Spicy Chicken for Nachos (or tacos, or burritos, or enchilladas...)

I was really hesitant to write this post for two reasons:
a) The picture I got is AWFUL because I waited until the nachos were demolished to even think of snapping it
b) It's super simple.....

But I have gotten a lot of requests for the recipe when I make it for people, so I thought I'd share. Aren't I sweet..... don't answer that.

Right, so your going to need 2-4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts depending on how many people you are feeding. The 2 breasts work fine for a heaping pile of nachos for three. If your working with more peeps to feed, use 4 breasts and double the recipe. Heck, make six, triple the recipe, and freeze some for later. :)

See? Cruddy picture, I told you! You can't even see the chicken that well, but believe me it's in there!

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (or dried, I reconstitute with the next ingredient....)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of salt (optional)

Nacho Fixings
STURDY chips
Black beans
lots and lots of cheese
Queso
More cheese
Tomatoes
Ranch (trust me)
Salsa (if you want)
Really... just go nuts, do what you feel on this one

Instructions

Heat a skillet on medium to medium high heat
Add tomato sauce and chicken, be sure to coat the chicken and spread the love
If you are using dried garlic reconstitute it for a few minutes with the vinegar before adding
Add them spices!!!
AND cook.... until chicken is cooked through
Take chicken out of the sauce and shred with a fork
Add back into sauce and mix that goodness around.


Nacho assembly
Put everything on a cookie sheet or baking pan in the order listed above, stop at cheese, unless you want your tomatoes cooked but I like them still kicking.
Broil in the oven for around 5 minutes, you gotta watch them to make sure they don't burn!
Add the rest of the toppings... even the ranch... do it

Now pull up a seat and chow down. The best way to eat these puppies is straight from the pan but I'll leave it up to you if you want to make a mess that's perfectly fine with me :) AND like I said, the chicken can be used for darn near everything, so experiment!

Scallop Chowder

So I had a bag of frozen bay scallops in the freezer and nothing to do with them. The remedy? Chowder. Since I can't stand the look of clams, this is a win win for me.

Let me warn you, this chowder is not thick and creamy, nor does it ooze out of a can into the bowl. It is light, flavorful, and filling. Working with frozen scallops and not fresh? Take the suckers out now to thaw. Do it.

Start with a medium red onion and two ribs of celery diced. Saute them in a pot, the pot you're making the chowder in, in 1 tbs. of butter. Smell that? Glory.

Meanwhile, cube up 6 medium yukon gold potatoes. I like yukon gold for the taste and texture, use your fave. After cubing the potatoes, that should have given the onion and celery time to soften. Add the potatoes and immediately add 4 c. of broth, chicken or veggie. Don't have any? Water will be fine, it's what I use in a pinch. Still darn tasty. The liquid should just cover the potatoes, not drown them. Add spices. Set the lid on and wait for it to boil. What do you do while you wait? You can be ambitious and make some yeast rolls to go with this delicious chowder, or you can do what I did. Crack open a beer and sit on your porch while watching your dog amuse himself with a stick.

I cannot tell a lie. He has a stick, trust me.

Anyway, after the concoction boils for 10-15min, reduce heat to a simmer. Get the bay leaf out of there, it took me a good 5 minutes to find mine. Got those thawed oysters? Add them with two can's of evaporated milk. Stay away from sweetened condensed. Don't do it. Trust.....
Let those oysters hang for about 15-20 minutes, and viola. Tasty stuff. Remember that bread I didn't make? It was replaced by saltines. I'm classy like that. I needed a touch more pepper, but I like it spicy.

Ingredients:
1 medium red onion
2 ribs of celery
1 tbs. butter
6 medium potatoes
4 c. broth (or water)
1 bay leaf
1 tbs. tarragon
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. pepper
1 lb. bay scallops (frozen or fresh)
2 cans evaporated milk

Directions:
Saute diced onion and celery in butter for 10 min. Cube potatoes and add to the onions and celery. cover potatoes with liquid and add spices. Bring to a boil, boil for 10 min. Reduce to a simmer. Remove bay leaf. Add scallops and milk and cook for another 15-20 min. Serve right away.

Pizza Crust

To start us off I thought I would share my pizza crust recipe that I have found here for everyone to enjoy! This recipe does contain gluten, but is veggie and vegan friendly! This recipe takes about an hour before it is ready to be rolled out, so keep that in mind when you are planning your yummy version of your favorite pie!

I have found this recipe is best split into two crusts and rolling it thinner, this way you get two pies for the price of one. The other option is to slather the other half with some garlic and baking it into some yummy breadsticks! Oh the choices......

I'll update this post soon to include pictures, it isn't long before I roll out another batch of dough for experimentation.... my roommates love me. 


Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or any oil you have lying around, mine tends to be veggie)
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

 Directions: 
(Adapted from the link above)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 3 cups of the flour.You want the dough to form a ball, but still be sticky.
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. (This is where you would divide the dough in half if you would like a thinner crust.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately, but don't forget to preheat the stone with the oven! If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.