Easy Flautas and Flavorful Chicken

I warned you already that I had a few recipes to share with terrible pictures- sorry about that.

Every once in a while when that happens I find myself wondering if I should even bother posting about some great recipe that I've come across- I just can't stand the thought of not sharing a wonderful recipe just because I didn't get an equally wonderful photo.

This time around I'm wrapping up the fried recipes.  Remember when I said I'd made several fried things the other day while I had the oil out?

I made the Beef and Bean Chimichangas, the Deep Fried Jalapeño Slices, and I finished things off with these Easy Chicken Flautas.

In true Nora fashion, I couldn't resist the opportunity to up the flavor profile in this one just a touch, so rather than starting with plain cooked chicken I threw a couple of chicken breasts in the crockpot and covered them with salsa.  After cooking on low overnight they really don't even take any effort to shred since they're so moist and falling apart- running a fork through them just a little is enough to break them apart into shreds.  I drained off most of the excess liquid but kept all of the peppers and onions from the salsa mixed in with my chicken.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas and Successful Dinners

Mexican food tends to be a go-to in our home.

First of all, there's a good chance we have all of the ingredients on hand- canned beans I can doctor, rice, tortillas, beef or chicken in the freezer, etc.

At the very least, I've always got the basics, which makes for a quick and easy dinner when I'm drawing a blank at the end of the day.

Recently, I was having one of those moments where the day was coming to a close and I simply had no idea what I was going to throw together for dinner.  I could have just thrown all of the ingredients on the counter and proclaimed it taco night, but I felt like making something new.  It was then that I came across this recipe for Beef and Bean Chimichangas and decided to give it a go.

Now...this recipe is supposed to be somewhat healthy.  Healthy...ish?

However, despite my best intentions, I ended up frying dinner.

Wanderlust and Wedding Cookies

Sometimes it drives my family a little crazy that I rarely make the same recipe twice, that I'm always on the lookout for something new to make as I inhale cookbooks as if they were novels and compile lists of recipes that I imagine myself making one day.

My kitchen cabinet is full of books whose pages tell the story of Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East.

I want to take it all in.  Every recipe, every ingredient, every cuisine.

I want to travel, see, and experience.

I want to see it all.  Do it all.  Try it all.

I want to learn everything possible about every subject I encounter.

Take in everything I can and weave it into myself.

I guess loving me requires, if not an equal desire to absorb the bigness of the world, at the very least an appreciation of my awe of it and some tolerance of my love of whimsy.

It seems such an unfathomable waste of this fantastical world not to experience as much as one is able.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

When my parents came to visit last month I tried to menu plan and I ended up with 5 pounds of shrimp in my freezer for various dishes I intended to make.

And then didn't.

Oops.

So yeah.  Five pounds of shrimp.

Had to do something about that.

I used some of them making a batch of Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls last week, a pound of them last night in the Flounder Mediterranean- yet I still have more.

What to do, what to do...

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas, that's what.

Blackened Salmon Tacos with Chunky Mango Avocado Salsa

I've shared a few recipes this month from Allrecipes Hall of Fame collection in honor of the website's 20th birthday (Mmmm...that delicious Blackberry Pie brought to us by 1999 and those Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies courtesy of 2000...) and I thought I'd finish off the month with a recipe from the 2016 Hall of Fame.

Something a little more recent.

A little more taco-centric.

You know me and tacos.

:-)

So I saw this recipe and immediately knew I had to make it.

Everything about it screams Nora-

1)It's tacos

2)It has salmon

3)It has a fruity salsa

Yep, this recipe had me written all over it.

My parents have been visiting and since my dad also shares in my ridiculous love of salmon I thought this recipe would probably be a safe bet for dinner last night.

I was definitely right!

Brunch Enchiladas And Lazy Breakfasts

I love a savory breakfast.

I mean...don't get me wrong.  I enjoy a few bites of syrupy pancake, french toast, maybe a jelly-filled donut, a stuffed crepe, a sticky bun...

Just in small quantities.

Nope, my breakfast weakness comes more in the form of savory dishes like Eggs Benedict (I like creative takes- check out my Tomatillo and Shredded Pork version!), quiche, crispy hash browns, and stratas.

Stratas tend to be my go-to breakfast dish when we have company visiting because I can do all of the prep work either before they arrive or at night before we all go to bed so everything just needs to be popped in the oven when I wake up in the morning.  I get to serve something more interesting than cereal with essentially no work when I'm just rolling out of bed and don't really feel like going full steam ahead into hostess mode.

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Generally speaking, side dishes are my favorite part of a meal.

Thanksgiving?

I couldn't care less about the turkey!  Nope, I'll be loading up on the stuffing, potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, and all of the other goodness.

Grilling out?

I might eat a hot dog or burger, but I'll definitely be leaving the steaks and such to my carnivorous family.  Show me the sides!

A few nights ago I was planning dinner.  I already knew that I was going to be serving those Carne Asada Enchiladas that I wrote about but I wanted to serve something alongside them that was more interesting than rice and beans, you know?  Don't get me wrong, I serve those often when doing Mexican, but I wanted to do something fun.

Carne Asada Enchiladas & Happy Families

It can be hard to please all of my family at the same time.

Me?
I tend to like the- as my husband calls them- "frou frou" foods.
While sometimes our tastes overlap in that category, generally my daughter steers clear.

My husband and daughter?
Meat.
They could easily be carnivores and be perfectly happy.
I've mentioned over and over again that I can really take or leave meat for the most part, so meat-heavy meals definitely aren't going to make me happy.

My son.
Oooooh my son.
We've talked about him.  The autism and sensory issues that carry over so significantly and frustratingly to his eating habits.  He'd be happy with chicken nuggets (sans sauce) and pizza for every meal for the rest of his life.

So.  Menu planning and meal times can be quite challenging!  To be honest, for your average weeknight meal I often plan around the carnivores, go to the old stand-by's for my son, and just graze a bit myself since I'm rarely desirous of a big heavy meal anyway.

One Pot Spanish Style Beef & Rice

Do you know what I don't like?

Dishes.

I have a tendency to use every utensil and dish I own when I cook, and I get so tired of dealing with dishes!  Rinsing them, loading the dishwasher, hand washing, unloading the dishwasher, drying, putting them away...whatever.

There just isn't anything fun at all about dishes, amiright?

Thankfully this dish uses exactly one.

Nothing Says Summer Like Pineapple

Last year was a bit of a milestone birthday for my husband and I was at a loss as to how to celebrate.

I procrastinated...and then I procrastinated some more...when it came to planning a celebration.

Finally I spotted a tropical party or something random like that on Pinterest- lightbulbs went off and I decided to run with it.

I went all-in.

My house had fishing nets, leis, coconut bras, grass skirts, and all manner of tropical-y things.

I made a giant container of man-tais and served island-inspired foods all with a beachy playlist I'd curated playing in the background.

It turned out so well.

I was so happy that he liked it...it was a special birthday for him and I didn't want to disappoint.

One of the things that I served that day was this Pineapple Salsa.  It went over so well, I could hardly keep my hands off of it!  I immediately swore that I would make it regularly so I could snack on it often.

Confessions of a Tacoholic & Unabashed Salsa Fanatic

For a long time, years actually, there was really no type of food I loved more than sushi.

Pure adoration.

What did I want for my birthday meal?

Sushi.

What did I want for Mother's Day?

Sushi.

What did I want my husband to grab on his way home from work after a bad day?

Sushi.

What did I get for Christmas and use to make a culinary feast on New Year's Eve?

A sushi bazooka.

Yeah, that's right.

A sushi bazooka.

The thing is amazing.  Don't judge.

lol I actually have a half-finished post about it and the wonders I've made with it I've been meaning to wrap up for the past 6 months now.

Tex-Mex Migas Go Low Carb

Every time I get off of a low carb diet I kick myself.

I would never endorse one diet or another but I can tell you that for me, personally, it works.

Well.

When I stop watching my carb intake it's never long before I regret my decision and I kick myself for ever stopping.  Once I hit my low carb stride it's easy for me to keep it up, it's just finding that stride that is so frustrating.

I want all the foods.

All of them.

That first week or so of low carb I get a little hangry.  I think it's even more difficult for me then a lot of people because I'm quite content not eating meat at all most of the time.  I don't get excited about a steak or a thick pork chop or whatever like most people do and until I get in the swing of things I get pretty frustrated.

I found myself craving migas pretty hardcore a few days ago and I just couldn't get the craving out of my mind.  Eggs, peppers, onions, jalapeños...oh, and tortilla chips.  All served on warm tortillas- personally I like nice corn tortillas best, but that's kind of beside the point.

Migas are heaven on a plate.  A Tex-Mex meal that I could eat any time of day or night.

I didn't just want them, I needed them.

Taking On Tamales

My sister-in-law and I have been talking about making tamales for for-ev-er. 

It's been a thing.  We keep saying that when we get together we're going to make them because we've both always wanted to try our hand at them.  And we both like to eat.  And we both like to have fun in the kitchen.

And we were both slightly intimidated by the idea of making them on our own.

And since she's a teacher if she's reading this she might be thinking to herself that I started a bunch of sentences with conjunctions right there.

Anyway.

So we had family coming in for Thanksgiving again this year and we decided that the day after Turkey Day would be the perfect time to finally follow through and do this thing.

I found all kinds of interesting tamale varieties to try but my brilliant in-laws pointed out to me we were going to have boatloads of extra turkey on hand that we might as well use.

Best Beef Enchiladas

Honestly, I haven't tried a lot of enchilada recipes.

I grew up eating my mom's cheese enchiladas and they have always been one of my favorite dishes.

Why mess with a good thing, right?

Well, we had company coming over for dinner a few weeks ago and I found myself looking for a recipe that would help me use up some of the ground beef in the freezer.  I did an ingredient search and came across a recipe for beef enchiladas.

I had most of the ingredients already and everything I needed for a couple of Mexican side dishes, so I went for it.

The first thing I loved about these enchiladas was that there is ZERO mess.  I'm used to making enchiladas where the tortillas are dipped in warm sauce before rolling.  I scald my fingers and make a big splattery mess every. single. time.

Blueberry Habañero Salsa and Fun With Cooking

When I was poking around looking for a way to use my blackberries the other day- before stumbling upon that amazing blackberry muffin recipe I ended up going with- I came across a recipe for Blueberry Habañero Salsa.

This recipe caught  my eye for several reasons- first of all it's weird sounding.

Lets be honest, I seem to have a penchant for weird recipes.  Sometimes they're successes, sometimes they're horrible failures, but they're always always interesting.

A huge part of keeping cooking fun is mixing things up and being just a little brave.

Simply Scrumptious Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites

Cheesecake.

What's not to love?

 I know I said there was only one cheesecake recipe for me.  Only one deserving of the time and ingredients.  Only one worth the calories.

For the most part...I stand by that.

Not that I'd turn my nose up at a pumpkin cheesecake...or a carrot cake cheesecake...or a blackberry swirled cheesecake...or pretty much any cheesecake to be honest.

Except chocolate.  You can keep your chocolate cheesecake.

Don't judge.

Anyway, while I enjoy (pretty much) all cheesecakes, when it comes time to make one myself my go-to is The Ultimate Amaretto Cheesecake and it had been been a really long time since I'd made any other variety.

Then came New Years.  AKA Our Gluttonous Night of Mexican Eating.

I needed a dessert.  I thought of making flan, but I wasn't really feeling it.

Then I remembered seeing a recipe for sopapilla cheesecake.

Super Snacks for the Super Bowl: Copycat Chuy's Salsa

I fell in love with pico de gallo in Puerto Vallarta on my high school graduation trip.

It was a memorable experience- I think I topped every single thing I ate that week with pico.

Even a tray of fries by the pool of the hotel.

 I.  Love.  It.

Sure, other salsas have merit.  I'm not going to turn my nose up at them, for sure.  In fact, I'm far more likely to make quick work of polishing off a bowl of salsa than a bowl of queso any day of the week.

But pico de gallo is definitely my favorite- by a long shot.

A few months ago I stumbled across a chain of restaurants called Chuy's (they're everywhere apparently, check them out!).  I instantly fell in love.  If you like spicy you MUST try their Southwestern Enchiladas with blue corn tortillas, green chile sauce, and an egg.

Simply phenomenal.

Super Snacks for the Super Bowl: Spicy Tortilla Rollups

Goodness what a crazy holiday season it's been!

Family coming, family going, lots of travels...and then there were the many, many popcorn orders to fill.

I've been an exceedingly busy girl.  

While I haven't had the chance to post anything in about a month, I've been snapping pictures of good food every chance I got in anticipation of a time when I would have a few moments to sit down and get them posted for you!

Today is just that day.  Chilly gray weather, good music, coffee, one child doing homework and the other taking a nap on the couch next to me.  All by the peaceful light of the tree that I stripped of ornaments earlier today and will be returning to its box tomorrow where it will patiently wait for it's time to shine again later this year.

We had a New Year's Eve full of family, board games, and food this year and it was absolutely wonderful- if not slightly anticlimactic as the only ones who were full of energy at midnight were the kids, we forgot to turn on the TV before the ball dropped, and the prosecco was already flowing.  :-)

Crazy Green Salsa Yumminess

A few weeks ago my son came home from school with his first birthday party invitation.  My daughter's kind of been there done that with birthday invitations...when she brings them home my inward reaction is more like "uuuuuuuughhhhhh....another free Saturday spent being socially awkward when I could be on my couch with a glass of wine and my husband...."- though that's not a sentiment I share with my daughter and I have a rule that we always attend parties to which the kids are invited.

Once we had to cancel an RSVP to a little girl's party at the last minute and I found out later that NO ONE showed up.

Talk about feeling like a terrible person...yes.  Every party we can make it to we do.

Anyway, back to my story.

So my son came home with an invitation.  I was genuinely ecstatic.

This is so big for him!

Of course, I knew that all of the kids in the class likely scored an invite.  Didn't care.

Little Man actually has two classes- his early intervention Pre-K class due to his autism and his regular Pre-K class for his inclusion time for the majority of the day.

I had no idea which class this kid was in.

Again- didn't care.

MY KIDDO WAS GOING TO HIS FIRST PARTY!!!!

Restaurant Style Mexican White Queso Dip

Do you know what's weird?

I grew up in California and definitely had my share of *awesome* Mexican food before moving away to join the Air Force (side note: Columbus, MS was not exactly overflowing with great Mexican options...).

I had all kinds of yumminess.

One thing I didn't have?  Ever?

Queso.  That warm, gooey, slightly spicy, white cheese dip perfect for dipping chips or covering food.

I don't know, maybe it existed, maybe I just never thought to order it, maybe I'm the only one on Earth that wasn't smothering their chips and food in cheese dip.  For all I know the rest of California was literally swimming in the stuff...but I definitely was not.