Week of August 3rd for the Morris Household

• Monday: leftovers - chicken and wild rice salad (recipe coming soon)
• Tuesday: Mexican Night! Shoebox Tacos and Spanish Rice (recipe below)
• Wednesday: Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken (recipe below)
• Thursday: Farfalle with Zuchinni, from The Pioneer Woman, green salad, and garlic bread
• Friday: NY Strip Steaks, Potato Bundles, from the Pioneer Woman, and green beans.
• Saturday: Crispy Orange Chicken and Rice (recipe below)
• Sunday: Taking a break! Out to eat

I also want to bake something this week, but haven't decided. Any ideas?

SHOEBOX TACOS
Note: My mom used to make these tacos for me growing up. We would call them "shoebox tacos" because she would make a large batch, package them in baggies of three (each taco held together neatly with a toothpick) and stack them up in a plastic shoebox in the freezer.

Kitchen tools you'll need: tongs, spatula, small skillet, large skillet, paper plate, and bring over the whole roll of paper towels.

Ingredients

• oil (vegetable oil, corn oil, or I've even used olive oil in a pinch), you will need enough to fill up the small skillet with about 1/2" oil or enough to fry the tortillias in.
• 1 lb ground meat - if you forgot to thaw it, no big deal
• minced onion
• corn tortillias (about 12)
• grated cheese - amount just depends on how cheesy you like your tacos
• Cilantro
• Lime
  

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat in a large pan - if you forgot to thaw it, it will thaw as you cook - mix in about 1 tablespoon on minced onion.
2. While you are browning the meat, start heat the oil in a small frying pan. I like to set ou a paper plate and paper towels so I will have a place to put the tortillas once they are done cooking. Begin frying your tortillas. I make about half and half soft and crunchy. For the soft ones, just leave them in the oil long enough to get soft. Then set on a paper towel to sop up the grease ;)
3. Finely chop the cilantro and cut lime into wedges.
   
4. Set out the cheese, and any other toppings you like.
   
5. Ready to eat! I just set everything out on the counter and let everyone come and assemble their tacos however they like.
   

SPANISH RICE
Ingredients:
Rice
1 can of corn
1 can or Rotel Tomatoes
Use desired amount of brown or white rice. Cook almost according to package directions, however get one can of rotel and drain the juice into a measuring cup - a 2 cup measuring cup works best (set aside remaining can contents, we will use in a minute!) You are supplementing some of the water with the juice - then add the rest of the water as the recipe indicates. Cook about 3/4 way through and add the remaining rotel tomatoes and half a can of corn.

CREAM CHEESE CROCK-POT CHICKEN
Ingredients

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 to 1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix
3 tsp. butter
2 small cans Cream of Chicken soup
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup sour cream

Directions

Place all ingredients except the sour cream into a crock pot.
Cook on low heat 6-8 hours.
Add sour cream just prior to serving.
It is excellent over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. My kids love the mashed potatoes the best.

CRISPY ORANGE CHICKEN

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Oil (for frying)

Glaze:
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c hoisin sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 c granulated sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cut your chicken into 2 inch piece and put them into a large bowl. Add in the egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix it well and set it to the side. In another large bowl, stir the cornstarch and flour
together and mix it well. Add the chicken into the flour mix and coat each piece generously.

2. Pour about a 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and set it over high heat. Carefully putsome chicken pieces in small batches and fry for 3 to 4 minutes oruntil it’s brown and crispy/crunchy.
Carefully remove the chickenfrom the oil with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. Finish frying the chicken until they’re all done. Set it aside and put together your glaze in the next step.

3. Let your oil cool slightly in the skillet and remove all but 2 tbsp. of oil and put it over medium heat. Saute the minced garlic for a minute, being careful not to burn it so you don’t end up with a bitter taste. Add the rest of the ingredient in and bring the mixture to a boil. Make sure to stir this for 3 minutes and reduce the heat and simmer it until a saucy thick glaze is created. Pour
the glaze over the chicken and serve!

I like to saute red and green bell peppers and onions to serve with
the chicken.