The Tasty Fork - Inspiring others to stop ordering carry-out.

Exciting things to come….

May 17, 2013 by admin · 2 Comments

Happy Friday! How was your week? I don’t know about you but I’ve been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. I’ve been working outside, taking the dog on long walks and gave my grill a deep clean. (it needed it!) Anyway I can enjoy the warmth and sunshine, I’m there!

So I have a few Tasty Fork things to share with you…

I’m participating in a Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap! Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} and Rachel {i love my disorganized life} have paired up 30 incredible bloggers to trade blogs for the day.

Kelley from Miss Information and I will be sharing a fabulous recipe on each other’s blogs {but we can’t tell you what they are, because they’re a secret!}. Be sure to visit both of us on May 27th, we wouldn’t want you to miss out on any deliciousness!

See that little button above?? That little chef man is going to be my best and worst friend. I’ve partnered up with My Recipe Magic and all of my recipes will be showing the nutritional information. Of course, this is a work in progress and I’m seriously back logged, but when you see the that button next to one of my recipes, click it!

Have you been thinking about attending the BlogHer’13 conference in Chicago July 25th-27th?? When it comes to the blogging community, there is not a better one to be a part of than BlogHer. They put on these amazing conferences for women to help grow their blogs. (You can see the agenda here!) But let’s be honest, it can be an expensive business trip. To help you out, I’m sharing a 20% discount code!! You’ll want to act fast — this conference is filled with the best bloggers and speakers! The networking, growing your blogger community and new skills you’ll learn are priceless. To get the discount, be sure to list me (Meghan Swint) and my blog (The Tasty Fork) has your referral. In case you don’t have a chance to sign up today, I’ll have the BlogHer’13 discount code button in my sidebar.

See you on Monday with a new recipe!! Have a great weekend!!

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged With: BlogHer, BlogHer'13, BlogHer'13 discount, My Recipe Magic, Recipe Swap

Asian Chicken Burrito with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce

May 16, 2013 by admin · 6 Comments

Ever wonder what to do when you have one piece of chicken left in a package? If you live with more than one person, looking at one chicken breast and trying to figure out dinner can be a challenge. I guess you could freeze it, but I dare you to look into your fridge and see how many frozen pieces of chicken you already have. For me, I have probably about 6. I don’t need to make it 7. And I’m glad I didn’t take the easy route… because I came up with Asian Chicken Burritos with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce. And turned one chicken breast into 4 meals.

I went to Hawaii in January 2012. It was wonderful. Beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. We spent a majority of our time on Kauai, the garden island. Since I’m constantly thinking about food, months before we left for our trip, I had already scouted out places to eat. And I’m talking about places were the locals go. I looked like a tourist by taking over 700 photos, but I didn’t want to eat like one.

I did my research and found a local place called Kilauea Fish Market which was off of the beaten path. They’re known for their huge burritos stuffed with local produce and brown rice…and some of the best ahi tuna you can find in all of Kauai. This picture doesn’t give it justice.

So here I am, over a year later, still thinking about a burrito I had in Hawaii. I’m crazy, I know. I have no idea when I’ll get back to Kauai. The next best thing I can do is try to recreate what I ate in my own home.

Let’s start with the meat of this dish. I chopped up the one lonely chicken breast into bite sized pieces and cooked it in a skillet with fresh garlic and ginger. I made a marinade of soy sauce, sriracha, honey and orange juice. It wasn’t spicy at all and really paired nicely with the ginger & garlic. You can really taste the orange juice and soy. I loved it.

I think I was able to stretch this recipe into 4 servings by adding an 8 oz package of sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Anytime you can go the extra mile with meal by adding vegetables, I’m all for it. Of course, its not a burrito with out some rice, so I took the easy route and used 90 second microwaveable brown rice. (Might be the best invention ever.) Brown rice goes on to a large spinach tortilla first, then chicken and mushrooms, top with fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, purple cabbage and red peppers. Then it’s time for the best part – Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce. You guys, I can’t even get over this stuff. It might sound strange at first, but just trust me.

In a bowl, mix peanut butter, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Microwave it for 60 seconds. I grabbed a piece of cucumber and dipped it in to the sauce. The soy sauce cuts into the peanut butter taste, so it isn’t too sweet. And the sriracha really brings some heat. I added more to my burrito but I’m a spice freak. Drizzle this sauce all over the top of the ingredients, roll up the burrito and serve. And serve some on the side. The sauce might be gone before you finish the burrito

In general, I rarely have met a burrito I didn’t like. Sadly, my favorite burrito stand resides in Hawaii. However, by taking my everyday ingredients, trying to use up one last piece of chicken and wanting an Asian flair in my dinner, I came up with a very satisfying burrito. And considering I’m not a leftovers girl, it speaks volumes that I ate this easy Asian chicken burrito for dinner 2 nights in a row! I hope you’ll give it a try and tell me all about it.

Asian Chicken Burrito with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients

Burrito Filling:

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
3 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp sriracha
2 tsp honey
8 oz package sliced mushrooms

Peanut Butter Sriracha Sauce:

1.5 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2 tbsp sriracha
splash apple cider vinegar

Burrito Toppings:

1 package microwaveable brown rice (90 second kind)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 cucumber, skin & seeds removed
1/2 purple cabbage, shredded
Cilantro sprigs
4 large spinach tortillas

Instructions

In a large skillet at a medium heat, pour sesame oil. When it's warm, add chicken, green onions, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir until chicken is done, about 8 minutes. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, OJ, sriracha and honey. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are soft.
Make peanut butter sriracha sauce by mixing all ingredients into a bowl. Place bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
To make burrito, place 2 tbsp brown rice in the middle of the tortilla. Top with chicken and mushroom mixture. Place vegetables and cilantro on top. Drizzle peanut butter sriracha sauce over burrito filling. Roll tortilla to form burrito. Cut in half and serve with additional peanut butter sriracha sauce. (Repeat steps with the remaining 3 tortillas.)

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Filed Under: Chicken, Healthy, Recipes, Sandwich · Tagged With: Asian Burrito, Asian Chicken, Asian Chicken Burrito, easy dinner, easy recipe, Healthly, Peanut Butter Sauce, recipe, Sriracha Chicken, Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce, Sriracha Sauce

Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa

May 15, 2013 by admin · 3 Comments

There are times in my life when I feel a little more grown up…which is strange because I think you’re considered a grown up once you’re supporting yourself. So in that way, I’ve been an adult for awhile. But for me, I always feel a bit more adult like when I want to do home improvements. We’re renting right now, so I can’t go to crazy but there is an area of my place that needs some TLC. Our patio.

One Sunday, I went to Home Depot (grown up store!), World Market and H0meGoods to get some inspiration. I was on a patio mission. I didn’t even give much of a glance to kitchen stuff at World Market or HomeGoods, which is HUGE for me. I could easily loose hours of my life going through entertaining and dining stuff.

Trust me, I did wander for hours but I felt like I was getting someplace. I decided there are 3 areas I can improve our patio. We have a cast iron gate door which is rusting. It’s a total eye sore, so I want to remove the rust and paint it. Right out front of the back door, we have a small space which would be a cute seating area. We have two cast iron chairs already, so I bought orange and white seat cushions and then I’m going to get a tourqouise stool which I’d use as a drink/end table. Then in the main patio area, we have a table and chairs. I’m looking to get a tourqouise umbrella and stand. I should look into getting cushions for those chairs but since they came with the place, it’s not a high priority. If you follow me on Pinterest, you can see the items I’m eyeing.

In case you’re wondering where this sudden inspiration is coming from — it’s all from my grill. I spend a lot of time grilling and cooking outside. I think it would be nice to have an area where I can cook, entertain and not feel a sweaty hot pig.

Back to the idea of feeling grown up, cooking for myself used to make me feel I was more like an adult. One of the first things I made on a grill was this Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa. Flank steak is a pretty cheap cut of meat and it’s really flavorful. The meat is marinaded in toasted cumin, garlic and lime juice. I love the smokey flavor of the cumin and the freshness from the lime juice. Grilling flank steak is really easy, just 5 minutes per side. The flank steak cooked to about medium and is really juicy.

After letting the meat rest, top this flank steak with a tomato lime salsa. It’s a light and pairs perfectly with the smokey flank steak! To round out this meal, serve it with some black beans & rice. It’s a sophisticated Mexican meal at home!

Whenever I make this Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa, it always makes me smile. I can’t believe I used to think making dinner for myself was such a big deal. Cooking is more than just some hobby to me now; it’s a huge part of my life. But one thing that’s still the same to me is how I have to be excited about what I eat. This flank steak recipe still does that for me. I’m sure you will love this easy and tasty recipe, too!

Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 beef flank steak or top round steak (1 1/4 pounds), trimmed of all visible fat
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Spray grill with cooking spray. Preheat the grill.
Place the cumin in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until fragrant and darker in color. Place in a small bowl and let cool.
Remove 1 teaspoon toasted cumin and place in a medium bowl. To the small bowl, add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, the black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Place the steak on the prepared rack and rub the cumin mixture over both sides of the steak. Let stand at room temperature.
In the medium bowl with the reserved cumin, combine the tomato, chiles, scallions, the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand at room temperature.
Grill steak for 5 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers to at least 145°F for medium-rare.
Place the steak on a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut the steak into thin slices and serve with the salsa. Black beans and rice make a nice side item.

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Spicy Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Relish

Portobello Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Filed Under: Beef, Grill, Healthy, Recipes · Tagged With: flank steak, flank steak recipes, grilled recipes, grilling flank steak, healthy, healthy recipes, recipes, salsa recipe, tomato salsa

Easy Dessert – Healthy Vanilla Custard Brulee

May 13, 2013 by admin · 4 Comments

Can you believe May is almost half over??!! Memorial Day will be here soon and that’s the official kick off to summer. Being the food centered person I am, summertime is all about picnics, backyard BBQs and parties. When planning a summer party, don’t forget about an easy dessert!

This Vanilla Custard Brulee sounds extravagant but it can be made in less than 10 minutes. It’s a healthy recipe you can feel good serving to your guests and kids. The ingredients are all kitchen staples – eggs, fat free milk, cornstarch, sugar, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract. To dress up the Vanilla Custard, serve with fresh berries. Make it extra fancy by drizzling caramelized sugar on top. It’s a low calorie dessert perfect for a hot summer day!

What are your favorite summer desserts??

Easy Dessert – Healthy Vanilla Custard Brulee

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fat free milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch of salt
3 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or halved strawberries

Instructions

For custard, in a small saucepan thoroughly combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar & cornstarch; add the milk and egg. Cook and stirring quickly with a whisk over medium heat just until the mixture begins to bubble. (Do not overcook.) Immediately pour the custard into a small bowl; let mixture cool about 5 minutes.
Whisk Greek yogurt, vanilla & salt into custard. Cover and chill for up to 4 hours.
To serve, divide berries evenly among four goblets or dessert dishes. Spoon chilled custard over berries.
For caramelized sugar, in a heavy small skillet or saucepan heat remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt shaking skillet occasionally to heat evenly (do not stir). Reduce heat to low; cook sugar until melted and golden, stirring as necessary with a wooden spoon. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over each custard. Serve immediately.

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Double Chocolate & Toffee Blondies

Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch & Chocolate Bars

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes ·

Family Recipe Friday: Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

May 10, 2013 by admin · 7 Comments

Happy Friday!! With Mother’s Day being this weekend, I thought I’d share a recipe from one of my Mom’s cookbooks. One of tons of cookbooks. After my Mom passed away, I learned she collected lots of things… black pants, beauty products, boxes of Triscuits. I wouldn’t call it hoarding but more along the lines of forgetting what she had, so she’d buy things thinking she needed it. Same thing went for cookbooks. I stopped off at my parents house last weekend to get some of her cookbooks and I forgot how many she had. I only grabbed a few; the ones that looked the most familiar or most used.

Growing up, my Mom and I would have lunch together when I didn’t have school. We would always have chicken and vegetables…and watch All My Children. This was our routine until I went off to college and had to work during the summer. As I was going through her cookbooks, I had my eye on chicken recipes. Picking a chicken recipe would be perfect for my Family Recipe Friday Series.

Today’s recipe is Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze. Honestly, I have no idea if she made this for us. When it came to dinner, my Mom stuck to 10 different dinners and we really didn’t sway too much from those. That aspect of dinner has probably made me the way I am and not ever wanting to eat the same thing too many times. There is just so much amazing food out there.

Buuuut Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze sounds like something she & I would of made together for one of our afternoon lunches. It’s a light and easy meal. Plus, it only requires one skillet which means easily clean up.

Using boneless skinless chicken breasts makes this meal a healthy option. And by loading it up with a variety of veggies – red peppers, leeks, carrots and potatoes – you have a well rounded meal. I love using vinegar when I cook, but balsamic is my favorite! It gives this chicken recipe a tangy and sweet taste.

This is NOT your average chicken recipe. Chicken with Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze is very flavorful and filling. It would be a great week night dinner, especially when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning up!

Family Recipe Friday: Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb baby red potatoes, cut in half
1 small onion, sliced
1/2-1 cup of beef broth
1 leek, well washed and cut into 2 inch long strips
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch long strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and chicken seasoned with salt & pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees). Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add potatoes and onions to skillet; cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of broth. scraping and loosening brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add leeks, carrots and red peppers. Heat till boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
If the skillet is looking dry, add additional broth. Add garlic and balsamic vinegar. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to pan and spoon sauce over chicken. Lower heat and cover for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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This recipe is from 365 Easy One-Dish Meals by Natalie Haughton.

Filed Under: Chicken, Entree, Family Recipes, Healthy, Recipes · Tagged With: balsamic chicken, chicken, chicken and vegetables, chicken recipe, Dinner recipe, healthy recipe, one skillet meal

Vegetarian Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spinach & Chickpeas

May 9, 2013 by admin · 9 Comments

Earlier this week on The Tasty Fork Facebook page, I asked what kind of recipes you’d like to see on the blog. One of the responses was from my bloggy friend, Lisa. She asked for more vegetarian recipes. I got to thinking I haven’t posted one in a while, so why not! The weather is starting to warm up, people want to use fresh ingredients and not be standing over a hot stove just to get a meal on the table. This Orzo salad recipe is a vegetarian’s delight and will make the meat people in your life happy. It’s so colorful, how can you not smile at it??

I don’t know about you but I’ve been eating lighter meals these days. I start off my day with some Greek yogurt and granola, lunch is usually a fruity protein smoothie and then something sensible for dinner. (I sound like one of those dieting ads!) I don’t know what it is but once the sun starts to shine, I’m not AS hungry. That’s why I hardly ever diet in the winter, I know whatever I put on during the colder months will come right off once I can be active outside again.

I’ve said before on this blog, if I post a salad recipe, it needs to be approved from my husband. He’s not going to be satisfied with some girly little salad. So to dress things up and make it more hearty, this salad is filled with orzo pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach and reduced fat feta cheese. The salad dressing is easy – just lemon juice and olive oil. There is no chopping of vegetables, the orzo cooks up in 10 minutes, the lemon juice dressing is super fresh tasting…. I can go on and on about what a great and easy vegetarian salad this is!

We ate the Orzo Salad as a main entree but it would also be a great side salad. Perfect for a picnic! Personally, I loved how easy it came together and plan on making it again on the nights when I don’t have a lot of time but still want a well rounded meal. Pin this vegetarian recipe – you’ll want it to remember it for those busy work nights and you don’t want to cook!

Vegetarian Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spinach & Chickpeas

Ingredients

1/2 lb uncooked orzo (it looks like rice. use whole grain if you can find it!)
3-4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (the ones that aren't in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag.)
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup reduced feta cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook orzo according to directions. Al dente is usually around 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Pour orzo into a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until well combined. Taste and add fresh cracked pepper, if needed. Serve right away or can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an air-tight container.

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Filed Under: Entree, Healthy, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian · Tagged With: chickpea salad, easy recipe, easy salad, meat free, orzo salad, picnic salad, recipe, salad recipe, spinach salad, summer salad, Vegetarian, vegetarian salad

Slow Cooked Ginger & Soy Beef Short Ribs

May 8, 2013 by admin · 7 Comments

Isn’t it great when you can have an amazing home cooked meal with very little effort?? And it’s even better when the recipe is comforting. I made beef short ribs in a slow cooker and I loved it. It was the perfect meal after a busy day.

Most times, cooking short ribs means lots of oven time…sometimes up to 4 hours. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t have time for that! Short Ribs are very dense and when they’re cooked just right, it’s the most fork tender rib you’ll ever find. Seriously, when I was ready to eat these Ginger & Soy Beef Short Ribs, I didn’t need a knife. Just by digging in with a fork, the meat tore apart.

The marinade are mostly pantry items, including soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. I added a few spices, like coriander (which you could use cilantro if you don’t want to buy a new spice) and Chinese five spice (again, if you don’t have it – you can use fennel seed or omit it). It’s cooked for 5 hours with the short ribs and then strained and simmered until only half of the liquid remains. It will be a thin sauce that’s perfect to drizzle over the short ribs and 90 second rice.

It’s recipes like this this one make me really happy! I loved how easy it was to prepare such a fancy meal. And the short ribs were amazingly tender and the sauce had a lot of zing from the ginger. And of course, the 90 second microwavable rice guaranteed I didn’t have to scrape a pot of burnt rice. I hope you’ll like it too!

Slow Cooked Ginger & Soy Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

8 short ribs
Salt & Pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup beef broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp dried coriander (or cilantro)
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice (or dried fennel)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 packages of 90 second brown rice
Green onions, for garnish

Instructions

Take the 8 short ribs and sprinkle with salt & pepper. In a warm skillet, add sesame oil. Brown short ribs on the meaty side. In the slow cooker, mix together the rest of the ingredients (expect rice & green onions.) Place short ribs in the slow cooker, meaty side down. Cook on low for 6 hours.
When the ribs are fork tender, remove from the slow cooker. Strain liquid in the slow cooker into a sauce pan. Boil 5 to 10 minutes or until reduced by about half.
Microwave rice according to directions (usually 90 seconds!). Serve under short ribs with sauce and green onions.

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Filed Under: Beef, Crock Pot, Entree, Recipes, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: crock pot recipe, easy recipe, recipe, short ribs in the crock pot, slow cooker recipe

Pre-Summer Gift Card Extravaganza!!

May 6, 2013 by admin · 2 Comments

Good morning and Happy Monday! Yea, Happy Monday, you are probably thinking “Mondays, Happy? NOT!” Mondays aren’t really that bad but they are a little difficult to adjust to after having two days off from work or having to get the kids ready for school and such.

Well, you can turn those Monday frowns upside down because I have something fantastic for you to brighten your Monday. Drumroll please….

Gift Cards Galore 2

That’s right, folks. It’s a gift card extravaganza! The fabulous ladies who bring you the blogs listed below and I have come together to bring you the chance to win four fantastic gift cards (that’s right, winner takes all!) What would you do with $200 to Amazon.com? Or how about $100 to Target? Need a coffee fix? (and we all need one of those on Monday morning.) We’ve got you covered with a $50 Starbucks card. And breakfast, lunch and/or dinner is covered too! With all of the fantastic choices at Panera Bread and your $50 Panera Bread gift card, you won’t starve! Please note, if you live outside of the US and are selected as the winner, you will be given a $400 gift card to Amazon.com. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter.

Thank these wonderful ladies and then enter to win this FANTASTIC prize pack!

This giveaway runs from 8am est, Monday, May 6th and ends on Sunday, May 19th at 11:59pm est. A winner will be announced on Monday, may 20th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways, Recipes · Tagged With: gift cards, giveaway

Cheesy Bacon Bites – Family Recipe Friday

May 3, 2013 by admin · 9 Comments

This Family Recipe Friday post is super special. This recipe, Cheesy Bacon Bites, is famous in our family. My sister in-law, Dawn, always makes these for family gatherings. And since today is her birthday, I thought highlighting Cheesy Bacon Bites would be perfect!

If you’re looking for an easy recipe for a party or watching a game, these Cheesy Bacon Bites should be on your must make list. It’s a delicious appetizer and very simple to make. All of the ingredients are things you probably have on hand! If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, you can substitute broccoli or your favorite vegetable for the bacon.

I remember the first time I ate one of Dawn’s Cheesy Bacon Bites. We were celebrating Christmas and we always have a huge spread of food…but can you guess what I ate the most of?? Cheesy Bacon Bites! I love how the cream cheese melts in to the crescent dough. The bacon gives a lot of flavor (duh!) and adds some crisp to this bite sized appetizer. Aaaand since it is bite sized, you can totally eat more than just 1!

If you’re looking for a new way to eat bacon and try an easy recipe, you must try Cheesy Bacon Bites! But I do have one warning, once you make these, you’ll always be asked to bring them to a party. But hey, at least it’s a simple appetizer to make!

If you have a family recipe you’d like me to share on The Tasty Fork, shoot me an email to mkearly614(at)gmail(dot)com. I love hearing from my readers!!

Cheesy Bacon Bites – Family Recipe Friday

Ingredients

2 packages of cream cheese, softened
1-2 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
A few dashes of cracked black pepper
2 rolls of Pillsbury Crescents

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
Mix cream cheese and the next 3 ingredients until well combined.
Remove crescents from package. Unroll so its flat and seal up any cracks. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough and roll up lengthwise. Slice and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Family Recipes, Recipes · Tagged With: bacon, bacon and cheese, bacon appetizer, bacon recipe, cheesy appetizer, easy appetizer, easy recipe, family recipe friday

Chicken Tinga Tacos – Mexican Street Food at Home

May 2, 2013 by admin · 14 Comments

For a girl who loves tacos and Mexican food as much as I do, you’d think all this week I’d be having a Cinco de Mayo party on the blog. I have no idea how I missed this Mexican holiday. Is anyone else shocked by how fast May snuck up on us??!! In my own defense, I do have a lot of taco recipes on the blog and I’ve linked a few options for you at the bottom of the post. But this post is all about Chicken Tinga Tacos.

This spicy taco filling is found at every street-food stand in Mexico City. The sauce is like a Mexican marinara, filled with a lot of the same things you would use in an Italian marinara sauce – onion, garlic, tomatoes – but with the addition of chipotle peppers in adobo takes these tacos right to fiesta time.

You won’t believe how easy it is to get such an authentic (and cheap!) meal at home. By using chicken thighs, you’re going to be getting a lot of flavor and this cut of meat is impossible to over cook. Chicken first needs to seared and browned in a skillet, just for 10 minutes and then put aside. Then you’ll make the tinga sauce and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in a large casserole dish and bake. (Or if you want to cook at a later date, store in the fridge, all ready for the oven. Just be sure to remove the casserole dish from the fridge 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake the chicken.)

Garnish for these Chicken Tinga Tacos are super easy. No fancy salsas or lots of chopping of ingredients. All you need are some green onions, cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese. So easy!

I’ve made and eaten a lot of tacos in my day.. heck, try just this year! Tacos are one of my favorite food groups. These Chicken Tinga Tacos are spicy and smokey. The chicken was tender and shredded so easily. I loved the easiness and freshness of the taco garnish. These tacos really are no fuss and truly something you would get in Mexico. It’s nice to know I can make these Chicken Tinga Tacos at home and not have to wait until my next Mexico vacation.

Chicken Tinga Tacos – Mexican Street Food at Home

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds trimmed, skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including liquid
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
24 corn tortillas
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled
Sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and pour off the fat in the skillet.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet & the onion. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, chipotle peppers and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and slightly reduced, 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer sauce to a food processor and let cool for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake the chicken uncovered in the center of the oven for about 45-55 minutes. The meat should be tender, sauce thickened and browning around the edges of the baking dish. Warm corn tortillas in the oven or over a gas stove.
Remove the chicken and shred meat; discard the bones. Return the chicken meat to the sauce; combine well. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken onto each tortilla and sprinkle with the Cotija cheese. Garnish tacos with the scallions and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

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http://thetastyfork.com/2013/05/02/chicken-tinga-tacos-mexican-street-food-at-home/

Recipe inspired by Food & Wine.