Shredded Pork Tacos with Charred Pineapple Salsa

I made these tacos for dinner tonight, I love this meal because it took five minutes to get the pork into the crockpot, 10 minutes hands-on time to make the salsa, and dinner was ready!  Each of my three kids ate thirds of this meal, which was pretty amazing! I will make this over and over again.

Shredded Pork Tacos with Charred Pineapple Salsa

2-3 lb pork loin roast

5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 lime, juiced

1 Tb. canola oil

3/4 c. water

For Serving:

corn tortillas

lime wedges

sour cream

charred pineapple and jalapeno salsa

In a small bowl mix together garlic, cumin, sea salt, chili powder, lime juice and oil.  Cover the pork roast with all of the rub and put in the bottom of the crockpot and pour in the water.  Cover the crockpot and cook on low 5-6 hours, shred the pork and mix together well before assembling tacos. To serve put some shredded pork on a warmed corn tortilla and top with sour cream and pineapple salsa.  Serve with a lime wedge.

Charred Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

This salsa turned out so yummy.  Sweet at first and then the spicy jalapeno hits.  It goes perfectly on the shredded pork tacos I'm going to post later.  This recipe is from one of my dad's favorite restaurants, Salsa Brava, in Flagstaff.  The restaurant was featured on Food Network, and their roasted pineapple habanero salsa was written in the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives book.  I had to try it!  I followed the recipe the first time exactly and it was SO spicy we couldn't eat it!  So, I made a few adjustments and now I've got it down.  

This salsa is more of a typical salsa than what you would compare to other fruit salsas, such as mango salsa.  I think it would go on a regular taco or salad too.

Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

recipe adapted from Salsa Brava

3-4 fresh jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it)

5 roma tomatoes, halved

1 large sweet yellow onion

1 16 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 c. water

1 c. cilantro

salt

Move your oven rack to the top spot and turn on the broiler.  Cut the jalapenos in half and carefully remove the seeds and ribs, being careful not to touch your eyes! Cut the onion in thick slices.  Lay out the jalapeno halves, tomato halves, and onion slices on a cooking sheet and broil the vegetables until they are charring on the edges, flip the veggies over and broil the second side. (I broiled mine 10-12 minutes on the firsts side and only 5 minutes the second side.)

Once the veggies are charred add them with water, cilantro and pineapple into the bowl of your food processor (or blender) and pulse until the veggies and cilantro are chopped.  Season with salt to your liking. Enjoy with tortilla chips or on a taco.

Creamy Southwest Chicken

I seem to have been experiencing Blogger's-block.  If that exists.

Every time I use Blogger, my computer crashes and my husband has to re-install the operating system.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with Blogger itself, but rather that my laptop has some kind of nasty virus that can't be completely undone.  Basically my laptop has spent a lot of quality time as a paper weight lately.  And then once he had it all up and running again, I was out of the Blogging-routine and in the middle of May-sanity (ie: end-of-the-schoolyear-over-commitment).  May-Sanity is over now so I thought I would give it another whirl.

Today I'm bringing you a recipe we really like that is great for summer in HellonEarth the desert because it is all cooked in the crockpot with very little prep!  AND it makes a lot so it's great for a few lunches too.

I found this recipe on ...yah, you guessed it--Pinterest.  Shocking.  I am currently making an attempt to go through my Pinterest account and either make the recipes or crafts I've pinned or get rid of them.  I did adapt this recipe quite a bit to make it more flavorful for us but the base is great!  We like this in whole wheat tortillas, on chips or over rice or quinoa.

Creamy Southwest Chicken

recipe adapted from The Larson Lingo

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen is fine)

1 8-oz block cream cheese

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Rotel, not drained

2 c. frozen corn kernels (I prefer Trader Joe's super sweet frozen corn)

1 packet taco seasoning mix

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

dash of cayenne pepper

Tortillas, tortilla chips or cooked rice for serving

Toppings:

diced red onion

jalapeno slices

shredded cheddar cheese

hot sauce, taco sauce or salsa

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Put the block of cream cheese, beans, rotel and corn on top of the chicken and sprinkle the taco seasoning, garlic and cayenne pepper on top of everything.  Cook on low 5-6 hours.  When you're ready to eat stir it well and shred the chicken.  Let the crockpot stand without the lid on for 10-15 minutes before serving and the mixture will thicken up a bit.  Serve as nachos or in a burrito with desired toppings.

Green Chile Burger with Jalapeno Pesto Mayo

We love burgers.  Seriously.  Just search the burgers/sandwiches label and you will see...kinda obsessed.  Rob requested a burger of some sort this week and he is so laid back, if he ever requests anything I like to accommodate him!

We always like to try burgers with a spicy flair when we are out but both Rob and I don't like that it seems like most of the spicy burgers on menus out there include every. single. spicy. ingredient there is.  Why would we need jalapenos, pepper jack, salsa, chipotle mayo, and habanero sauce on a jalapeno kaiser roll ALL for one burger? OVERKILL. This burger has a great spicy/Mexican kick but not over the top. (In my most humble opinion on the subject.)

I roasted some fresh green chiles that I got in my basket to put in the burgers, but a can of chopped green chiles would work out just as well.  I would say the key to the deliciousness of this burger is the Jalapeno Pesto Mayo, so just bite the bullet and whip up a batch.  The rest of the pesto freezes great to use in a pasta or on a steak sandwich in the future.

Green Chile Burger with Jalapeno Pesto Mayo

2 lbs lean ground beef
3 small shallots, minced (about 2-3 Tb. minced)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tsp. sea salt
lots of black pepper
1/4 cup canned & drained green chiles,  OR 2-3 roasted green chiles, chopped

3 avocados
1/2 lime
salt & pepper

Jalapeno Pesto Mayo:
4 Tb. mayo
2 heaping  Tb. Jalapeno Pesto (or more depending on how you like it)

For Serving:
provolone cheese slices
sliced tomatoes
rolls or sourdough slices

In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, shallots, garlic, green chiles, salt and pepper.  Form into 6 patties.  Refrigerate until you're ready to grill.  Smash the avocado and squeeze half the lime over it and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Stir to combine and refrigerate until serving.  For the Jalapeno Pesto Mayo mix together mayo and pesto and set aside.  Heat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.  Grill on each side 3-4 minutes, topping with cheese slices a minute before you remove the burgers from the grill.  To assemble the burgers put tomato slices on the bottom bun, if desired, top with burgers, avocado mixture and jalapeno pesto mayo.  Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Squash Boats

It has been a bit of a blogging lull for me the last couple weeks.  I got sick.  Sicker than I can remember being in a long time!  And being out of commission for a week left me behind on life!  I am getting back into the swing of things finally and excited to share this recipe with you...writing this post makes me want to eat it again!

I saw this recipe for Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats on the Skinny Taste blog and I couldn't wait to make them.  I had loads of yellow squash that I got from Market on the Move that needed to be used up right away and I am currently obsessed with homemade enchilada sauce...so it was meant to be!  I adapted the recipe a little bit to make more....because we eat a lot I guess.  You can definitely eat 2-3 of these boats without feeling super stuffed because they're so low-cal/carb. We liked this so much that I made them a few days later for my sister in-law after she had a baby and they loved it too!

I would like to say that, making homemade enchilada sauce is key. You can absolutely sub a can of sauce if you have to/want to...but the homemade sauce makes it!  On the Skinny Taste blog she gives nutrition facts, I changed the recipe a little bit and added a little more chicken, so this recipe may be a few more calories but that would be a good guideline if you're curious!

Chicken Enchilada Squash Boats

recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Enchilada Sauce--I recommend making it!  Half the recipe is plenty so freeze the rest for later.

6-7 medium yellow squash or zucchini

1 colored bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 c. red onion, finely chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1/3-1/2 c. chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

2 Tb. tomato paste

1/4 c. + 2 Tb. water

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb chicken, cooked & shredded (crockpot, boiled, grilled, however you like)

shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Wash and dry the squash and slice lengthwise in half.  Using a small spoon or scoop, scoop out the insides of the squash and set aside, leaving a 1/4 around the edges.  Place the squash boats upside down on a plate and microwave 1-3 minutes.  You want to just take the crispness off of the raw squash. After a minute rearrange them on the plate to get even cooking.  While you are par-cooking the squash boats, chop the reserved flesh that you  have set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions & bell pepper over medium heat 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to soften.  Add in chopped squash and continue cooking a few more minutes.  Stir in chopped cilantro & garlic and season with salt & pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano.  Stir in the tomato paste and water, reduce heat to medium-low and let everything cook together 2 minutes.  Mix in the shredded chicken and heat through.  At this point if you would like the filling a little saucier, pour in a little bit of the enchilada sauce to your liking.  

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray (you may need a second pan depending on the size of your squash).  Pour a little bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Fill each boat with chicken filling, press it down and place in the pan.  Top each boat with 2 Tb. enchilada sauce and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Cover the pan(s) with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Any leftover chicken filling makes for a great salad topping or also would freeze well. This is a great meal to serve with cilantro lime rice, chips and salsa, or Mexican style pinto beans.



Homemade Enchilada Sauce & Enchilada Stacks

 We really, really, really like Mexican food.  Like, a lot.  If you've read this blog more than a couple weeks you've probably noticed that already.  I saw this recipe for homemade enchilada sauce and I had to try it, because I don't typically love canned red enchilada sauce.  This is a keeper!  We all loved it.  I adapted the recipe a bit to be vegan/vegetarian by using veggie stock instead of chicken and I used a cornstarch slurry instead of a roux so it would be gluten-free and not have any added fat/calories from the oil. It makes a lot, so I have plenty in the freezer to make chicken enchilada soup next week. 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

recipe adapted from Shrinking Kitchen

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1/4 c. chili powder

1 Tb. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder (you can sub some grated onion for this)

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. veggie stock or chicken stock

2 Tb. cornstarch

Dump the fire roasted tomatoes into your blender and puree.  In a medium-large sauce pan combine the pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion and salt.  Warm over medium heat.  In a small bowl mix together 1/2 c. of the veggie stock with the cornstarch and stir until combined well.  Set aside.  Stir the remaining 2 1/2 c. of stock into the tomato sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.  Slowly stream in the stock/cornstarch mixture and stir to combine well.  Simmer the sauce 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and use as desired.  I highly recommend the chicken Enchilada Soup or Chicken & Cream Cheese Enchiladas, or try the recipe for Enchilada Stacks below!  Freeze any extra sauce for your next use.

Enchilada Stacks

This recipe can be adapted very easily to your liking.  Substitute shredded beef for chicken, black beans for pintos, add corn, rice, various types of cheeses, etc.  It would be fun to set out all sorts of enchilada fillings/toppings and let everyone customize their own!

corn tortillas

Mexican style pinto beans

shredded chicken

homemade enchilada sauce 

Toppings:

avocado

shredded cheese

chopped onions or green onions

black olives

sour cream

Prepare the pinto beans ahead of time in the crockpot.  Cook the chicken either on the grill or in a crockpot or use rotisserie chicken.  To make the enchilada stacks it helps to have all of the ingredients/fillings hot and ready to eat.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and heat the tortillas a minute or so on each side.  To assemble layer a corn tortilla on a plate, top with shredded chicken & Mexican pintos and a layer of enchilada sauce.  Lay on a second corn tortilla and repeat the layers ending with a generous amount of enchilada sauce.  Top with your desired garnishes, I chose half a smashed avocado and some diced onion.  (I would've added a dollop of sour cream if we weren't out of that!)  Yummy!

 

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Mexican Style Pinto Beans

I have lots of bean recipes.  You what they say about the whole "musical fruit" thing...I guess we go for it because we eat lots of beans.  I love, love, love the typical refried beans and I usually make those, but my sister made these beans and we all loved them.  I made a double batch of this recipe to take to our small group nacho bar potluck and didn't have many leftovers!  What was leftover my kids ate with a spoon for lunch today.

These ranch beans are perfect wrapped in a tortilla, dipped with tortilla chips or in chili.

Mexican Style Pinto Beans

adapted from sparkpeople.com

1 lb dried pinto beans, or 2 c. dried beans

3 Tb. cumin

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 tsp. smoked paprika

3 tsp. granulated garlic

2 Tb. chili powder

1 Tb. salt

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can Rotel, undrained

1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

3-4 c. water (or more if you don't soak the beans head of time)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Rinse the beans and cover them with water and soak overnight.  If you don't have time to soak the beans, just add more cooking time in the morning and 1-2 c. more water.  Rinse the soaked beans and add to your slow cooker.  Measure all dry seasonings, add to the slow cooker, and stir the beans to coat.  Add in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, rotel, tomatoes and water, and stir.  (You want enough liquid to cover the beans.)  Cook on low 4-6 hours, adjusting salt or seasonings as you like.  Stir in the cilantro once the beans are cooked. You can keep the beans on warm as long as you need before serving.  

 

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BBQ Chicken Nachos with BBQ Chipotle Ranch

We like bbq chicken anything it seems.  So, when I was staring at a good amount of leftover grilled chicken I really wanted to mix it with barbecue sauce and this recipe was invented in that moment.  As weird as it sounds, we loved it.  My kids would eat almost anything on a chip and this was no exception. I used refried black beans but if that sounds strange to you plain black beans would be just perfect.  Some roasted corn would be really good on these also.

BBQ Chicken Nachos

• 1 12.5 oz bag tortilla chips (enough to cover a large cookie sheet)
• 2 c. chopped chicken
• 1/4-1/3 c. barbecue sauce (you don't want the chicken to be too soaked with bbq)
• 3/4 c. refried black beans (or sub regular black beans)
• 2 c. shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 c. red onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. chopped bell pepper, any color
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 1/2 c. ranch dressing
• 1 tsp. chipotle puree (tutorial here)
• 2 tsp. barbecue sauce

Preheat the oven to 425.  Stir chicken and barbecue sauce together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl combine the ranch dressing, chipotle puree and 2 tsp. barbecue sauce. Spread the chips over a large cookie sheet in one layer.  Then sprinkle the chicken, black beans, cheese, onion and bell pepper over the chips.  Bake 10 minutes, keeping an eye that the chips don't brown too much.  Once the cheese is melted remove from the oven.  Sprinkle on the cilantro and drizzle the Chipotle BBQ Ranch over the top.

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Chicken Tamale Pie

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  Shocker, I know.  This is one of my absolute new favorite recipes that will for sure go on our regular rotation.  It is super simple, not so shabby on the calorie count and inexpensive to make.  Try this! After I had made this a couple times I saw a blog post where someone made this with carnitas on top...I don't see any reason why you couldn't put any leftover meat on top of this in place of the chicken.  (ie leftover roast) I also think some roasted or grilled veggies would be fabulous in place of meat for a vegetarian option.

 

I have to give a little plug to Market Pantry enchilada sauce.  It. Is. The. Best.  I accidentally tried it because I had forgotten to buy enchilada sauce for this recipe at the regular grocery store.  Seriously, worth going to Target to pick it up.

 

Chicken Tamale Pie

recipe adapted from Experimental Mommy

 

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayene pepper

1 egg

1/3 c. milk

1 can creamed corn

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I seasoned my chicken with taco seasoning)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray a 9x13 pan with oil.  Mix together the muffin mix, cumin, cayenne pepper, egg, milk and creamed corn.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke holes all over the cornbred with a fork.  Pour the enchilada sauce over cornbread.  Layer the chicken over the enchilada sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top of everything.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Let stand a few minutes before serving. 

 

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Lentil & Sweet Potato Tacos with Chipotle Cream

In my quest to cook more vegetarian/vegan meals I've become much more creative and open to possibilities further than: pasta, boca burgers, beans & rice and salads.  Thanks to wonderful blogs and Pinterest I've found many recipes and ideas for recipes.  This taco recipe came as a compilation of many things I've seen.  (Taco "meat" inspired by this recipe first!) I kept wanting to try lentil taco "meat" and continued to put it off, but finally gave it a go, and am happy to report we all loved it.  I will put this on our regular rotation. To quote Rob directly, "This is by far the very best vegetarian meal you've ever made!"

The lentils prepared this way remind me of actual meat, and would be great in a burrito with rice, on a taco salad or nachos.  The whole chipotle-sweet potato-combo is one of my new favorite flavors.  One of our favorite restaurants serves a chipotle dipping sauce with their sweet potato fries and we've been in love with it since our first try.  I'd say you could definitely make this vegan without the cream...but it would be missing something awesome!

To prepare the lentils is super easy so I recommend making the entire 1 lb bag of lentils and freezing half for your next taco night. I thought I'd give you an idea of how frugal it is to use lentils in place of grass-fed ground  beef. One pound grass-fed ground beef: $4.99.  One pound dried lentils: $.99 (once cooked a bag of lentils equals 2 lbs ground beef). Holy cow that's a savings of $8.00 not to mention the health benefits of eating less red meat...just sayin'!

Lentil Sweet Potato Tacos with Chipotle Cream

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
generous sprinkling of sea salt
1-2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 lb. brown lentils, cooked and drained (equals about 3 c. cooked)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 c. water

1/2 c. sour cream or greek yogurt
2 Tb. chipotle puree (see directions below)
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

corn tortillas
red leaf lettuce

Heat oven to 400 and spray a cookie sheet with oil.  Layer sweet potatoes on the sheet and sprinkle generously with cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt & garlic.  Bake for 15 minutes, stir with a spatula and bake another 10  minutes.  Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and set aside.  In the meantime, prepare the lentil mixture.

To make the lentils, saute the onion in a frying pan with a little spray of oil until the onion is tender, add in garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in the lentils.  Continue cooking over medium heat, smashing the lentils a little bit with the back of a wooden spoon.  Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and stir in water and continue cooking until thickened and hot. 

While the lentils are heating/cooking, quickly stir together the chipotle cream.  Mix together sour cream or yogurt, chipotle puree and granulated garlic and set aside.  You can easily make this spicier or more mild by adding more or less of the chipotle puree.

To assemble tacos layer lettuce, lentils, sweet potatoes and chipotle cream.  Enjoy with a Corona, if you like.

Chipotle Puree

1 7 oz can chipotle in adobo (Click here to see on Amazon)

Pour the entire can into a blender or food processer.  Pulse until mostly smooth, a few chunks are fine.  Pour the mixture into a ziploc back and roll into a log shape.  Freeze.  Cut off chunks of the mixture as needed for recipes where chipotle or adobo sauce are called for. 

The reason for this recipe is that very few recipes call for an entire can of chipotles, which makes for lots of waste.  This puree will stay good in the freezer for up to a year! Something to keep in  mind with this puree is that it will be much spicier than just plain adobo sauce, so use less.

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Black Bean & Quinoa Bowls

This recipe is vegan. (GASP!) I almost put that in the title, but I knew some people wouldn't even look at the recipe because of that, so I didn't.  I'm finding that with my youngest son's food allergies (beef, pork, cow's milk, strawberries, oats and peanuts), combined with the foods I'm not giving him temporarily (wheat, eggs, soy, tree nuts) vegan recipes are making life easier.  Cooking vegetarian and vegan actually makes cooking easier because the prep work goes so fast without having to cook meat, grate cheese, etc.  I need more vegan recipes!

Several months ago my mom challenged us to eat animal products less frequently, so I started cooking vegetarian a couple times a week and I realized we didn't really miss the meat on those nights.  AND it's much less expensive to skip the meat.  While we have no intention of ever giving up cheeseburgers and going vegetarian/vegan completely, it is not a big deal for us to do without it sometimes. 

I recently posted another quinoa recipe and someone commented with an idea that made me try this for dinner tonight and we liked it!  I loved that this entire meal was ready in the time it takes to cook quinoa.  I made a quick guacamole to put on top but simply chopping an avocado for the top would be perfect if you want to make it even simpler.

Black Bean & Quinoa Bowls

serves a family of 5 or 3-4 very hungry adults

1 c. dried quinoa, cooked with 2 c. water according to directions

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-oz can Rotel, mostly drained

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

salt & pepper to taste

2 large avocados

2 Tb. thick salsa

generous dash of granulated garlic

salt & pepper to taste

2 Tb onion, minced

Tabasco to taste

3 green onions, chopped

lime wedges

While the quinoa is cooking mix together black beans, rotel, chili powder, cumin, 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, salt & pepper.  Cook in a small pot over medium heat until hot or microwave 3-5 minutes until hot.  In a small bowl mash the avacado with a fork and stir in salsa, garlic, salt & pepper, onion and tabasco.  Taste and adjust seasoning as you like. (Or, simply chop the avacado and set aside.) To assemble the bowls, layer some quinoa at the bottom of a bowl, top with a generous amount of black bean mixture, a dollop of guacamole or chopped avacado, sprinkle on some green onions and serve with lime wedges.

Even Better 7-layer Dip

I've always loved 7-layer dip.  But it's a real bummer when the good stuff is all scraped off and all that is left is the hard canned-refried beans that break your chip when you attempt a scoop.  That's been my experience at least.

This recipe solves that "problem" and I'm happy to say it was a giant hit at a Super Bowl party.

If you need to make this gluten free, skip the taco mix and add in some granulated garlic, salt, cumin and chili powder in place of it.

This makes a LOT so if you are making it for a smaller group of people, half it.

Even Better 7-layer Dip

1 28-oz can refried beans or 3 c. homemade
3/4c. - 1 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened (half a block)
2 Tb taco seasoning OR 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2-1tsp granulated garlic, 1/4 tsp salt
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. red onion, minced
2 large tomatoes or 3 small, seeded and minced
2-3 avocados, chopped (my taste-testers preferred more avacado)
1 small can chopped black olives, drained or 1/2 can whole black olives, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Mix together refried beans and salsa to your desired consistency.  Less salsa for thicker beans, more for thinner.  Spread the bean/salsa mixture on a large platter (or a cookie sheet if you don't have a big platter).  Rinse out the bean bowl and mix together sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning.  Spread the sour cream mixture over the beans.  Then sprinkle the rest of the ingredients in layers over the top of the sour cream. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

Veggie Enchilada Bake

We're trying to eat more veggies.  This recipe is a direct reflection of that.  I threw it all together in my "Magic Pot" from Pampered Chef and microwaved it for 15 minutes and wah-lah...we all loved it.  You too can make this in the microwave, or if you don't have a magic pot, use a baking dish and bake it in the oven.

I had a bunch of collard greens sitting around and I chopped them up and put them in but spinach would be just great so use a bunch of greens of your choice.

Veggie Enchilada Bake

8 corn tortillas, cut in quarters
1 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bunch greens, chopped
1 c. frozen corn kernels, defrosted
1 can black beans, drained
1 heaping Tb. adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle in adobo (or 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder)
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 10-oz can green enchilada sauce (check for gluten if you're GF)

Preheat the oven to 350 (if you're using the oven.)  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 1 tsp. oil.  Saute the peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and greens 5-7 minutes, or until they are soft.  Stir in black beans, corn and adobo sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Pour some enchilada sauce on the bottom of your deep covered baker or an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  Layer half the tortillas, half the veggie mixture, half the cheese.  Then the rest of the tortillas, enchilada sauce, veggies and top with the cheese.  Bake 20 minutes (or microwave 15).  Once you remove from the oven, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

1/6th is 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

Pulled Pork Tacos with Smoky Cilantro Slaw

One more Pioneer Woman success. I love her. I made this slaw and I have to admit that I had to make a couple changes b/c it wasn't super flavorful, which I'm assuming was my error but after I added my flair we loved it!! I decided to make tacos instead of sandwiches because it seemed like the right thing to do. And it was. As you can see, we like an even slaw-to-pork ratio.  Don't let that scare you.

For the kids I made this into quesadillas and layered the pork, slaw, and some cheese in between two tortillas which was also super delicious and they scarfed it down, which is more than I can say for their usual behavior towards anything with the word "slaw" in it.

Smoky Cilantro Slaw
recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

1 head cabbage, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. mayo
1 Tb. vinegar
1-2 Tb. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of cayenne pepper
2 Tb. adobo sauce (leftover from pork)

Mix everything together and refrigerate an hour before serving.

Pulled Pork Tacos
recipe from Pioneer Woman

3 lbs pork loin roast
1/2 can chipotle in adobo (just toss 3-4 chipotle peppers and drizzle some of the adobo sauce on there)
1 can Dr. Pepper (I used diet, worked great)
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 onion, quartered
corn tortillas


Place the onions on the bottom of a crockpot and put the roast on top of them. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Pour the chipotles and adobo sauce on the top of the roast. Pour in the Dr. Pepper and stir the brown sugar into that. Cook on low heat all day. When the roast easily falls apart with two forks, remove it from the pot and shred. Chop the chopotles up. Skim the fat off of the top of the cooking liquid and discard. Put the shredded pork back & chipotles into the liquid. Keep on warm setting until you're ready to eat. To assemble tacos put a couple fork-fulls of pork onto the corn tortilla. Top with lots of smoky cilantro slaw. Enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I think I've blogged enchiladas before. Maybe once or twice. And probably you're getting the picture that we love Mexican food. Like really, really love it!

This recipe is based off of the creamy chicken enchiladas that I feel like everyone knows the recipe for, but of course I had to kick it up a notch and I like to use corn tortillas for a few reasons. One, because their much healthier for you. And two, because they hold up much better with filling and sauce without getting soggy. And I just like them.

I made this in my Pampered Chef deep covered baker and cooked it in the microwave (it's unbelievable how amazing stuff turns out in that thing!) BUT, a 9x13 pan would work out great. We ate ours with a few dots of sriracha for an extra kick, because we're punchy like that.



Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

10-12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 12-oz can green chile enchilada sauce
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cooked & chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used reduced fat)
1 c. (heaping) sour cream
1/4 of an onion, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed, minced (You can sub a fork-full of nacho slices)
4 whole roasted hatch chiles, peeled and chopped (or 1 4-oz can chopped green chiles)
salt & pepper to taste
2 c. shredded colby-jack or cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the chicken, soup, sour cream, onion, garlic, jalapeno and green chiles. Taste and add more jalapeno and salt & pepper if needed. To assemble, pour a little bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer the tortilla quarters in a single layer. Spread on half of the chicken mixture, half of the cheese and top with another single layer of tortillas. Spread a little more sauce on top of that. Add the other half of the chicken mixture, the cheese and another tortilla layer. Top with more enchilada sauce. Bake 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (If using the deep covered baker, microwave covered 15 minutes.) Let stand 10 minutes to let it settle before cutting and serving.

Jalapeno Popper Burger

I'm making a summer resolution.  I. Will. Blog. More. Recipes.  I am cooking but somehow don't "have" (make) time to blog the recipes...excuses. That's all I have to say about that.

A few weeks ago I got the "Mexican Pack" from the Bountiful Baskets and there were loads of fresh jalapenos in there so I sauteed some of them up and put them on a burger with caramelized onions and the burgers were awesome!  And then...I read the Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine and saw this recipe and Rob and I were both drooling just looking at the picture/recipe in the magazine. 

Tonight I made the burgers and...YUM-O.  (Sorry, had to quote Rachael Ray here).  I will make these again next week.  And probably again the week after...  I ate my burger on a sandwich thin bun and I used extra-lean beef, reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar cheese so it wasn't so bad on the calorie count.

Jalapeno Popper Burgers
makes four burgers

3 large fresh jalapeno peppers
olive oil or cooking spray for cooking
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tb grated or finely minced onion
1 garlic clove grated or pressed (or more)
2 Tb cilantro, finely chopped
dash of ground cumin
salt and pepper

1 1/4 lb ground beef

4 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese

4-8 slices cooked bacon

4 bakery rolls (please, please use bakery rolls and not weird packaged hamburger buns.)

In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese, onion, garlic, cilantro and cumin. Set aside. Cut the jalapenos lengthwise and carefully scoop out the ribs and seeds with a spoon.  Slice the jalapenos thinly.  Saute the peppers in a pan over medium-high heat until just tender.  While the peppers are cooking form four equal hamburger patties and season them well with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers on a grill or in a pan a couple minutes on each side or to your desired done-ness. At the last minute top each burger with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture and a slice of cheese.  Close the grill for a minute until the cheese starts to melt.  Serve on toasted bakery rolls and top with some of the sauteed jalapenos and bacon.

YUM!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Well 10 days ago I said I would post this recipe "tomorrow." ...it never happened.  I'm having trouble getting everything done in a day so here we are!

I found this recipe in Cooking Light  Magazine and made it with a few changes...it's really good!   I do have to admit that it's "involved". This recipe takes more time than what I typically spend on a meal, but it is loaded with vegetables and it's really good.

I try to chop all the veggies, cook the chicken, and make the salsa ahead of time.  That  makes everything go faster at dinner time.  You do not need to make your own salsa.  I think a jar would be just fine and save lots of time.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
2 c. chunky tomato salsa (I use this recipe)
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. corn kernels
1 c. diced zucchini, summer or mexican squash
1 c. chopped bell pepper or poblano
2 c. chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 c. black beans
3 garlic cloves,  minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
12 corn tortillas
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. crumbled feta cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat the pan with cooking spray and saute onion, corn, squash and bell pepper.  Saute until tender.  Add chicken, black beans, garlic, seasonings, enchilada sauce and chiles and cook until heated through.  Remove pan from heat.  To assemble casserole, spread 1/2 c. salsa in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.  Arrange half of the tortilas over the salsa.  Spoon half the chicken mixture over the tortillas.  Top with 3/4 c. salsa and 1/2 c. of each cheese.  Repeat the layers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

1/8th of this is 331 calories, 12 g. fat and 5 g fiber.

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

I made a new salsa and it's really good if I do say so myself.  I was making this casserole and the recipe was so involved and time consuming and I ended up making this salsa as a result to save time.  It's my new favorite.  I'll post my version of the casserole tomorrow!

I used a couple poblano peppers (they are dark green peppers about the same size of bell peppers) in the salsa but you could just skip those and add a 7 oz can of chopped green chiles instead.




Fire Roasted Tomato Sasa

3 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 poblano peppers cut into big chunks
6-10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 jalapenos halved, ribs & seeds removed (I reserved the ribs and seeds from one of the jalapenos because we like spicy)
1 onion cut into big chunks
3/4-1 c. cilantro
juice of a lime
salt to taste

Turn on the broiler to 500.  Place the peppers, garlic cloves, jalapenos and onion on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray.  Roast about 20 minutes, shaking the pan after 10 minutes.  You want the garlic to be browned and the other vegetables may have some black spots but not be completely charred.  Remove the veggies from the oven and let cool a few minutes.  In a food processer or blender combine cans of tomatoes, roasted vegetables, lime juice, salt and cilantro.  Pulse until chopped and combined.  Enjoy!!

Chicken & Cream Cheese Enchiladas

So, I read this book called The Belly Fat Cure and because I'm at a bit of a post-baby weightloss standstill (aka, belly fat) I decided to try it out.  So far, it works! And, the book is very interesting and somewhat enlightening.

Anyway, you can have corn tortillas and enchiladas on the diet, so here they are!  My friend brought me a similar batch of enchiladas when I had the baby and we loved them so I based this batch on her recipe. They were very good!

When I make Enchiladas I usually chop up the tortillas and layer like a casserole instead of rolling the enchiladas, it's probably a personal problem but I can never keep the tortillas from breaking! (If you're wondering, YES I've heated them, dipped them in sauce/stock...doesn't work for me.) So on that tangent, do what you want.

Chicken & Cream Cheese Enchiladas
2 large chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
Seasoned salt, garlic, cumin (or your choice of seasoning) for chicken
1 packet McCormick Enchilada sauce mix (found by the taco seasoning and gravy mix)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
8-9 corn tortillas
4 oz cream cheese, softened and heated until easily spreadable
4 oz can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 c. cojita cheese, crumbled OR crumbled feta
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Start by cooking the chicken.  I seasoned mine well and grilled it.  You can certainly bake or boil it and then season it.  Shred the chicken and set aside.  In a small saucepan mix together the sauce seasoning packet, tomato sauce, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 375. Now either layer or roll the enchiladas in a 9x13 pan, tortillas on the bottom, then spread the cream cheese, chicken, onions, green chiles, and 3/4 c. cheddar cheese.   Top with another layer of tortillas and cover with sauce. Sprinkle the top with feta or cojita cheese and bake 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese on the top and bake another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the green onions and cilantro over the top.  Serve with sour cream.

Enchilada Skillet

I really, really need to work on my photography skills.  Really.  Especially now that it's winter and we don't have daylight savings and it gets dark so early...my photos are terrible.  I know it and now you know that I know it, so that should at least help the akwardness.

On to the food.  This is a really great recipe that is inexpensive and super fast to make and my family loves this.  The best part about it is that it makes really great leftovers.  It's one of those meals that seems to actually taste better the next day!

I originally got this recipe out of a magazine in a Campbell's soup ad and of course I had to doctor itup a bit, but it's a great go -to for us.  I made it for a friend's family and they really liked it too!

Enchilada Skillet

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tb taco seasoning
1 can condensed tomato soup
3/4 c. salsa (jarred or make your own)
3/4 c. water
7 6-inch flour tortillas, cut into 1'' squares
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream


Brown the ground beef or turkey in a skillet.  Drain off the fat and add in the onion and garlic cooking for another two minutes or so.  Stir in the seasoning, tomato soup, salsa, water and tortillas.  Bring to a boil and lower the heat to low and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up and the tortillas have soaked most of it up.  Top with the shredded cheese and let rest a minute until the cheese has melted.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream. YUM.

*stir in 1 c. frozen corn at the end if you want to skip the side.