Donna’s Green Salsa Chicken Tajitas

Hola Amigos!  Needing a very simple dinner entree due to work and multiple commitments, I pulled together the remaining ingredients I had in the refrigerator and topped it all with green salsa from the pantry.  The entire preparation took less than 5 minutes.  I especially liked the crunch of the taco shells with the more traditional fajita filling, thus "tajitas"!  Hasta la vista!  Donna:

Donna’s Green Salsa Chicken Tajitas 

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts (~ 2), boneless and skinless

Salt and pepper to taste

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

One 16 ounce jar Hertz green salsa

Taco shells

Method:

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken on bottom.  Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped vegetables.  Pour salsa to cover all ingredients.  Cook on Low for 8 - 10 hours.  Break apart meat and stir all ingredients together before spooning into taco shells.

Serves 2.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Roasted Corvina with 40 Cloves of Garlic Pesto Almandine

Dear Friends, I have always loved the flavor of 40 cloves of garlic chicken and wondered how it would taste with fish so created this recipe to find out.  I was handsomely surprised with the depth of flavor and the sweetness of the garlic with the fish.  With quinoa and salad on the side, this meal was just perfect!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Roasted Corvina with 40 Cloves of Garlic Pesto Almandine 

 Ingredients:

2 pounds corvina fillet

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced (~40 cloves)

2 Tablespoons prepared pesto sauce

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

8 - 10 large basil leaves, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a large cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.  Top with fillet and season with salt and pepper.  Mix together the garlic and pesto and evenly spread the mixture on top of the fish.  Add the almonds and then sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and add the basil leaves.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Breakfast Casserole with Chicken-Apple Sausage

27 March 2016:  Happy Easter!  The weekend before, I was in Michigan for my daughter's baby shower and she created a delicious breakfast casserole.  I adapted her recipe by adding spinach, bacon, peppers, and a homemade chicken sausage with apples.  I hope you like this as much as we did!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Breakfast Casserole with Chicken-Apple Sausage

(Inspired by daughter Tara’s Breakfast Casserole)

 Ingredients:

For Chicken Sausage:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground chicken

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red apple, chopped

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For Casserole:

One 20 ounce package Simply Potatoes hash browns, Southwestern flavor 

10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

1-1/2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1-3/4 + 1/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

12 large eggs, beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.   Heat olive oil in large pan on medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink.  Remove from pan; add additional olive oil and sauté onion, peppers, apple and seasonings.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the potatoes, spinach, cottage cheese, salt, pepper 1-3/4 cups Cheddar cheese and eggs.  Place in 9 x 13 inch baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking oil and top with remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze and Sweet Potato Salad

26 March 2016:  Easter weekend is always very busy here in Florida due to the many visitors who enjoy our beautiful paradise for a short time.  I always plan to cook at home during these times since it is so much more relaxing.  For this Saturday night's dinner, we grilled a simple pork tenderloin and I created a complimentary sweet potato salad to accompany it.  Enjoy!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup raspberry jam, preferably homemade

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat grill to 450 degrees F.  Season tenderloin with salt and pepper.  Grill the meat on all sides for about 5 minutes; then lower the temperature to 400 degrees.  Cook for about 20 minutes or more checking to see that internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  About 5 minutes before cooking is complete, spoon the glaze over all sides of the meat.  Remove from grill and allow to stand for 5 minutes before carving to allow juices to be retained.

Serves 4.

Donna’s Sweet Potato Salad

 Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potato, cubed

1/4 cup Ranch dressing

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon pesto sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

~ 8 basil leaves, chopped

Method:

Place sweet potato cubes in microwave save container, add 1 Tablespoon water, cover dish and microwave for 5 minutes.  Drain cubes and set aside.  Mix together remaining dressing ingredients and stir into potato cubes.  Refrigerate 3 - 4 hours.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Slow Cooked Spicy Cherry Barbecue Chicken Thighs

24 March 2016:  This was a very easy dish to put together and the result was tender chicken thighs with a deliciously tangy barbecue sauce.  Served over rice, and with the addition of a side salad, your meal is complete!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Slow Cooked Spicy Cherry Barbecue Chicken Thighs

 Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cherry barbecue sauce (or 1/3 cup cherry jam + 2/3 cup BBQ sauce)

1/2 cup fresh salsa, medium

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

Cooked rice

Method:

Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking oil.  Place thighs on bottom of cooker and season with salt and pepper.  Mix together the barbecue sauce, salsa and garlic; pour mixture over thighs covering each.  Cook on High for 1 hour, then turn to Low for 3 - 4 hours.  Serve with cooked rice if desired.  When serving, spoon extra sauce on top of chicken pieces and rice if using.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Gluten Free Spaghetti Carbonara

5 March 2016:  What fun we had when we hosted a Murder Mystery Party at our home in early March!  Each guest also brought a delicious dish and we served Grilled Lobster Tails and this Spaghetti Carbonara.  It is simple yet elegant and full of flavor.  Try it for your next dinner party!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Gluten Free Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

One 3 ounce jar Hormel Bacon Bits

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound gluten free spaghetti

1 cup peas, frozen

2/3 cup milk (I use fat free)

2 eggs

2/3 + 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Method:

Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium high heat and cook until golden.  Add bacon bits, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding peas once water comes to a boil.  Drain.  Mix together milk, eggs, and 2/3 cup cheese and add to pasta.  Stir in basil, onion and bacon.

Serve immediately in large bowl sprinkled with remaining 1/3 cup cheese.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna's Roasted Cod with Spicy Smoked Paprika Sauce

20  March 2016:  Even with traveling over the weekend, this dinner entree came together quickly and was very satisfying after a long day.  With only a few ingredients, this meal was filling on its own or with a side salad.  Best, Donna:

Donna's Roasted Cod with Spicy Smoked Paprika Sauce

Ingredients:

3 pounds cod fillet (about 4 fillets)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups (1 pint) stewed tomatoes

1/2 cups fresh salsa, cantina style, medium

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Cooked pasta (macaroni or penne works well with the sauce)

Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees  F.  Spray a large baking pan with cooking oil.  Add fillets and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix together the tomatoes, salsa and paprika and pour over fish in pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through.  Serve immediately over cooked pasta and sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.