Chiquiles with Chips

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Out of all the recipes I've ever made, this is the one most requested. I got the recipe from the Lawry's California Center (a long-gone Los Angeles icon), who hosted its Holiday Party Starters cooking class for years.  The event was a tradition for me throughout the 80's. It was a wonderful evening in the Fall that always announced the opening of the Holiday Season.

This would be perfect for serving at Halloween! 

Chiquiles: 

Ingredients

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cooked for about 30 minutes in water with a few bay leaves. Or you can buy a pre roasted chicken from the market. Cool and shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

2/3 of a 16oz carton of sour cream (go ahead, use the whole carton!)

1  (7oz) can Herdez Salsa Verde (green chili/tomatillo salsa), slightly drained (you don’t want the salsa runny) Note: You can use any brand of green chili salsa, just be sure to drain it well.

1 large package (4 cups)  shredded Mexican blend cheese. Cheddar/Jack or just plain old Cheddar works well too.

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 to 1 cup chopped cilantro, to taste

Directions: Layer the shredded chicken on a microwavable platter. Make sure the platter fits your microwave. (I like to use one with some kind of an edge. The bowl from a chip and dip set works great!) 

Layer in this order:

1- Sour Cream

2- drained Salsa

3- Cheese

4- Green Onion

5- Cilantro

Heat in the microwave until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. If you decide to heat it in the oven instead, make sure the platter is ovenproof. Serve with chips. Enjoy!

 

Apple Cake

My husband, Jeff's, most favorite cake in the whole, wide world, is the Apple cake recipe his mother so generously passed down to me.   One of his co-workers gave us a bag of apples recently from his orchard in Leona Valley, so I decided to mark off an item on my to do list this morning, surprise my husband (and his employees), and pass along this recipe to you. Enjoy!

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Bonnie's Apple Cake

Ingredients: 

3 eggs

dash salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups flour

1tsp baking soda

1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

4-5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: 

Beat eggs with a fork in a large bowl and add a dash of salt. Mix in sugar and oil. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well. Blend in apples and walnuts.

Put into a 9X12 pan (you don't need to grease it) and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Note:  When the cake comes out of the oven it will have a delicious crusty top. If you'd like to keep the cake 'crusty', avoid covering it with foil or plastic wrap.