A chicken casserole is an easy, breezy dish to throw into the oven when you don’t want to stand in the kitchen chopping, stirring and watching. This Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe is easy, delicious and super comforting!

image and recipe via How To: Simplify, suggestions by me!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 can chopped green chiles, divided
• 1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounces) jar enchilada sauce
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• Handful of crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour broth and 1 can of chiles in a saute pan and bring to a boil ( I like this Calphalon Non-Stick Saute Pan). Add shredded chicken; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the liquid. Leave the cooking liquid in the pan.
3. Heat oil in a separate skillet and add 1 can of chiles and onion. Saute for 2 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add chopped garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
4. Add onion, chiles and garlic mixture into the saute pan filled with the reserve cooking liquid. Add evaporated milk, Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese and enchilada sauce. Cook for two minutes.
5. Stir in shredded chicken and cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
6. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray (try this Le Creuset Casserole Dish).
7. Spoon 2 cups (try this triple pour measuring cup from Crate & Barrel) of chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with the chicken mixture.
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips over the top and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serve warm.

I have a confession. I have been ordering-in Chinese. Broccoli Beef to be more specific. Here’s a simple recipe from New Asian Cuisine that should give me a kick start to back away from my bad, bad habit of lazy eating!

Jaden Hair says, “The secret ingredient to the absolute best Broccoli Beef is Chinese black vinegar, which adds a mellow sweet tang. If you don’t have Chinese black vinegar, substitute it with a good, dark balsamic vinegar. Speaking of sauce, there’s nothing I detest more than goopy brown sauce that normally drags this dish down at most Chinese restaurants.I want my broccoli to be tender-crisp and taste like broccoli, not like cornstarchy brown goop. The secret is to cook the broccoli separate and to use minimal amount of cornstarch – but only in the steak marinade. We’ll simmer the sauce to let it thicken naturally.”

Chinese Broccoli Beef Recipe

1 lb (460 g) top sirloin or flank steak, sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thin strips

For the marinade
1½ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cooking oil

For the Stir-fry Sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons black vinegar

For the Broccoli
1½ lb (700 g) broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, cornstarch and the ½ teaspoon of oil for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together the stir-fry sauce ingredients.

In a wok or large frying pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Heat the pan over high heat and when hot, add the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

***
More Options
- To keep this dish vegetarian, replace the beef with fresh, thick, meaty shitake mushrooms (cut in half) or even Portobello (cut in ½ in/13 mm slices).

Hands down, my favorite thing from Mediterranean cuisine has got to be Tzatziki sauce; the cool yogurt, the crisp cucumber pieces and flavorful garlic all meld into one of the most versatile dips ever. I put it on my hamburgers, use it as dip for chips, and over course with lots and lots of warm pita bread.

I always end up paying some premium prices for it at organic stores or buying it at restaurants. With this super simple Tzatziki recipe, I may start making it from home!

• 1 pound of cucumbers, ends removed and sliced lengthwise (6 “baby” cucumbers)
• 2 cups of strained yogurt (Greek or otherwise)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced fine
• 1 large handful of dill, minced
• Juice of one lemon

PROCEDURES

1. With a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds of the cucumbers. You should be left with a neat half-moon shape. Slice them thin, but not paper-thin—they should still have some crunch.
2. Add the cucumbers to a mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Taste for acid and seasoning, then either serve, or (preferably) cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Recipe and image via Serious Eats

And here are a couple of items that will help you achieve a perfect tzatziki sauce, and my personal favorites for kitchen items:

A sharp knife is always necessary to prevent any accidents in the kitchen!

Global 2-Piece Knife Set, G-5838

Chef n’ Fresh Force Citrus Juicers from Sur la Table

Williams-Sonoma Garlic Press

It’s the weekly produce aisle dilemma for me…do I spend more to fill my refrigerator with organic fruits and veggies or just stick with the old standbys?  Have you ever wondered if buying organic food is really worth the money?  According to the green living gurus at Ideal Bite, there are times when organic is definitely better. Here are the top ten picks for food you should always try to buy in organic varieties:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Pears
10. Imported Grapes

In addition to reducing the risks associated with consuming pesticides and other chemicals,  organic foodies claim that organic produce tastes better, and is more nutritious. Here’s an interesting article on the benefits of eating organic foods.

If you’re trying to make room in your grocery budget for organic foods, consider slashing bottled water from your grocery list. A recent California study showed that bottled water isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Ever just want one quick cup of coffee with out all the trouble of making a whole new fresh pot?  When I was in the mood for just that, I remembered these plastic gadgets from a trip I took to a cabin run on solar power in St. John’s.  Two weeks of morning coffees made from what I now know to be called, the aptly named, “coffee filter holder” and I’m a believer.

These are great because they’re so easy to use and clean up is a sinch.  All you have to do is put a cone coffee filter in the holder, boil water, put coffee in the filter and pour the hot water through over a coffee cup.  Then you just toss the filter out, give the holder a quick rinse and you’re done.  Hot coffee, no mess.  And compared to the prices I saw online for single cup coffee maker machines from $40-100, this beauty above definitely beats the pack at $2.99.  For less than the cost of one coffee at Starbucks, you could have a kitchen supply that will perk you up for a life time.

If you’re feeling like a taste of Asia but you’re vegetarian (which would be the only reason you didn’t try my superb cashew chicken recipe) try this goody inspired by Thai cuisine.  It’s simple, healthy, cheap and flavorful.  The recipe serves two so double it if you’re cooking for a family or you want to have some yummy leftovers.  Serve with rice.  You will need:

• 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (optional or could use sweet chili sauce if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons fresh, grated ginger root
• 3 tablespoons flaked coconut
• sesame seeds

Slice tofu longways through the middle then cut into 3/4 inch cubes.  Set aside on paper towels to soak out excess water.  Heat both oils together in a skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook green onions for one minute.  Add tofu and continue cooking for about five minutes, sprinkling with the sauces and carrots halfway through and turning carefully so it heats thoroughly.  Gently stir in peanut butter and ginger, being careful not to break the tofu, until well incorporated.

Remove from heat and toss in coconut.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

If you have an high-yielding herb garden or even if you’ve bought some beautiful fresh herbs but can’t use them all, don’t let them go to waste! Here’s some tips on how to savor the flavor through winter!

1. DRY METHOD for oregano, sage, marjoram, bay, rosemary, lemon verbena, mints, lavender, dill and thyme. Gather a small bunch and tightly tie a piece of twine an inch from the bottom. Hang the bunches upside down in a well-ventilated area out of the sun. When the leaves are dry enough to crackle, strip the leaves from the stem and store them in glass jars. They’ll stay fresh for up to 18 months.
2. ICE CUBE SYSTEM for basil, parsley and chervil. While these herbs are at their freshest, wash and dry the leaves. You can leave them whole or I suggest chopping them by hand or using a herb chopper. Mix the herbs with water or olive oil. Pour the mixture into and ice tray to freeze. Pop out the ice cubes and pop in the fresh flavor!

Special thanks to Organic Gardening magazine for these herb saving tips.

Do you like the idea of coupons but don’t have time to be bothered with them?
(Me too)

Let’s try the grocery game. From what I can see, it’s a fun way to save real money on your groceries. A woman in Southern California came up with it when she turned her hobby for collecting coupons into a nationwide company.

The way it works is you punch in all the items you typically buy at the grocery. Then, each week they send you a guide of all the things you ticked that are on sale at your local grocery store. You strategize by buy stocking up on the things on sale. The next week it will be something different that’s on sale so your grocery buying will look different, you’ll have stockpiles of stuff at home. But eventually you’ll have everything you need and you will have saved potentially hundreds of dollars.

Interesting… wanna try it with me? It’s one dollar for a four-week trial.

If you want a more sophisticated lunchbox than a brown bag or a plastic “snack pack”, think about investing in an Indian lunch pale.

I first found out about these from my friend John Joseph. He studies yoga philosophy and, just like many of their spiritual beliefs, these food containers make a lot of sense. Made of stainless steel, it’s a three-tier container, designed to keep food dishes separated but hot. Since heat rises, they stack one upon another to keep all the food warm. Of course, you can wash and reuse it so there’s nothing to throw away. And, the best part is you don’t see them around that often, so you get to be the cool cat with hottest lunchbox on the block!

One of the best inventions my husband and I came up with we endearingly call the “snack pack”.

While on vacation in the US Virgin Islands, we needed a system to take our lunch to the beach so we didn’t have to move our butts for eights hours after we parked ‘em. We had a kitchen in our place and I was cooking dinner every night. I began to make more then we could finish so I had leftovers for the next day. It ended up making a healthy lunch because instead of a sandwich and chips, we had brown rice, steamed vegetables and some kind of protein. I bought some really cheap reusable plastic containers at the grocery store, put the food in there, brought forks and we were set. A cheap, healthy, tasty lunch with nothing to throw away! We saved so much money and it was so good that we’ve continued doing this now that we’re back in the city. It’s so easy and you save on trash since the containers are washable. It’s all ready to go in the morning so there’s no extra job to do when you’re running off to work. Plus, it’s kind of exciting to have the snack pack waiting for you at lunch. You get to relive the fun and relaxation of the previous night’s dinner.

Okay, so maybe this is just what people call “packing your lunch” but it’s new to me so let me feel like I invented it, please!