Twice-baked Fajita Potatoes!

So I still had some baker potatoes that needed cooked. I had just bought some chicken and I had that glorious tub of fresh salsa (which would be gone soon with requests for more.)

So, if you're following, set your ovens to 400.

(serves four)

2-3 potatoes

2 chicken breasts

butter

fajita seasoning (or seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder)

sour cream

shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack or the "mexican cheese mix")

1/2 cup chopped yellow sweet onion

(add 1/2 cup chopped red and green peppers if desired)

Cut your chicken in fajita strips (small fajita strips). I suggest cutting perpendicular to the grain of the meat- if that doesn't make sense to you don't worry about it... just cut it to look like fajita strips. If you really want to make it good (this is what i do at least), before you cut it cover the chicken breast in saran wrap and pound it with the flat side of a meat pounder until tender/thin (about 1/2 inch thick).

Thoroughly wash potatoes, use fork to poke holes in skin (about 5 punctures on each side), wrap in wet paper towels and place them in the microwave on high for 4 min. (turn over and re-do until potato is a little soft)

Turn your pan on med-high and use about 2 tbs. butter in pan. throw in onion, chicken and peppers(if desired) and generously season chicken. cook until chicken is all white and golden brown and onions are soft and golden. Remove from heat.

Cut potatoes in half and carefully scoop out center into a mixing bowl leaving some potato on skin to hold it's shape. mix in 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 tbs butter, and chicken/onion mix into potato. Hand mix (firmly) and ad in desired amount of cheese... I suggest about 1/2 cup. Chicken should sort of break up and that is good.

Use large spoon to scoop mixture back into skins leaving a mound on potato. Cover with shredded cheese. place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 min. Serve with salsa and a side of corn!

Bon a petite!

Salsa, Because I live with 3 other 20-something girls who like to SPICE THINGS UP!

I have this food processor/hand mixer/blender/most awesome kitchen gadget I own!

You should look into it. It's made by Cuisinart and it's called the "Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper attachment."

I use it but you can use a food processor or a blender.

I use 4-5 Roma tomatoes

about 1/4 large sweet yellow onion

1/2-1 squeezed lime juice (depending on size)

1-2 pickled jalapenos (depending on size an spice preference)

1-2 cloves GARLIC depending on size

5-9 stems (leaves taken off the stems) of cilantro

1 cup frozen corn (thawed)

1 can black beans drained

Process everything but the corn and beans together until smooth. (I do the tomatoes separately from the rest then mix it all together.) then mix in the corn and beans. Chill for an hour (if you can wait that long. Really it is best to make it the night before so the flavors can get comfortable with each other... They can be a little shy at first but after a night together they seem to be more social. And yes, I just personified flavors. try it and you'll see what I mean.

ENJOY! Oh, and you may want to save a little for our next recipe!

Pork Chops and Potatoes

So, I say to Danielle: Yo, Mama D, can you pick up some meat on your way home today. I have plenty of veggies and sides but no protein. I assumed she would bring home some chicken but who knows, maybe some kind of beef.

Then she arrived with Brittany (who I was so happy to have with us for a few days) and a big package of pork chops... brainstorm, Katelyn, brainstorm.

So I pulled out old faithful and grabbed the sun dried tomatoes.

(I had a jar of sun dried tomatoes left over from making a party dip: inch layer of cream cheese, thin layer of pesto and thin layer of chopped sun dried tomatoes. Serve with wheat thins or sliced and toasted baguette bread.)

a few tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes.

A cup of flour

two eggs

4 pork chops

salt

black pepper

Italian seasoning

1 clove GARLIC (should be in every dinner dish in my opinion!)

olive oil

1/4-1/2 onion sliced

2 baker potatoes peeled and sliced thin (1/2-1 cm thick)

First turned the pan on med with about 2 tbs. of olive oil. (I used to pans at once because i don't have a very large one.)

I tossed in the sliced potatoes and onions and generously salted them. As those started to sizzle I got my pork chops ready. I finely chopped the garlic, mixed it in a bowl with chopped sun dried tomatoes, about 1/2 tbs of Italian seasoning and a splash of olive oil. Then I cracked two eggs into the mixture and lightly beat them in with a fork.

(keeping an eye on the potatoes and onion)

Next, I took the pork chops and covered them in the mixture. In another bowl I had the flour with a dash or two of salt. I placed the covered pork chops into the flour and salt to create a breading that would hopefully keep the moisture in while they fried.

then I made some room in my pans and added a little extra oil. In went the pork chops and dinner was almost ready!

While the first side of the pork browned I cooked some frozen peas with a little garlic salt, margarine and pepper. Peas are Danielle's and my favorite!

I kept and eye on the pork and flipped it as needed to keep the breading from burning. I was able to watch the process of when the pork was done by looking at the bone. (goes from pink to grey)

After about 10 min more I checked one of the pieces and it was ready (white on the inside and pulled apart with fork).

I trimmed off the fat and bone from the pork chop, put a bedd of potatoes and onion on the plate and placed the pork on top and served it with peas and Pillsbury crescent rolls!

Bon a petite!