Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. granulated garlic

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. chopped onions

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1cup shredded pepper jack cheese

6-inch corn or flour tortillas

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, optional

Nonstick cooking spray

Kosher salt

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.  Heat cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.  Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic.  Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken, and pepper jack cheese.  

Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds.  Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edge; roll up.

Place seam side down on baking sheet in a single layer.  Spray lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.  Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top.  Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until crips.  Cool for 5-10 minutes.  Serve with sour cream, avocado ranch dipping sauce, guacamole, pico de gallo, and/or salsa.

**Freezer instructions:

Place unbaked taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape.  Pack in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.  To bake, follow regard instructions, extending the baking time by 10 minutes.  

**Can be made without freezing 2 days in advance; store in fridge in an airtight container.

Southwestern Eggrolls

1 skinless chicken breast fillet
salt
ground black pepper
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. minced red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. minced green onion
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp. diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
5 7-inch flour tortillas

Preheat BB-Q grill to high heat.  Rub the chicken breast with vegetable oil, then grill it on the barbecue for 4-5minutes per side until done.  Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks. Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle. Preheat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the red pepper and green onion to the pan and sauce for a couple of minutes until tender.  Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan.  Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeño peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan.  Cook for another 4 minutes.  Stir well so that the spinach begins to fall apart and is incorporated into the mixture.

Remove pan from heat; add cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.  Spoon approximately 1/5 of the mixture into the tortillas.  Fold in the ends and roll tortilla over the mixture; roll very tightly.  Peace with a toothpick to hold it together.  Cover the plate with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or two (or overnight if you wish).

When ready to cook, spray each eggroll entirely with oil cooking spray.  Arrange the egg rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until surface browns and becomes crispy.  Turn the egg rolls over about halfway cooking time.
Let the egg rolls cool for a few minutes and then slice each one diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce.  Serve with low-fat avocado-ranch dipping sauce with the chopped tomato and onion.

Low-Fat Ranch Avocado Dipping Sauce

1/4 c. smashed, fresh avocado (about 1/2 avocado)

1/4 c. fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 c. fat-free sour cream

1 Tbsp. buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dried parsley

1/8 tsp. onion powder

dash dried dill weed

dash garlic powder

dash ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill until needed. Goes well with Southwestern Eggrolls.

Hash Browns

6 russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. clarified butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. pinch paprika

Shred potatoes into a large bowl filled with cold water.  Stir until water is cloudy; drain and cover potatoes again with fresh, cold water.  Stir again to dissolve excess starch.  Drain potatoes well; pat dry with paper towels.  Squeeze out any excess moisture.
Heat clarified butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle shredded potatoes into the hot butter and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Cook potatoes until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes.  Continue to cook and stir until potatoes are browned all over, about 5 more minutes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

3 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes
2 Tbsp. kosher salt16 oz (2 c.) half-and-half6 cloves, garlic, crushed6 oz. grated Parmesan

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size.  Place in a large saucepan.  Add the salt and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil.  Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.  Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water.  Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture and Parmesan; stir to combine.  Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture and then serve.

Hummus

1 lb. Crock Pot Chickpeas
   Recipe for Crockpot Chickpeas:
    7 c. water
    1 lb. dry chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), sorted and rinsed
    1/4 tsp. baking soda
Place water, chickpeas, and baking sodia in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or LOW for 8-9 hours.  Drain and serve.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. tahini, stirred well
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Place chickpeas, garlic, and kosher salt in a food processor.  Process for 15-20 seconds.  Stop, scrape down the sides of a bowl and process for another 15-20 seconds.  Add the lemon juice and water.  Process for 20 seconds.  Add the tahini.  Process for 20 seconds then scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.  

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla 
1 2/3 c. Reese's Peanut Butter chips

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating well.  Stir in peanut butter chips.  Bake for 8-9 minutes in degree 350 oven.