Sunday, February 22, 2009

Mexican Chicken (or turkey)



I make this whenever I have leftover chicken from cooking a whole chicken. You can also use turkey when you have leftovers at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can use both white and dark meat. Personally, I think the dark meat tastes better in this particular recipe. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, after it's had time to marinate overnight in the fridge. Serve with a nice salad and you've got a great, easy, one-pot meal.

Mexican Chicken (or Turkey)
---------------------------
1 pkg corn tortillas (about 8 or 10)
4 C turkey or chicken, cut or torn
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 t garlic salt
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes (any speed)
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 t chili powder

Line an 8" square baking dish with some of the tortillas (4 or 5). In
a large bowl, mix the turkey pieces, onion, cheese, and garlic salt.
Add the remaining ingredients. Pour into baking dish on top of
tortillas. Cut several tortillas into fourths and push them down into
the mix. Top with more cheese. Bake for 30 mins at 350ยบ.

*I always dip the corn tortillas I'm going to put on the bottom of my dish in hot oil to make them more pliable and not stick to the bottom of the dish. I don't dip in hot oil the ones I put on the top. I also have made it both with the chili powder and without. It tastes great both ways.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Daddy's Fruit Salad




My daddy used to make this for Christmas, but Mark & I make it all the time now. This is an excellent way to use up excess fruit you have on hand. It's also great to take for church pot lucks and family get-togethers. It's so easy, all-natural, and good for you to boot!

Ingredients:
1-2 Ruby Red Grapefruit (esp. the red Texas variety)
2-3 Apples (We use Gala, but any will do)
2 Oranges (seedless)
2-3 Tangerines or Clementines
Grapes (red or green)
Bananas
Fresh Pineapple chunks, optional
Chopped Nuts, optional
Coconut, optional

Rinse the fruit. Peel the oranges, tangerines, and/or clementines and remove all excess rind and that white stuff on the outside of the fruit.

The first step is the messiest but the outcome is so worth it! After peeling your grapefruit, be sure you work over a large bowl so you catch the juice as it dribbles down your hands and arms.

Peel and skin the grapefruit. You only want the flesh of the fruit, not any of the white stuff that's part of the rind. Then pull open the skin of each section and get the fruit out. (The skin and white stuff from the rind is really what makes the grapefruit bitter.) Crumble the grapefruit sections up into a large bowl.

Peel and chop up the remaining fruit. Mix it all together. Add nuts and coconut, if desired.

Cover and store in fridge. Best when left overnight or all day to marinate.