Recipe Swap: Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

Want to see what other Chicken recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Chicken Part II Recipe Swap Roundup

I love chicken. It's tasty and versatile, but I'm always on the hunt for new ways to cook it. Once again I got my friend Jaida's recipe (Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette) and it was another winner. The vinaigrette elevates simple grilled chicken and potatoes to new heights.


I made the vinaigrette in the morning before work. Making the roasted garlic was easy - I wrapped the cloves of garlic in tinfoil and baked them at 400 for about 25 minutes until they were soft. I ended up adjusting the ratio of oil to vinegar because I like my vinaigrette tangy. It was easy to come home and prepare this meal, which is a huge plus in my book.


The original recipe called for fingerling potatoes, but I just sliced some scrubbed Yukon golds to resemble fingerlings instead of paying a premium for the cute little spuds. After parboiling them I finished them on the grill along with the chicken. Since our gas grill has been finicky lately and SP wasn't home to man the charcoal grill, I cooked the chicken and potatoes on my Griddler. It took much, much longer than it would have if I'd used gas or charcoal, so long that SP finally asked when the heck we were going to eat. So keep that in mind if you're using an indoor grill. I was happy that the potatoes got some grill marks on them, though:


The vinaigrette was so good that I even dipped the asparagus in the pool on my plate. The asparagus were simply roasted in the toaster oven with oil, salt and pepper. I'd have done them on the grill if I had room, but the chicken and potatoes had taken over both sides of the Griddler.

Grilled Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette
Modified from Sweet Beginnings

8 cloves garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed (or 5 medium potatoes, cut into wedges)
Olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Freshly ground black pepper

Wrap garlic cloves in tinfoil and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, until soft. Allow to cool.

Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chili flakes.

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and toss with olive oil.

Heat the grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer.

Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette.

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad. Last summer I made it at least once a week for dinner. So when I saw that Cassie had posted a recipe for Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad I had to try it.


I halved the recipe, using only one chicken breast, since SP only likes mayo, salt and pepper in his chicken salad. I also mixed the cooked bacon into the chicken salad because I was bringing it to work to have for lunch. While it wasn't my absolute favorite chicken salad of all time, it was a great variation and one I'll definitely make again.

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad
Very slightly modified from Cassie Craves

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (from 2 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Add chicken, cashews, strawberries, green onions and bacon. Serve on bread or over lettuce.

Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce

When it comes to my friend Melissa I know that any recipe she recommends is going to be a winner. She makes recipes time and time again until they're perfected then, and only then, will she post about them. I was really excited to try this recipe for Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce, but I knew I had to wait until summer when I grow my own herbs.


Have I mentioned lately how much I love being able to go into my backyard and pick fresh herbs? It's bliss. SP loved this dish and not just because it had mushrooms in it. It might not be much to look at, but the flavors of the mustard, white wine and tarragon really pack a punch.

Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce
Alosha's Kitchen

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 oz pound white mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off any fat in the skillet.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the green onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, cream and mustard and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the tarragon. Serve over buttered noodles or rice.

Spaghetti with Sausage, Kalamata Olives and Capers

This recipe for Spaghetti with Kalamata Olives and Capers is from the very first recipe swap I did on my cooking board. Brianna was assigned this recipe and as soon as she posted he review I couldn't wait to try it. I put it on the menu after picking up a pint of olives at the local farmers market recently.


I really enjoyed this dish. I didn't realize it at the time but I took Brianna's suggestion of using more tomatoes for 4 portions. We had two jars of tomatoes in the pantry that my mom and I canned a few summers ago that needed to be used up, so I dumped both in the pan. There was just the right amount of sauce, which had a great salty bite from the capers, feta and olives and a kick from the spicy sausage. I left out the honey/agave nectar because I didn't want to temper those flavors.

Spaghetti with Sausage, Kalamata Olives & Capers
Slightly modified from Oishii Food

1 lb spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon basil (fresh or dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, sliced into coins
1/4 cup pitted kalamata, halved
2 tablespoons capers
Feta cheese

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the sliced sausage until cooked through and nice and golden on both sides. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the kalamata olives and the capers. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente, according to package instructions.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the sauce. Toss to coat. Add the crumbled feta on top and serve.

Restaurant Knockoff - Chicken Sandwich

Back when I was in high school and college I ate at Triumph Brewing Company quite a bit. They had this amazing chicken sandwich on their lunch menu that I was madly in love with. Grilled chicken marinated in lemon and herbs served on sourdough bread with lettuce, tomato, mayo, sliced red onion, roasted red pepper and melted mozzarella cheese. I ordered it every single time I ate there, it was just that good.


And then one day the sandwich was gone from their menu. I asked the waiter what had happened and he didn't know. I rarely eat at Triumph anymore but I periodically check their website to see if the sandwich has made a comeback since I know I'm not the only one who loved it (as evidenced by this conversation on Chowhound back in 2007). If anyone from Triumph happens to read this, please bring back this sandwich!

I don't know why it took me so long to attempt to recreate the sandwich at home. It's a chicken sandwich, afterall; not too difficult to make at home. I have to say, I'm really proud of how it came out. Unfortunately my loaf of sourdough wasn't as large as the bread Triumph used, making for a smaller sandwich, but the flavors were spot on.



Grilled Chicken Sandwich
A Taste of Home Cooking Knockoff from Triumph Brewing Company

2-3 chicken breasts, pounded thin
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried herbs (mix of parsley, basil, Italian seasoning)
Loaf of sourdough bread
Mayo
Romaine lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced
3 slices of roasted red pepper (from a large jar)
Thinly sliced red onion

Put chicken in a food storage bag (doubled up in case one leaks) and add a few splashes of olive oil, the lemon juice and herbs. Let marinate a few hours.

Cook chicken either in a pan or on the grill. If using a pan, once the chicken is cooked top it with one slice of roasted red pepper and slices of mozzarella. Cover and allow the mozzarella to melt.

To assemble the sandwich - cut sourdough into thick slices. Spread mayo on both slices of bread, then top one side with slices of red onion, lettuce and tomato. Place the chicken topped with the red pepper and mozzarella on the other side. Assemble sandwich and enjoy!

Menu - Week of July 24, 2011

Anyone who plans a weekly menu knows that sometimes you just can't get excited about any of the recipes you've got filed away. I went through every single recipe I've ever printed out trying to fill this week's menu and still ended up looking through cooking magazines for help. I think I ended up with a great menu, though.

Sunday - Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

Monday - Date night

Tuesday - Bacon Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Fingerling Potatoes (recipe swap)

Thursday - Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce (Cook's Country so I can't link to the recipe)

Friday - Burgers and zucchini planks with garlic lemon aioli

Recipe Swap Roundup - Dessert

If you love dessert be prepared to drool all over your keyboard. There were a lot of great submissions for this swap so without further ado...

Jey had to switch berries for her recipe due to the steep price of blueberries right now, but her modified Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes were still delicious:


Heather made a delicious, light and refreshing summer dessert - Key Lime Bars:


Melissa had a craving for s'mores and lucked out with S'More Cups for the swap:


Jaida adapted her recipe into a delicious Blackberry-Peach Sorbet:


Katie's recipe for Peach and Blueberry Crisp was a big hit at her husband's office (along with ice cream, of course):


The Cookaholic Wife made a delicious and easy Chinese Bakery Style Cake:


Kate made another fun summer dessert - Mini Key Lime Pies:


I made Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting, which I loved:


Maryanna, a newcomer to the swaps, made Chocolate Covered Oreo Cupcakes that look divine:


Krystal really enjoyed her recipe for Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies:


Moviegirl03 baked outside her comfort zone with Chocolate Almond Cheesecake:


Christine had my recipe for Peanut Butter Bananas Chocolate Chip Cookies and I was happy to see that she thought they were amazing:


Lisa made Cherry Chocolate Chunkies:


She doesn't have a blog so here is her review:

Cookies are always a challenge for me. I usually have to make them at least twice to get them right due to the fact that I have to adjust for high altitude. Due to allergies, I had to remove the macadamia nuts, and due to living in a rural area, I didn't have access to candied cherries. I used canned cherries instead (they were huge so I chopped them up). They turned out a little flat, but that happens up here if I don't adjust the recipe appropriately. Despite all of the modifications, and the fact that I didn't adjust for altitude properly, my husband absolutely loved them. He said they were the best cookies I've ever made (and I know he wasn't just trying to make me feel better). Will absolutely try them again!

Coleen made Chocolate Cheesecake but unfortunately doesn't know where her camera is amongst all the boxes from her recent move. You can read her review here.

Summer Sweet Corn Fettuccine

I love corn. I love pasta. I love bacon. When I saw them combined in this recipe for Summer Sweet Corn Fettuccine I was excited. I'd never seen corn and pasta together before but I was eager to try it.


I knew SP and I wouldn't like the red pepper in Cassie's recipe so when my friend Melissa mentioned this recipe for Fettuccini with Summer Corn, Bacon, and Shiitake Mushrooms I decided to combine the two, basically subbing the mushrooms for the red pepper.

I wanted to like this, I really did, but it suffered from a common problem in my house - whenever I cook pasta and mix it with the sauce before SP gets home from work the pasta immediately soaks up all the liquid and I'm stuck with dry pasta. I misjudged his arrival time and by the time I served up the pasta there was no sauce left. I need to remember to toss everything together at the last minute to avoid this problem in the future.



Summer Sweet Corn Fettucine
Adapted from Cassie Craves and Evil Chef Mom

Salt
1 pound fettuccine
6 slices bacon, chopped
6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
1 onion, finely chopped
12-oz mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
A few dashes of hot sauce
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup sweet basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until rendered and crisp.

Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and cut the kernels off the ears. Add three-quarters of the scraped corn and any corn liquid to the pan with the bacon. Add the onions and mushrooms and liberally season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the stock into the corn and vegetables and simmer over low heat for a minute to reduce. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce just before serving and toss with Parmesan cheese. Top with basil and serve.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

After seeing this recipe for Baked Chicken Chimichangas in the Mexican recipe swap I knew I had to make it ASAP. I have a mild obsession with Mexican food and SP really likes chimichangas so I knew these would be a winner.


Because I didn't read the recipe completely before putting it on the menu I didn't realize until the morning I was prepping these that the chicken is supposed to be cooked in the crockpot. Oops. I ended up poaching the chicken then mixing it with the Rotel. For the original directions using the crockpot, head over to Katie's blog. SP couldn't find roasted tomatillos in the supermarket so he bought me a jar of salsa verde that seemed to work well, although I have nothing to compare it to. He also bought me smaller tortillas than the recipe calls for, so I ended up with 7 over-stuffed chimis. I gave two to my parents and froze two for later. These were really good, although SP wished I'd made beans and rice to go with them.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Modified from So Tasty, So Yummy

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 burrito (large) size tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Sour cream, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cilantro to garnish

Poach chicken. (I like to add cut up celery, onion and whole peppercorns to the poaching water). Combine Rotel, spices and cornstarch in a small bowl. Shred the chicken and mix with the Rotel and spices. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spary a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Combine the shredded chicken with the cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with 1/4 of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, tucking the ends in, and place them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of the chimichangas with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with queso or Deluxe Tomatillo sauce. Garnish with sour cream, tomato, lettuce and cilantro.

Deluxe Tomatillo Sauce

1 can (28 ounces) tomatillos, drained or 1 jar Salsa Verde
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup sour cream

In a saucepan, combine tomatillos (or salsa), broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender. Return to heat, stir in the sour cream and cook 3 minutes more until heated through.

Chicken Caprese

My friend MaryEllen is a genius. She combined the wonderful, fresh flavors of caprese with breaded chicken to create the perfect meal. Just look at this plate of gorgeousness.


I don't know what else to say about this meal except that it was amazing. Crispy fried chicken topped with juicy, ripe tomatoes, melty mozzarella cheese and fresh basil from my garden. Heaven. I savored every bite.

A word of warning - this is definitely a summer meal. Don't try making this when tomatoes aren't in season. You want that freshness that can only come from a sun-ripened tomato fresh from a farmer's market and basil that wasn't grown hydroponically.


Chicken Caprese
Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Oregano
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Flour
1 egg, beaten with a little water
Breadcrumbs mixed with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2-lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Basil, sliced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid from the pasta

Pound chicken just a bit, then coat it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Marinate in the fridge at least a few hours.

Preheat oven to 350; also start a pot of water for the pasta.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan. Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg, repeat to double dip it. Then coat chicken in the bread crumbs and add to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and put in the oven (no more than 10 minutes in the oven).

Discard the frying oil and wipe the pan clean. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up all brown bits. Add diced tomatoes and let simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Take the chicken out of the oven, top with the sliced tomatoes, a few slices of mozzarella, half of the basil, and a touch of freshly ground black pepper. Return to the oven to cook for 2 minutes.

Add reserved cooking liquid from the pasta to the tomato/garlic/wine mixture. Let simmer. Toss pasta in the tomato/garlic/wine mixture. You could also mix in some mini mozzarella balls or tiny pieces of mozzarella at this point.

Serve chicken over the pasta.

And the winner is...

UPDATE: Unfortunately I didn't hear from Wendy so a new winner was chosen. Danielle, please contact me to claim your prize!

Drumroll please.

The winner of the adorable apron from 5 Little Elephants is...


Congrats to Wendy Lynders! Please email me at tasteofhomecooking at gmail dot com to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you within 48 hours I will pick another winner, so please get in touch!

And remember, this drawing was extra special and there is a second place winner who will receive a $5 off coupon for the 5 Little Elephants Store. The second place winner is...


Carrie, please email me to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you within 48 hours I will pick another winner, so please get in touch!

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway and who took the time to check out 5 Little Elephants. I hope to partner with them on another giveaway in the future. Thank you for making the adorable aprons, Christa!

Menu - Week of July 17, 2011

Monday again...how does that keep happening? I know we can all agree that weekends are just too short. I'm very excited for this week's menu, though, especially Tuesday. I'm attempting to recreate a sandwich I absolutely loved that was taken off the restaurant's menu years ago. I hope it works out.

Sunday - Eggplant panini

Monday - Date night

Tuesday - Grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, roasted red peppers and mozzarella on sourdough bread

Wednesday - Spaghetti with Kalamata Olives & Capers

Thursday - Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce over Buttered Noodles

Friday - Burgers, zucchini planks with garlic lemon aioli

Recipe Swap - Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Want to see what other Dessert recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Dessert Recipe Swap Roundup

This week's recipe swap theme was dessert. I've been avoiding this one for a long time because, as many of you know, I'm not a baker. I don't particularly enjoy baking and I certainly don't like having the sweet stuff around the house to tempt me. But dessert is a popular thing on my cooking board and I knew I'd have to cave eventually. There were a lot of excellent recipes submitted for this swap so if you aren't like me and actually enjoy baking, you're going to want to check this one out.


Luckily I ended up with my friend Jaida's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting. Cake is my one weakness when it comes to dessert. Ice cream, cookies, chocolate bars, etc. I can take or leave but I'm powerless when it comes to cake.


In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't make the frosting on these cupcakes. We were out of town the weekend I made these and I simply ran out of time. I do plan to make it someday, though, since Jaida assures me it's amazing and worth the time and effort.



Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Sweet Beginnings
Makes 30 cupcakes

Note: If you can't find cake flour use this easy method - to make 2 cups cake flour, combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.

3 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour, divided
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tins with paper liners (recipe makes approx. 30 cupcakes). Whisk together 3 1/4 cups cake flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl combine the milk and vanilla.

With a mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter until smooth, and then add the sugar in a steady stream until pale and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the milk mixture, beating until combined after each addition.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. You can also do this by hand with a whisk, which is what I did. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Gently fold the remaining egg whites until just combined. Toss chocolate chips with remaining tablespoon cake flour and gently fold into batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, about 3/4 full. Bake about 22 minutes for standard size, 12 minutes for miniature, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool before removing cupcakes and cooling to room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 lbs semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until cocoa is dissolved. With a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the melted, cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Frost cooled cupcakes with a frosting spatula.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Mexican

The theme for this week's recipe swap was Mexican. I love, love, love Mexican food so I was really excited to see what the ladies on my cooking board came up with.

Despite her hectic schedule Lindsay couldn't pass up a chance to make Mexican food and was thrilled with her recipe for Chicken Cream Cheese Enchiladas:


Mary Ellen had one of my favorite recipes (submitted by another participant...it's a favorite in the blogopshere), Mexican Sour Cream Rice:


Christine saw her recipe for 7 Layer Taco Pie as a blank canvas to express her creativity in the kitchen:


Alida, a newcomer to the swaps, was hesitant at first but ended up loving her recipe for Garlic Beef Enchiladas:


Heather, another die-hard Mexican food fan, was thrilled with her recipe for Mexican Chicken Eggrolls, a perfect appetizer or entree:


My husband and I both loved my recipe for Mexican Pizzas, a fun twist on traditional quesadillas:


Krystal, another newcomer to the swap and also a big fan of Mexican food, knew she'd love her recipe for Baked Chicken Chimichangas and they didn't disappoint:


Katie went out of her comfort zone dealing with fresh tomatillos in her recipe for Roasted Tomatillo Enchiladas:


Jey has a serious love for fish tacos so she was thrilled when she got Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa for the swap:


Moviegirl03 struggled a bit with her recipe for Rice with Roasted Poblanos, Spinach, and Queso Fresco:


... but loved the Creamy Salsa Chicken (another dish from Mary Ellen) she chose to make with it.

Brianna had my recipe for Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeño-Ranch Sauce and really enjoyed it:


Melissa subbed beans for the zucchini in her recipe, making them Bean and Cheese Enchiladas:


Kate was happy for an excuse to make Mexican food at home and really enjoyed these Baked Chicken Chimichangas:


You can never have too much cheese, as Jaida found out with her recipe for Cheesy Enchilada Casserole:


Valerie lives in Amsterdam so she had quite the challenge ahead of her when she took on her recipe for Enchilada Lasagna: