Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. corn kernels (fresh or canned shoepeg is great)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I used grape tomatoes)
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 t. grated lime zest
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve at once with tortilla chips. Also good on top of quesadillas.

Recipe from this blog.

(6 points for 1 1/2 c. of salad)

Chicken Empanadas

Made some yummy empanadas tonight. It was one of my just make it with what you got recipes, and it turned out really good. So this time instead of forgetting what I did and never having that meal again. As Brian would say, "So was this recipe from a cookbook or did you make it up?" Me, "I made it up." Brian, "Oh, so we're never going to have it again..." Not this time!

Chicken Empanadas
1 box of pie crust
1 chicken breast
2 small potatoes
1/2 white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 -1/2 cup salsa
Shredded Cheddar cheese
spices (season all, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne)
salt and pepper

Unroll the two crust and use a small cup (3 inch diameter?) to cut out circles, as many as you can get. Lay out on greased tin foil and cover with a towel.

Boil the chicken breast, when cooked shred it (really small) and season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste.

Preheat the oven to 450. Peel and dice potatoes, really small! Finely dice the onion. Put a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick frying pan and cook the onions about 5 mins, then add potatoes. Cook until potatoes begin to soften. Add garlic and spices (chili powder, season all, a dash of cayenne, and cumin). Mix in chicken and salsa. Taste, add more salt if needed.

Stuff the dough circles with meat mixture and some cheese. Fold in half and press with a fork around the edges. Brush with an egg yolk and water mixture (about 2 yolks and some water to thin it).

Cook at 450 for 11-13 minutes (until golden on top)
EAT.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

2 cans of black beans, rinsed (use plain, not seasoned)
4 cans of chicken broth (or a box and a half)
1 pkg of frozen corn (white corn is good, but you could use sweet)
2 cans of rotel (mild if you've got kids)
1/2 small can of tomato paste (you can use more, but I don't like mine too tomato-y)
Shredded chicken (shred up some from a rotisserie chicken or cook and shred your own)

1 bunch of cilantro chopped, for garnish
shredded cheese, garnish
two avocados chopped into bits, garnish
two limes cut into wedges, for squeezing on top, mmmmmmmm
Tortilla Chips for crunching on top

Put all the ingredients (not garnishes) into a big pot and simmer til hot enough to serve. I added a bit of salt and garlic powder, feel free to add whatever seasonings you'd like. Serve with the toppings. This is so delicious and easy. It makes a ton! Half it if you don't want leftovers.

I got this recipe from a blog, but I changed it up quite a bit after making it. It's really tasty. You could make this in a crock pot as well. Just add the ingredients into your crockpot and a frozen chicken breast or two, and shred the chicken up before eating.

Taco Soup

Rather than copying and pasting everything, I thought that I would give you the printable version. ;-) (Just click on the image below.)

This recipe is super easy and it works great for freezing! (I freeze it in lunch size portions for my dh.) In fact, I will be making it and freezing it this weekend, so I will try to remember to post a picture.

7 Layer Dip

(Click on image below and, if you like, print it.)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

the meat from 1 rotisserie chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can RoTel tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans, drained/rinsed
4 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups water
1/3 block of Velveeta cheese, diced
1 cup sour cream

tortilla chips

Combine everything, except tortilla chips, Velveeta, and sour cream in a big pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in sour cream and then add the Velveeta. Soup is ready to serve when all the cubes of Velveeta have melted. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Quesadilla Salad

flour tortillas
cheddar cheese
taco meat or fajita chicken/steak
lettuce
tomato
salsa
sour cream
avocado -- I didn't have any, but it would have MADE the dish if I did.

Prepare a quesadilla by layering meat and cheese between tortillas. Cook in a hot skillet with butter, so that the tortilla gets nice and crispy. Cut quesadilla into 4 triangles. Serve on plates by layering the following:

1/4 quesadilla
lettuce
tomato
sour cream
salsa
avocado

Serve as a regular salad, but allow your guests/family/kids to cut up their own quesadilla, or pull it out and eat it separately. This was so yummy!

Taco Salad

This is perhaps the world's most ghetto taco salad ... so if you are a gourmet chef, you probably won't like this one. If you're a busy mom who is looking for a 5 minute healthy dinner (that your kids will eat!) ... this is for you.1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2-3 cans of chili with beans (my favorite is the low fat Stagg brand ... get whatever you like)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
Crumbled tortilla chips
Sour cream
Salsa
Diced tomatoes, optional

Begin by heating the chili up in the microwave until it is HOT; about 2 1/2 minutes, depending on how many cans you're using. Don't forget to cover it with a paper towel ... I don't want y'all cursing my name later.

Okay. This is sooo simple. Make this as individual portions in a bowl. Layer like this:

Lettuce
Hot Chili
Cheese
Tortilla chips

Make sure the chips are on top ... it will lure your kids into eating a salad. lol.

Garnish with sour cream and salsa to taste ... leave it out all together if your kids don't like it. Fresh diced tomatoes make it even better, if you have them on hand. Let your kids stir theirs all together on their own. They'll love it!

If you have plenty of time on your hands and you're a fresh-kind-of-person ... whip up some ground beef with taco seasoning instead of the chili.

Honey Cilantro Shrimp Tacos

Oh my gosh, these are the best, you've really got to try them. Way easy and super impressive. The Honey Cilantro sauce is the best!

These tacos are incredible; sweet, slightly spicy and flavorful!
25 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced into strips
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno (remove seeds if you don't like it hot.)
1 1/2 lb. precooked cocktail shrimp, tails removed
4 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
8 tortillas, soft taco size




Directions
Warm oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Cook until onions are transparent, about 5-10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook only until warmed through. (The longer they cook, the more they lose water and shrink.)
Drain mixture in a colander, return to skillet and stove, lower the temperature of the stovetop to low. Add cumin and coriander, salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine honey and chopped cilantro. Place shrimp mixture in tortilla and top with a spoonful of the honey mixture. You can top with salsa or sour cream if you wish. Enjoy!
*Note: these tacos can be pretty messy, so you may prefer to eat them with a fork and knife

Number of Servings: 4

Chicken Tostada Salad

I found this the other day while meal planning and made it last night. Very yummy...lots of flavors going on!

5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 large flour tortillas
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7 ounce) can corn, drained
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 tomato, chopped
2 cups shredded lettuce
8 ounces hot pepper cheese (Monterrey Jack was yummy), shredded (about 2 cups)

In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and the chili powder. Brush on both sides of each flour tortilla. Place directly on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until tortillas are golden brown and crisp. If tortillas begin to bubble up, pierce surface to flatten. Remove tortillas from heat and cool completely.

In medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar. Stir in salsa, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and salt; reserve 3/4 cup for dressing.

Place chicken on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning and basting occasionally with salsa mixture, until chicken is no longer pink. Cut chicken into strips. In medium bowl, toss together beans, corn, onion, tomato and reserved dressing. To assemble, place crisped tortilla on plate. Top with shredded lettuce, 1 cup of bean mixture, 1 sliced chicken breast and shredded cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

**Note: I found the tostadas really hard to cut through and enjoy with the salad. I may not have allowed them to "crisp" enough. Also, you could try cutting them into strips instead.

Turkey Tacos

Not really a 'recipe' ... more just an idea of how to use ground turkey ... if you've got issues with ground beef ... like me. lol.tortillas, burrito size
1 pound ground turkey
1 TBS chili powder or taco seasoning
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
Monterrey Jack cheese
sour cream
salsa
jalapenos

Brown the turkey ... add chili powder or taco seasoning once browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Saute pepper strips and onion strips in same skillet, using about 1 TBS olive oil. Fill tortillas with whatever fixings you like! Mmmm.

king ranch chicken

This is one of our family favorites. The original recipe came from a can of Rotel. I've made a few changes.

5 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up (I prefer to dice and then brown in a skillet)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 ½ tsp chili powder
garlic salt
1 pkg corn tortillas, cut into pieces
½ lb grated cheddar cheese

Combine chicken, onion, soups, Rotel, green pepper and spices. Layer corn tortillas on bottom of greased casserole dish, then layer chicken mixture, and then cheese. Repeat. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes.

Jalapeno Chicken & Rice

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 pkgs Chicken Flavored Rice (think Lipton/Rice A Roni type)
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 TBS diced (pickled) jalapenos
Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400*. Grease an 8x10 casserole dish (I think that's the size of the smaller version of the 9x13). The 9x13 will be way too big ... so find/use something smaller. Place uncooked chicken breasts in dish and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. DO NOT add the rice to the dish ... It might work, but I haven't tried it to know for sure.

In sauce pan, melt butter then blend flour into butter to make a roux. Add chicken broth and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and jalapenos. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL.

Pour the white sauce over the chicken, leaving about 1/2 - 3/4 cup remaining in the pan to use for the rice. If you want, sprinkle the top of the chicken with cheese and then bake at 400* for 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. I used cheddar cheese ... it was good, but I think I like it better without cheese. And I love cheese. The sauce is just really good by itself. And not too spicy either ... believe me ... I've turned into a spice wimp.

Now, while the chicken is cooking, cook your chicken flavored rice according to the package, leaving out about 1/3 cup of the total amount of water. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the remaining white sauce and let it stand to thicken a bit. I served this with the Jalapeno flavored Ranch Style beans because I was too lazy to make beans. It was wonderful. It's WAY easier to make than it tastes ... please, don't analyze my grammar. lol.

The leftover sauce in the pan makes for some REALLY yummy tortilla chip dip! Enjoy!

Chicken Relleno

Ingredients:
 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
 1/3 C cornmeal
 2 T taco seasoning mix
 1 egg
 1 4-oz can whole green chili peppers, rinsed, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cut into six 2 x 1/2-inch sticks
 2 T fresh parsley
 1/4 t black pepper
 1/4 t crushed red pepper
 1 8-oz jar taco sauce or salsa
 1/2 C shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese


Instructions:
1. Place each chicken breast half in a Ziploc bag or between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Remove from Ziploc bag.
2. In a bowl, combine cornmeal and taco seasoning mix.
3. Place egg in another bowl; beat lightly.
4. For each roll, place a chili pepper half on a chicken piece. Place a cheese stick atop chili pepper near an edge. Sprinkle with some of the parsley, black pepper, and red pepper.
5. Fold in sides; roll up jelly-roll style, starting from edge with cheese.
6. Dip rolls into egg and coat with cornmeal mixture.
7. Place rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow baking pan.
8. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Heat taco sauce. If desires, sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese.
10. Serve with taco sauce.

Nutrition: 235 calories; 10 g total fat
(Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

Mexican Hot Pockets

Ingredients:
 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
 1 C Salsa
 1 package taco seasoning mix
 1 package Puff Pastry
 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
 1 egg

Instructions:
1. Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes.
2. Cook chicken until there is no pink inside.
3. Shred chicken, then put back in skillet.
4. Add 1 C of salsa, taco seasoning, and 1/2 C water.
5. Cool chicken mixture completely.
6. Heat the oven to 400°; spray two baking sheets with cooking spray, if needed.
7. Stir the egg and water with a fork in a small bowl.
8. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface; roll the sheet into a 14 inch square; cut into 4 (7 inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
9. Place about 1/3 C chicken mixture onto half of each square; top each with 2 T of the cheese.
10. Brush the edges of the pastry with water; fold plain pastry over chicken mixture and press the edges with a fork to seal.
11. Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheets; brush with the egg mixture.
12. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm with additional salsa.

Pico Pork

I had a pork roast to throw in the crockpot for Sunday dinner, but I wasn't in the mood for the traditional roast. So, I threw in 1 cup of Salsa Verde and 1 cup of Pico de Gallo and 2 Tbsp. of McKormick Taco seasoning. Needless to say when we got home from church our mouths were watering before we even got into the house, it smelled so good and tasted even better.
We slapped on some guac, bean dip, cheese and sour cream (all the mexican we could muster up on a Sunday evening) it was fabuloso!!! It went perfect with the football playoffs. Easy and yummy, now thats good.

Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas

This makes a ton and its one of my hubby's and kids' favorites. Its very, very easy and so yummy. Two suggestions to make it even better: Jack's salsa (only at Costco) and Wal-Mart (the neighborhood market off exchange and angel pkwy) fresh tortillas- delicioso!!

2 breasts chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 box Chicken-Broccoli flavored rice (Lipton or Rice-a-Roni)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
Shredded cheese

Cook the rice as package directs. When completely done, add black beans and cooked chicken. Mix altogether. Warm a quesadilla-sized skillet and place one soft-taco-size tortilla on it and then layer cheese, rice mixture, and then a final layer of cheese and put one more tortilla on top (thus, forming a quesadilla). Cook until crispy. Flip and cook other side til crispy. Serve with sour cream and preferably, Jack's salsa.

Enchilada Soup (like Chili's)

This makes a large pot so you will have leftovers.

Ingredients:
 1 T vegetable oil
 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
 1/2 C onion, diced
 1 clove garlic, pressed
 4 C chicken broth
 1 C masa harina (used to make corn tortillas and usually found with the Latin foods)
 3 C water
 1 C enchilada sauce
 16 oz Velveeta
 1 t salt
 1 t chili powder
 1/2 t cumin

Garnish:
 Cheddar cheese, shredded
 Crumbled corn tortilla chips
 Pico de gallo

Instructions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add chicken breasts to pan and brown for 4-5 minutes per side; set chicken aside.
3. Add onions and garlic to pan and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become trans-lucent.
4. Add chicken broth.
5. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.
6. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic, and broth.
7. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese, and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
8. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot.
9. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
10. Serve soup in sups or bowls, and garnish.

Pico de gallo:
Mix the following ingredients: 2 medium tomatoes, diced; 1/2 C diced Spanish onion; 2 t chopped jalapeno pepper; 2 t finely minced fresh cilantro; pinch of salt

Chicken Taco Rice

1 lb. chicken (about 2 chicken breasts)
2 Tb. oil
1 can chicken broth
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. mild taco seasoning
1- 12 oz. can drained corn
1 med. red pepper sliced in strips
1 1/2 cup minute rice
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
some sour cream
Some guacamole

Saute chicken in oil in a big skillet (big enough to hold all of these ingredients). When chicken is done, in skillet, just break into bite-ish size pieces with forks. Add broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 5 minutes. Add drained corn and sliced pepper. Bring to a full boil. Stir in uncooked rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover again and let stand for just a little while. Serve with chips, sour cream and guacamole. This is even better hours after you make it so you can make it one night have it the next day or make it in the morning and have it that night. Yummy!!!

And a yummy guacamole recipe to boot!

Guacamole

3-4 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream

Mash the avocados with a fork pour juice over them and add the rest of the ingredients. I do a lot of add a little, taste it and add what I think it is missing, so play around with it. The best way to tell is to taste.

Carnitas- YUM!

Ok- this is my first post since being added to this blog- thanks Janette for thinking of me! I love to cook- so this is right up my alley. You've gotta try these- it makes a ton of food and you just stuff it in a tortilla...its so good that you don't need anything else in there with it, but, if you must, its great with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, guac, etc. :) Enjoy!

CARNITAS:
3-4 lbs. pork roast (shoulder, Boston butt, sirloin)
1/2 bunch cilantro (stems removed)
1 can Mexi-stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 tsp. minced garlic
Shredded cheese
Olive Oil

Season pork roast (I used salt and pepper) and brown on all sides in hot olive oil. Then, put in crock pot. Pour garlic on top, then add tomatoes and cilantro. Cook on high for 4 hours, or until pork falls apart. Remove from crock pot, shred, remove fat, and place in pan. Sprinkle cheese over top and cook at 375 for 30 minutes, until crispy on top. Serve with tortillas. So yummy!