(Vegan.) (Or Not.) Enchilada Lasagna

(Enchi-lasagna?  Enchil-agna?)

I've been in a weird place with food and cooking lately.  As you know, I gave up sugar for Lent, and I avoid dairy and soy for hormonal reasons.  But as if that weren't enough of a challenge, I'm trying to make vegan dishes a part of our meal rotation (thanks to this documentary), and it feels like teaching myself to cook all over again.  Especially with a meat-and-potatoes eater in the house (read: Bo).  I've been experimenting with scads of new recipes every weekend, learning how to balance the huge piles of veggies I absolutely love with some kind of protein, to keep our meals balanced and nourishing.

I stumbled onto this recipe a few weeks ago, and after making it twice and doing a lot of tweaking, I'm happy to say that it's seriously delicious.  So much so that I portioned out and froze the leftovers for easy and yummy packed lunches.  And, I'm really excited to have found a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce.  Who knew it was so easy to make from scratch?

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Burritos

I have fun news!  Today is my first time guest posting!  My virtual pal, Allie, invited me to post a Meatless Monday recipe... which is also another first for me :)   But I thought it might be fun, and I already had a recipe in mind, so I whipped it up and sent it on over to The Greenists. 

This is a great alternative to standard burrito filling, and it's a fabulous change-up from our usual way of eating sweet potatoes - baked with butter.  It's easily made nondairy/veganized, and it's a great way to get in loads of Vitamin A, fiber, and iron.

Click On Over!

 

Sweet Potato Burritos at The Greenists

Homegrown and Homemade Hot Sauce

I have to be honest with you - The only contribution I made to this recipe was the typing and the eating.  Bo grew the peppers, tended to them, researched a recipe, and whipped it up.  All I did was stand around and look cute.  (Ok, maybe not all that cute with my frizzy hair and all this humidity, but you get the picture.)

We're novice gardeners, and these Apache pepper plants have been our most exciting crop yet.  The peppers are hotter than jalapenos, but when I've chopped them up for salsa, I overestimated their heat, and we ended up with a very mild salsa.  So, whatever peppers you end up using for this hot sauce recipe will be fine; use hotter peppers if you like some heat, milder peppers if you like mild spices.

We love this hot sauce dumped on chicken and mixed with this black bean salsa and eaten straight on tortilla chips.  It's got a mildly sweet flavor from the peaches and the brown sugar which adds a great balance to the spice.

Enjoy!




Apache Hot Sauce
adapted from Allrecipes

6 Apache peppers (or habanero peppers), seeded and chopped
7oz. (half a can) of sliced peaches in heavy syrup
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice

Place all ingredients into the container of a food processor or blender and blend until liquefied. Pour into a medium sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Boil 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Allow to cool and pour into clean jars, and refrigerate overnight before using.  Makes 28oz.

One of our Apache pepper plants:

Yummmmmmm.

Make it From Scratch: Taco Seasoning Mix

This morning, I sat down to make my grocery list for the week, and it included taco seasoning for tonight's dinner.  And I got remembering a recipe I'd seen once for homemade taco seasoning.  I dug up the recipe and realized that I was missing only one ingredient.  Perfect!  I added that item to my grocery list and then threw together the seasoning mix when I got back home.  It was seriously so easy, that I'm bummed I didn't make this ages ago!  No funky ingredients, pretty darn inexpensive, and it makes a lot (it fills two of those jars in my photos).  I'm never buying the packets again, hurrah!

Enjoy!

2 Days - 2 Meals - 1 Clean Up

A few weeks ago my friend Le'Cinda gave me this great recipe for making 2 meals for 2 nights in a row in the crock pot. Besides tasting supper yummy - you only have to clean the crock pot once! You read that right. ONCE.




Night One: Brisket with fingerling potatoes, carrots, asparagus and salad.



Buy a preseason-ed brisket and place it in a crock pot with enough water to almost cover it. Cook on low over night and the next day. Serve with veggies and a salad. I made fingerling potatoes, carrots, roasted asparagus and a garden salad. Since the main dish was busy cooking away in the crock pot I was able to bring my kids into the kitchen to help with the veggies. They had a ball breaking the tough ends off of the asparagus and peeling carrots. I had a ball because I wasn't stressing out about making sure that everything got done in time for supper. Win -Win.

Night Two: Brisket Beans with fried potatoes and skillet cornbread.



In the cooking liquid that is left over from night one, dump in a bag of brown beans that you have picked. Make sure that you take the time to pick out the broken ones and any stones. Add any remaining brisket and cover with water. Cover and cook on low over night and the next day. Serve with a side and cornbread. I made fried potatoes and skillet cornbread.

Note to self: It's time to upgrade to a bigger crock pot. You have been able to scoot by with the medium size for a while now...but with 4 growing like weed kids...it's past time that you bought one that matches the size of your family. 

Tortilla Soup

There is nothing better on a cold day than a hot bowl of soup. It not only warms your body but I swear just by hoovering over it you are refreshing and heating your soul from the inside out. I made this soup on our first snow day of the year. The kids were off visiting grandparents so Hubby and I enjoyed this soup with a Boulevard and Lemon slice. It was a little spicier than I expected but not so hot that it was inedible.

Next time I make it (yes there will definitely be a next time) I have a few revisions that I make. Am I the only one that does this? I made a delicious pot of soup then I pick it apart. Next time I will do this and that. I will leave that out and add some more of this. By the time that Hubby had finished his yummy bowl of soup he was pretty put out with me. Why can't I just enjoy the bowl of soup? I don't really think of it as complaining - rather thinking ahead...making notes.

I will maybe only add half the jalapeno if the kids are eating with us. 

I will either add less chicken or instead of shredding it, chop it up. The shredded chicken made it nearly impossible not to eat without dribbling on your chin. 

I will make a double batch because I bet this would be awesome reheated.  Better still I could let it cool down then freeze in a Ziploc on it's side...making 2 meals at 1 time.

Tortilla Soup 
Simply Recipes - Recipe by Elise

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil {I used olive oil}
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped
4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Spicy Bean Salsa

(Altho, this ought to be called Rainbow Salsa because it's seriously so pretty with all those colors!)

First up - I apologize for including so few photos!  As you know, normally, I like to include a whole slew of pictures with my posts.  But I made this recipe on a whim for a New Year's party and didn't bother to document the step-by-step as I threw it together.  And it turned out so yummy, that I decided to share it with you and hope you'll forgive the lack of elaborate directions :)

What first grabbed my attention with this recipe is that it's pretty darn healthy.  It's basically some legumes, veggies, and a little salad dressing (that can definitely be low-cal).  Now that I've made it, I totally agree with the Allrecipes reviewers in that at first, this salsa doesn't look or taste like anything spectacular.  But as it sits in your fridge, you'll find yourself grabbing the bowl over and over again; it's kind of addictive.  Seriously, give this stuff a chance.

Enjoy!

Spicy Bean Salsa

adapted from Allrecipes

1, 15 oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1, 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1, 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 c. chopped red onion

1/2 c. chopped orange (or red or yellow) bell pepper

1, 4 oz can diced jalapeno peppers

2 roma tomatoes, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. cilantro, minced

1/2 - 3/4 c. Italian-style salad dressing**

Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine.  Refrigerate at least overnight before serving.  Best if it marinates for a full day before serving.

** Start with 1/2 cup dressing and add more, depending on how juicy your mixture is.

Fiesta time with Lime Chipotle chicken and Mexican Rice

Lime Chipotle Chicken Saucey Mama Style



4 Chicken breasts sliced into strips
1 1/2 C Saucey Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade
3TBS Lime Juice
Sprig of Cilantro
Red Bell Pepper-




Marinate the chicken in the mixed sauce, grill on med. low heat until chicken is throughly cooked through
,
Add the Bell Pepper slices and turn up the heat to medium high to help the sauce reduce and intensify. While Sauce is finishing prep your toppings



Topping options:
Sliced green onions
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Avacado
Sour Creme
Shredded Cheese
Black or Pinto beans (or refried if you like)


Easy Mexican Rice

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic salt or 1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup of tomato sauce
pinch of Cumin
1/8 C of chopped Red Bell Pepper

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat, add Bell pepper until it becomes traslucent, Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Mix in water and remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer until rice is tender.

Perfect for a party since you only have one or two things to cook and then each person can top as they wish. :) A Burrito bar!!!


We rated the whole dish as a 4spoon I am thinking 4.5. The Rice alone was a 5 Spoon.
:) We have eaten it twice in the last week!


***now for a chance to win the whole line of Saucy Mama's sauces seen above- run over to THE BUZZ and enter to win!!!

Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake

This week we found ourselves short on grocery money because of an emergency root canal, so we decided to cook from the pantry, when I saw I had all the ingredients for this and the pic looked really good,

I decided to try it! :)


Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake
(this recipe was pulled from Kraft foods food & Family magazine the holiday 09 edition)



Ingredients:
1/2 C Miracle Whip Dressing
1/2 C Flour
3 C Milk
8oz shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 lb. Boneless Skinless chicken Breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces (used two breasts)
1/2 C chunky salsa (used a bit more after taste testing)
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley (I used half that amount in dried parsley)
16 Flour tortillas (we used 13)



Preheat oven to 375

mix dressing, flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY;


I am a messy cook!

Cook and stir until thickened. All 1 Cup of cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 Cup sauce.





Stir in Chicken, salsa and parsley into remaining sauce; spoon 1/3 C sauce mix down the center of each tortilla. Roll up. Place seams side down, in each 13x9 pan (2) baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake 25min or until heated through.



Ok, so after getting the salsa etc mixed in, I tasted it and wanted more salsa so we added 1/4 C more, I also wanted a spicier... flavor so I tossed in some taco seasoning to try to make it more spicy. Also the recipe only made 13 for us not 16 and I used one 9x13 dish and one much smaller.

Hubs rated it a 3, I rated it a 2.



Sorry folks, I really wanted it to be good, it sounded good, but it just didn't come through, we had so many left overs we invited the neighbors over to taste test with us, they also thought it was a 3.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

It's been four long months since my last baja style food.  Oh, what I'd give for a few fish tacos from Rubio's right now...I saw this recipe in last month's Cuisine At Home magazine and instantly got a hankering for baja tacos.  Mmmmm...

I have to say - either I'm a shrimp taco snob or this recipe was less than stellar.  It just didn't have the oompf in it to satisfy my cravings.  It was good, but not Southern California Good.  We rated this a 3 Spoons, so I'll definitely keep looking for a baja style recipe that works for us. 

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

adapted from Cuisine At Home, issue no. 81

Tacos:

1/2 c. lime juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. chili powder (I used Cajun Seasoning)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 flour tortillas, 6" size

Chipotle Sauce:

1/2 c. mayo or sour cream

2 minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 1/2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lime juice

salt to taste

Red Slaw:

4 c. shredded red cabbage

1/2 c. sliced scallions

1/2 c. cilantro

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

salt to taste

Whisk together lime juice, oil, garlic, and chili powder in a medium bowl.  Add shrimp, stir to coat, and chill until ready to skewer.  Preheat grill to medium-high.

Whisk together mayonnaise, chipotles, honey, and lime juice for the sauce.  Season with salt and chill until ready to serve.

Combine cabbage, scallions, cilantro, oil, and vinegar for the slaw.  Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, up to one hour.

Thread shrimp onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers and grill for 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove from skewers and serve on warmed tortillas with cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce.

eat at home's Beef and Bean Taco Bake

I am always on the lookout for great recipes to try and share - I sign up for brand name newsletters, foodie magazines and websites - but I get most of the recipes that I really want to try from other blogger's...they are mother's like me - and know the value of fast, nutritious and easy to prepare meals.

Tiffany at eat at home is one of my very favorite foodie blogger's! She meets all the criteria listed above and surprises me all the time with her recipes and her willingness to just try something to see if it's good. This recipe is another version of her Black Bean and Corn Chicken Taco Bake!

When this week's recipe landed in my e-mail - I thought - WOW - I wanna try this out today! But...sadly - I didn't have the exact ingredients...

So I improvised...a lot.

Beef and Black Bean Taco Bake
Tiffany @ eat at home

Tiffany's Ingredients/My Improv Ingredients

1 lb ground beef/ 1 lb ground beef cooked with onions and bell peppers

1 15 ounce can Black beans/ Yah! I had this one!

1 jar black bean and corn salsa/ I didn't have jarred salsa on hand - so I made some myself.

6-10 corn or flour torillas cut into bite size pieces/ I had whole grain tortillas.

2 cups cheddar cheese / Yah! I had this one!


Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.



I loved was very easy and simple recipe to throw together...I love that it was a great way to get rid of a few things that I always have a bit of trouble using up by the end of the week like tortillas and bell peppers which have been known to be thrown away each week.

This would be a great recipe to make in batches - eat one for supper - freeze the other for those nights that you just don't have the energy or time to whip something up.




My whole family gives this recipe a resounding 5 spoons. We all wanted more - but sadly we ate it all!

Happy plates for everyone. :)