OVEN CHICKEN FAJITAS

Oven Chicken Fajitas
Before you enjoy this delicious chicken fajita recipe, I want to tell you about the Heirloom Tomato Festival Olivia and I attended this last weekend.  For the second year in a row, Olivia competed in the salsa competition at the festival and she won for the second time in a row!  Her salsa was an original creation made in about twenty minutes and included corn, tomatoes, black beans, pineapple, onion, and other tasty ingredients.  Here is a a look at the colorful creation.

                                                                                                                               
The festival was held at the site of an old train depot, now a restaurant.  Here are a couple of images from the event.

   We had a great time exploring all things tomato!  There were fried green tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato sandwiches, and green tomato pie.  We had fun and I got to eat the salsa Olivia made during the competition.  Don't be afraid to experiment yourself with making homemade salsa.  A really tasty salsa and chips would be just the thing with this great fajita .
-Nanette                                                                                                                                                                                      

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)
• 12 flour tortillas
• Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

CINCO DE MAYO ENTREE:
BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS




In honor of Cinco De Mayo, here is a great Mexican dish you will want to try soon.  The ingredients are simple, the process is easy, and the taste is great!

You may be seeing a lot more recipes with a Southwestern or Mexican flare in the coming months.  Olivia and I went shopping for flower and vegetable plants today for our gardens, and Olivia found quite a few interesting pepper selections.  I'm confident it will work out well for her and those who enjoy the food she makes.  She likes spicy food she is innovative at preserving overflowing produce, so I'm sure it will all work out well.

We had great fun shopping for plants today.  We went to a nursery in Ligonier, Indiana that has been family run for many years.  In addition to selling plants, they also have a restaurant and in the fall, they produce fun and innovative displays with pumpkins.  They fashion them in the likenesses of Presidents, cartoon characters, cultural icons, etc.  We took Olivia there when she was a toddler.  Today she and I traveled  there to buy plants for our gardens.  That is one of the many things I love about growing up, having a child, and living in the same state for many years.  We have gathered a treasure of great memories.  I thought about those today as Olivia and I explored the plants together, talked over flower combinations and choices, and, of course, explored the mind boggling array of peppers.

Whether you mark Cinco De Mayo with great Mexican food, gather together to celebrate a meal during upcoming Mother's Day, or plan your own vegetable garden, be sure to make a lasting memory with those you love.

- Nanette

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

8oz pkg. cream cheese

8oz. Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded  (I used one pint jar of homemade shredded chicken and it made five chimichangas.)

8 flour tortillas

cooking spray

shredded cheddar cheese

green onions, for garnish

sour cream

salsa

Stir together cream cheese, Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese and taco seasoning.

Fold in chicken.

Divide among flour tortillas.  Sprinkle A bit of cheddar cheese on top of the mixture on each tortilla.

Tuck in sides, and roll up each tortilla.  You may need to use toothpicks to keep the  chimichanga together.  (See the picture below.)

Lay seam side down on a cookie rack placed on a large cookie sheet.  Make sure you've sprayed the cookie rack.

Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Turn chimichangas over, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, and salsa.

Taco Seasoning and Crock Pot Chili

Making your own seasoning mixes is fun and makes you a little more likely to use a variety of spices if it is easy to do.  When Olivia was a little girl, she had her own herb garden and we often dried herbs to use in the winter.  That simple interest morphed into her ability and desire to make seasoning mixes with and without herbs.  This taco seasoning recipe is a versatile one.  You can of course use it for tacos (duh) or just about anything you make Mexican, plus chili.  I'm seriously considering sprinkling a little on scrambled eggs with a little shredded chese.  Ole!  This recipe calls for onion powder, but Olivia admits when that isn't in the pantry, onion flakes make a good substitute (you can even turn them into powder in the food processor if you like).  Onion flakes are a staple item in both of our pantries--a good substitute when you don't have or don't want to mess with real onions.  This seasoning mix would even make a great small gift if placed in a pretty jar and perhaps presented with a few recipe ideas to use it!  It stores well and is really good.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

Taco Seasoning:

1/2 cup chili powder

1/4 cup onion powder

1/8 cup ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sea salt

Put ingredients into a jar and shake.

Ingredients poured into a canning jar before shaking:

All mixed up and ready to use:

Crock Pot Chili:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped 

1 large chili HOT chili beans

2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning  (depending on taste)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 small can green chili peppers

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 - 1 cup chicken or beef stock  (depending on how "soupy" you like your chili)

1)  Cook the ground beef and onion in a crock pot on low for a couple of hours until it is cooked.  Drain the grease.

2)  Add the chili beans, taco seasoning, chili peppers, sugar, and stock.  Cook on low for a couple of hours until you are ready to eat.

3)  Serve with shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

Chili Ingredients

Ground Beef with Chopped Onions

Bowl of Chili  - YUM!