Instant Pot Fiesta Chicken

Instant Pot Fiesta Chicken is one of the easiest recipes to make! It's simply dump, done, and eat. No need for extra prep or steps! And, in less than half an hour, you can have a hearty and delicious meal that is perfect served over rice, eaten in tortillas, or even as a nacho topping!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast frozen or raw

• 1 1.1-ounce packet Fiesta Ranch dip mix

• 1 15.25-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, undrained

• 1 can corn not drained

• 8 ounces cream cheese

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot.

2. Close Instant Pot and set to sealing position. Select manual high pressure (the manual button or the pressure cook button on the newer models) and set timer for 25 minutes. When Timer is up, allow for a natural pressure release.

3. Pull chicken out and shred. Return chicken to pot and stir.

4. Serve over rice, if you choose, and enjoy!

Baja Grilled Chicken Tacos

These grilled chicken tacos are a treat with a bit of exotic flavor for our area. This recipe features a seasoning mix known as Sazon. Fill warm tortillas with sauteed chicken and serve with your choice of garnishes and black bean and corn salad.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• canola oil cooking spray

• 1 (10 ounce) package corn tortillas, or as needed

Directions

1. Combine cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add lime juice and olive oil and stir to make the marinade. Add chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill marinated chicken until no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and shred chicken with forks.

3. Spray canola oil onto the tortillas and heat on the grill approximately 45 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm. Serve with shredded chicken.

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Sazon Seasoning

Open Fruit of the Achiote Tree

Sazon, the spice mixture above, is like the magic spice blend in many of my Latin dishes. It’s commonly found in the supermarket in small envelopes that you add to stews, beans, rice, etc. It gives yellow rice that yellow color and basically makes anything taste good! Goya is the most popular brand, , but it’s not easy to find in our region so I make my own which I keep stored in a small spice jar, so instead of using a packet of sazon, I use one and a half teaspoons of this in it’s place.

The key ingredient in this spice mix is ground annatto, the spice that gives yellow rice that yellow color. Annatto is derived from the seeds of achiote tree. In India it’s referred to as sindoor, and in the Philippines, it is called atsuete. You can find it in hispanic markets, but if you can’t find this, turmeric would be a good substitute. Annatto is also used to artificially color many cheeses.

Kadai Chicken

This is one of the delicious and easiest chicken dishes I have ever made. You can increase or decrease the chili peppers according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 5 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 7 dried red chili peppers, finely chopped

• 5 tomatoes, finely chopped

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add chili peppers; cook and stir until browned, about 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until softened and reduced, about 7 minutes.

4. Stir in chicken; cook and stir until it is dark red and sauce thickens and starts to stick to the pan, 10 to 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef with Artichokes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

• 2 pounds stewing beef

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and halved

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or more to taste

• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container beef broth

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

• 1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives (optional)

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook beef in the hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side.

2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Cover with artichoke hearts, onion, and garlic. Pour in beef broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir in olives, oregano, parsley, basil, cumin, bay leaf.

3. Cook on Low until beef is tender, about 7 hours.

Linguine with Clams

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 4 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams, drained and rinsed with juices reserved

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic, and saute until tender. Pour in wine and simmer for 10 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.

3. Stir in clams, reserved clam juice, sour cream, pepper, and parsley, and simmer another 20 minutes. Toss with linguine, and serve. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

This is a easy pork dish that your whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

• 4 (8 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the bell pepper strips and pork chops into the slow cooker. Pour the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic over the pork chops.

2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork is very tender, 8 to 9 hours. Once tender, remove the pork from the slow cooker, and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Return the pork to the slow cooker, and cook 10 minutes more.

3. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with green onions and peanuts to garnish. Decorate with lime wedges to serve.