013October 27, 2013 Sarah

I love dip. I am made for dip. In my younger years, if I wasn’t ordering chicken fingers at a restaurant, it was some kind of dip. Instant high school/college dinner! Yes! While I don’t do that very often anymore, I do love me some dips for group appetizers. Snacky foods just bring people together because they’re always coming back for more! I made this Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip for the last big church event Ben and I went to in Bloomington, soon before moving to Nashville. This dip was a big hit with everyone, and I can see it being perfect for football parties this fall too!

When I told people the name of the dip, I intentionally didn’t emphasize the “skinny” bit. See, people tend to equate skinny with not flavorful, boring, or blah. This dip is anything BUT! The skinny bit comes from the dip’s greek yogurt base, replacing the usual suspects like mayo or sour cream. I love greek yogurt for what it is–yogurt. I could eat yogurt [greek or not] day in and day out without complaint. I love the stuff! But subbing greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream in dips and such really freaks me out. I love those other creamy things for their unique flavors and plain greek yogurt is NOT the same. But in some things, when there’s lots of other stuff going on… use the healthy, creamy, protein-packed alternative without fear. </rant> 🙂

The seasoning for this creamy chicken, bean, and veggie dip was originally a flavorful blend of chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. But since I was making this for a crowd–and using the church’s dollar–I didn’t want to buy three new jars of spices. So I just bought one–an amped up Southwest Mrs. Dash. Seasoning blends can get a bad rap, but for dishes like this they are a fabulous bargain. [P.S. I also like to add those blends to roasted potatoes, hot rice, or even a wrap/grilled cheese.] Taco seasoning would be an equally great alternative, or you could go back to the original recipe and use the suggested blend, plus some cayenne for a ‘lil kick. However you season this dip, the Southwest/Mexican seasonings pair amazingly well with the chicken, black beans, and veggies. Be sure to make this dip ahead of time so the flavors have time to marry in the fridge before being scooped up with a salty tortilla chip. I liked it best on day number 2! Enjoy!

Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip [adapted from Yellow Bliss Road]
click to print

Ingredients:

16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning [or taco seasoning, or chili powder + garlic powder + onion powder + cayenne]
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
15 ounce bag frozen corn
1 cup fresh sweet peppers, diced
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, Southwest Chipotle seasoning, chicken, corn, and peppers. Then slowly stir in black beans and tomatoes. Refrigerate for one hour or more [overnight is best] prior to serving with tortilla chips.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 cups.

Appetizers, Recipes

Mexican Rollups

October 25, 2012June 5, 2015 Sarah

So, I think I’ve mentioned a time or two that the first Sunday every month I organize food for a church event. It usually appears on my Menu Plan as an “appetizer and dessert” night. Sometimes “organizing” means planning, shopping, recruiting help to cook/bake, and setting/cleaning up the actual event. Other times, things are a little more involved. For one reason or another, I end up doing most of the cooking and baking. And that’s okay. For the most part, I don’t mind since I love food. But sometimes that gets a wee bit time consuming. So those months, I turn to something easy and delicious that I know everyone will love. Something that is always a hit are my Mexican Rollups. I think I’ve made these on [or had a friend make them] no less than three separate occasions. For someone who’s an avid nonrecipe repeater, how could I not when I had a cheesy, spicy hit on my hands? Each of these two-bite appetizers is absolute packed with taco spiced deliciousness. Black beans and corn. Two kinds of cheese. Cilantro. Onions. Salsa. All wrapped up in a soft flour tortilla. Amazing. Though they aren’t really healthy, I do have ideas for healthifying them [add spinach, cut down on cheese, etc.]… but I just haven’t. Sometimes you gotta be a bit excessive. Besides being tasty, these Mexican Rollups are incredibly easy to throw together in about 15 minutes or less. You can even make them a day or two ahead–for ease on the day of a party or get-together, as well as for better marriage of flavors. All you gotta do before serving is cut them up. Perfect, right? Or guess what… if you happened to not be making these for an event, I won’t tell anyone if you just eat them burrito-style. I may have done that a time or two…. shhhh! Just kidding. But now I am uber-tempted. Seriously though–these rollups are simple and well-loved. Every time I make them, I get so many compliments and recipe requests that I figured it would be easier to just blog about them. No one gets tired of them and they are always devoured [and I always make a double batch. Wowsers!]. One bite of this fresh yet indulgent Mexi-flavored app and you’ll see. 🙂 I guarantee anyone who tries them will agree… even those who say they don’t like black beans. There’s so much other good stuff in there. I don’t usually say that you have to try something… but you have GOT to try these. Enjoy!

Mexican Rollups

Servings: 80-100 slices, approximately 20-25 servings total
Time: 15 minutes + 2 hours to chill
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12 ounces cream cheese, softened [I used Neufchâtel]
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese [I’ve used Sharp Cheddar and a taco blend]
½ bunch cilantro, diced
6 green onions, chopped
1 package – 2 ounces – taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
20 flour tortillas

Combine cream cheese, corn, black beans, cheese, cilantro, onions, and taco seasoning in a large bowl. Add sour cream and salsa gradually [if it seems too runny use less of either]. Microwave tortillas to just warm up before adding filling. Spread evenly in each tortilla and roll up tightly. Don’t overfill; you don’t want it to be difficult to roll. Place all tortillas in a baking dish, separating each layer of rolled tortillas with foil or wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into small slices–approximately 4-5 per tortilla, and continue separating each layer with wax paper or foil.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

October 18, 2012October 23, 2015 Sarah

So, Thursdays are always really busy evenings for us. Ben and I usually get home around 5:20, 5:30ish and then it’s rush rush rush to eat dinner, clean up, play with the cats a bit, and make it to our church small group at 7. [Well, 7ish… I’m naturally a pretty punctual person, but sometimes make it a habit to be places late when I know everyone else is going to be late and it’s awkward to be early. Know what I mean?] Basically this means we need to leave by 6:45 at the latest to be there relatively on time, thanks to the massive amounts of road construction in Bloomington right now.

Lots to do in an hour or so. That’s our Thursday. You can probably relate, yes?

Our routine used to be that Thursdays were leftover nights. I’m not sure where that got derailed, but it did, and so that left us with a gaping hole in the fridge [and our stomachs] last Thursday. Fortunately, I was able to whip up this incredible soup to fill the gap!

I know Chicken Tortilla Soup is nothing original, but I was proud of myself for a) making this recipe up as I went along [after perusing a few recipes online earlier in the week, and no, I don’t have a photographic memory], and more importantly, b) making this WHOLE SOUP in under 30 minutes!! Yes, the whole soup… chopping, cooking, and all. All I did was let the chicken and [homemade] chicken broth defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then when it came time to make the soup, I started preheating the stockpot as I chopped the onion and minced the garlic, then cut up the chicken as the onion and garlic were cooking. As the chicken was cooking, I measured out the rest of the ingredients in assembly line fashion, added them when appropriate, and was ladling up this spicy, aromatic soup by 6 pm! I was quite pleased with myself for this timely performance.

And boy, was I even more pleased once I took the first bite of this Chicken Tortilla Soup! The broth is spicy, but not too hot–you can really taste the different flavors and the subtle heat that comes from paprika versus cumin versus chili powder. Nothing too intense, but it blends nicely with the chicken that is cooked with a dose of taco seasoning. Then, accompanying the chicken in the broth is corn and two kinds of beans; my favorite black beans and also another Mexi-food staple: pinto beans. Rounding out the soup is a bit of fresh cilantro and lime, as well as some cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. Then you can top the soup with whatever toppings you desire. I liked the combination of chopped tomatoes, avocado, and tortilla chips the best. Oh! And cheese and more cilantro. Just too many to remember, I guess. It was just so good…

There’s no doubt that this Chicken Tortilla Soup requires a speedy, dedicated-to-cooking 30 minutes, that’s for sure, but it has a tasty result at the end so I suggest you give it a try next time you need a hearty dinner in a hurry! The leftovers ain’t bad either–this is definitely a soup that improves with age. Off to my busy Thursday–wish I had everything to make this soup again for dinner tonight. 🙂

30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons taco seasoning [this is my go-to]
6 cups chicken broth
15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corn
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in just enough warm water to be pourable
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
toppings: salsa, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, green onions, tomato

Directions:

In a large stockpot set over medium heat, saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft. Add chicken and taco seasoning to the pot, then stir to coat. Cook for another 5-6 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Pour in chicken broth, then stir in beans, corn, paprika, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cornstarch, lime juice, and cilantro, then season with black pepper to taste.

Serve with toppings as desired.