Chicken and Chayote Hash

I made one of the recipes from my Chayote Squash post. It was called Chicken with Chayote Squash and Potato Casserole, but it's not really a casserole at all so I am calling it a HASH. This was really yummy, and MY KIDS ATE IT REALLY WELL. My husband said it would be yummy as a breakfast, with out the chicken with some fried or scrambled eggs.

1 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 pound potatoes, chopped

3 chayote squashes, peeled and chopped (I used disposable gloves when peeling, worked out great!)

1 small onion, finley chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped (I did this more for the benefit of my kids, leave them bigger if you want)

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add in onion, pepper, garlic, salt and black pepper. Saute 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, add in chicken. (I seasoned my chicken with a Bell Pepper and Herb Rub) Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Add in potatoes, squash. Stir together and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Stir occasionally until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked through. Stir in parsley and tomatoes. Cook another 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are heated through.

Cafe Rio Dinner

Okay, so I know every recipe blog out there has Cafe Rio Pork, but it's pretty much a staple around here so I had to add it to my blog too! When we make Cafe Rio Pork, it has to include Cilantro Lime Dressing, Cilantro Lime Rice and Bean and Cheese Dip! We serve it with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, large and small flour tortillas. That way we are covered if we want a Pork Salad, Pork Burrito, or Pork Tacos!

For the Pork:

Large Pork Butt Roast (I usually shoot for 3-5 lbs because we like leftovers!)

1 can Coke 1 large can green enchilada sauce, divided

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar

Place pork roast, fatty side up in crock pot. Pour coke over roast. Cover and cook on low 5-7 or high 3-5 hours. At this point I trim the fat off the top and throw it out. Remove most of the liquid from the crock pot to a large measuring cup. Shred pork. Discard about 1/2 the liquid leaving about 1 cup. Add 1/2 large can of enchilada sauce, cumin and brown sugar to remaining liquid. Pour over pork, mix and continue cooking 30-60 minutes.

For the Rice:

2-4 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 cups rice

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a rice cooker or pot. Cook until done. (I do it in the microwave, about 7 minutes on high, then I stir it and put it back in for 30-45 min at 50% power)

For the Dressing:

1 1/3 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonaise

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

4 tablespoons enchilada sauce (from can above)

1 bunch cilantro

2 garlic cloves

1/8 teaspoon tabasco

4 tablespoons lime juice

Blend!

For Bean Dip:

1/2 cup cream cheese

16 oz. refried beans

5 drops tabasco

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

1 cup monterey/colby jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1/4 cup parsley

1 cup cheddar cheese (on top)

Using a hand mixer mix all ingredients except cheddar cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350* 20 minutes. This may sound like a lot of work to do all the sides, but really it takes less than an hour, and IT'S SO WORTH IT! This is the order I do it in:

1. Start Rice

2. Drain pork and mix sauce

3. Make bean dip and put in oven

4. Make dressing

5. Chop lettuce and tomatoes.

Hearty Chicken and Rosemary Stew

The flovor of fresh rosemary in this recipe really gets infused into the chicken and veggies! This dish cooks for a long time, but was really very easy to throw together. It worked out nicely because I put it in the oven and then took my daughter to ballet and when we came home it was ready to eat. I'll bet you could do it in a crock pot before work as well!

1 lb. small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/2 in slices.
8 oz. whole mushrooms, quartered
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (could use thighs), cut into 1 in. pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375*. Combine potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, chicken, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a deep baking dish, mix well. Whisk together broth, tomato paste, and cornstarch in a bowl until cornstarch is disolved. Pour over veggies and chicken. Bake covered 1 1/2-2 hours stiring after 45 minutes. After baking, zest lemon to measure 1 tsp. zest. Stir in zest and parsley. Let stand covered 10 minutes.

yeild: 8 servings, calories per serving: 260
Recipe from NEW Pampered Chef Dinner in your Deep Covered Baker

Chimichurri Steak Salad

I love chimichurri! The dressing on this salad is also used as a marinade for the steak after it has been cooked. I cut up the steak into bite size pieces before placing it on the salad. The raw garlic gave a nice bite to the dressing.

Steak
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak aprox. 3/4 in. thick
1/2 tsp salt
Chimichurri
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used balsalmic)
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove pressed
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (optional, I didn't throw that in)

1 medium sunchoke (optional)
Salad
1 head lettuce, chopped
1 cup tomatoes diced

Heat grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes. As the pan heats rub steak with salt. Place steak into pan and cook 6-8 minutes on each side for medium doneness. As steak cooks prepare chimichurri by mixing together in a small bowl. Remove steaks from heat and top with 3 tablespoons chimichurri. Let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice lettuce and cut tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Toss with remaining chimichurri sauce. Divide salad onto serving plates and thinly slice steak and arrange over top of salad.

yeild: 4 servings, calories per serving: 330

Recipe adapted from TPC 29 Minutes to Dinner

notes: This is one I won't double because 1 lb of steak will be plenty for my family. I plan on making some garlic bread to serve with this meal.