Cali Burritos

Ingredients:

1 Boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup rice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chicken stock, divided

1 bunch cilantro

1 orange, zest and juice

1 lime, zest and juice

about 1 cup pineapple juice (I drain the pineapple juice from a can of pineapple and use that)

1 chipotle pepper, seeded

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 Tbs honey

salt and pepper

1 Tbs vegetable oil

4 burrito size tortillas

2 avocados, sliced

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

In a small bowl with a lid, mix together 1 cup chicken stock and the zest of both the lime and the orange and 1 Tbs salt. Slice the chicken into thin slices and add to the brine. Allow to marinate for 4-6 hours (I usually do it in the morning, for dinner that night)

For the rice, add 1 cup chicken stock to a small saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice. Cover and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes - until all the stock is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Chop the onions and add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, juice the lime and orange into a blender. Tear the leaves off the bunch of cilantro and them to the blender. Add the pineapple juice, chipotle pepper, garlic, honey, and salt & pepper to taste. Blend well (about 1 minute).

Once onions are caramelized, remove chicken from brine and add to the skillet. Cook just until chicken is white on the outside, once this happens add the citrus cilantro sauce. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Once, the rice is done, add it and the beans to the skillet. Allow to simmer until the mixture is moist but not soupy (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.

To assemble the burritos, place a dollop of sour cream down the center of the tortilla. Lay avocado slices on top of the sour cream (1/2 avocado per burrito). Place 1/4 of the chicken and rice mixture on the tortilla (about 1 cup). Fold in ends and roll up. Repeat for remaining burritos.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this meal and to read the story behind it, visit my other blog here.

Cranberry Orange Pork Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 16oz bottle Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (I used Kraft)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries

2 oranges

2 crowns broccoli

12 oz penne rigate pasta

1 /2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Pour 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing into a small bowl with a lid. Zest the 2 oranges and add the zest to the vinaigrette. Place the pork in the dressing, turning to coat (if it isn't completely submerged). Marinate over night in the refrigerator.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water and drop the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente (do not over cook!). Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.

Cut the broccoli crowns into small florets. Steam for 5 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil. Quarter and thinly slice the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized.

While the onions are cooking, remove the pork from the marinade (discard the marinade) and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add the pork to the pan with the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until done (about 5 minutes).

To the bottom of a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and the juice of both oranges. While the pasta is still warm, add it to the dressing and toss to coat. Stir in the dried cranberries. It will seem like a lot of dressing, but the pasta will absorb it, giving the pasta a lot of great flavor. The dried cranberries will also absorb some of the liquid and will plump up nicely.

When the pork and onions and the broccoli are done, stir them in to the pasta as well.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Stir in the walnuts right before serving.

Serves 4 as an entree (It keeps great in the fridge)

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Honey Mustard Apple Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

8 hamburger buns

2 Tbs grill seasoning

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

1 large onion, quartered and thinly slided

1 large Fuji apple, thinly sliced

4 leafs lettuce

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs vegetable oil

Directions:

Pre-heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes - until lightly golden. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until caramelized and sweet (about 20 minutes)

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Place ground beef in medium mixing bowl. Mix in grill seasoning and Worcestershire sauce (do not over mix). Divide the meat into 4 equal sections, form into patties and place in the pan. (You can, of course, cook them on the grill instead). Cook for 5 minutes on first side. Flip over and continue to cook. Add the cheese to the burgers. Place a lid, or tin foil, over the pan to help the cheese melt. Cook another 5 minutes.

While the burgers are cooking, mix together the mustard and honey. Wash the lettuce and toast the buns. Slice the apple.

When the meat and onions are done, assemble the burgers. Place the patty on the bottom bun, top with 1/4 of the onions, 1/4 of the apple slices and the lettuce. Spread the honey mustard on the top bun and place it on top of the burger. Repeat for remaining burgers.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Lemon Thyme Peas, Mushrooms and Onions

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

8oz sliced mushrooms

2 cups frozen peas

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs dries Thyme

1 Tbs Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Directions:

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 1 Tbs olive oil. Finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Saute for a few minutes before adding the sliced mushrooms and the remaining 1 Tbs of olive oil. Saute for about 10 minutes - until onions and mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Add Thyme and Lemon pepper. Stir in the peas and cook just until peas are warm. Serve.

Serves 4

Sun Dried Tomato Crusted Chicken with Balsamic Glazed Onions and Cream Sauce

How's that for a title?! I know the picture doesn't look terribly appetizing, but trust me, it's good!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
30 sun dried tomato and basil wheat thins, crushed
1/2 cup flour
1 large egg, beaten
salt & pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup milk
4oz sun dried tomato and basil Philadelphia cream cheese

Directions:

Add 1 Tbs vegetable oil to a medium skillet and pre-heat over medium heat. Slice the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to stir occasionally while cooking the chicken and cream sauce. Once onions are lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes) add the balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced and the onions are glazed (3-4 minutes).

Lay chicken breasts flat on cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice through them horizontally, the whole length. This is essentially creating 4 chicken cutlets out of the 2 chicken breasts.

Set up a breading station using 3 shallow dishes big enough for the chicken. Put the crackers in the food processor and run until finely crushed. (If you don't have a food processor, put the crackers in a bag and let your kids go crazy on it. Or, if you don't have kids, take out some frustration on them yourself). Place the ground up crackers in one of the dishes. Place flour in the 2nd dish - season with salt and pepper. Beat egg in 3rd dish - season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 Tbs vegetable oil to a large skillet and pre-heat over medium heat. For each chicken cutlet, dredge first in the flour (both sides), then in the egg (both sides) and finally in the cracker crumbs (both sides). Place chicken in pan. Once all the chicken is in the pan, cover it and cook for 3-4 minutes - until the crackers are browned. Covering it will create a miniature oven, allowing the chicken to cook all the way through without burning the crust. Once the crackers are browned on the first side, use tongs to turn them over. Cover again and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Check to make sure chicken is done using a thermometer. If the crackers are browning faster than the chicken is cooking reduce the heat. Once done, remove chicken from the pan.

While the chicken is cooking, make the cream sauce. Add 1/2 cup milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in 4oz of the cream cheese until smooth. Allow it to simmer for a couple minutes which will thicken it up.

Serve the chicken topped with the balsamic glazed onions and cream sauce.


Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit the post on my other blog here.

I'm participating in 5dollardinners.com $5 dollar dinner challenge.