2 new

2 new what? 2 new recipes...new to me anyways. both of these have been sitting in my mental 'what to make for dinner' file for a while now, so i finally got around to them this week. first mexican chicken (i don't know where i picked this up, so if it's yours, thanks...take credit in the comments!). second stromboli.


mexican chicken
4-5 boneless/skinless chicken breast (I semi thaw and chunk them in approx 2 inch cubes, but you can leave whole frozen, I just found that if I leave them whole, we only get 2 meals out of this, if I chunk them, we get 4 meals)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans (I do not drain or rinse)
1 can ro-tel tomatoes (don’t drain)
cumin to taste (I love cumin so use approx 1 teaspoon)
garlic powder to taste (same note as above)
Option: If you have a lime hanging around, you can squeeze the lime juice in the pot too… or add a bit of the zest.

All in the pot.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours in crockpot.
Serve over white rice with some shredded cheese, sour cream and diced avocados.
*notes in () are from the original author.

my notes: we quite liked this. i only used 1 chicken breast because that's all i had on hand, but it was still good. i did cut them into chunks, which i would do again, but i would also shred it about an hour before serving. i used frozen corn, just in case you were wondering. also, i served it over brown rice, just because that's what we prefer. i'll definitely make this again, mostly because it was super fast to throw together.


stromboli
*This recipe is courtesy of kristyn...thanks!

1 loaf Rhodes frozen bread dough, thawed but still cold
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 pound thinly sliced ham
1/3 pound thinly sliced cheese of choice
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
garlic salt or garlic bread sprinkle, optional

On a lightly oiled surface, roll bread dough out into a 10x15 inch rectangle. Leaving 1-inch boarder on each side of bread dough, spread with mustard. Arrange slices of meat and cheese on dough, leaving 1-inch space along edges. Starting along one long side, roll Stromboli up "jelly roll" fashion. Pinch edges together to seal; fold ends under; brush top and sides with beaten egg; using a sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch deep vents along top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and optional garlic salt. Place Stromboli on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap which has also been sprayed with non-stick spray; raise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool 10-15 minutes, cut into 6 pieces and serve warm.


my notes: so technically this is not a new recipe. pretty sure mom made it in some form or another when i was growing up. also, i've made it several times into a pizza roll (also very good). but it was the first time i made the ham/cheese version. we also liked this one...it was a good week at the z's.

not dead

so...i'm alive. not dead. (you were glad to hear that i'm sure.) just uber busy with the thesis and the rest of life. so i guess that i could title this post 'attempt at surviving', but i won't. between our trip to orlando, cub scouts, thesis, thesis, thesis, thesis, thesis, thesis, and keeping our life running, not too much time is left for any projects. (although, i am currently giving up diet coke, so maybe that's a project.)

just wanted to say hi and for the record...i'm not dead.