In the Crock-Pot: Mexican Shredded Chicken

There is nothing overrated about walking in the front door after a long day to the aroma of dinner simmering in the Crock-Pot.

Maybe it's all those years living in the Southwest, but there is nothing more comforting to me than Mexican food. And among my favorites, shredded chicken tacos. With Cinco de Mayo just a few days away, I couldn't help but be inspired for a new Mexican dish!

Recently while spending the afternoon with a friend of mine, he introduced me to his newest obsession: the Crock-Pot he received from his sister as a birthday gift. Now let me tell you, this guy can cook (yes, we have hosted dinner cook-offs with friends and competed against each other ... that's how much we love to play in the kitchen!) So when Jason says, "You have to try this ..." I know I"m going to be beside myself in short order. He introduced me to slow cooker chicken. Ummmmm.

I have always associated my Crock-Pot with pot roast, my mother's (infamous) shredded beef, and my homemade 3-bean chili (before the days I introduced Le Creuset in my kitchen.) Shredded chicken? Why hadn't I thought of that?? Thanks to Jason, I started researching recipes online, merged a few together, and this is what I came up with:

Mexican Shredded Chicken*
serves 6-8

2-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (either frozen or thawed)
1 packet taco or fajita seasoning (I prefer the gluten-free varieties)
1 12-oz. jar of salsa or 1 can enchilada sauce (I prefer green sauce, but red is totally great, too)
1-1/2 cups chicken stock

*You can purchase all your ingredients for about $13 at Trader Joe's

Place all of the ingredients in the Crock-Pot - no need to stir. Cook on low for 6-hours (if thawed) or 9-hours (if frozen). Cooking times with Crock-Pots vary, so the true test is once the chicken falls apart when pierced with a fork. Shred the chicken directly in the Crock-Pot. Serve with flour or corn tortillas accompanied with shredded cheese, black olives, cilantro, lime wedges and sour cream.

Time crunch? Cook the chicken on high for 4-hours if you're home and can keep an eye on it.

xx JN

Pancakes!

I grew up thinking that Bisquick was what you needed to have in order to make pancakes.

And then I had breakfast at my sister-in-law's house.

My Sissy is the Queen of Big Breakfast. Not kidding. She can whip up waffles, eggs, sausage, bacon, homemade syrup (yep), and her infamous pancakes in record time without breaking a sweat. Trust me, you want an invitation to her house for breakfast.

Several weeks ago, we decided that breakfast-for-dinner was on the menu, and I pulled out Sissy's pancake recipe. It just so happened I had soy milk in the house. Since my Pumpkin is allergic to dairy and doesn't actually ask for soy milk to drink, I had not been keeping it in the house regularly. Well ... that has changed.

Sissy's Out of this World Pancakes

1 over-filled cup of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup milk (unflavored soy milk is a perfect dairy substitute)
Dash vanilla
3 shakes of cinnamon

Mix the ingredients together. (ps, the Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl I used above really is perfect for this!)

Pour onto a heated griddle pan.

 Once the bubbles start to pop and the edges begin to dull, flip.

Transfer to plates, top with butter (or soy margarine) and syrup, and ...

... enjoy, my loves!

xx JN

Forgive the quality of the pics taken on the go with my Blackberry