I'm Back

I have been having some technical errors that prevented me from adding any posts, but that has now been resolved and I am happy to announce that I will start adding more posts shortly. I am so sorry about the absence. Happy cooking!

Tequila Chicken

Requested by a good friend of mine, here ya go. A recipe that requires tequila :) This recipe is simple enough, but its best prepared the day before you want to eat it. The longer you wait, the more tequila you'll taste!

Tequila Chicken

• 1 1/4th cups lime juice OR margarita mix
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/2 cup of triple sec or orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thick strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thick strips
• 1 large onion cut into wedges

Vegetable Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (combine all ingredients for marinade in a bowl and set aside)

In a bowl combine first 6 ingredients. Add chicken and marinate chicken for 2 hours or overnight. (the more you marinate the chicken the stronger the tequila taste will be)

Marinate peppers and onion in the Vegetable Marinade for 3o minutes.

Preheat outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill, turning once, until juices run clear, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Drain peppers and onions, grill in a grill basket (or i just cook them in a frying pan) until tender. 

Slice the chicken breast into 1/2 inch strips. Serve with peppers and onion, cheese, salsa and sour cream. This tastes great as a Fajita or over rice. Enjoy!

Battle of the Magazines

I'm not too familiar with all the cooking magazines out there, where I live they are hard to find. But my grandmother did get me a subscription to Gourmet.... and honestly Gourmet magazine really lives up to it's name. Half the recipes in there I cannot even pronounce. And I find that there are more advertisements than recipes. But overall, I do like it. I enjoy the writing style and stories from abroad.

A cooking magazine that i love however, is Cooks Illustrated. It's really set up nicely. It has information that is really useful for the normal cook. The recipes are easy to follow, and with the more complicated recipes, they give step by step instructions with pictures. I read the magazine cover to cover rather than skipping to the back to see if any of the recipe titles are in english. 

But that's just one girls thoughts. Are there any other decent Cooking magazines out there?

My Favorite Chili

Now I don't know about you, but I love chili. This recipe I have modified over the years. It is absolutely amazing. I think it is the fresh vegetables that give it a special taste. Also easy to prepare vegetarian. 

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

10 fresh mushrooms, quartered

6 tomatoes, diced

1 cup fresh (or frozen does the trick too) corn kernels

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed.

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

salt to taste.

1 pound ground beef, cooked with juices.

DIRECTIONS

Heat Oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. sauté the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, mushrooms, tomatoes and corn for about 10 minutes. Season with all the seasonings. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth, and bring to a boil

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the soup to food processor or blender; puree and stir the bean mixture back into the soup. 

This is great on its on with some cheddar cheese and onions sprinkled on top, or even over rice. And there is nothing like a good Corn Bread to go with it. Enjoy!

Welcome To Holla at Your Chef.

Hello one and all. This is my first post on my new blog, and I wanted to thank you who are reading this. Cooking has been my hobby for years. Its my happy place on a rainy day. So with this website I am hoping to not only promote some of my favorite recipes and thoughts, but also introduce others to the wonderful world of cooking.

If any of you have any time tested recipes that you would like to share and/or have reviewed, please do not be shy to send them in! You can send them to us at Hallaatyourchef@gmail.com

Good cooking!