Mexico or Bust!

Last Thursday's menu was planned for two specific reasons. Number one, my husband and older son were enjoying the sun and sandy beaches in Mazatlan while I was sulking at home and 2, I wanted to show off my Margaritaville margarita maker. We snacked on chips and guac and for dinner enjoyed Chicken Enchiladas (recipe follows) and spanish rice (your good old Rice a Roni kind). For dessert we had Pumpkin Spiced and Iced cookies (recipe follows). I know, these don't fit into the theme for the night, but I had to pay an ode to Fall somehow.

So I have to start by raving about the Margaritaville Margarita Maker. If you are a margarita drinker then you know that a plain old blender just does not work when it comes to making margaritas. I have realized that the key to a restaurant quality margarita is having shaved ice, which a blender does not do. I have the Fiji model and it does it all for you. All you have to do is put in the ingredients. The Fiji model makes more than just margaritas. It has settings for daiquiris, mudslides, and smoothies as well. While I haven't ventured out on making anything else yet (except for pina coladas), I'm sure whatever you make with it will be awesome. Check out the website and the different machines you can get,  Margaritaville Margarita Maker website

We spent the evening around the dining room table sharing stories from the week, discussing the upcoming Halloween party at Amanda's (aka Tiff's Birthday bash), and planning out the next 3 months of girl's night. Yes... 3 months! I never really realized how long it takes to go through the rotation. I guess I have until the end of January to decide what I will be making next time. The main decision of the evening was that all pertinent information must be divulged to the group within the first 30 seconds of arriving at Girl's Night. No more mid-evening surprises. (Lisa-we are very excited about your new relationship!)

Our menu for the evening:

Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe comes from the Eating for Life cookbook by Bill Phillips. If you are looking for a healthy, but good cookbook I highly recommend this one. The first part of the book discusses "The Big Fat Problem" and basically how to eat right. It contains breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and nutrition shakes. A two week menu is also included. My favorite part of this cookbook is that every single recipe has a picture. I love pictures!

4 portions chicken breast (about 1 lb)
4 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cans (10 oz each) green enchilada sauce (I use both red and green)
8 corn tortillas
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tomato, diced
1 can (2 oz) sliced olives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking oil.

2. Place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce hear to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center. Drain and let cool slightly. Shred cooked chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks; set aside.

3. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cilantro and jalapeno; saute for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

4. Pour the remaining cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place, seamside down, in the prepared baking dish.

5. Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Back until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

6. Top enchilada with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes, and olives.

Pumpkin Spiced and Iced cookies
These cookies come from The Cookie Bible

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz) LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Vanilla Glaze (1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 T milk and 1/2 t vanilla extract)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Spread or drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.

Enjoy!
Lauren