Slow Cooker Chicken Banh Mi Tacos

Slow Cooker Chicken Banh Mi Tacos

The recipe for this Slow Cooker Chicken Banh Mi Tacos was inspired by the most popular dish in the Grumman 78 Food Truck's menu, the Banh Mi Tacos.  This food truck which you can find in Montreal, Quebec specializes in gourmet tacos and was featured in the Cooking Channel's wonderful TV show, Eat St..  They used pork shoulder which they braised for 6 hours in a 250 degree Farenheit oven while basting every 30 minutes.  Whew!  It sounded like a lot of work to me so I thought this is a good recipe to tweak for the slow cooker.   That was what I did except I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breast for the pork shoulder.  There are two main reasons for using this protein source, I wanted a lower fat meat alternative to save calories and I could not find the pork meat I knew I had in my two loaded freezers! 

What will make you feel like you are in heaven when you eat these chicken tacos is the amazing sauce which was closely taken from the recipe provided by Grumman 78.  Once I tasted the sauce upon mixing it, I already knew why the Banh Mi Tacos from which this recipe is based on is the most popular dish in the menu at the Grumman 78 food truck.   It hits all the parts of the taste buds.  It is sweet, salty, tangy and has a little heat.

The sauce is prepared separately by the Grumman 78 chef which is then drizzled over the shredded cooked braised pork shoulder.  The meat is then topped with the typical Banh Mi toppings of pickled carrots and daikon and the ubiquitous cilantro.  For this recipe, I decided to slow cook the chicken breast together with the amazing sauce in the slow cooker. I was envisioning to make two meals from the slow cooked chicken breasts in my head.  And that was what happened.  The chicken straight from the slow cooker with the amazing sauce was served yesterday for dinner with brown rice and streamed vegetables.  My master picky taster, my husband Bob, loved it and so did I. 

Slow Cooker Chicken with the Amazing Sauce which can be eaten as is or used for the Banh Mi Tacos

As much as the chicken with the amazing sauce straight from the slow cooker can stand alone by itself as a spectacular main dish, the Banh Mi Tacos made from it with all the typical toppings will give you an out of this world experience.  They are awesome.   I could hardly wait to eat it when I was shooting the photos for this post before lunch today.   I also was salivating while doing my exercise and yoga at the gym today while thinking about having it for dinner.  It is that hauntingly good sauce.  I want to caution you that you will not stop with one taco so be sure you serve this with a lot of company to share the experience with.  Why not throw a party?

Slow Cooker Chicken Banh Mi Tacos 

(Adapted from Grumman 78)

(15 servings at 2 tacos per serving)

Slow Cooker Chicken with Amazing Sauce

3 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast (other meat like pork shoulder can be used)

AMAZING SAUCE
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup oyster flavored sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup catsup
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha

Mix the sauce ingredients together in the slow cooker and place the chicken breasts on top and cover them with the sauce.

Slow cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.  I used an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker where I cook the dish in 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

You can have the chicken straight from the slow cooker as a main dish or cool and shred it for the Banh Mi Tacos below.

Assembling the Banh Mi Tacos

(Yields 30 tacos if using all the Slow Cooked Chicken with Amazing Sauce above)

• 30 small tortillas
• Carrot and Daikon Pickle (recipe below)
• Green onion, chopped
• Sesame seeds
• Cilantro leaves
• lime wedges
• Slow Cooker Chicken with Amazing Sauce (prepared above), cooled and shredded.

Place the cooled and shredded Slow Cooker Chicken with its Amazing Sauce in a tortilla and top with the carrot and daikon pickles, green onion, sesame seeds and cilantro leaves.  Serve with a lime wedge. 

Carrot and Daikon Pickles

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup sugar or Splenda
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 3 cups carrots, julienned
• 3 cups daikon, julienned

Combine water, white vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to boil.

Remove from heat and add carrot and daikon. Let cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours.

Note:  You can also use leftover pickle juice in a bottle and adjust its taste with the addition of more vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Place the julienned carrots and daikon right in the pickling juice in the bottle.  This was what I did.  I did not have to boil the liquid since I used Splenda instead of sugar which dissolves easily. 

Oyster Sauce Flavored Tofu and Stir Fried Vegetables Over Zucchini Noodles

 

  

Everytime I go to the Asian Market in Monroeville I try to buy canned vegetables such as bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, straw mushrooms and baby corn.  They are used a lot in Chinese cooking since they greatly enhance the taste and texture of the dishes. They keep and so everytime I feel like cooking a stir fried dish I have these vegetables handy.

The tofu was on sale at the same store yesterday so I bought three packages. This is timely since I was craving something vegetarian yesterday.  To satisfy this healthy longing I prepared this dish with firm tofu that have been pressed or removed of its moisture as the protein source.  Pressing the tofu helps it absorb the flavors added to it and preserve its texture during the stir frying process.  See how tofus are pressed in a past blog. 

The main coating for the tofu as well as the flavoring for the vegetables was Oyster Flavored Sauce. You can use an equal amount of soy sauce and brown sugar to taste as an easy substitute.  You can also check this website for other vegetarian oyster sauce substitutes.

 

To help me and my husband with our goal to lose weight I tried serving this over zucchini noodles.  (I actually have to work harder on this losing weight business.  My husband already lost 10 lbs versus my 3-4 lbs.  Oh my.) Since I do not have the gizmo like the so called spiralizer, I used my vegetable peeler to make zucchini ribbons.  I served this dish over these noodles to my husband and he gave it a thumbs up as long as, according to him,  he is not focusing on the fact they are made of zucchini.  In other words I should just shut up and stop reminding him of this fact.

Oyster Sauce Flavored Tofu and Stir Fried Vegetables Over Zucchini Noodles

6 servings

Tofu

• 16 oz firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp oyster flavored sauce or vegetarian substitute

Vegetables

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch strips
• 2 celery ribs, bias cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 napa cabbage leaves, cut into 1 inch strips
• 16 oz frozen broccoli florets, microwaved according to directions or you can use fresh ones
• 1 8oz can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 15 oz can whole baby corn, drained and cut in half
• 1 7.4 oz can straw mushrooms
• 5 tbsp oyster flavored sauce or vegetarian substitute
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch stirred in 1 tbsp water
• salt and pepper to taste

Tofu

Heat oil in a wok at medium heat.  Add the pressed and cubed tofu in the heated oil and stir fry for 3 minutes or until light brown.  Add the oyster sauce till the tofu are coated and heat with stirring for 1 minute.  Set aside.

Vegetables

Add the oil in the same wok heated at medium heat.  Add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and stir fry till the carrots are cooked but still firm.

Add the napa cabbage, microwaved broccoli, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn and straw mushrooms and stir fry till the vegetables are heated through.  Do not overcook. 

Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and ginger powder to the vegetables.   Allow the sauce to mildly boil and then immediately add the cornstarch water mixture.  Continue to boil for about 30 seconds to cook the cornstarch.  Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly

When ready to serve, place the oyster sauce coated tofu over the stir fried vegetables. 

You can serve the dish over brown or white rice, noodles or zucchini noodles for low carb version  (see below). 

Zucchini Noodles (2 servings)

• 1 zucchini, cut into ribbons or spiralized.
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp oil

Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin or spiralizer (etc), make zucchini noodles with or without the peel. Heat one clove of garlic in one tbsp oil and stir fry the zucchini for 1-2 minutes till cooked but still firm. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then remove the liquid.

These nutrition facts below are for the Tofu and Stir Fried Vegetables without the Zucchini Noodles

Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake with Low Fat and Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting

I prepared this Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake for my granddaughter Maddie's friends at the daycare she goes to.  Yesterday was really Maddie's 2nd birthday but we celebrated her birthday early last Sunday. We had a delicious beautiful cake from Giant Eagle.  I used the figures in this cake and copied the scene to show off the three characters from Sesame Street which Maddie loves when I prepared this cookie cake. 

I have prepared a cookie cake before using the famous Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe which included oatmeal.  I decided to look for a simpler recipe without it just in case one of the children might be allergic to oatmeal.  I also avoided using peanut butter and any kind of nuts.  

I used a recipe from Savory Sweet Life and substituted butterscotch chips in the recipe since I ran out of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I did have dark chocolate but I thought that might be too bitter for the children's taste.

For the icing to spread for the background, I used  Low Fat Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting.  It worked well.  For the message I used icing in tubes to write it out.

If I were to do this again, I would not use all the batter for a cleaner look.  Some baked on the sides.  I would place just enough batter so as not to reach the top of the rim of the pan. 

All the kids ate the cookie cake with gusto.  Maddie loved it and could hardly wait to eat it.

Here is how it looks without the frosting and decorations.  Pretty uninteresting but can be used as is.  Actually when serving to children, icings I found can be challenging to clean from their faces and hands.  Perhaps skipping it is better. 



Voila the magic of color and visual figures.  I used icing in tubes to write the message and it was running out and also due to unsteady hands the words came not so clearly but what the heck I tried.



Maddie proudly poses infront of her B-day cake.

Her mom dressed her to the hilt in this beautiful dress.  I love it.

Maddie almost done with her piece.

Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake with Low Fat and Carb Cream Cheese Frosting 

(Adapted from Savory Sweet Life)

30 servings

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1½ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2¾ cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. coarse sea salt or 1/2 tsp table salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. baking powder

1-12 oz bag butterscotch chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.

2.  Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until nice fluffy for approximately three minutes on medium high speed in an electric mixer. 

3.  Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Mix the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl and add the mixture to the cookie batter until fully incorporated.

5. Add the buttterscotch chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.

6.  Fill a non stick 15 x 10 cookie sheet or a round pizza pan with just enough batter to fill the sheet below the edge of the pan. (Important note)  What ever size of cookie sheet you use, do not fill it up to the edge since two things can happen, it can overflow or it would bake up to the side of the very top of the pan which is not too visibly pretty.  I have read some people prefer to use a 13 x 9 rectangular pan but I like the look of the cake on a cookie sheet.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes.  I prefer to leave the cookie cake in the cookie sheet pan and decorate the cooled cake while in it for ease of transport. 

8.  Cool and ice with the Low Fat and Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting the recipe of which is shown below.

Note nutrition facts below are for the cookie cake without frosting.

Low Fat and Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting

30 servings

• 1 - 8 oz package low-fat cream cheese softened
• 6 tbsps light Smart Balance spread
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (or 2) cup Splenda sugar substitute (I used 1 cup only)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly. 

Slow Cooker Hoisin Glazed Meatballs

There are times when we crave something from our favorite Chinese take out place.  Of course we can always hit our favorite all you can eat Chinese buffet also.  But who wants to dress up for that.  Here is what I do when I just have to have my Chinese food fix in a convenient way.  I rely on my frozen meat balls and the combination of bottled sauces and condiments in my fridge and pantry.  I almost forgot to mention I added one green pepper chopped to increase the nutrition value of the dish plus texture. 

I am presenting to you two ways I fixed my cravings through one slow cooker recipe.  One way is to use the hoisin glazed meatballs straight as an appetizer and the second is serving them over Ramen noodles and steamed vegetables. I had both for lunch and I can go on with my life now.  Life is good.

Here is how I prepared this simple but amazing recipe using the wonderful slow cooker

 

Slow Cooker Hoisin Glazed Meatballs

12 servings (2 large meatballs or 4 small ones per serving)

• 24 frozen cooked large meatballs or 48 small ones (or your own recipe)
• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce (from a bottle)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves (I used sugar free one)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 to1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and mix them thoroughly.  Cook for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours at low.  I used an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker where I cooked the mixture for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

You can use the cooked meatballs as is as an appetizer.  You can also serve it over Ramen noodles with steamed vegetables. 

Slow Cooker Four Ingredient Rosemary Lemon Chicken

I decided to start a small herb garden in flower beds in our deck.  One of the herbs I bought is a small pot of rosemary.  I also bought two kinds of mint, oregano, basil and lavender.  This is my first time to grow them outside and I am very excited to see if I can make them flourish.  Once before I remember keeping small pots of basil and rosemary inside the house, but we forgot to water them  and they just withered and died.  Tsk tsk. 

I am thinking that one way to keep me enthused in taking care of my mini herbal garden is to actually use them in my cooking.  This dish is my attempt to use rosemary straight from its mini pot. 

I have made a similar recipe for rosemary lemon chicken in the past but the recipe employed almost a cup of olive oil and the chicken was baked.  I decided to try cooking the chicken breast without the olive oil and in the convenient slow cooker.  My husband and I are into eating healthier these days. 

My picky husband actually liked the simply prepared dish which called for only 4 main ingredients.  He just wanted more salt on the chicken.  I am watching my salt being a diabetic so I prefer the seasoning with salt according to taste.  Serving the dish with the sea salt and pepper on the side or seasoning the chicken after slow cooking them if serving buffet style can solve the dilemma of pleasing everyone's taste for salt.

Here is a very simple, four main ingredient dish packed with flavor and good for you. 



 

Slow Cooker Four Ingredient Rosemary Lemon Chicken

4 servings

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. pepper (more on the side upon serving)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (more on the side upon serving)

1.  Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Place in the slow cooker.  Place the chicken breasts on top. 

2.  Cook in the slow cooker for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours at low.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

3.  Serve with sides of pepper and salt to sprinkle on top of the chicken according to taste.  Or you can also season the chicken directly with salt and pepper before serving.  You can serve this with rice or mashed potatoes or pasta.  Enjoy. 

Simple Low Fat, Low Carb Broiled Haddock

Trying to lose weight is never easy.   Health experts advise not only to be conscious of the calories but also the nutrition that one gets from the dish.  I find eating fish meets this criteria as long it is done right.  This recipe, I found in the  Allrecipes website, relies on a combination of spices to give the haddock great flavor without resorting to high fat cheeses or exorbitant use of butter to make it taste good.  It does not use carb laden bread coating either.  This dish has only 4g fat and 2.2 g carbohydrates and yet it is utterly delicious and flavorful not to mention packed with protein, 37.4 grams per serving. 

Simple Low Carb, Low Fat Broiled Haddock

(Adapted from Allrecipes)

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

 
4 servings

• cooking spray
• 2 lbs haddock fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1.  Preheat the oven's broiler setting the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

 

2.  Mix the onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in small bowl.  Set aside.

 

3.  Place the haddock fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the prepared mixture of spices.  Make sure to cover the surface of the fish thoroughly with the seasonings.  Dot the seasoned haddock with pieces of butter.

 

4.  Broil in the preheated oven for 6 minutes or until the fish is easily flaked with a fork.  Do not overbake.   Serve with lemon wedges.

Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Sauce Meatballs and Maddie is Two!

Do you need an easy dish for your next potluck affair?  Here is a three ingredient recipe.  Frozen meatballs, jelled cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. That is it.  I promise you it is a crowd pleaser.  I have been asked its recipe many times.  In fact I took it to my granddaughter's Maddie advanced birthday party this past Sunday.  She will be two years old in a few days.   Her dad really liked it and wants the recipe.  He even suggested the sauce will be good for chicken wings too. 

As I previously mentioned, Maddie had her advanced birthday party this past Sunday.  Here are highlights of her party.  Happy Birthday Maddie.  We love you.  You have given us so much joy these past two years.

The two boxes for this kitchen arrived more than two weeks ago.  It was assembled one week later but was hidden from Maddie for another week.  She loves playing with dishes when she is at my house.  Dishes she inherited from her Mom so we know this will be a hit with her.  She was stunned when it was unveiled and just went to open every nook and crannies for the dishes and plastic food.

That is how excited she was.  I could not take a posed shot she was just all over the kitchen.

Finally we were able to yank her out of her toy kitchen to open her other gifts.  Here
Aunt B has just opened a toy cash register, one of her other favorite toy gifts.

When we asked what theme she would like for her B-day, whether Barbie, Elsa or Elmo.  Without hesitation she answered Elmo.  Her Aunt B shopped till she dropped for everything Elmo for her B-day decoration - streamers, tabletop deco etc etc.  Elmo plus his friends as shown in this B-day cake from Giant Eagle.  It was so good together with Edy's ice cream.  I just ditched my diet for that day.

I love this pose.  It really shows she has grown up.  She did not have to be helped on the chair which we did on her first birthday party last year.  That look of happiness on her face is precious.  Note the Elmo doll in the background that actually embraces people including Maddie.  She was afraid of it at first but she is used to it now.

Her grandma Carol is helping Maddie blow the candles.

In the foreground, is Kali, Jason and Anne's daughter.  Anne is holding her.  Maddie is in the background being fed the cake by her grandma Carol.

This house was revealed to her about two weeks ago before the party.  It came with a phone just like the kitchen.  Maddie really belongs to high tech age as you can glean from how comfortable she is using the toy phone.  The side table is used a lot for serving the dishes and plastic hot dog and hamburger that came with the grill which was bought separately. 

Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Sauce Meatballs

12 servings (2 large meatballs with sauce or 4 small ones per serving)

• 1-16 oz can jelled cranberry sauce
• 1 cup barbecue sauce (from a bottle)
• 24 large pieces frozen meatballs or 48 small ones (or you can use your own meatball recipe)

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook for 3 hours at high or 6 hours at low setting. I used an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker where I cooked the mixture for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Apple Squares (Original and Healthy-fied Versions)

I had these Apple Squares at the funeral of Fran Jankowsky's husband Neil.  Fran is also an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph and actually one of its first members.  Her friend Elaine Calligan provided the original recipe to me via good old mail.  It took about a month but it was worth the wait. 

Since my husband and I are both trying to lose weight, I tried to shave some calories from the original recipe by substituting egg beaters for one of the three eggs, yogurt for part of the oil and Splenda for part of the sugar needed in the recipe.  I was able to shave around 49 calories per serving.  Every calorie counts when you are trying to lose weight so I am happy.  According to my tasters including friends at a prayer meeting and my picky husband the health-fied version gets the thumbs up.  For me who had the original, I still am craving for that version but the healthy-fied one is really delicious.

I am providing both versions and their nutritional information.  Enjoy either one.

Apple Squares (Healthy-fied)

(Based on recipe provided by Ms. Elaine Calligan)

24 servings

Ingredients

• 2 eggs plus 4 tbsps egg beater
• 1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup splenda
• 2 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 to 2 apples, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1.  Beat eggs for 1 minute, add sugar gradually, then oil.   Beat slowly.

2.  Add dry ingredients slowly to the egg mixture while beating.  When well mixed, fold in apples and nuts.  Mix well. 

3.  Bake in lightly greased (if needed) 9 x 13 pan for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

4.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, just before serving. 

Apple Squares (Original)

(Recipe provided by Ms. Elaine Calligan)

24 servings

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 to 2 apples, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Beat eggs for 1 minutes, add sugar gradually, then oil. Beat slowly.

2. Add dry ingredients slowly to the egg mixture while beating. When well mixed, fold in apples and nuts. Mix well.

3. Bake in lightly greased (if needed) 9 x 13 pan for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

4. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, just before serving. Do not cover, very moist.

A Tribute to a Beautiful Song - "The Dance"

I rediscovered this song, "The Dance", written by Tony Arata and sang by Garth Brooks, when my husband and I were discussing the meaning of the song after he sang it during a Karoake session during our recent Alaskan cruise.  He dedicated it to a couple we met during the evening sit down dinner.  They were celebrating their wedding anniversary.   I thought Bob, my husband, gave a beautiful rendition of the song even without the Southern twang that Garth Brooks puts in when he sang it.

Somewhere in his memory, my husband recalled that it was not a clear cut romance gone bad song.  It was something else.  As usual, I googled it and found out that indeed it went beyond that interpretation though it could still be a proper one to assume. 

In this link https://vimeo.com/60119381 Garth Brooks mentioned that when they were preparing the video for the song which is considered his signature one, they went for something deeper in terms of the significance of the song.  They wanted to focus on famous icons who lost their lives as they pursued their dreams.  In this aforementioned video, they showed archived footages of these heroes who bravely went for their dreams no matter what the odds were.  Garth assumed that if these icons knew the ending which were tragic for some they would still "leave it to chance" as the lyrics say and would not change a thing.  He also mentioned that he himself would like to live his life in a similar manner and be remembered for living it that way. 

This video was made in 1990 for Garth's first album and the song shot to number 1 and the video won the award for Best Video that year.  (I could not upload the Vimeo video but below is a Youtube video that this blog will allow.   Do savor the beautiful melody and words of the song.  To view the Vimeo with Garth's explanation click the aforementioned link https://vimeo.com/60119381 ).

Here is the list of people that the director of the video John Lloyd Miller and Garth Brooks included. They chose them to represent the American Icons who died for a dream. Below are the description of these dreamers as quoted from Wikepedia.

• Lane Frost - World Champion Bull rider, who was killed in 1989 by the bull he rode for a full eight seconds during a rodeo.
• Keith Whitley - Country singer who died in 1989 from alcohol poisoning. The Whitley scenes featured his then-wife Lorrie Morgan.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. - Baptist minister who is best known for his involvement in the American civil rights movement and was assassinated in 1968.
• The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger, shortly before it disintegrated after its launch in 1986.
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy - President of the United States who was assassinated in 1963.
• John Wayne - Film actor best known for his roles in Westerns.

The melody which begins with the haunting chords easily sweeps you to your own dreams as I did.  I began to ask myself, have I fulfilled them?  Would I have changed anything or leave it to chance?

I played this song many times especially after I learned the meaning that the videographers wanted us to envision.  Everytime I felt a little bit nostalgic and a little teary eyed.  The journey was not always smooth to reach my own dreams.  There were some parts in them that were left unfulfilled.  But overall,  I am grateful to have lived the way I did and I would not change a thing.  I would leave the chips alone and let them fall whereever they had.  After all what is life without surprizes or the excitement of daring to face the unknown? Knowing the pain as the lyrics say, will leave you with cold feet and miss the dance. Isn't life more the journey than the destination?  Not to sound philosophical or theological, isn't this the beauty of  being granted freedom or our free will by a loving and trusting God?

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Two meals in one, why not?  This recipe uses chicken cooked in the slow cooker with just two pantry staples, salsa and cream of mushroom soup.  As is the chicken can be eaten just cooked this way.  My family has just done exactly that ever since I obtained this recipe for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.  I usually place the chicken and its sauce over rice but Denise who gave me this recipe said that she puts them over baked biscuits.   Either way this Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken dish will be a family favorite.

This simple chicken salsa dish is simply divine but despite that I always have left overs and I wanted to recycle them to something different.  I have been a fan of the Eat Yourself Skinny blog where I found a recipe for Skinny Chicken Enchiladas.  A bulb lighted up and I thought why not use the leftover chicken and sauce from the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken for the chicken enchiladas? 

I tweaked the recipe so I can substitute the cooked chicken and sauce and I also added chipotle from a can instead of using the Mrs. Dash chipotle seasoning suggested in the original recipe.  The smokiness imparted by this added chipotle really made the enchiladas stand out.  I just ditched the cilantro in the list of ingredients since my husband does not like its taste.  This is a killer recipe because of the sauce and you will not be using canned enchilada sauce again.

So here are the recipes for the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken and the Skinny Chicken Enchiladas.

 

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

6 servings

• 6-8 pieces of chicken breasts 
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 cup salsa

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours at slow setting or 4 hours at high.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker at slow cooker setting for 2 hours. 

Note:  If you are using for the Skinny Chicken Enchiladas, set aside 2 -3 cooked chicken breasts and 3/4 cup of leftover sauce for the sauce in chicken enchiladas plus another 1/3 cup for the chicken filling.  (A total of around 1 cup and 2 tbsps of leftover sauce).

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

(Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny)

8 servings

For the sauce:

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can diced green chilis
• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 inch piece chipotle from a can, chopped (note 1)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 cup leftover sauce from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cooked chicken breasts from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, shredded
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 stalks green onion, sliced and divided (set aside two stalks for topping) (note 2)
• salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/3 cup leftover sauce from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 8 6-inch tortillas (reduced carb)
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese or cheese of your choice
• Nonstick cooking spray

The sauce: 

Saute garlic in a medium pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add the green chilis, chopped chipotle, cumin, leftover sauce from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, tomato sauce, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

 

The chicken:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat then lower the heat.  Saute onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes.  Add cooked chicken, 3 stalks sliced green onions, salt, cumin, oregano, leftover sauce from Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, tomato sauce and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.

Assembly:

Spray a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Place 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it.  Place each roll in baking dish seam side down.  Top with sauce and cheese.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven in the middle rack for 20-25 minutes.  Top with green onions.

 

Notes:

1.  You can freeze any leftover chipotles in the can as individual pieces placed in plastic bags for future use.

2.  You can substitute cilantro for the green onions.

 

The Good for You Olive Tapenade

I wanted an olive tapenade that is not only tasty but also nutritious.  I also want the ingredients to be readily available or at least what I can use for other purposes.  I found a recipe online that fulfills this wish of mine.  I adapted it to suit the ingredients I already have and came up with this recipe which features other nutritious Mediterranean ingredients like nuts, tomatoes and red pepper. 

I also like this recipe since it cuts down on the salt that other recipes I found online have plenty of.  For example I saw one preparation which uses capers and/or anchovy fillets which add to the saltiness tendered by the olives themselves.

This recipe also does not use a lot of olive oil or hardly any.  For example, there is a simple recipe online which calls for only three ingredients but it uses a large amount of olive oil for its third ingredient aside from the olives and garlic. 

This Good for You Olive Tapenade  is also very easy to make.  You do everything in a food processor.  I used a mini processor in my case.  It just chopped everything together. 

Though simple and easy this tapenade is just as good as any of the decadent ones found online.  It is definitely also very nutritious.

The Good for You Olive Tapenade

Ingredients                       

Servings 4

• ¹⁄₂ cup assorted olives pitted and preferably oil-cured 
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 grape tomatoes or 1 small tomato, cut into smaller pieces and preferably seeds removed
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/8 cup almonds
• 1 small jalapeno pepper  (optional).
• olive oil from the bottle of olives for taste and presentation  (optional)
• dry parsley or basil for presentation and taste (optional)

1.  Add the olives, garlic, tomatoes, red pepper and almonds (and jalapeno pepper if using) in a food processor and pulsed till the ingredients are finely chopped. 

2. You can drizzle the finished tapenade with olive oil from the bottle of olives for taste and presentation if you like and if you do not mind the added calories. 

3. Spread on sliced French baguette.  You can garnish with dried parsley for color and taste.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Quesadillas

July 4th is coming and you might be preparing a lot of ribs to be sure you have a lot to go around.  However in case you have the same predicament I had when I cooked a lot of the Slow Cooker Rolling Stone Spare Ribs the last time I prepared it for a tailgate party and end up with leftover ribs, here is a wonderful solution.  You can freeze the ribs and use it to make quesadillas for your next meal.   That was what I did two days ago. 

I added cheese and green onions to the meat and we all know anything with cheese and green onions is always a winner and these quesadillas definitely is.  One can use the leftover sauce from the slow cooker ribs or just add any bottled barbecue sauce to the meat mixture. 

Make it a point everytime you slow cook ribs using any recipe, double the batch in order to make these delicious quesadillas.  Your family and friends will love you for doing so.  Easy and simple recipe.

 Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Quesadillas (serves two)

Ingredients            

• 1/2 cup cooked meat of leftover ribs, (for example, the Slow Cooker Rolling Stone Barbecue Spareribs or any leftover ribs you might have)
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce or any leftover sauce from the slow cooker ribs
• 2 stalks of green onions, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 6 or 8-inch tortillas

1.  In  a nonstick skillet place the left over ribs, barbecue sauce, green onions and jalapenos if using and just heat through to thoroughly mix the ingredients.  Allow to cool. 

2.  Place 1/2 of the cooled meat mixture on half of a side of one tortilla and then add 1/2 cup of cheese and then fold over. 

3.  Place about 1/2 tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet heated at medium heat.  Place the tortilla with the meat  and cheese on skillet and brown that side and then flip and brown the other side.

4.  Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole if you like.