Spicy Pineapple Crockpot Chicken

I love the taste of rich foods with lots of flavor and a bit of spice, but after that I always feel like a need something a little sweet.  To cover all the flavors above I came up with my latest crockpot meal.  I love using a crockpot as I can prepare dinner before leaving for the day and it is done and ready to go right when I walk int he door 8 hours later!  It also slow cooks the meat to really infuse and soak up all those yummy flavors!  For my Spicy Pineapple Chicken you will need the following:

Roughly 10 Chicken Tenders (may be frozen)
1/2 Jar Tostitos Pineapple Peach Salsa
1/2 Bottle Archer Farms Hot Chile Pineapple Grilling Sauce
1/2 Package of McCormick Fajita Seasoning
1 Bottle Light Beer
1 Cup Water

I always begin by lining my crockpot with a liner, this means no clean up later! Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with 1/2 a package of Fajita Seasoning.  Next pour in 1/2 the beer and water around the chicken. Top the chicken with 1/2 bottle of Hot Chile Pineapple grilling sauce and spoon the salsa into the liquid.  Cover, set to low and go on with your day.  Return roughly 6-8 hours later and shred the chicken.  Return chicken to the pot and ass the other half of the beer.  Let simmer on low for about 30 minutes more while you cook rice to serve it over.

 Place the Spicy Pineapple Chicken over rice and top with sea salt and parsley! The perfect mix of spicy and sweet all in one bowl.....Enjoy!

Fried Coconut Shrimp and Mashed Butternut Squash

So tonight we both felt like seafood, as you can't eat chicken and pork EVERY night!  I picked up some shrimp and coconut on my way home and couldn't help but grab a delicious butternut squash as I walked by the veggies! This is one of my favorite veggies but it is sad as it means Fall is fastly approaching.  I like to prep all my ingredients before I begin.  In one bowl I mix 3/4 cup of beer with one egg, in the next flour and in the last coconut.  I also have peeled my shrimp (about 30) and removed their tails as well as cut up my squash to get it boiling in the prepared water. 

I first coat the shrimp in the beer mixture, then the flour, beer mixture again and finally the coconut before setting aside on a cookie sheet.  Once done place in the fridge for about 20 minutes while you heat your vegetable oil on the stove.  Once the oil reaches about 350 degrees it is time to throw in the shrimp!  I do it in 2 to 3 batches and place on a plate lines in paper towels to help absorb some excess oil. 

Once the squash is fully boiled and soft (about half an hour) drain and return to the pan.  I use a potato masher to mash the squash and add 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of margarine and salt and pepper to taste!  Lastly it's time to place everything on a plate and.......

ENJOY!

Farmer Market Finds: The Husk Tomato

After work this evening I headed to the local Farmer's Market in Mattapoisett, Ma.  I love fresh sweet corn and it is getting to the end of the season in New England so it was a must to grab a few ears.  While I was there I came across a carton of Husk Tomatoes! I love these little fruits.  These come out in late summer and are also known as Ground Cherries, Dwarf Cape Gooseberries or Strawberry Tomatoes. As you see below they have a papery looking husk that reminds me of a paper Chinese lantern!

 The main purpose of the husk is to be able to tell them apart from a poisonous form that do not have a husk.  Once peeled from their husk you will find a small fruit inside about the size of a grape.  The flavor is one you will have to taste for yourself but I would have to say it is a cross between a cherry tomato and some type of sweet fruit, I can say one thing, Delish!

I have bought these a few times now and never seem to actually cook with them nor add them to a salad.  They are just so good on their own we always end up eating them before I can even think of what to do with them!

Fajita Quesadilla

Tonight I felt like Mexican food after working a 10 hour day! Quesadilla's are so simple to make and easy to make two versions at the same time. I'm on a health kick so I used low fat ingredients and whole wheat tortillas while my husband had the most fat he could take!

I start by cooking a yummy filling made of Fajita seasoning, chicken and sweet bell peppers.  Now I am not a pepper person at all but once they are cooked down with the seasoning you can barely tell they are there but still get the nutrients of a veggie.  Once that is done and my quesadilla maker is pre-heated I add a tortilla, a layer of cheese, black olives, the cooked filling and a final layer of cheese.  Top that with a second tortilla, close the cooker and wait for the light to turn green...........ding! Within minutes it is done and ready to serve!

I like to add some low fat sour cream and picante sauce for dipping!  the little cups are not needed but don't they just look too good! Enjoy!

Smoothie on the go!

So I recently moved and have been out of touch with cooking.  We are now settled and back to cooking normally.  With winter and Holidays fastly approaching I have decided to change my eating habits to prepare for those few extra pounds everyone seems to gain during the holidays! My main rule is to eat nothing white (with the exception of 1% or Almond milk and eggs), I can still eat rice, pasta and bread but they all have to be whole grain.  Breakfast is the hardest meal for me as I wake up and go every morning with no time to eat.  To make sure I get my morning nutrients I prepared the below breakfast smoothie this evening so it is ready to grab and go in the AM!

I like to mix up my fruits but for this one I used 2 banana's, 1 mango, 1 cup mango greek yogurt and almond milk.This cup also has a stirrer on the bottom to mix it up a little after sitting in the fridge all night.  I found this awesome cup at my local Marshall's for only $3.99!