Chicken Vitellus

This challenge could not come at a better time. We all try to eat better as a new year rolls around. I’ve made it my mission to eat healthy all year, but then there are donuts. I mean Krispy Kreme is just heaven to taste buds. Right? Not so much to your hips and arteries. Right?

I love this challenge because it gave me the opportunity to come up with a dish that I could make again and again while continuing to eat healthy and starting the year off with a new, fresh recipe. This recipe is found in Huckleberry. It doesn’t originally have meat in it, but I knew Bilinski’s Organic Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage would be the perfect, healthy addition.

I had never had quinoa. I love it! I can’t believe I went this long with never having it before. The texture of this meal was great with the Bilinski’s Organic Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage. The flavors in the sausage combined with the quinoa and sweet carrots worked very well together. The creamy-ness of the fried egg yolk on top is just the perfect touch.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Chicken Vitellus
by Rebbekkah
Adapted from Huckleberry (Original recipe named Quinoa, Baby Carrots, Sprouting Broccoli and Eggs)

1 small bag of whole baby carrots
2 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Dash of garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons water, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
2 cups frozen broccoli
1 12-ounce package of Bilinski’s Organic Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage
2 to 4 eggs
Fleur de sel for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Toss carrots in 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil, a dash of garlic salt and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast until brown and soft, about 35 minutes.

In a medium saucepan heat 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat until fully melted and sizzling. Add your onions and sauté until lucid, about three to four minutes. Add the quinoa and salt. Sauté for a minute. Add 2 cups of water and simmer over medium heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest, set aside.

In a separate saucepan heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil with the garlic until fragrant. Add broccoli, 2 Tablespoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover and sauté until soft. Meanwhile, slice your Bilinski’s Organic Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage. Once your broccoli is soft, add the sausage and allow it to heat through. This will only take about five minutes. Stir occasionally. Lower your heat and add in the carrots and quinoa. Mix until well incorporated and cook for an additional two minutes. Take mixture off of the heat and set it to the side with the lid on.

Heat a Tablespoon of butter on medium heat until melted. Crack two eggs (or one at a time. If you do one at a time, you only need 1/2 Tablespoon of butter per egg). Allow the egg to cook until the whites are solid and set but allowing the yolks to be runny. I suggest cooking all your eggs before moving on so it will be easier to plate your food.

Plate with the quinoa mixture and gently lay fried egg(s) on top. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve immediately.

Cajun Egg Rolls

Cajun Egg Rolls
by Rebbekkah

1 box Slap Ya Mama Cajun Red Beans & Rice Dinner Mix
3 1/4 cups water
1 pound sausage links (I chose Andouille)
1 package egg roll wraps
Oil for pan frying the egg rolls and the sausage

Rémoulade Sauce:
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
1 Tablespoon Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper

BBQ Brisket

BBQ Brisket
by Rebbekkah

4-5 pound brisket, with fat
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 jar The Spice House Brisket of Love BBQ Seasoning Rub
Favorite barbecue sauce

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Drizzle

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Drizzle
by Rebbekkah

2 sticks butter, room temperature (if you use salted butter, omit the teaspoon of salt)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons of The Spice House Lemon Extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest

Lemon Drizzle (recipe below)

Classic Pecan Pie Bars

When I think of Thanksgiving desserts I think of pecan pie. Growing up, I remember my dad having his very own pie and thinking, “That must be some good pie!” Boy is it.

Vanilla Coconut Donuts with a Raspberry Sauce

Trying to eat better isn’t easy; especially with the convenient, fast, simple choices we are so privileged to have these days. In the last few months, my family and I have slowly started to weed out foods that are downright unhealthy. For me, it’s Dr. Pepper. For the rest of my brood, it’s sweets. We have dubbed this change, “The Year of Health”. Ya, I know, not very creative. We thought about tweaking the name, but eventually this name stuck so we went with it. We are planning to make small changes throughout the year in hopes of drastically changing our entire lives into a more healthy way of living. Not just food either, but with every aspect. Since this is for 37 Cooks, I will share with you a recipe that I am hoping will help in guiding us to make this drastic change and stay with it.

Meet Rebbekkah!

I am a born and raised, proud fourth generation Texan! My entire family resides in Texas to this day and I don’t see any of ‘em leavin’ anytime soon. I, however, live in Atlanta, GA, with my high school sweetheart and three children. We moved here eight years ago. It took my husband nearly three years to convince me to leave Texas. After many prayers and tears, I agreed and we packed up our family and moved to a little country suburb outside of the city. To this day, it has been the hardest thing I have ever done, and I gave birth to three children naturally! It was that painful. To explain to you who I am, besides a Texan, I have to back up just a tad…

Sopapillas

We are always so happy to have a Friend of 37 Cooks send in a recipe for one of our challenges. Adam also happens to be married to Rebbekkah Fisher, one of our 37 Cooks!

Sopapillas
by Adam Fisher

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 Tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups warm milk
Vegetable oil
Honey
Sugar/cinnamon mixture

In a large bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the lard or shortening with a pastry cutter.  Add the milk all at once, and mix the dough quickly with a fork or by hand, until the dough forms a mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and begin to knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. It should take about a dozen folds to form a soft dough that is no longer sticky. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap to let it rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Divide the dough in half, keeping the half you are not working with covered with plastic wrap or a towel so it does not dry out.

Roll the dough half you have chosen on a floured board with gentle strokes. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. The more you work the dough, the tougher your sopapilla will turn out. However, to keep a sopapilla well puffed after cooking, you may want to work the dough a minute or so longer. Cut the dough into rectangles that are about 10 inches by 5 inches. Divide each rectangle into a 5-inch squares, and then cut the squares into triangles. NOTE: If you find that the dough is beginning to dry as you work with the remainder, cover it loosely with some plastic wrap.

Do not attempt to reform and roll the leftover dough scraps. They do not roll out well on the second try. You can cook these dough scraps along with the others, and they taste just as good.

Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet or a deep fryer until the oil reaches about 400F. Carefully slide the first sopapilla into the hot oil. Submerge the sopapilla under the oil. It should begin to puff immediately.

Using a slotted spoon, turn the sopapilla over to brown the other side. Sometimes this can be difficult, as the sopapilla will want to stay on the side it was on. A little coaxing with your slotted spatula will help this. Hold it for only a moment, and it will adjust to the side it is on. Once both sides are browned (approximately 2 minutes per side), remove the sopapilla to a surface to drain (paper towels or a draining rack will both work). Drizzle with honey or roll the sopapillas in a sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Sopapillas can be kept warm in a 200F oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately 2 dozen sopapillas.

Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Bread

by Rebbekkah Fisher

Adapted from Pike’s Place

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups light vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, or soy

2 cups fresh strawberries, prepared as described in the Cook’s Hint, below, or 2 cups frozen, unsweetened, sliced strawberries, thawed

1 1/4 cups chopped hazelnuts or pecans

fresh whipped topping

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease two 5-by 9-inch loaf pans or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

 

2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk until the cinnamon is dispersed throughout the flour. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the oil, strawberries, and hazelnuts with a fork.

 

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

4. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Turn out the loaves, slice into 8 slices per loaf, and serve as desired with whipped cream.

 

Cook’s Hint: If using fresh berries, make sure they are very ripe and juicy. Halve or quarter the berries, then gently mash them with a fork to start the juices flowing. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 1 hour before adding to the wet ingredients. You can also substitute frozen, sweetened berries, but reduce the 2 cups of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe I’ve had and have been making for years. I do it by memory.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Rebbekkah Fisher

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop tablespoon-size balls of dough on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart . Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Makes 3 dozen.

French Christmas Cookies

I've had this recipe for a while. I do not know where I got it. I think my aunt passed it to my mom, but I'm not 100% sure.

French Christmas Cookies
by Rebbekkah Fisher

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup whole milk
2-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Topping:
1-1/4 cups milk chocolate chips, melted

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the milk. Gradually, add the crumbs and mix well. Stir in the chips and walnuts.

Fill miniature foil baking cups three-fourths full. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, or until set. Cool on wire racks. Top each cookie with 1/4 teaspoon of melted chocolate. Store in the refrigerator.

Snowballs & Buckeyes!

Snowballs & Buckeyes!by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from Cooking With Sugar (Snowballs)

Snowballs:
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (if the dough seems too wet add an extra Tablespoon or two)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 350F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat then add the chopped pecans. Continue cooking and stirring until the butter melts and starts to turn brown. Stir to prevent the nuts from burning. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Refrigerate until the mixture is cooled (approximately 20 – 30 minutes).

Combine the cooled browned butter and pecan mixture and the granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer, until mixed well. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Reduce the speed, gradually add the flour and mix on low until the dough forms. If the dough seems too wet, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour.


Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch size balls. Place the balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly golden brown.

Buckeyes:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 cups of confectioner’s sugar
4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth. Dip the frozen peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate, holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from Little Lulu’s Nest

3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the shortening, egg and brown sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients except molasses. make sure the ingredients are combined well before stirring in the molasses. Roll into teaspoon size balls and roll in sugar. Push down with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes (do not over bake). Once out of the oven, dot with butter. Eat hot.

Tasso Beer Chili

Tasso Beer Chili
by Rebbekkah Fisher

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Tasso, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4-ounce can green chilies
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, crushed, and their juices
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
finely chopped green onions

In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beer and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute.

Add the chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and kidney beans to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Sprinkle each serving with grated cheese and green onions, and serve hot.

Baked Penne with Sweet Sausage, Broccoli and Porcini Mushrooms

Baked Penne with Sweet Sausage, Broccoli & Porcini Mushrooms
by Rebbekkah Fisher  and her awesome 13 year old son!

1/2 ounce Marx Foods Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms 
1 bunch broccoli, stalks trimmed
1 box penne
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or spicy sausage
1 onion, minced
6 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ cup flour
2 cups mushroom broth or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 pound mozzarella, shredded
plain bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons melted butterPreheat the oven to 400F.

To reconstitute the dried mushrooms: Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a glass bowl and place the bowl in the sink. Place a large strainer on top of the glass bowl. Trust me, I know it sounds weird. You’ll see why in a minute.

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rapid boil. Add a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli. Let it boil for about 2 minutes. Spoon the broccoli into a bowl and set aside. Let the water return to a boil. When the water boils, add the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain the boiling water into the strainer over the glass bowl in which you placed the dried porcini mushrooms. Toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside. Wipe out the pot and set aside to use later. Cover the mushrooms with plastic wrap and set aside. They need about 20 minutes to soften.

Slice the sausage links. In a different pan, sauté the sausage until it’s thoroughly cooked. Drain and set the sausage aside.

Chop the mushrooms finely.

Add the remaining oil to the pot you set aside previously and warm over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic & thyme. Continue to stir frequently. Add the mushrooms, flour and either mushroom broth or chicken broth, and stir until brown (ish). Add the cream and let simmer. Stir frequently. Add the sausage and mozzarella cheese and continue to cook over low heat. Add the pasta and broccoli. Stir until everything is well mixed.

In a small bowl, combine the butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle the top of casserole with the butter and crumb mixture. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

This is FABULOUS!!!!!!

Apple Pie in a Bag

Beau's Dutch Apple Pie
by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons milk

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and pat into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. (Don't roll the dough out.)

For the Apple Filling:
5-6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons almond extract 

Combine all ingredients except the apples in a bowl. Mix well, then toss the apples in the mixture. Put the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust.

For the Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the four and sugar, mix until crumbly. Cover the apple filling with the crumb topping. 

Yes, you really do put the pie inside a brown paper grocery bag. Once the pie is inside, roll up the the top of the bag and close it together with either staples or large paper clips. Place the bag on the lowest shelf in the oven. Bake at 350 for 90 minutes. Don't open the bag until the time is up and you have let it cool outside the oven for about 5 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. So good!

Tomato Cobbler

We had to get approval from Carrie to include this in Carrie's Pie Challenge. Lucky for Rebbekkah, Carrie is a really chilled-out kinda gal and said it was absolutely ok to include this as a pie! However you might categorize it. It sounds delicious. Rebbekkah says, "Adam cut into this before I could snap a pic so I had to cut a “slice” out for the pic. It’s a terrible picture, but I’m telling you it was incredible!!! The crust was awesome! It tasted like a chile relleno. It didn’t call for cheese but I added it because I just felt like it was needed." - 37 Cooks

Tomato Cobbler
by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from Tomato Cobbler from Homesick Texan

1 pound of tomatoes, peeled, cored & diced, or 2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeno chile, seeds & stem removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt & pepper to taste
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup of whole milk
Optional: 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Toss together the tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, cumin, & lime juice. Add salt & pepper to taste.
3. In a large ovenproof skillet; preferably a cast-iron, melt the butter on low heat. Once melted, remove from heat.
4. In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder & kosher salt. Add the milk & stir until thick and smooth. Pour the batter over the batter. DO NOT STIR. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with cheese and let the cheese melt in the oven for about 2 minutes.

Grandma’s Chocolate Pie

Grandma’s Chocolate Pie
by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from The Homesick Texas Cookbook by Lisa Fain

Filling ingredients:
4 tablespoons of cocoa or 1 1/2 squares of baking chocolate
3/4 cups of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 tablespoon of butter

Meringue ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar

Method:
Mix your sugar, flour, salt, cocoa, eggs and milk (all except vanilla and butter) with a whisk.

Cook while stirring on medium until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes. If it becomes lumpy, just beat out the lumps. (It will not get any thicker in the oven so cook until it's as thick as you want it.)

Remove from heat and stir in your vanilla and butter. Meanwhile, poke holes in your pie crust with a fork and bake it at 350 until it’s brown, about 20 minutes.

Beat your egg whites with salt and when they start to get fluffy add the sugar or use with a stand mixer. Pour the chocolate custard into the baked pie shell and top with the beaten egg whites. Bake it until it the peaks on the meringue are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Grandma says: “It’s real good hot, wonderful cold and you can even eat it frozen—then it’s like a popsicle!”

Note: All that's happening in the oven is the browning of the meringue. So be sure and keep cooking the custard in the pan until it's your desired consistency.

Grandma’s Pie Crust

by Rebbekkah Fisher
adapted from The Homesick Texas Cookbook by Lisa Fain 

For the crust (makes enough for two):
2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (she used to use corn, but I believe she uses canola now)
1/4 cup milk

Method:
For the crust:

Mix flour and salt. Mix oil and milk. Pour oil and milk into flour and salt and stir until combined into a dough. Can add more milk if dry. Separate into two balls (save one ball for another pie). Roll crust out between two sheets of wax paper, line a buttered pie pan with crust.

SYM Parmesan Tilapia & SYM Roasted Veggies

SYM Parmesan Tilapia
Adapted from: Mama's Supper Club
by Rebbekkah Fisher

Ingredients:
2 pounds tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil
a pinch of sea salt & black pepper (I use Ocean’s Flavor)
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Directions:
Preheat to 350F.
Butter a 13 x 9 balking dish with butter.
Lay fillets in a single layer without stacking them.
Brush the fillets with lemon juice.
Bake for 20 minutes or just until fish flakes.

In a small bowl mix cheese, butter, mayo, onions, and seasonings together. Once fish is finished, add cheese topping to the fillets and bake an additional 5 - 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
SYM Roasted Veggies
by Rebbekkah Fisher

Ingredients:
You can use any veggies- potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, carrots, eggplant, onions etc.
Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning
Olive oil
Parchment Paper
Your favorite spices & herbs: rosemary, salt & pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne, crushed red peppers, thyme, sage etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425* Wash & cut all veggies into thin strips of the same size. This will ensure they will all be done at the same time. Add your SYM Seasoning, olive oil and other herbs and seasonings into a large bowl. Add veggies and coat very well.

Put parchment paper on a baking sheet (easier clean up) and spread about your veggies. Don’t crowd them, this will cause them to steam- we wanted roasted veggies. Use two baking sheets if needed. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the veggies look golden brown at the edges.

Crispy Southwest Slapped Chicken Wraps

Crispy Southwest Slapped Chicken Wraps

by Rebbekkah Fisher

Recipe Source: original recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe 
*Makes 6 wraps

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef) I used my food processor to make the chicken a very fine shred. Fits better in the tortilla.
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder (I substituted the chili powder for the Slap Ya Mama Original Cajun Seasoning)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of Monterrey Jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)- I omitted this b/c none of us like sour cream.
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas 

DIRECTIONS:

Mix rice together with Slap Ya Mama Seasoning, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to add little dollops of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.