Southwest Shredded Chicken

I am a big fan of planning ahead and like to tuck away freezable items like this Southwest Shredded Chicken for when I need to throw together a meal in minutes.  Everyone has their own twist on this recipe, but I find this particular one to be flexible plus delicious.  Fire-roasted tomatoes add a certain something that regular diced tomatoes cannot replicate.  Try this flavorful shredded meat in one of the following ways:

• The starting point for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chalupas
• An addition to a Mexican lasagne or salad
• A layer in a pile of game-day nachos
• A spicy fettucine -- Alfredo sauce, some red or green pepper, a touch of cayenne
• A wrap:   mix  the meat with a little ranch dressing and roll it up with black beans, corn, cheese, and lettuce.

SOUTHWEST SHREDDED CHICKEN
Printable version of this recipe

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 c. chopped onion
3 gloves of garlic, peeled and minced finely
1 T oil
1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Slice chicken into manageable small pieces.  Choose a large pan that can fry and boil (like a large, deep skillet.)  Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.  Add the chicken, and brown the outside lightly.  Add enough broth to cover the chicken and allow to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Add broth as necessary to keep the chicken swimming.  At 30 minutes, check:  can it be shredded?  If so, remove from the heat and shred the meat.  Pour off all but about 1/2 of a cup of liquid, trying to preserve as much of the onion mixture as possible.  I usually pour off through a strainer so I can dump the onion and garlic back in.  Return the shredded meat to the pan.  Add the can of tomatoes and taco seasoning.  Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed.

Chicken can be used immediately in any number of delicious combinations.  If you plan to freeze this, I recommend pulling it off the stove while some liquid remains. This will keep it from getting too dry during reheating.   If you decide later to freeze it, simply add a tablespoon or two of broth to the mixture when defrosting to keep it moist.  Allow the chicken to cool thoroughly before freezing.

Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry - Dijon Sauce

It looks so elegant, but this pork tenderloin drizzled with a light raspberry sauce takes only a few minutes to cook.  It's one of those dishes that make people think you were in the kitchen for hours, when the truth is exactly the opposite.  Best of all, it's made from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.  Quick and delicious?  That's my kind of meal.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH RASPBERRY-DIJON SAUCE
Printable version of this recipe

1 pork tenderloin (a 1 to 1-1/2 pounder works well for this)
1-2 T olive oil
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard

Note:  I've used a homemade raspberry jam for this that still had raspberry seeds in it, and it didn't affect the taste or presentation.

DIRECTIONS

Slice tenderloin into 1-inch slices and flatten with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness. (This is so it will cook quickly.)  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Cook pork over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until the insides are no longer pink.  Remove and keep warm.  Inspect the bottom of the pan carefully.   If the fond (junk on the bottom) is brown, proceed.  If it is black, you may want to turn down the heat and  wash the pan before continuing, as black fond will make the sauce taste bitter. 

Add the jam, vinegar, and mustard to the pan.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.  Serve with the pork.

Note:  this makes just enough sauce to drizzle lightly over the pork.  If you like a lot of sauce, consider doubling the recipe.

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home

Beer-Flavored Pizza Crust

Pizza and beer ... they just naturally go together, don't they?  When I saw this recipe that used beer as its primary liquid over at the King Arthur Flour website, I just had to try it.  If beer is good with pizza, then it must be twice as good in pizza.  With enough dough for two large crusts, it creates a pizza that is definitely better than delivery and DiGiorno.  I highly recommend some of the Everyday Marinara as a sauce.

BEER-FLAVORED PIZZA CRUST
Printable version of this recipe

2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups of semolina flour *
2 t. instant yeast (also known as "Rapid Rise")
1 t. baking powder
1-1/2 t. salt
2 T olive oil
12 oz room-temperature beer 

Optional:  pizza flavoring for crust (1 t. Italian seasoning + 1/2 t. garlic powder + 1 T grated parmesan does nicely)

* Semolina can often be found in the bulk bins in the natural foods section of a grocery store.  If you cannot find semolina, simply substitute all-purpose flour.

PIZZA:  pizza sauce, cheese, and other toppings.   Pepperoni, onion, green pepper, thin slices of Roma tomatoes, and black olives are our usual choices.

DIRECTIONS

Mix and knead all ingredients -- by hand, bread machine, or stand mixer -- until you have a nice, smooth dough.  In my Kitchen Aid, this took about 4 minutes on second speed, using a dough hook.

Move to a lightly-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Allow to rise anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  You're not looking for the dough to double in size; you just want the yeast to go to work.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat.

Divide the dough in half and roll out into two rectangles (or rounds, depending upon the pans you are using.)  Transfer the dough to parchment paper -- even if you are baking on a stone. Prick the crust all over with a fork.  And I do mean, all over.  Otherwise this crust will bubble and puff like a balloon in the oven. 

Transfer the crusts to baking sheets or stones, and then to the oven.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove; spread with pizza sauce and top with cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and other assorted toppings. (Note:  I like to use only about half of the cheese at this point.  Because the cheese tends to brown, I reserve half of it and put it on the pizza a few minutes before pulling the pizza out of the oven.)

Return pizzas to the oven and bake for around 15-18 minutes, or until crust and cheese begin to brown.  Remove pizza; sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Return to the oven and allow to bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted.

Open up a second beer and enjoy.

Many thanks to King Arthur Flour for this recipe.