BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

My barbeque sauce and chicken was originally intended to be made into a pizza. But I just did not feel like making any bread today. So I improvised and found a bag of tortillas in the pantry and decided on quesadillas instead. I use a quesadilla maker, because I lack the grace it takes to flip a one without all of the filling falling out.  It is a one-use-only kitchen appliance that takes up space in my cabinet, but I love using it. If you are more graceful than me in the quesadilla department, feel free to make yours in a skillet. Try these, they are quick and delicious!

 

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

2 tbs butter

2 chicken breasts, diced

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 flour tortillas

cooking spray

 1. Heat 2 tbs of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken and sliced onions to the pan. Cook together until chicken is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup BBQ sauce to the pan and mix well.

2. Heat a clean skillet or quesadilla maker and spray with cooking spray. Lay down one tortilla and place a 1/2 cup of chicken mixture on top. Top with cheese and another tortilla. Spray the top with more cooking spray. Cook in quesadilla maker for a few minutes, or in a skillet, cook on each side for a couple of minutes. Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used.

3. Transfer quesadillas to a clean plate and cut into triangles using a pizza cutter. Serve with sour cream.

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice is a staple in our house. It should be a staple in everyone’s house, I mean in only costs around five bucks for the whole pot. Maybe six bucks if you serve it with cornbread, which I highly recommend. It’s filling and flavorful, without very many ingredients. Beans aren’t difficult to cook, but they do take a couple of hours, so it’s a good meal to make on a weekend. I used turkey sausage to lower the fat, but feel free to use beef or andouille sausage in yours. I used to use the quick soak method when making beans, then one day I decided to just put everything in  the pot and let them go and they turned out pretty much the same. So if you have used the quick soak method*(see note) before and like it, feel free to do so. If you’re impatient like me, skip the quick soak, and have dinner an hour earlier. Enjoy!

Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Original recipe

1 lb (2 cups) Dry Red Beans
12 cups water
3-4 Tbs Cajun Seasoning (or more to taste)
¼ cup dried onions
3 bay leaves
1 lb turkey sausage, sliced

1. Add all ingredients to a large pot and mix. On high heat, bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn down heat to medium and let simmer uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Once beans have softened a bit, mash some of the already broken beans against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Let simmer another ½ - 1 hour, until beans are soft and soup has thickened a bit. Remove bay leaves from pot. Serve with rice and/or cornbread.

*Quick Soak Method: Place dry beans in a pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit, covered for one hour before cooking.

Honey-Soy Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe is a favorite of the man of the house. He always asks for it when "we haven't had any vegetables in awhile". You see, our definition of vegetables is very different. I consider a soup with carrots and onions, fajitas with peppers, or chicken with a side of green beans to be considered as "eating our veggies". He, on the other hand, does not. I am pretty sure there has to be a minimum of at least three different vegetables in a dish before he considers it a meal with veggies, and onions don't count. I'm not real fond of the green stuff, I'm trying, but it's definitely a work in progress. So, since this recipe calls for four veggies, he loves it, and since the whole dish is covered in a honey-soy sauce, I love it. We both win.

Honey-Soy Chicken Stir-Fry

Adapted from: How Sweet it Is

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup broccoli florets

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

a handful of fresh green beans

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare and slice all veggies. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Add chicken to the skillet cook thoroughly.

3. Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Serve with rice.