(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Now that my baby, my beloved Canon is restored, I thought it was time to get back to photographing actual food and do I have one for you today. If it’s 95­­° in the shade where you live, a salad is really the only thing you can imagine right now. But the meat-and-potatoes eaters in your home think salads are wimpy. Well, this one has a bit of heat to throw them off and confuse them but it’s still healthy. It actually filled up my empty-pit of a husband. He didn’t eat anything else for three (3!!!) hours! That’s a record!

CHICKEN CHIPPOTLE SALAD

Dressing:
1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2/3 c. light sour cream
1/4-1/3 c. buttermilk (depending on how thick you like your dressing)
2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (more or less varies the heat)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Juice of one lime plus a little lime zest
1/4 tsp salt

Mix that all up and put it in the fridge to chill while you make the salad.

4 c. shredded romaine lettuce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
(I cooked mine in the microwave and tossed with Southwest seasoning mix but leftover grilled chicken would rock here!)
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
OPTIONAL:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
Tortilla chips for garnish

You know how to take it from here, right?

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By the way, here’s the updated nest-cam. Remember how cute they were? Well, they’ve entered the awkward teen years. Thus we have a rebel bird who is rejecting his parent’s conservative values. As soon as he can fly, he’s getting a tattoo.

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Congrats to Lauren who won our Strawberry Cookbook giveaway!

(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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I have a confession to make. I used to be afraid to cook with chile peppers. It goes back to this one incident where I chopped some jalapeños and then rubbed my eyes. After my face exploded, I wrote myself a note never to do that again. If you haven’t done this, God bless you… you’re smarter than me. As someone with super sensitive skin, just looking at a chile can make my skin break out in a rash. And yet, spicy Tex-Mex is my favorite food. So I’ve made my peace with chiles. If I have a clean pair of kitchen gloves, I wear them. If not, I wash my hands with MILK.

I made my peace with chile peppers, and I want you to. Let’s get to know our little friend here while I pretend to remember my 9th grade Spanish.

¡Oye! Look at my green beauty! Let us get to know one another better.

• I’m a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and fiber.
• I offer more flavor than heat.
• I’m also known as an ancho chile when I’m dried. I can be soaked in water and used in many of the same recipes.

See? Harmless. We’re going to pair our friends here with a good amount of cilantro which is chock full of phytonutrients. How could you want more? Healthy, cheap and quick. Here we go.

NOTE: Since we’re blending hot liquids, hold down the lid with a kitchen towel as you blend.

Want even more health? Use brown rice. Go on, I won’t say anything.

After this has simmered and is almost ready, you can add some veggies. I like to add a little cooked chicken to make this a meal. When the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked, you’re done.

My kids like this but they temper the tiny bit of heat with a bit of sour cream or grated cheddar (I like a little queso fresco or parmesan) and a nice big glass of milk.

¡Adiós!

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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I came late to blogging because I’m such a desperately private person. I’m not in the witness protection program but that often sounds enticing to me because I hate being in the spotlight. Still I must say that I find it really fun and cathartic to blog. And when someone compliments my little blog, I feel like Sally Field,“You LIKE me! You really LIKE me!”

But the reality of what I want my blog to look like and what it actually looks like boils down to one big problem…my crappy camera. We bought this camera a few years ago and paid way too much for it thinking it was a great deal. I won’t tell you the brand (Gateway), but it’s been nothing but error messages and lost photos since we got ripped off purchased it. And the pictures are awful. As you may have noticed. I’ve tried daylight, camera settings, focus, angle shots, but they’re all still crap.

So I’m saving my pennies looking for a good replacement that will give me some flexibility and wondering if anyone has a good suggestion for a digital SLR that will still allow my kids to go to partytown college.

So you’ll have to trust me on this next recipe. It tasted like heaven on a plate but photographed like pet food. Really, you must trust me on this!

Oooh, baby, I wish I’d made more because even the kiddies devoured this and Stickman (hubby) was left saying…’MORE…I want more.” I served it up with some homemade tortilla chips and rice mixed with some salsa and fresh cilantro.

CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO AND LIME BUTTER

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4″ thickness
  
• 1/2 c. flour
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 Tbs. freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté chicken 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn chicken. Cook about 10 minutes, or until tender and browned nicely on both sides. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Blot out most of the oil but try to leave the fond/sticky bits. Add lime juice to deglaze and cook over low heat until bubbly. Add butter, stirring until butter becomes opaque and sauce thickens. Stir in cilantro and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chicken and serve. Lick the pan before washing. Trust me.