Cheddar Chicken

I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine and tried it right away. It was a hit at our house plus very quick and easy! As a side note, I love love Real Simple magazine and their website. If you haven't had the pleasure of this resource before, I highly recommend it for tips, recipes, and great articles.

What You Need:
16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)

6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated (I am a fan of Tillamook brand)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cook's Illustrated magazine has a cookbook called American Classics that is one of my favorites in my collection. Rather than just recipes, they have tested each one over and over again using different methods and ingredients. Then they take the time in the book to explain what they were going for, what each change did, and the final outcome. For chocolate chip cookies, they have tested and printed a way to get thick and chewy cookies or thin and crispy cookies. The recipe I'm sharing today is for the thick and chewy, a personal preference. Who doesn't like cookies and milk once in awhile? Comfort food at its best.

One thing I do know about baking, forget greasing cookie sheets! Line them with parchment paper. Nothing will stick, and when you are done you throw away the paper with no mess.

What You Need:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2) sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg PLUS 1 egg YOLK
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:
Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the cooled melted butter, sugar and brown sugar at low speed until blended, about 1 minute. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated, about another minute. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, about two minutes. Do not overbeat. Stir in chips or chunks.
Roll a 1/4 cup of dough for each ball and place onto cookie sheet, leaving 2 1/2 inches between each.
Bake, reversing the position of the sheets halfway through the baking time (from top to bottom and front to back) until the cookies are slightly golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are soft and puffy. 15 to 18 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets. When cooled, peel cookies from the parchment.

Quick & Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos

This recipe could not be more easy or tasty and best of all, it is done in the crock pot. This would be perfect for a get-together or a busy family night and makes great leftovers. If you haven't noticed, we eat a lot of homemade Mexican recipes at our house. If you want to add a little extra to your Mexican meals at home, I have to tell you that we discovered uncooked tortillas a few years ago and we are hooked. Costco sells them but recently I found our local grocery store has them in a different brand as well. You just lay these on the hot pan and they bubble and crisp up. The flavor is over the top once toasted. You may never go back. "Tortilla Land" is the Costco brand. I divide them up into packs of 4 and freeze them. They thaw in minutes on the counter when you are ready to use them.

As for this recipe, about 30 minutes before serving time, I remove the chicken breasts from the crock pot, shred the chicken with a fork, and place it back into the crock for a bit. Serve this as a taco, rolled up in enchiladas, whatever you like! Top with your favorite garnish.

What You Need:
1 (16 oz.) bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Combine in crock pot and cook low about 3 hours. Yes, that's it!

Cinco de Mayo Black Bean Salsa

You can call this a salsa, salad or dip but it is super simple combo you can serve with tortilla chips or over rice, chicken, etc. My favorite way to eat this is topped on a  crostini. I just use a baguette, slice, brush with oil and toast under the broiler. (Similar to a bruschetta-type bread). Great recipe for a get-together! The Caribbean black beans are just near the regular black beans but I notice sometimes my store has them and sometimes they don't. This is just a type seasoned with spices and tropical flavors. If you can't find them, just use the regular black beans.

What You Need:
1 can Caribbean black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped (green, sweet, whatever your preference)
1 diced avocado
chopped cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)
Optional ideas:
1 drained can of sweet or mexican corn
2 Serrano, yellow or chipotle peppers, julienned or diced
1 diced mango

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
or, salt and pepper to taste
OR, use your favorite spicy bottled vinaigrette.

Combine ingredients and set aside. Mix dressing and combine with salsa mixture. Let sit refrigerated overnight!