Wing Wednesdays: Orange Ginger Glazed Wings

I'll start this blog post with a word of advice.  Buy an extra package of napkins when you go to the grocery to buy the ingredients for this meal.  You're going to need them.

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to prepare wings. Today I spied this marinade/sauce from La Choy Orange Ginger!  Decision made!

2 pounds chicken wings separated, tips removed

salt

La Choy Orange Ginger Sauce Marinade

For garnishing: sesame seeds, thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Place wings on the baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

Bake wings for one hour until cooked through and browned. Remove from oven and brush on the Orange Ginger Sauce. Return to oven for 5 minutes. For extra sticky goodness, add another layer of glaze and return to oven for another 5 minutes.  

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with thinly sliced green onions.

Taco Tuesday: Red Snapper Tacos with Kimchi

Talk about a blend of flavors and cuisines! Leftover pan-fried red snapper fillets loaded into a lime flavored taco shell with kimchi? No other condiments needed other than a spritz of fresh lime juice for topping. The red snapper was tender and flavorful, the taco shells added the perfect crunch with a slight lime flavor, and then the wonderful blend of textures and seasonings in the kimchi.

If you're not familiar with kimchi, here's an easy description. Kimchi (or Kimchee) is a traditional Korean dish made with Nappa cabbage, radishes, LOTS of seasonings (you can purchase either mild or hot varieties) which is fermented like kraut. Kimchi is loaded with Vitamins A, B, and C, plus it's a wonderful source of those "healthy bacteria" found in yogurt. 

As noted above, the red snapper was courtesy of a recipe I prepared over the weekend.  The recipe is found HERE.  I set these fillets aside before adding the lemon butter caper sauce for the sole purpose of using them in tacos for this recipe. 

To re-warm the red snapper, I simply added about 1 t. each butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Then, I let them re-warm about 2 minutes per side, remove from the skillet to a plate and carefully, cut the fish into bite-sized pieces with a fork.  

The tacos shells were warmed in the oven per package directions. I placed the Kimchi into the bottom of the taco shells, loaded them up with the red snapper, and then added a squeeze of lime.

This was a really, really, great taco!

Weekend Steak and Eggs: Grilled Strip Steaks with Over Easy Eggs

It's been quite a while since I've taken the time to have an enjoyable Sunday morning breakfast.  This past weekend I decided it was time to slow down the hectic pace a little bit. No, there are no potatoes, biscuits, toast, or grits on this plate.  It's protein time!

I started with two close to a pound each strip steaks. I lightly seasoned with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and granulated garlic.

I revved up the gas grill to sear! and placed these room temperature steaks onto the grill. I missed the perfect grill marks on these two, but it was early! I cooked both of these to medium because it was early!  

While the steaks rested......

.....I fried the eggs over easy in bacon drippings.  You do keep a jar of bacon drippings in the refrigerator for just such an occasion, right?

And here we go!

And that first cut with the fork...

And no, there was NO lunch on Sunday.  lol

Red Snapper with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

Red Snapper is my favorite fish by far.  I brought home several fillets after our last trip to the Gulf Coast.  This afternoon was the perfect time to enjoy.

6 - 4 oz. red snapper fillets

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

granulated garlic

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

1 medium shallot, minced
2 T. capers, drained
3 T. lemon juice
3 T. butter
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
3 T. chopped parsley

Rinse red snapper and pat dry with paper towels.  Lightly season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic on both sides.

Heat olive oil and 2 T. butter in a large skillet over high heat. When butter bubbles, add a few pieces to the skillet skin side down. I cooked three fillets at a time.

Lower heat slightly and let fish cook 4 - 5 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the fish should be 145 degrees F.  As fish is cooked, remove to a plate and continue cooking the remainder of the fish.

When fish is cooked, lower heat to medium, add shallots and capers and cook, continually stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until shallots soften. Add lemon juice and 3 T. of butter along with the lemon slices.

Continue stirring until lemon slices soften, 2- 3 minutes. Add parsley, stir to combine.

Place red snapper onto a serving plate and carefully pour sauce over fish.  OR, plate one piece of fish per serving and top with sauce individually.

Mediterranean White Bean and Artichoke Dip

I cooked dried Great Nothern Beans a few days ago. This is an entirely new dish made with the leftovers. We'll talk about the original recipe first.

1 lb. dried Great Northern Beans

Water to cover

2 - 3 T. bacon drippings

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste 

1 t. dried parsley

Dried beans cook best after soaking. There are two ways to soak:  overnight or a quick soak.  I used the quick soak method which is as follows:  Sort and rinse beans. Place beans in a large saucepan with 6 - 8 cups of water. Bring to a rapid boil on medium-high heat. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans and discard soak water.

After soaking, place beans in a large Dutch oven and cover with 6 - 8 cups water. Cover and bring just to boiling on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, with lid slightly askew, for 1 1/2 hours, occasionally stirring until desired tenderness. Add bacon drippings, salt, and pepper about halfway through the cooking time. You can also add a ham hock to the beans for the seasoning.

Now on to our featured recipe.  You'll need about 2 cups of leftover beans OR you can use 16 oz. of canned beans, rinsed and drained.

2 cups Great Northern Beans

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 t. dried Italian Seasoning

1 small jar diced pimentos

1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1 t. minced fresh garlic

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, stirring gently, until well combined. Chill at least two hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with sliced toasted French bread.

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Around Lolly's Table: Pasta Night!

Regular readers of the blog know how much I adore Italian cuisine. So it stands to reason I love to prepare my table for these meals.  Years ago, I scored an excellent buy at Bed, Bath, and Beyond on this fun Pasta Bowl set. 

The table runner features colorful bunches of grapes. The purple napkins with napkin rings with a grape motif is a nice complement to the table runner.

The LARGE serving bowl is prepared to take on a family sized portion of your favorite pasta.

Each of the individual bowls has a colorful interpretation of an Italian favorite.

Wing Wednesdays: Peach and Jalapeno Jam Glazed Grilled Chicken Wings

Labor Day was anything but that at Chez Lolly.  I took a very rare, stay at home and do (almost) nothing) day.  Mid-afternoon, I decided it was time for some nibbles and fired up the gas grill for some wings. You can simply grill the seasoned wings like I did below, OR you can continue the deliciousness by brushing with a spicy jelly or peach and jalapeno jam.  The sweet spicy stickiness of the jam took these wings over the top.

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. chicken wings, separated and tips removed

granulated garlic

granulated onion

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and liberally season both sides of the chicken.

Preheat gas grill on high until the temp reaches 500 degrees F. or prepare a charcoal grill.  When the grill is ready, place wings onto grill grates allowing ample room between the wings. Reduce the heat to medium.

Allow wings to cook, turning them over frequently with tongs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.  You could stop at this step and have an amazing place of wings!

But.......why would you?

I moved all the wings to one side of the grill and placed a grill mat on top of the grates and reduced the heat to low.  I had recently canned some peach and jalapeno jam. Using a silicone brush, I glazed the wings with the jam and let them cook for another two or three minutes before turning them over and repeating the glaze on the opposite side.

Aren't these beautiful?

Shrimp Spaghetti Carbonara

Creamy, decadent, delicious. This is a meal for those special occasions.  Like making it through Tuesday!  Get all your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin cooking. As always, when you're cooking pasta, the FIRST step is to get that large pasta pot full of water and on the stove to begin to boil. 

The heat from the noodles, pancetta, and shrimp will cook the eggs and melt the cheese. If you're not familiar with the term "tempering", it's a method of heating the eggs with a small amount of the hot pasta water. That step will prevent the eggs from scrambling and allows them to cook into creamy goodness with the pasta.

1 lb. spaghetti noodles 

1 T. olive oil

4 oz. pancetta

8 oz. sliced mushrooms (your favorite variety)

2 t. minced garlic

1/2 t. salt

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 large eggs

8 oz. heavy whipping cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup reserved pasta water

salt and pepper to taste

chopped parsley and additional Parmesan for garnishing

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. While noodles are boiling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and let brown for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and let cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Next, lower heat to medium, add in garlic and salt and let cook for one additional minute, stirring constantly.

Place shrimp into the skillet, and stir frequently, until they are cooked through and opague, about 4 - 5 minutes. 

While shrimp are cooking, whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, and cheese.

Drain spaghetti and whisk in the 1/4 cup reserved pasta water into the egg mixture.

Place pancetta/shrimp mixture into a large bowl. Dump in drained spaghetti to the bowl and, using tongs, mix together. 

Slowing pour in egg mixture, constantly mixing with the tongs until all noodles are completely coated.

Garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan.  Serve immediately.

Around Lolly's Table: Fiestaware

I love to mix and match Fiestaware colors. It's always an adventure to see what colors work well together and which ones need a little tweaking. I started this table plan with a cream colored tablecloth and a table runner with rust and different shades of blue as the predominant colors.  

A quick trip to the Fiesta shelves, and here is the result!

Hoisin Pork Stir-fry over Chuka Soba Noodles.

Anytime you're going to cook a stir-fry it is essential that you have everything prepared before you begin.  The process of stir-frying goes fast, and you won't have time to continue the preparation of slicing vegetables once your protein of choice starts to cook! I chose boneless pork chops, but you could easily substitute chicken or beef.

For the pork:

1 lb. boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat and sliced against the grain 1/4" thick

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. dried red pepper flakes

Whisk together hoisin sauce and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork and toss to completely cover with the marinade. Let marinate while you prepare the vegetables.

For the stir fry:

2 T. sesame oil

2 t. minced garlic

8 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, cored and thinly sliced

1 small can of diced water chestnuts, drained

1 small can of bean sprouts, drained

For the sauce:

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. rice wine vinegar

Chuka Soba Noodles prepared according to package directions.

Garnishes:

thinly sliced green onion

black or white sesame seeds

dried red pepper flakes

In a wok or large skillet, heat sesame oil or high heat. Add pork and marinade and cook, stirring constantly, until pork begins to brown, add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Add mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. Continue to cook over high heat until vegetables begin to soften. Add water chestnuts and bean sprouts and cook for another minute.

Add sauce and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Let cook another minute. Remove from heat and serve over prepared noodles or rice.

Garnish with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Six Pepper Chicken

A new product caught my eye in the grocery store last week:  Tone's Six Pepper Seasoning Blend. A word of warning (or maybe encouragement to those who like heat!), this one will light up your taste buds! As you can see, I used a liberal amount, and it was spicy, zesty, and delicious. I'm already planning dishes for tacos and burgers.  

And always, sheet pans meals are convenient because everything cooks on the same pan at the same time.  Less clean up is always a plus.

If you're bored with the same old baked chicken breasts, liven up your dinner with this recipe. Choose whatever vegetable you care for as your side dish on the roasting pan. I love roasted asparagus, but broccoli, cauliflower, or cubed potatoes would all be excellent alternatives.

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 T. olive oil

Tone's Six Pepper Seasoning Blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place chicken on pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning blend. Place in oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F.  

I let this chicken cook for 30 minutes and then placed the trimmed asparagus on the baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil, lightly salted and peppered and returned to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Garlicky Buttery Mussels

Some nights you merely want easy. This is one of the most delicious meals I prepare.  And by far, it's probably the easiest.  I had a dilemma deciding whether to name this recipe Garlicky Buttery Mussels or Buttery Garlicky Mussels.  Either way, if you like garlic, you'll enjoy this meal.

Toasted bread slices are essential for soaking up the buttery goodness on your plate. The mussels steam in the time it takes for the butter to become infused with the garlic.  Serve with LOTS of napkins!

3 lbs. mussels (fresh or frozen)

1 cup water (or white wine)

1 stick salted butter

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

1 t. dried parsley

a few grinds of black pepper

dash of hot sauce

Wash the mussels to remove any grit or sand.  Bring the water (or whatever liquid you choose to use) to a boil in a 4 - 5-quart stockpot or Dutch oven.

Add the mussels, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Let mussels boil/steam for 5 -6 minutes, occasionally stirring, until they open. 

While the mussels are cooking, over low heat in a small saucepan, melt butter. Add garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir occasionally. 

Drain mussels, discard any that didn't open and place remaining mussels on serving platter.  Slowly pour the garlic and butter mixture over the mussels.  Add some lemon wedges to the serving dish along with the toasted bread slices, and you're ready to dig in and have a delicious dinner!

Taco Tuesdays: Southwestern Cornmeal Crusted Catfish Tacos

Catfish fillets were on sale at Publix this week. I literally mentally developed this recipe while in the grocery store aisles. I knew I needed a Taco Tuesday Taco. I made a split second decision to fry the catfish, use shredded coleslaw mix in lieu of lettuce, and fancy up a can of pintos. These were excellent tacos. You can use either soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells. These are a new lime version courtesy of Old El Paso.  Yum

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 T. taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups peanut oil

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 t. minced garlic

few drops of your favorite hot sauce

tortillas or taco shells

shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

taco sauce

In a shallow pie pie, mix together cornmeal and taco seasoning.  Working in batches, coat the pieces of catfish, covering completely with the cornmeal mixture.

Preheat peanut oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees F. add just enough catfish so as to not crowd the skillet. If you add too much at one time, the oil will cool off quickly and the fish won't brown properly. Allow catfish to cook 4 - 5 minutes until the fish will flake easily with a fork. Lower heat slightly if fish begin to brown too quickly before fish is completely cooked.

Continue frying in batches, draining cooked fish on a paper towel lined plate.

Lightly sprinkle each batch as it comes from the hot oil.

While catfish is frying, drain pintos and place in a small saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and hot sauce and warm through.

When you're finished frying the fish, prepare the taco shells or tortillas according to package directions.

I placed a layer of shredded cabbage on bottom, then the garlicky pintos, then the catfish, and to finish, a nice drizzle of taco sauce.  Dig in!

Wing Wednesdays: Roasted Garlic and Herb Baked Chicken Wings

For this week's Wing Wednesday, I searched in the pantry for a new flavor for us to try. And again, Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations solved the dilemma.  I had a package of Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Blend and instead of making a dipping oil for bread, I breaded the chicken wings instead.

The majority of the time, I bake my chicken wings instead of frying.  Not only is healthier, but it certainly is less messy!

2 lbs. chicken wings, separated and tips removed and discarded (or saved in the freezer for stock)

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 package Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Blend

1/3 cup self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Place wings in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.

In a small bowl, mix together the Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Mix and flour.  Sprinkle half over wings and toss to coat.  Sprinkle remaining seasoned flour mixture and toss again.

Place wings in a single layer on baking sheet and place in oven. Cook for 45 - 60 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. F.  

Place under broiler for a few minutes to get a nice brown, crispy crust on the wings.  Watch carefully!  Don't let them burn.

Southwestern Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

My friend of Elizabeth's Gourmet Creation has provided me with another excellent seasoning packet to experiment with and see what I can do!

This week I'm experimenting with the Southwestern Jalapeno Savory Dip Mix. For those of you looking for some serious heat, this would be the perfect choice for you.

I decided to mix shrimp with the seasoning packet and make tacos. You can dress these up or down. I went simple with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, and a little salsa. Of course, you can add as many toppings as you'd like.

1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 package Southwestern Jalapeno Savory Dip Mix

2 T. peanut oil

2 T. lime juice

Flour or corn tortillas

Your favorite taco toppings

In a medium bowl, add shrimp and pour the seasoning mix over the shrimp. Toss to coat the shrimp entirely with the mix.

Heat peanut oil in a large castiron skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add shrimp. 

Cooking, constantly stirring, for 4 - 5 minutes until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Remove from heat and pour in lime juice. Stir to combine.

Serve immediately with your choice of flour or corn tortillas and all your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Garlic

While I haven't jumped on the Instapot bandwagon yet, I'll steadfastly remain in love with my slow cooker.  Last Friday was one of those days I knew well in advance would be hectic and stressful. I also knew I would want to be able to come home and have a meal almost ready for us to sit down and enjoy.

Literally five minutes of prep before walking out the door, and six hours later, this fantastic roast was cooked to perfection.

Here's the process!

1 (5-6 lb.) Boston Butt

2 T. garlic salt

1 T. black pepper

2 heads garlic, peeled

2 cups water

Season the pork with garlic salt and black pepper. Place in slow cooker. Add peeled garlic cloves to the slow cooker and slowly pour in water. Cover and set to high for 6 hours. If you have a programmable slow cooker, you can use that feature to reduce the heat at that point to low or to keep warm setting.

The garlic will cook down to a soft spreadable consistency. Serve the pork over rice or mashed potatoes. Make sure you enjoy all those delicious garlic cloves.  

Sesame Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna with spicy hoisin sauce

Sometimes I surprise myself.  Tonight was one of those nights. I had always wanted to sear ahi tuna.  But, there was a nagging thought of "can I do this?"  I can.  If I can, YOU can.  This was a delicious meal and a healthy one as well.

Remove the tuna about 15 minutes before cooking. Taking the refrigerator chill off will help to get the quick sear that you want for the tuna. When you slice into this beautiful fish, you want to see that deep rosy color. If you see an opaque white slice, just go ahead and make tuna salad.  Seriously.

4 (5 oz.) ahi tuna filets
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. black sesame seeds
1 T. white sesame seeds
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper

Rinse tuna filets and pat dry with paper towels.  Drizzle with sesame oil on all sides.  Set aside.

In a shallow plate, mix together remaining ingredients. Press tuna filets one at a time into the sesame seed mixture being careful to thoroughly coat each side of the tuna.

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Using tongs, sear each side of the tuna for a total of 1 1/2  minutes or so until well seared on all sides (including the edges). Remove from skillet and continue to sear each piece individually.

For the spicy sauce:

6 t. hoisin sauce
4 t. soy sauce
2 t. chili paste
1 t. sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Plate the seared tuna over a crunchy salad such as I used from Dole.  Dole Sesame Asian Salad Kit.  Prepare the salad as directed.  Drizzle the spicy sauce over the tuna.

Serve immediately.

Zesty Homemade Sloppy Joes

Sweet Harold requested Sloppy Joes for supper this week and tonight was the night.  Instead of buying the canned sauce, I raided the pantry and fridge and made my own zesty version. 

Yes, they lived up to their name.  They were VERY sloppy!

1 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground chuck

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup water

2 T. dark brown sugar

2 t. chili powder

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. dry mustard

2 - 3 T. tomato paste

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 T. Heinz 57 Sauce
1 t. yellow mustard

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Hamburger Buns or your favorite deli roll

Butter to brown the buns

Add olive oil and ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until beef is browned.  Drain fat.

Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in ketchup, water, dark brown sugar, chili powder, ground coriander, and dry mustard. Let everything cook, frequently stirring for 5 minutes or so and then add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, Heinz 57 Sauce, and yellow mustard.

Lower heat and let the mixture simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

Lightly butter the buns or roll and brown in another skillet over medium heat. Taking this step adds an amazing layer of flavor to these sandwiches.

When they're nicely browned, spoon meat over the buns. You can sprinkle with shredded Pepper Jack cheese for a little more heat!

Loaded Baked Potato topped with Mexican Fiesta Chicken

Here's a "re-run" dinner that in no shape, form, or fashion resembles a leftover meal. However, remember those delicious Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken Tacos we had a few days ago? How better to use the leftovers than to top a baked potato?

Follow the link above to prepare the Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken.

To bake the potatoes:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Pierce several times with a fork. Lightly rub a thin layer of vegetable oil over potatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until potatoes are cooked all the way through.

Slice potatoes lengthwise, top with butter and Mexican Fiesta Chicken.  I added shredded cheddar, sour cream, and chopped parsley.

Wing Wednesdays: Alabama Honey Fire

This is another recipe creation that evolved from a sample given to me by my friend Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations !  The main ingredient for seasoning these delicious wings is Alabama Honey Fire Dipping Oil Mix which is described on the package as "Everything we love about our home state - a little sassy, a little spicy, a little sweet, and a whole lot of character."

It certainly flavored these wings in that exact manner! A last minute glaze with local honey took them over the top as far as sweet heat stickiness!  

2 lbs. chicken wings (separated and tips removed)

1 T. vegetable oil

1 package Alabama Honey Fire Dipping Oil Mix

1/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non stick spray.

Pat wings dry with a paper towel, place in a large bowl, and drizzle with vegetable oil.

Sprinkle on the seasoning packet and toss to thoroughly coat the wings.  Place wings in a single layer on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, turn the wings over, and return to oven for another 20 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and brush on a thin layer of honey, turn the wings over, and brush honey on other side of wings.  Return to oven for another 5 - 7 minutes.  Internal temperature of wings should be 165 degrees F.

Serve with LOTS of napkins!

Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken Tacos

A friend of mine, who develops dip and seasoning mixes, recently gave me some of her samples to try.  But, because y'all know I like to try things outside the box, instead of making a dip, I decided to use the mix in the main dish recipe.

The blend I used was Mexican Fiesta from Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations.  As soon as I opened the package, I knew this was much more than your typical taco seasoning packet. The filling would be delicious as a filling for soft tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or (here's the outside the box talking again!) as a unique base for a chicken chili!

1 - 2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 package Mexican Fiesta seasoning blend

2 t. minced garlic

1 t. ground cumin

1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 small can red enchilada sauce

Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Place chicken into the bottom of slow cooker and add ingredients in the order listed.  Cover and let cook on high 4 hours.  If you have a programmable cooker, set it to cook on low for  2 - 3 additional hours.  You want the chicken to be fall apart tender so that you can shred it with two forks.

When the chicken has reached that point, carefully shred chicken and mix thoroughly with the sauce.  

Serve over rice or as a delicious and flavorful taco filling! I simply topped with a small amount of shredded cheese, but feel free to add your usual taco toppings!