Return of the Foodie

Yes, that's right.  I finally am making another food post!  Can you hear the crowd cheering?  And by crowd I mean me.  Woooot!

I've been out of the loop in inventive cooking since Jilly's been born.  You would think I'd have to be more creative and find options that are quick and easy to eat one handed, but let me tell you, that kid rules this house.  Most nights Marshall is working, and it's much easier for me to heat up that Lean Cuisine than invent a cuisine of my own.  And on days when I do have time to cook, I've been making the same things over and over.  (I did, however, make a pretty tasty pork tenderloin for Easter, if I do say so myself, using a glaze made of Catalina dressing and honey, and a sprinkling of chili powder, garlic powder, rosemary, and something else which escapes me at the moment.  It was yummy.)

But tonight, my readers, it was on.  I felt the itch.  I needed to invent something.  But what?

History lesson: Today is Cinco de Mayo.  Which, in America, is a holiday where college students and those wild and crazy peeps without kids drink Tequila and Margaritas and Corona and Dos Equis while doing a drunken Mexican Hat Dance in celebration of something or other that happened in Mexico.  In short, Cinco de Mayo is an excuse to drink for us Americans.  I'm celebrating by drinking a small glass of Moscato.  Party hardy.

In honor of this holiday, I invented a new recipe I appropriately call "The Chixican Hat Dance."  It's a skillet dish (my favorite), and is not very healthy, but very, very tasty.  And of course I made enough for a small army so we have plenty of leftovers for the next night or so.  Here's what I had.

                   ~ 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
                   ~ Taco seasonings (I make my own out of chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and minced onion
                  ~ 3/4 cup water, divided
                  ~ 2 cups white rice, cooked
                  ~ 1 cup thick n chunky salsa (I use medium)
                  ~ 1 cup Frozen bell pepper strips, thawed
                  ~ 1 can whole kernel corn
                  ~  1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese*

And here's what I did.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook 10 minutes, turning the chicken strips every few minutes or so.  Sprinkle with taco seasonings and add in 1/2 cup water.  Heat to simmering, turning chicken strips every few minutes.  Once chicken has finished cooking through (approx. 5 more minutes), remove chicken from skillet.  Reduce heat to low.  Add in 1/4 cup water, white rice, and salsa.  Mix together.  Add in pepper strips and corn.  Mix together.  Place chicken on top.  Smother with cheese and serve.

The finished product, which is tastier than it looked.

It was so, so yummy!  Next time, though, I'm going to add in a can of black beans.  I didn't have any in the cupboard this time.

It's nice to get back to doing something I love!

* I put one cup of cheese, but I just sprinkled over top to cover.  Use as much or as little as your heart desires!