Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken (chix) is one of the easiest, tastiest, low prep foods to make. It basically cooks itself. Shredded chix can be used in an endless amount of recipes. I don't eat red meat at all, so if meat's involved it's usually chicken or ground turkey. For most recipes, they can easily be substituted with ground burger, or any other meat of your liking.

What you'll need:

• Chix Breast
• Seasonings of choice (pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun blend, etc)
• Green onions
• Lime juice (optional)
• Nonstick Stew Pot (or any deep pot)
• Fork & knife

After washing the chix breast, and pre heating the pot on medium heat, I simply laid the meat down in the pot. Unless it's absolutely necessary I try not to use oils, or butter in recipes. If you don't have a non stick pot for example you may need to use oil so the meat doesn't stick to it. In that case, I'd use a small amount of olive oil. If you must use oil, at least make it a healthy oil right? Another reason I don't add oil to the pot is, because the chicken will release juices as it cooks, and this will help keep it from sticking.



After placing the chix in, season one side while the other is cooking. Don't flip it just yet! To make sure the chix cooks evenly, it's easier for me to place it, leave it alone for about 5 mins, then flip, and repeat.



After about 10-15 minutes of cooking the chix will start to get tender from cooking in the liquid. If all the liquid evaporates, just add a small amount. You don't want to boil the chicken, so add enough to barely cover the bottom. The longer the chix cooks in liquid the more tender it'll be. Once it's fully cooked you can cut the chix breast in strips. This shouldn't be hard and a fork and knife should work just fine. Let the chix cook for a minute or so before flipping it, and cutting the other side. You'll start to see it fall apart. Use the fork to shred the chix.



Here you can see the chix shredded. I've added chopped green onion, and lime juice.



I used the shredded chix for a Venezuelan inspired layered dish called Patacon. A Venezealan restaurant here serves this, and it's one of my favorite things ever! A fried plantain is the base and it's topped with lettuce, cilantro sauce, cheese, avocado, banana peppers, and then your choice of meat. It's great!!

Other Ideas for Shredded Chix:

• Make fajitas. Add a packet of premixed fajita mix to chix instead of other seasonings
• Make a salad. Top your favorite greens with the warm shredded chix
• Make a sandwich. Fill a hamburger bun with the chix
• Make Tacos. Top with your fav fixings
• Make chili. Beans and a few other things could be a quick chix chili
• Baked taco salad. Layer with tortilla chips, tomatoes, cheese etc. then bake
• Chix salad. Let cool then add mayo or yogurt and veggies 
• BBQ chix. Add some sauce and bread
• Try a homemade potpie
• Layer with veggies and top with biscuits before baking

Do you have a recipe for shredded chicken? Share!! Did you try this? Let me know!

Grilled Portobello Mushroom!!

Mushrooms are one of those things in life that you either love, or you hate! I think I know more mushroom haters than lovers. I am a lover of mushrooms...all kinds. Did you know there are more than 14,000 different types of mushrooms? Of those, about 3,000 are edible. How many have you tried? One of my favorites is the portobello/portabella mushroom.

Portobellos are full of vitamins, nutrients, and can be prepared many many different ways. Besides eating them raw, grilling them is one of the top ways I cook portobellos. Mushrooms are like sponges and absorb anything you put on them. Because of this, you won't need a lot of added oil, or seasonings. A little bit will go a long way here. This quality also makes them very versatile in different dishes--they easily take on the flavors of other things.


Tips When Buying:

• Portobello's can grow up to 6 inches in diameter, so buy the size appropriate to your needs
• Make sure all of the gills are present on the underside of the mushroom
• Should be free of soft spots
• Even if mushrooms are a fungi they should be mold free before use

Other Ways to Cook Portobello's:

• Grill them lightly brushed with Italian dressing, vinaigrette, or even bbq sauce for about 5 mins
• Brush with sauce then roast on a baking sheet for about 20 mins
• Saute strips in olive oil on medium-high heat until tender
• Stuff them with cheese, veggies, stuffing, or sausage before baking
• Substitute a typical burger for a meaty portobello

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To get started on my grilled stuffed mushrooms I needed:

• 1 Grill
• 1 Baking sheet
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps (about 5 inches in diameter)
• 1 small can of diced tomatoes
• Italian cheese blend
• Olive oil
• Pepper and seasonings of your choosing

The mushrooms were seasoned lightly with pepper, an Italian spice blend, and then drizzled with olive oil. They were allowed to grill undisturbed for about 5 minutes.

Using a spoon I removed the stems, then scraped all of the gills out of the mushroom and discarded. If making a tomato sauce you could use the gills and stems in it for flavoring.

Once removed for the grill the mushrooms were placed on a baking sheet. I topped each one with a generous amount of diced tomatoes, and an Italian cheese blend.



The tray was placed in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. I let them bake until the cheese was completely melted. Once melted I turned on the broiler until the cheese was toasted on top.





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One thing mushrooms have going for themselves that vegetables don't is their antioxidant and nutritional value isn't destroyed while cooking. Portobello's actually become more firm then longer you cook them.

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Nutrition Facts:

• Portobello's are a low calorie meat alternate -- contain about 30 calories per serving vs. 235 calories that can be found in a traditional burger
• Contains Iron & Lead -- help aid in blood production
• Contains Riboflavin -- helps cell energy and production
• Contains Zinc -- helps immune function and wound healing
• Contains Pantothenic acid -- helps adrenal gland function
• Contains Vitamin B6 -- low? Eat portobellos; they're water soluble, so any excess will pass through your body
• Contains Selenium -- helps your body make its own antioxidants

Grilled Portobello's can be served over pasta tossed in olive oil and Parm cheese.

Here ya have it folks!! Grilled stuffed portobello mushroom!



More Ideas:

• Grill mushrooms, slice, then toss with your favorite salad
• Toss with alfredo sauce and pasta
• Add cooked mushrooms to your favorite marinara sauce
• Top with pre-cooked ground turkey or hamburger, cheese, olives, before baking for a mushroom based pizza
• Marinate for about an hour in your favorite vinaigrette before roasting or grilling
• Slice and add to your favorite lasagna or spaghetti recipe
• Slice, bread and fry for portobello fries
• Grill, then top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, etc for a great burger alternative
• Top with spinach and mozzarella cheese before baking

Portobellos are great for people looking for a change from the typical burger, vegans, vegetarians, meat lovers, food explores, and more! It's a very flexible food item and the possibilities are endless!!! You can make the mushroom your main dish, an additive, or even just a side dish. Experiment and see what you can come up with!

Spice It Up: Cajun Style

A spice that I like to keep in my kitchen is Cajun Seasoning. It's a mixture of a few seasonings that create a great, spicy, full flavor. The amount of kick it gives depends on how much you actually use. The dish you make doesn't have to be blazing to use this. If you desire a more subtle taste that can also be achieved using a Cajun seasoning. I've tried a couple of brands of Cajun seasoning, but the one I like the best is made by McCormick.

I like spicy food, but I don't want my food to be too spicy and I can't enjoy it. A spice such as this gives you the right amount of spice. McCormick Blends Gourmet Collection: Cajun Seasoning cost about $4 at a local grocery store.

What spices are actually in Cajun Seasoning?

There isn't just one answer for this. Depending on the brand, the contents of a Cajun seasoning can vary. Usually the spices brands will have in common are black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, and chili pepper.

When buying pre mixed spices check out the ingredients to see what's actually in it. This can also help you to decide if it's worth buying. For example if the ingredients contain black pepper, and oregano it may be cheaper to buy the pepper and oregano separate.

Included on this bottle is a web address to the companies site. Here you can find product information, recipes, and more. McCormick makes seasonings for all types of meats, seafood, stews, organic meals, ethnic meals (such as: Chinese 5 spice, Greek seasonings, and Jamaican jerk), and more. To check them out visit  H E R E !!


Recipes McCormick suggests for Cajun Seasoning:

• Cajun Jambalaya
• Cajun Pecan Catfish
• Cajun Potatoes and Onions