Monday, January 31, 2011

Crossed Greenish Eyes


I have a child that has very firm ideas about the way life should be. There is a right way and a wrong way. Period. No room for discussion.

One day he had my face in his hands and he was gazing into my eye. Do you know what he said? Did he say how much he loved me? Did he say that he loved my cookies more than life itself? No, he said, "Mama, your eyes are kind of greenish. All of our eyes are brown. So we will have to find a new house for you to live in." Well, geez, I get kicked out for my eye color?!

I myself get unhappy when things aren't precisely right. Like these pictures. I will straight up confess that it's painful for me to post these pics. They're so bad they make me want to burn the negatives (good thing they're digital). But the chimichangas are delicious and I really wanted to share the recipe. This is one of my favorite ways to use up the chicken leftover from a roast chicken dinner.

So can you forgive me for the bad pics? I promise I'll reward you for your leniency with a lovely cookie next time. Because I really need the grace. I'm already searching out homes for slightly ditzy, greenish-eyed bakers. There aren't that many that allow me to come with a kitchen full of appliances and a freezer stocked with unsalted butter, nuts, and 16 different kinds of flours.



Roast Chicken Chimichangas
- adapted fromCooking Light

2-1/2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or just buy a roasted chicken and shred up that much meat)
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled queso fresco cheese (or shredded Monterey Jack cheese)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (16 oz) can fat-free refried beans
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup bottled green salsa


1- Preheat oven to 500 deg. F.

2- Combine first 7 ingredients (chicken through chiles) in a large bowl; toss well.

3- Spread 1/4 cup refried beans down center of each tortilla. top each tortilla with 2/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat tops of chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake for 7 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Yield: 6 servings (1 chimichanga and about 4 tsp salsa)

PS - As I was going to post, I chickened out and just couldn't publish the full-on ugly pictures. Instead you get the semi-ugly peep show shots. Can you trust me that they're good and try them anyway?

9 comments:

webmailaddress2 said...

I think they look just fine and bet they do taste great. Whatever imperfections are there just give them character :).

Roving Lemon said...

You can come and live here anytime. This indisputably green-eyed baker could use someone around who keeps the freezer stocked with butter (just ran out *again*), is handy with a camera (still working on that), and also likes refried beans (I'm currently outnumbered on this in my house).

Fallon said...

They sound delicious! I like your tip on buying a store bought chicken and shredding that. I like easy and tasty dinners like this.

Mrsblocko said...

I hope that isn't a standing rule for all houses! My husband and I have hazel eyes and a blue eyed daughter. She's too cute and silly to evict! (although if you asked me this AM I probably would have taken you up on it...can you say grumpy!)

As for bad picks, I'm sure they werent as bad as you think they were. Besides, food in tortillas aren't the most photogenic to begin with. I think the chimichangas sound delish!

Mindy said...

My daughter was gazing in my eyes and told me I was beautiful, but changed her mind when she got too close. "Eww...you look kinda' scary when I get closer." Thanks, honey.

Hey, I love this recipe. I think I could actually make this one!!

Yea...as always, love the story with the pic.

Barbara said...

Kids really do come up with the oddest things! My mother used to refuse to let the grandkids see her until she "had her eyebrows on" as she put it. (they used to shave them off way back in her day)

I sure don't mind bad pics (we all have those days) especially when the recipe is so good!

Abby said...

Kids are so funny! I love that mine is really starting to talk in sentences now. He makes me laugh every day.

And those are bad photos?! They still make my tummy grumble! My husband would love this dish.

Elle said...

I don't like the store version of these but your recipe sounds just perfect! You could always come visit me...within days your son would discover the benefits of having a greenish-eyed baker at home...or you could wear brown contact lenses and see if you pass :)

grace said...

well, you can't come here--my eyes are brown too. :)
chimichangas are a one-two punch--awesome eats and fun name!