The Second Dinner: Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas, Chips with Guacamole, and Margaritas!

The second meal!  Lacey was the hostess and we shared a scrumptious Mexican dinner! I'm not quite sure why we didn't take any pictures of this dinner.  Maybe we were all side tracked with our busy lives,  maybe we were worried because one of the wives was home ill...either way...no pictures :-(

But I can tell you that the night consisted of a lot of this....

and this....

That's right!  The Olympics were on and more importantly-couples figure skating!

We moved Lacey's family room furniture around so each of us had a prime spot and chowed down on delicious Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas, rice, margaritas and guacamole (with most of a bag of tortilla chips).

We were so stuffed, we could barely get off the couch!

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

From the Kitchen of Lacey 

Ingredients:

-16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2.5 cups)- can also cook chicken with salsa and shred later.

-8 oz light or regular sour cream

-1/4 cup milk

-10 3/4 oz can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup

-1 Tbsp fresh cilantro- chopped

-10 oz can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies

-1 cup onion diced

-8- 8" tortillas

-1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese

-4.5 oz can diced green chilies

-May use a 14.5 oz jar of Pace Salsa instead of diced tomatoes, green chilies and onion.

Instructions:

-In a saucepan, mix together sour cream, soup, milk and cilantro.  Heat through at med/hi heat and set aside.  (This will boil quickly and make a huge hot mess if you don't keep stirring).

-Combine the chicken, Rotel, onions and green chilies (or salsa) in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.

-Heat until onions are transparent and chicken is cooked.  Shred Chicken now if not already done.

-Warm the tortillas until flexible.

-Fill Each tortilla with about 2 Tbsp of the chicken mixture.

-Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in a 8X11 or 9X13 dish sprayed with cooking spray.

-Pour/spread the sour cream sauce over enchiladas and top with cheese.

-Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Guacamole

From the Kitchen of Danielle

Ingredients:

·       5 avocados

·       2 small tomatoes- seeded

·       Cilantro-half a bundle- chopped

·       1/2 red onion chopped

·       Salt and pepper to taste

·       2-3 cloves garlic minced or pressed

·       Juice from 1/2 a lime

Directions:

-To pick out avocados-should be slightly squishy, pull off stem- should be green, if it's brown inside it is too ripe.

-mash avocados slightly

-add the rest of the ingredients and stir together.

Another successful Wives Club!

This Month's Tasty Tip:

Besides having a great relaxing night with amazing food and friends, I also learned something new!  Danielle taught us that the proper way to pick out an avocado is to pluck off the stem and look at the color inside.  If it's green-you should be good to go, if it's brown it is too ripe and will probably have bruises and brown streaks inside.  Huh...who knew?

The First Dinner- Chicken Parmesan, Brussel Sprouts, Homemade Bread, Reese's Trifle and Wine

Chicken Parmesan, Brussel Sprouts, Homemade Bread, Peanut Butter and Brownie Trifle and Wine-Yum!

This post is a little late as this dinner was a couple months ago in January.  The first dinner was hosted by Danielle!  She made a delicious Chicken Parmesan and Brussel Sprouts on the side!  Lacey brought homemade bread, Tawnee-the Reese's Trifle and I brought the wine!!!!

We basically attacked Lacey's bread and drank wine while Danielle cooked and taught us the ins and outs of Chicken Parm and brussel sprouts!

Lacey with what's left of the bread.

Tawnee with the Trifle and me with the wine!

 Ever cooked with coconut oil instead of butter?  Try it!

Look how nice this looks!

Brussel Sprouts

From the Kitchen of Danielle

Ingredients:

·        2 lb Bag of brussel sprouts

·        Coconut oil

·        Kosher Salt and Pepper

·        Garlic Powder

·        Parmesan cheese

·        Lemon juice

Directions:

-Pick out smaller brussel sprouts

-Cut off ends and remove any leaves that are falling off

-To prepare your B. sprouts- place into a pot of cold water with a plate on top (this will remove any imbedded dirt). 

-Bring a pan of water to a boil- add B. Sprouts and boil for 8 minutes.

-Strain and place back into pan, add a tsp of coconut oil and stir.

-Cut B. Sprouts in half and spread onto a baking sheet- insides facing up.

-Add salt, pepper, a tiny bit of garlic powder, and parmesan cheese sprinkled over top.

-Cook @ 350 until cheese is browned and bubbling.  Squeeze lemon juice on top after cooked.

Chicken Parmesan

From the Kitchen of Danielle

Ingredients:

29 oz Tomato sauce

1 onion (finely chopped)

Olive Oil- small drizzle to coat pan

Garlic- 3 cloves

Chicken breasts (4)

White Mushrooms-a handful washed and towel dried-then sliced or chopped.

garlic powder-a dash

pinch of salt and pepper

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Italian bread crumbs

3 eggs

mozzarella
Parmesan

spaghetti

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

heat sauce pan to medium heat, add oil to coat and heat through.  Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper-stir.  When onion is barely translucent, add mushrooms and heat for 1 min.  Add tomato sauce.  Keep at medium heat while preparing chicken.

Pat Chicken dry.  Oil a frying pan and place stove to medium heat.  Dip Chicken into eggs, then bread crumbs, eggs, then crumbs again.  Place into fry pan-should sizzle- cook until golden brown on both sides. 

Place some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.  Add the chicken and cover with remaining sauce.  Cover with mozzarella and Parmesan  and then bake for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken is done. 

In the meantime prepare spaghetti.

Option:  Instead of making your own sauce- may use a jar of spaghetti sauce!

It was the perfect first Wives Club!  

This Month's Tasty Tip:  Coconut Oil

Replace Butter with Coconut oil!  Studies have shown that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.

Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control. People who take coconut oil also tend to have improvements in how they handle blood sugar since coconut can help improve insulin use within the body. Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins!  Pretty cool, not to mention tasty!

The Start of Something Great!

This is a chronicle of The 4 Wives Club.  Made of four friends, all married and trying to both share and learn new recipes and cooking secrets.  My name is Caitlin.  My partners in kitchen crime are Danielle, Tawnee and Lacey.  Between work, taking care of our children, husbands, homes and the endless bustle of life, every once in a while you have to carve out a little time to kick back and have a girls night in.  The idea credit has to go to Tawnee.  As the newly wed of the group, she was looking for recipes and cooking lessons all in one place.  Thus, The 4 Wives Club was born.  Each month one friend hosts and prepares the main dish, teaching the others as she goes.  Eat your heart out Julia Child!  The other three each bring an item to round out the dinner (usually one brings drinks, one brings an appetizer or side dish and one brings dessert).  We share the recipes along with helpful/interesting tips like "how to pick out brussel spouts and avocados" and "have you used coconut oil instead of butter lately?" :-)

We hope you enjoy our recipes and antics as these four zany wives take the kitchen by storm!

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” 
― Julia Child, My Life in France