Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chips and Salsa, Boston Cream Pie

Served for Staff Luncheon July 2011

 Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup favorite salsa
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
12 lettuce leaves
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced

Combine chicken, beans, tomatoes, chilies, salsa, onion, pepper, lime juice, and seasonings. (At this point you can refrigerate until serving time.)  Just before serving, add avocado and gently toss.  Serve in lettuce cups, topped with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.

Chips and Salsa

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
cayenne pepper to taste*
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
cilantro (1/4 to 1/2 bunch)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/4 of a lime

Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice.  Reserve 1/4 cup drained tomatoes.

Combine remaining tomatoes in blender with cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, 1/4 bunch of cilantro, and jalapeno.  Squeeze a little lime juice into the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add reserved tomatoes, and any extra juice and/or cilantro to taste.  Pulse to desired texture. Serve with tortilla chips.

*You can use a sprinkle or two from a jar, but I used a half of an actual dried cayenne pepper, seeds removed.  Kick up the heat with more cayenne or more pepper seeds.

Boston Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite easy desserts.  It's even better the second day.

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups lite whipped topping
1 round yellow cake layer (8-9 inches)+
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 TBSP butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk

Beat pudding mix with milk for two minutes.  Stir in whipped topping.  Let stand five minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cake layer horizontally into two thin equal layers (a long serrated knife works well for this).  Spread pudding mixture on one layer and then top with the other layer (make a sandwich. . . the pudding is the filling, and the cake layers are the bread.)

Heat chocolate and butter in microwave for one minute.  Stir until chocolate is melted completely.  Add powdered sugar and milk.  Beat until smooth and spreading consistency.  Spread over top cake layer.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

+Moist Yellow Cake Rounds

1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Heat oven to 350.  Spray two round cake pans (8-9 inch) with PAM and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat altogether for 2 minutes.  Pour into two round cake pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (28-32 minutes.)  Cool 10 minutes.  Invert onto cooling rack.  Cool completely before using for Boston Cream pie.  Use one for the recipe, wrap and freeze the other so you can make it again later!


Served with watermelon wedges.