Vegetarian Black Bean and Quinoa Burritos

The streak is over.  And by streak, I mean a ridiculous string of postings on sweets.  I know, it was getting a little excessive.  To offset all that sugar (and no, I haven't given up sugar yet like I was musing about previously and yes, today I thoroughly enjoyed the pumpkin bar I picked out from the cute little bakery next to my son's hair cutting place--speaking of ridiculous, my 5 year old son has such tricky hair to cut that I take him to a fancy children's salon and spend more on his haircuts than I do), I am featuring these extremely healthy, yet incredibly delicious burritos.

Black beans and the protein-rich seed quinoa are mixed with other Southwestern style ingredients including a quick lime vinaigrette and wrapped in whole grain tortillas.  If you leave the cheese off the top, they're even a vegan recipe! 

I sort of made them up as I went along and wasn't sure what I was going to end up with but I was really happy with the result.  I was also quite relieved since I had made an extra pan of them to bring to a neighbor who just had a baby--I know they always say not to try out new recipes on company and I never listen.  Sometimes I pay the price for that, but thankfully not this round!

I knew it was a good sign when my dear husband told me they were "top notch" and the baby ate thirds (never mind that the floor around his chair was scattered with black beans and corn kernels--those are the days I wish I had a dog...). 

Vegetarian Black Bean and Quinoa Burritos
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 small ear), you can also sub frozen or canned or omit
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions (can sub cooked brown or white rice)
large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 burrito size whole grain tortillas (Santa Fe Tortilla Company found at Costco recommended)
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese, optional
sour cream for serving, optional

In a large bowl, mix together black beans, corn, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, quinoa and cilantro.  In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, cumin, garlic powder and salt.  Drizzle in olive oil and stir to combine.  Pour over bean mixture and toss together.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9x13" glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Scoop 3/4-1 cup filling onto each tortilla.  Roll tortillas around filling and place seam side down in baking dish.  Pour salsa over top of burritos (I like it poured right down the center so that the edges of the tortillas stay dry and get crispy).  Sprinkle cheese over top, if desired.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until top of burritos are lightly browned and salsa is bubbly.

**Double the recipe, assemble half in a disposable baking dish and put it in the freezer to give to someone in need of a pre-made, healthy meal!**

Skillet Shrimp Fajitas

Add this recipe to your file of "Desperation Dinners." Already after 5 o'clock and I hadn't really even thought about what to make for dinner.  To make matters worse, it had been awhile since I'd been to the store and all we were left with were odds and ends---half a pepper, a lonely zucchini, some sliced onion left from salads over the weekend.  What to do...Immediately, my mind went to fajitas.  Shrimp fajitas, since all my meat was frozen and shrimp would thaw out and cook up the fastest.

The shrimp thawed out under running water in a matter of minutes while I chopped the remaining vegetables and then quickly sauteed everything in batches.  In under 30, we were sitting down to a meal that definitely had the look of being more planned than it was.  My five year old asked if we could have this for dinner again sometime soon.  I'll count that as a success.

Oh, and a quick note: we were all out of the shredded cheese that I would normally top Mexican fare with in our house.  Taking a cue from Susie Jimenez (contestant on the current season of "The Next Food Network Star"), I substituted crumbled feta.  If you are able, I highly recommend using it on the fajitas.  It added a surprising and really delicious twist that I will be repeating in the future.

 Shrimp Fajitas
1 pound medium-large shrimp, thawed, peeled and de-veined
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 six-inch flour tortillas
toppings: salsa, sour cream, diced avocado, crumbled feta cheese

In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.  Stir well and set aside.  Remove shells and tails from shrimp and place in a bowl or in a single layer on a plate.  Sprinkle shrimp with a generous layer of spice mixture.


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute vegetables in batches with a couple teaspoons of oil for each batch until vegetables are crisp-tender and begin to brown.  Remove to a bowl and keep warm.  Repeat until all vegetables are cooked.  Wipe out pan.  Add remaining oil and saute shrimp just 1-2 minutes per side, flipping once.  Shrimp are done as soon as they become firm and pink.  Immediately remove from the heat.

To serve, divide shrimp and vegetables evenly among tortillas.  Dress with desired condiments such as salsa, diced avocado or guacamole, sour cream and cheese

Easy Chicken Tacos

Since getting rid of our cable last Fall, I have discovered the hidden gem that is PBS.  One of my favorite shows is "From America's Test Kitchen: Cook's Country."  It is totally cheesy, but is extremely informative and the cooking demonstrations always leave me feeling hungry and excited about trying a new recipe.  This recipe for Chicken Tacos is one of those that piqued my interest.  I never would've thought to combine the ingredients called for, but it makes for an extremely easy, flavorful taco filling.  Make some extra to put into quesadillas and burritos for the rest of the week as well!

Also, for fun, I included a sample menu of what I served with the chicken tacos.  Hope you find it useful!

Fiesta Menu: 
Easy Chicken Tacos and suggested toppings
Tortilla chips with pico de gallo and packaged queso dip (Velveeta and a can of Rotel is still my fav)
Spanish Rice
Canned Refried Beans heated and topped with shredded cheese
Cantaloupe slices with lime zest, honey and lime juice drizzled over top
Tropical Shortcakes: yellow cake topped with chopped pineapple, mango, kiwi and berries, pastry cream and whipped cream

Easy Chicken Tacos:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (look for these in the Latin foods section)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
12, 6-inch flour tortillas

For serving: grated cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato or pico de gallo, diced avocado, sour cream

Directions: Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and chipotle peppers and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup cilantro.  Bring to a boil.

Add chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through and registers 160 degrees, about 10-15 minutes, flipping chicken half-way through cooking.*  Remove chicken from sauce mixture, transfer to a plate and set side, tenting with foil.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in mustard.  Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces (and removing any "icky bits" as necessary).  Return chicken to skillet.  Toss with remaining cilantro and toss until well-combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.

*Crock Pot Variation: Follow above direction through bringing the sauce mixture to a boil.  Place raw chicken breasts in a crock pot, pour sauce mixture over chicken and cover.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.  Remove chicken to a plate.  Pour sauce mixture back into skillet and reduce as directed above.  Shred chicken, toss with sauce mixture and serve or return to crock pot to keep warm until ready to serve.  Stir in fresh cilantro right before serving.    

Source: Easy Chicken Tacos from America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country TV

15 Minute Blackened Fish Tacos

Everyone needs a few recipes on hand that you can throw together in the blink of an eye.  This is one of those recipes that comes together in 15 minutes (yippie!).  When I was throwing out dinner options tonight (and I was secretly hoping for the boys to pick soup because it's been cold and rainy all day), my four year old jumped on the fish tacos option.  I guess what I'm saying is that if fish tacos was a kid's first choice, they really are a crowd-pleaser.  We all (should) know that adding more fish to our diet is a good thing for our health and this is an easy and appealing way to add a serving.  This recipe uses tilapia, which I've heard called "the gateway fish."  It's mild flavored, economical and doesn't have a fishy taste.  Other good options besides tilapia would be cod, red snapper or catfish.  Oh, and "Blackened" just refers to the cooking style--rubbed with Cajun style seasonings and cooked in a really hot skillet to form a crispy crust!

Blackened Fish Tacos
serves 4 
1-1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets (about 4)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
     (*also, you can substitute Cajun or Blackening Seasoning for the above spices)
2 tablespoons olive oil

corn tortillas (about 8-12--double layer them for best plate to mouth handling)
bagged coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion (such as a Vidalia), finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
lime wedges
(diced avocado would be nice too, I just didn't have any)

Directions: In a small bowl, stir together cilantro and diced onion.  Set aside.  In another small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice.  Set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat.  Stir together salt and spices and season tilapia fillets generously with spice mixture.  When the skillet is good and hot, place the fish fillets in a single layer in the skillet.  Cook, untouched, for about 4 minutes or until edges of fish are opaque.  Also, there should be a crispy looking crust formed on the bottom side.  Flip over and cook additional 2-4 minutes or until the second side is browned, and fish flakes easily with a fork.  Remove from heat.  Break into large chunks. Squeeze a lime wedge or two over top of the fish

To serve, double layer the corn tortillas.  Spread a thin layer of the sour cream mixture on tortillas.  Top with chunks of fish, a handful of coleslaw mix and sprinkle with cilantro-onion mixture.  Serve with additional lime wedges, as desired.  ¡Olé!

Steak Fajitas

I am currently sitting in rainy Minnesota, starting a week+ worth of "Brother-Sitting."  Dropped my parents off at the airport an hour ago ("Bring me back something French!") and since then, have 1) tried on my mom's shoes, 2) found lots of potential treats/pitfalls (I've eaten a spoonful of Ben and Jerry's, a piece of leftover Easter chocolate and some almonds from a fancy tin), 3) perused the magazine collection and 4) had my fill of sattellite tv (we got rid of ours last Fall and I thought I would be glad to catch up on the Food Network and others, but the magic seems to be lost--probably just as well).  I thought that before I go do something useful (like read a book?), I'd post a dinner-worthy recipe.  Even though it's gray and drizzly here today, we have definitely entered the grilling season.  Let's celebrate with a classic, Steak Fajitas (of course, you can also substitute chicken breast or all veggies if you prefer, I just happened to get a screaming deal on skirt steak last week).  Also, these might be the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo next week...

 Steak Fajitas
Marinated Skirt Steak
1 pound skirt steak
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions (green onions), white and green parts, washed and cut into big chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Fajita Veggies
1 large onion, thinly sliced length-wise
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
1/2-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, divided
lime wedges (optional)

Extras
tortillas (click on link for homemade, if you like!)
Fajita fixings: sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, etc...

To prepare the steak, remove skirt steak, rinse and place in a gallon sized freezer bag.  In a blender pitcher, combine oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, red pepper flakes, cumin and brown sugar.  Blend until smooth and thoroughly combined.  Pour into bag over steak, seal up and marinate for about one hour in the fridge.  Remove steak from bag, pat with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature while you prepare the grill (I just used our gas grill, but you can use charcoal or an indoor grill pan as well). 

Grill steak for 1-2 minutes on each side (you just want to sear the outside, flank steak is thin!).  Remove from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes while you're cooking the vegetables.

Preheat a large skillet over high heat.  Add half the oil and saute vegetables in two batches, paying attention not to crowd the pan (so you don't steam them).  Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and crisp tender.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

After steak has rested, cut across the grain into very thin slices.  Serve in warmed tortillas with the pepper and onion mixture and topping with your desired fixings.

Skirt Steak inspired by Alton Brown's recipe 

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

"Waste not, want not" I think is how the saying goes and although it's cliche, some really great meals have come out of trying not to waste food.  Hence, this particular enchilada dish.  Leftover rotisserie chicken, leftover taco shells and leftover onion dip mixed with the new Philly Cooking Creme (savory cream cheese sauce ready to be mixed into quick meals) I scored for free with coupons.  It's not very highbrow, but it was met with raves from the family and the urgent insistence from my husband that I record the recipe.

As for the new Philly Cooking Creme, I am pretty impressed and think that it's something to keep on hand for throwing together quick meals and I am excited to use some of the other flavors in different dishes (and, I was not prompted to say that by any means...although I would be happy to say nice things for some means--just in case anyone from Kraft is reading... : ). 

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
12 Hard taco shells, broken in halves (or use broken tortilla chips)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (great time to use leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 can black beans, drained
1 12 oz. jar salsa verde, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 container Philly Cooking Creme (plain or Santa Fe flavor) (or one 8 oz package cream cheese, softened)
1 cup French onion sour cream dip (or 1 cup sour cream)
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
Shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream etc. for garnish (optional)

Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.  Layer half of broken taco shells in bottom of baking dish.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, black beans, half of salsa verde, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder.  Stir to combine and pour into baking dish on top of taco shells.  In same bowl, mix together Cooking Creme, sour cream dip, remaining salsa verde and half of shredded cheese.  Pour half of Creme mixture over top of chicken mixture, and spread evenly.  Top with remaining taco shells.  Spread remaining Creme mixture over taco shells and top with remaining shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and browned on top.  Or, if you're in a big hurry (not me, I ALWAYS plan ahead!), microwave on high until casserole is heated through (about 10 minutes) and then brown in 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes. 

Tamale Pie

Well, after the toothache we must all have after eating a whole bowl of cookie dough from the last post, I thought I would post something healthier.  I really love making this tamale pie because it's really more one of those concept recipes--meaning it's easy to vary the filling based on what you have on hand.  What makes the "tamale" part is a soft polenta made from regular, old cornmeal.  Then, the filling possibilities are endless--taco meat, shredded beef, refried beans, fajita style chicken, you get the picture... For this particular night, I made a vegetarian version filled with black beans and green chiles to pair with some really delicious Chicken Green Chile sausages I picked up (thank you, new Sunflower Market, for opening up right near my Thursday morning Bible study!). 


Tamale Pie (Black Bean variation)

Polenta
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken base (I love "Better than Bouillon" brand--or bouillon cube)
1 cup yellow corn meal (the kind you make cornbread with)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

Black Bean Filling:
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (or 1 can Rotel), drained (or substitute salsa)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 cup (or one small can) diced green chiles

Garnishes as desired: shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, black olives, jalapenos, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally and keeping warm while preparing the polenta. 

To prepare the polenta, in a medium sauce pan bring water, milk and chicken base or bouillon cube to a boil (watch it very carefully as it will boil over very quickly with that milk in it.  I am not sure why milk boils over like crazy given the opportunity, but you do not want to clean that mess up!).  Immediately whisk in cornmeal and lower heat to medium low and continue to whisk until all the water is absorbed and the mixture is thick and bubbly (about 1 minute).  Stir in cheese to melt.  Working quickly, as the polenta will firm up quickly, pour half of polenta mixture into a greased baking dish (8x8 or round casserole).  Pour filling over top of bottom layer (or spread over any desired filling), sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and spread remaining polenta over top of filling topping with the remaining cheese.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and browning and filling is bubbly. 

To serve, top individual servings with desired garnishes.

Spinach, White Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Goat Cheese

I know, this sounds like a really strange combination. It turned out really good. Trust me. It's hearty, substantial and my husband went back for thirds. And it all came together because I hadn't been to the grocery store in about two weeks and had a rather odd assortment of odds and ends that needed to be used up. The little bit that was left over made an excellent lunch the next day as well! Walk on the eclectic side and give it a try!

Spinach, White Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Goat Cheese

1 medium sweet potato
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 15 oz. can white beans (cannellini)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 oz goat cheese
2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese, divided (or another Mexican style cheese)
1/4 cup green chiles, chopped (or one small can)
1/2 cup pico de gallo or jarred salsa
about 8 corn tortillas
non stick cooking spray

Topping:
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup green salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
big handful of cilantro, washed (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
fresh squeezed juice of 1/2 lime

Wash sweet potato and poke holes in it. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until tender. Cut open and allow to cool until easy to handle. Cut into bite-sized chunks. In a medium-sized bowl, combine sweet potato, half of shredded cheese and rest of ingredients up to the corn tortillas. Stir until well-combined. The goat cheese should give it a creamy consistency. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a blender or a food processor, combine topping ingredients. Blend until it becomes a smooth sauce and set aside.

Grease a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds or just until pliable. Take one tortilla at a time, spread a large spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of filling on middle of tortilla, roll the tortilla up and place, seam side down, into baking dish. Repeat with filling and tortillas until used up.

Pour sauce over top of enchiladas and top with remaining half of shredded cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until enchiladas are bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove foil and allow to bake about 3-5 minutes longer, just until cheese starts to brown.

Top servings with additional pico de gallo and sour cream, if desired.