Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon adobo
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions:

1. Pour olive oil in bottom of crock spreading as evenly as possible.
2. Spread onion slices over bottom of crock.
3. Place chicken breasts over the onion.
4. Sprinkle adobo and chipotle over chicken. Top with garlic.
5. Add lime juice.
6. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
7. Shred cooked chicken with two forks.
8. If not serving immediately, refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Beef Stuffed Shells (Serves 2-4)

For most of you, this means a pasta filled with a mixture of cheese.  I can assure you that there isn’t a lot of cheese in this recipe.

• 12 uncooked jumbo shells
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 15 oz can seasoned tomato sauce
• shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350F.  You’ll need one 8×8 cake pan or glass casserole dish.

Cook 12 jumbo shells according to directions. Drain pasta and allow to cool.

Brown 1/2 pound of ground beef (the leaner the better) in a 10- or 12-inch skillet.  Turn off heat and stir in 1/8 cup of seasoned dry breadcrumbs; mix until breadcrumbs are thoroughly moistened. Add water from pasta pot if needed.

Spread about 1/3 of the can of seasoned sauce into square dish.  Shake dish to assure an even coating of the bottom of the dish.

Spoon meat mixture into shells.  Arrange them into a 3 by 4 pattern. Spread remaining sauce over shells.   Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in oven.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in oven until cheese melts.

Serves 2-4 people depending on appetite. 

Southwestern-style Rice

Most of the recipes for Mexican Rice or Santa Fé Rice boggle the mind with their list of ingredients and seemingly complicated set of directions.  I have simplified both.  Marvel at my shortcuts.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 cup converted rice.
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 15-oz can of beans (rinsed and drained) You can use red beans, black beans or white beans.
• 1 can of sweet corn, drained (optional)

Combine rice, stock, tomato paste and salsa in 2-quart pot.  Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Let sit 5 minutes then stir in beans.

For Mexican rice, leave out beans.

What can I say? I'm a lazy cook.

Macaroni and Beef

Ingredients -

• 1/2 lb ground round (lean beef)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup macaroni

Brown ground beef in skillet.

Add tomatoes, sauce and macaroni.

Add seasoning to taste.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Serves 2-4 people depending on appetite.

There is room for creativity in this dish.  It can taste Italian, Mexican or whatever depending on what additions you make.  Italian herbs, garlic and sweet peppers and onion are my usual additions.  Add some green chilies, corn and chili powder for a little Mexican flavor.  Toss in some mushrooms or olives and a little oregano for a sweeter rendition.

Italian Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast or thick pork chop
• Broccoli florets
• Sliced small brown mushrooms
• Quartered tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Optional: Italian herbs

Instructions:

1. Slice meat into thin strips
2. Separate broccoli head into florets
3. Slice mushrooms if whole
4. Heat olive oil in large frying pan or wok
5. Add minced garlic.
6. Add meat to pan to cook.
7. Add mushrooms and stir until they release their liquid.
8. Add broccoli and cover to steam.
9. Add tomatoes to heat through.
10. Optional: add cooked pasta to mixture.
11. Stir and serve in bowl(s).