Tortilla and Black Bean Pie {Gluten Free}

Surely you are looking at this picture and thinking, “Oh thank you, Krista!”  No?  Well, what if I told you this recipe has black beans, corn, chipotle, cheese and more layered between tortillas?  It really is delish, as is anything I typically make via Pink Parsley.  This recipe originates on MarthaStewart.com, which bothers me, but I’m glad it made it through the food blogosphere through Savory Spicy Sweet to Annie’s Eats to Pink Parsley. 

The sous chef and I really enjoyed this recipe, and it was an easy recipe to adapt to gluten free.  You’ll see why below.  If you don’t need to make this gluten free, you can easily use flour tortillas for this (10-inch), and clearly you won’t need gluten free beer.  Because we both love Tex-Mex and Southwestern flavored dishes, this was an easy decision to add to the menu.  Hopefully you enjoy as well!  This is super easy to make.

Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
kosher salt and freshly ground peppe
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn
1 12-ounce gluten free beer, or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cheese, shredded (Feel free to use a Mexican or Southwestern cheese of your preference; Monterrey Jack is easy and yummy for this recipe)
salsa and sour cream, for serving (insure that these are gluten free; Daisy brand sour cream is GF)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400.
Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, use a paring knife to trim the edges of the tortillas so that they fit in a 9-inch springform pan.  

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.  Saute the onion and jalapeno until soft, 5-10 minutes.  Add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  

Add the beans and beer to the skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Mix in the corn, scallions, and cilantro, and remove from heat.

Lay one of the tortillas across the bottom of the springform pan.  Layer with 1/4 of the beans, and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat 3 times, finishing with beans and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and unmold the pie.  Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro, and serve with sour cream.

Bethenny Frankel’s Zesty, Cheesy Mac and Cheese (Gluten Free)

Gluten Free notes at the bottom of this post.

First of all, I’ve never been the greatest at making homemade mac n’ cheese.  Somehow, I never get the cheese mixture to look right despite my determination to follow the recipe as instructed.  Nevertheless, I’m sure I didn’t manage to get this recipe to look just right, but it definitely tastes amazing!  The butternut squash completely brings a sweeter taste; plus, it’s helpful that it’s presence reduces the amount of cheese!  Less calories and fat, of course.  I definitely prefer this mac n’ cheese recipe in our household now!

Zesty, Cheesy Mac and Cheese from Bethenny Frankel

Ingredients

12 ounces whole wheat mini pasta shells (these hold the cheese better than elbows)

1 cup soy milk

1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup frozen butternut squash, thawed

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. chili powder or a few dashes of Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons reduced fat Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta shells in salted water until slightly firm, according to package directions.

In another saucepan, combine the soymilk, Parmesan, cheddar, and butternut squash over medium heat until melted and combined. Turn off the heat. Add salt, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder or Tabasco.

Drain the pasta but don’t rinse it. Add it to the cheese sauce (use a large bowl if necessary) and toss to coat the pasta. Taste and add more salt or pepper, according to your taste.

Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and put the pasta-cheese mixture in it. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Monterey jack cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make it Gluten Free!

• Of course, be sure to use gluten free pasta.  Specifically, quinoa pasta would be fabulous for this recipe, but brown rice pasta will work great as well.  The photo you see above is with brown rice pasta!
• Make sure you use gluten free breadcrumbs, though I would not suggest buying the pre-packaged brown rice breadcrumbs.  YUCK!  Ter-ri-ble!  Simply dry out a piece of gluten-free bread or two, then crumble up to use as the topping here.  Obviously, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t use these breadcrumbs; you will still have some great mac n’ cheese.

Another Remix: Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas

I know, I know. Some of you that followed my blog are likely having a heart attack that I’m actually posting. My absence is nothing more than simply an absence. Nothing to report, I can assure you. Nevertheless, I hope I do not have yet another extended period of no blogging.

Today’s blog is simple. Visit the original Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas post for a look at a remix of this favorite Krista Kooks dish. Enjoy!

Meatball and Spinach No-Sagna Remix

Today’s blog is simple.  Visit the original Meatball and Spinach No-Sagna post for a look at a remix of this favorite Krista Kooks dish.  Enjoy!

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach

Gluten Free notes at the bottom of this post.

Not a surprise that I’ve selected another recipe from Gina   She’s fabulous at what she does!  Even though this is a pasta dish, it seemed as though it would be easy enough to create as a gluten free dish.  The sous chef and I agreed that this is a great weeknight dinner dish that is fabulous for leftovers at lunch the next day!  I would also suggest this as a fabulous dish to take to new parents.

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach

1 lb high fiber ziti

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic,minced

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

salt and fresh pepper to taste

8 oz fat-free ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan

2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella

Spray olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°.Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt pepper and chopped tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Add sauce to the pasta and combine the ziti. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.
This can be made up to a day in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

Make it Gluten Free!

• Use gluten free pasta.

Crockpot Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Gluten-Free Notes at the bottom of this post.

Guests are in town, you sweated and slaved over dinner last night, or you know you’ll sweat and slave over dinner tonight.  Maybe you’ll do so for both meals.  How on Earth will you provide them a decent breakfast, too?!  Easy…pull out the crockpot!

I’d previously tried another version of this recipe that Stephanie with Crockpot 365 suggested, but it was not my favorite at all.  It was good enough for the sous chef, but it was not for me.  Thus, he ate all of it.

This try, however, was certainly tasty!!!  I attribute most of the taste to the fabulous sausage that I purchased specifically for this recipe.  Jimmy Dean’s new All Natural Regular Pork Sausage is absolutely terrific!  It tastes like it came straight from a butcher.  I realize that sounds odd, but, what I mean is, it doesn’t taste like it’s made with other things than just meat and some seasonings.  When you compare the ingredients of this sausage with that of other sausage on the same shelf, above, and below, you’ll see exactly what I mean!  This stuff is amazing, and I buy it 3 at a time now   I love love love the flavor!

Nonetheless, this breakfast dish is incredible because you can put these ingredients in the crockpot the night before, and, the night morning, you have a hashbrown, egg, cheese, sausage, onion, and bell pepper heavenly dish.  I imagine this would be GREAT for kids that have a big test one day; perfect “I have a big test today” breakfast

Below is how I prepared this dish, but click here to see Stephanie’s original recipe.

Ingredients

30 oz package of plain frozen hash brown (shredded) potatoes
1 lb. already-been cooked and cooled sausage (see above note on the HIGHLY suggested Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage)

1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup skim or fat free milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions.
Use a  6 quart Crockpot for this full recipe.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray. Dump in the whole package of hash browns. Spread them out with your fingers, and break up any clumps.

In a mixing bowl, mix the dozen eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, cheese, cooked sausage (make sure it’s cooled down), and diced vegetables. Pour everything on top of the hash browns.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges start to brown a bit. If you want the cheese to brown and get a bit crispy on the sides, cook it longer.

Note that the edges of the dish in the crockpot did brown a bit.  Simply cut those portions off and do not serve them.  Nothing is wrong with the dish, it’s just the way the dish cooks.

Make it Gluten-Free!

• Be sure that the sausage you use is gluten-free.  The suggested sausage above is a gluten-free selection.
• Ensure that your hash browns do not have any additives with gluten.

Mexican Corn Salad

Put down what you’re eating.  Put down the phone.  Stop whatever you’re doing.  You have to to start imaging how this will taste!  It’s amazing!!!  There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be making this again.  It’s so full of flavor!  You don’t need much of it at one time as it’s pretty rich, but that doesn’t mean that it’s in any way bad tasting.

The recipe that Pink Parsley shared specifies using mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.  I’m not a big yogurt fan, so I used mayonnaise (gluten-free mayo to be exact).  Additionally, I skipped the ears of corn and went straight for the frozen corn; I don’t feel like we missed out on flavor at all.

I would feel sad for your grocery list this week if the ingredients for this recipe weren’t on it.
Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
6-8 ears of corn, husked
vegetable oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (Use gluten-free mayo to keep a gluten-free recipe)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
4 ounces cojita, ricotta salata, feta, or queso blanco, crumbled (about 1 cup)
3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
kosher salt and ground black pepper
hot sauce

Directions

Prepare grill, and brush the corn with oil.

Combine the garlic, onion, and lime juice in a medium bowl and toss to coat.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Whisk the mayonnaise (or yogurt) and chile powder into the onion mixture.  Set aside.

Grill the corn 10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until lightly charred and tender.  Allow to cool slightly, then cut the kernels off the cobs and add to the dressing.  Toss with the cheese and cilantro, mixing well to coat with the dressing.  Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. 

Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.

Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto

Gluten-Free notes at the bottom of this post. I have to say that Pink Parsley has had some fabulous posts lately.  So many of my bookmarked favorites are from her blog!  Thanks for the inspiration Pink Parsley!

I’m sad to say that my cousin can’t partake in this dish due to the pine nuts, but, as long as you can eat everything in this recipe, you totally should!  I and the sous chef both agree that this dish is great and even more fabulous as leftovers. 

On a side note, however, I busted my Magic Bullet in the process of making this dish :(  I’m on the hunt for a repair part.  Sad day!

Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients


4 bacon slices, preferably applewood-smoked
4 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 4-6 ears
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh pasta (I used gluten-free pasta)
3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used a mixture of basil, parsley, and chives)


Directions


Cut each bacon slice in half length-wise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.  Cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat.


Add the corn, garlic, salt and pepper to the skillet, and saute until the corn is just tender, but not brown, 3-5 minutes.  Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the corn to a small bowl and reserve.  Transfer the rest to a food processor, and add the pine nuts and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.  With the machine running, slowly stream the oil through the feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth.  Set aside.


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, but still firm to the bite (not quite as done as you would want it).  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.  Return pasta to the pot and add the pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup fresh herbs. 


Toss well and add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.


Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with additional herbs, cheese, and reserved bacon.
Make it Gluten-Free!
-Make sure to use Gluten-Free pasta.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

According to the brand new parents, Carissa and Nick, these are some pretty amazing cookies :)  The sous chef and I went with some other friends to celebrate and congratulate C&N on the arrival on their new twin girls, and I brought these delicious cookies with us.  I trust C&N’s taste as C is a pretty good cook/baker herself.   Not to mention, the sous chef loved these himself.  I, too, have to admit that these rank right up there with another one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes.

I was also pretty excited to share in making the first post for The Way the Cookie Crumbles.  I think she does a fabulous job with her blog, and I was shocked that I migrated all the way to her first post!  It was pretty exciting to do this as I don’t think I’ve done this with any other blog that I follow.

Nonetheless, make a trip to grab some cream cheese and pop these babies in the oven!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.  Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars until creamy; add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by 1-inch spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake until brown around edges and center is set.  Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Also!  Credit goes to the sous chef for photography on this post ;)

Shrimp, Peas and Rice

When I saw the title of this recipe, I was highly unsure of why this dish would yummy to eat.  It’s not that any of 3 taste bad, but I wasn’t sure why they would all be together in one dish.

Well, I’m officially wrong because this was the best thing we have eaten in a while that was extremely easy to make!  What we loved about it even more was that it makes a great 'take-to-work’ dish for lunches.  Make this for your family tonight, and I promise you’ll be asking why you didn’t double the recipe for leftovers.  Best part is, it’s rather healthy!

Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon light butter spread (I used Smart Balance light)

2 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tbsp chopped parsley

salt and fresh pepper

Directions

In a medium size heavy pan melt butter spread. Add rice and saute about a minute. Add chicken broth and peas and bring to a boil. When all liquid is absorbed reduce heat to low and cover. Cook on low for about 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet and add rice. Add grated cheese, shrimp, and parsley and saute another minute, mixing well.

Crab Quesadillas

I think I warned you previously that I had lots of seafood recipes ready to provide you :)  I wasn’t lying!  I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com, although it is an EatingWell.com recipe. 

I’ve also discussed before that it’s wise to check the reviews on FoodNetwork.com recipes before making it, and I failed to follow my own advice this time.  Had I done so, I would have read people warning against using the orange zest and orange juice in the quesadillas.  For me, that is the flavor that ruined it.  That said, the sous chef LOVED it!  Hence the reason I’m posting this recipe.  I mentioned previously in my Orange Chicken post about how the orange flavor was much more received by the sous chef than I; the same situation applied here.  Thus, if you think you are ok with things being orangy, leave it in.  If not, take it out, and I think you’ll be just fine.

The recipe below is adapted to accommodate leaving out the orange flavor, if you desire.

Ingredients

1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (optional)
1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)
8 ounces pasteurized crabmeat, drained if necessary
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

Directions

Combine Cheddar, cream cheese, scallions, bell pepper, cilantro, jalapenos (if using), orange zest (if using) and juice (if using) in a medium bowl. Gently stir in crab. Lay tortillas out on a work surface. Spread one-fourth of the filling on half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently to flatten.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Cheesy Barbecue Casserole

I know, I know.  Could I have been gone ANY longer?  It feels so crazy to not have posted in over a month.  I’m so sorry!  I have some more fun stuff coming up, so hopefully I can redeem myself :) I know I’ve never really discussed my obsession with BBQ on this blog, but I can assure you that I join several other Southerners in the “I could just eat BBQ sauce only” club.  I love it on everything!  Thankfully, my cooking interest has led me to understand that their are flavors outside of BBQ sauce.  Nonetheless, this recipe was calling my name when I opened up this cookbook. The sous chef and I really enjoyed this recipe!  There were no leftovers :)  I also substituted ground turkey for ground beef for a healthier option.  Oh….and I may have increased the amount of BBQ sauce that the recipe called for ;)

Betty Crocker Cheesy Barbecue Casserole
Ingredients
3 cups uncooked ziti pasta (11 oz)
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup milk
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)


Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.

Stir pasta, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, the milk, barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese into beef in skillet. Spoon mixture into casserole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos

Do you work?  Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you the typical cook in your household? Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you short on time?  Ok, then stay tuned.

If you answered yes to a single one of these questions, I promise you want this recipe.  I was planning to be out of the house for 6 days straight and was not going to be able to help my sous chef with his meal prep :)  Thus, I wanted to make something he could put in the oven and it could be done fairly quickly but still feel like a home-cooked meal.  This burrito recipe was PERFECT for that.

If you have a look at Aggie’s original recipe for this, you’ll notice that she used sweet potatoes.  Um, I don’t like those (even though my sous chef does), so I decided to sub tomatoes instead.  If you like sweet potatoes, I’d say stick with those!  Using tomatoes was not bad, I promise, but I think those others that have made it with sweet potatoes have really enjoyed it.

Anyhow, we ate 4 of these burritos the night I made them and saved the other 4 so my sous chef could prepare quick meals while I was gone.  I wrapped those other 4 burritos in foil, and he placed them in the oven on the nights he was ready for some yummy dinner :)

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (small) (Krista Kooks subbed 4 large tomatoes, squeezed of seeds and juices, and cubed)
1 red pepper, cubed (small)
1 red onion cubed (small)
2 jalapenos, diced (if you want less heat sub another red pepper)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
can black beans, rinsed
handful chopped cilantro
squeeze lime
shredded cheddar
Whole Wheat Tortillas or Wraps , burrito/wrap size
nonstick olive oil spray

Directions

In a bowl, toss veggies in olive oil and season with spices.  Place in large baking dish and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway in between.

Let cool.  Add to a bowl of rinsed black beans.  Add cilantro and squirt of lime juice.  Combine gently.  At this point, mixture can be stored for later use.  Warm wraps in microwave according to directions on package.  Add two heaping tablespoons of vegetable and bean mixture to center of wrap.  Top with shredded cheese.  Fold over, fold in sides and continue to roll.  Place on baking dish, seam side down and spray with nonstick spray or olive oil spray.  Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking this way will make tortilla wrap crisp. For a softer burrito, spray burrito with nonstick spray, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for same amount of time.
Makes about 6 burritos.

Tip: Premake your burritos and wrap in aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days for a quick lunch or dinner!

Zucchini Casserole

So sorry for my disappearance!  I did not schedule my time very well before my trip recently and did not have posts set up to keep you intrigued while I was away.  So sorry! Here’s a yummy dish that a friend of mine made recently from Gina’s WW blog.  The sous chef and I thought this was a great recipe as a side dish.  I’m not so sure that this could be the only thing I ate for dinner at night, but I suppose it could be if weren’t too hungry one evening.  Either way, it’s a yummy dish!

4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup bisquick
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites, 1 whole egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a pie dish or a casserole with Pam and pour mixture. Bake approximately 45 minutes, until golden brown. Put a toothpick in the center to test if it is done. If it comes out clean, it is ready. Divide into 12 equal parts.

Mother’s Day 2010

It’s time to honor Mom!  How are you planning to dine with Mom this Sunday?  Is this your first reminder that Mother’s Day is THIS weekend?  If so, I hope I can help you get ready :)  Here’s some ideas from Krista Kooks to help you enjoy time with Mom at home.  Click on any of the pictures to be directed to the original blog post. Blueberry Delight-Great for breakfast or brunch with Mom. Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups- Also great for breakfast or brunch.

Fish Oreganata- Perfect main dish for a light lunch with Mom.Roasted Vegetables-Use this preparation method for your favorite vegetable.

Parsley-Paprika Potatoes- Delicious compliment to the 2 above.    Spring Summer Ziti-Just make a simple pasta to share with Mom.Fruit Cookie Pizza- Help Mom keep it light for dessert with this fruit cookie pizza!

Whatever you do, I hope you have a great Mother’s Day with Mom!

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas in the CrockPot

Check out the remake of this dish at the bottom of this post! A couple of Food Blogs that I see every now and then posted these delicious enchiladas recently, and, as I’m sure yours will, too, my mouth began to water.  These enchiladas looked so delicious!  Check out Jessica’s of The Novice Chef; her post is the one that I followed to make our enchiladas.  Also, Confections of a Foodie Bride made hers while thinking about preparing for her baby’s birth. The chain started, however, with Homesick Texan’s.  I highly suggest checking out each of their links as their photos do much better justice to this absolutely delicious meal :)  I did half The Novice Chef’s recipe, but we ate every bit of it; probably not a good idea healthwise, but they were oh so delectable!  Also, check their posts for freezing instructions to be able to cook these enchiladas for later!

Also, as each of these ladies posts will show, they did their enchiladas a la stovetop and oven.  I chose to go the crockpot route partially to show you all that there are many recipes out there that can be made easier for you. 

That said, I have some adjustments on how I did this recipe as to how you should do this recipe in order to help you with time AND flavor!  First off, Homesick Texan’s recipe will instruct you on cooking the chicken via stovetop.  Anytime I know a recipe is going to need shredded cooked chicken to continue, I use the CrockPot/Slow-Cooker.  Thus, my frozen chicken went into the crockpot over about 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  I then sprinkled all of the chicken liberally with my Mexican spice blend.  Set your chicken to cook, off to work you go :)  Make sure to set it on low low low if you are going to be gone for 6 or more hours.  If you will be home during the chicken process and put the chicken in the crockpot in the afternoon, go ahead and set it it high for the 4 hour or 6 hour setting.  The chicken should cook within about 2 hours.

I also decided to cook these enchiladas in the crockpot once assembled.  I laid foil to line the crockpot, poured some of the sauce on bottom, and preceded to stack my assembled enchiladas.  Once all ingredients were in per the recipe’s instructions, I set the crockpot to high to cook.  As you can see from my pictures above, the crockpot’s cooing process does not crisp up enchiladas much the way an oven would.  We kind of had enchilada casserole, haha!  It didn’t matter to us though.  This recipe was fabulous.  Thus, my recommendation to you would be to proceed with the oven process in cooking the assembled enchiladas.  Just know that, if you want to prolong the cooking process because you have to go somewhere or whatever, you definitely can use the CrockPot/Slow-Cooker to cook the assembled enchiladas.

Here are the ingredients/instructions as used from The Novice Chef and adapted to the Krista Kooks’ Kitchen.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (See above comments on cooking this chicken.  In one bowl, shred the chicken with 2 forks)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Serrano pepper, diced (seeds-in if you like the heat)
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (Use gluten-free all purpose flour to make this recipe gluten free)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Low-Fat or Fat-Free sour cream (make sure to use a gluten free sour cream to keep this recipe gluten free, such as Daisy)
8 oz jar of  Salsa Verde (Krista Kooks used San Antonio Farms Medium Roasted Salsa Verde; highly recommend!)
3/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
8 white corn tortillas, small fajita size
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
1/4 medium onion, diced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute Serrano and Jalapeno until soft  and then add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and let cook 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly.  Stir in the sour cream, salsa, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spray/grease a 9×13 baking dish.  Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken, cheese, and chopped onion to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with leftover cheese, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.

Yields: 6-7 enchiladas

This recipe ranks up there with the Cajun Chicken Pasta.  Both of these recipes should be on a restaurant menu!

June 20, 2011
As promised above, here is a remake of this dish!  After finding out that I have Celiac Disease and need to live gluten-free, I challenged myself to go back and make some of my favorite recipes on Krista Kooks that were gluten-ful yet make them gluten-free.  This was an easy choice!  Also, as you can read above, I wasn't all that impressed with making these in the crockpot last time.  Thus, these enchiladas went in the oven this time.

Luckily, this is an easy recipe to make gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour and ensuring that the chicken broth, tortillas and sour cream are gluten free.  This is all generally very easily done; it's just wise to double check.


If you didn't jump to make this recipe when I originally posted it, you should definitely do so now!

Brazilian Chicken Cutlets with Raw Tropical Sauce

OMG, delicious!  No side needed at all!  This one is a dish all by its self, and a tasty one at that.  There’s also not much major cooking involved in this dish either; most of the time is spent on dicing the tropical sauce.  If you are someone that utilizes help from the grocery store in buying already diced onions, etc., this could be a pretty quick meal for you!

Also, as I mentioned on Wednesday, using Panko bread crumbs is a great way to change the texture of a recipe requiring bread crumbs.  For this dish, I think it made it feel so much lighter/healthier.  Additionally, I mentioned that I began using organic chicken; I did the same here and once again felt the same after this meal.

The sous chef was very impressed with this Rachel Ray recipe!  We ate all the leftovers :)

Click for source:

Ingredients:

1 large, ripe mango, pitted and chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup (about a palmful) cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
A few dashes hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more as needed
Preheat oven to 250ºF.

Directions:

Prepare the raw sauce by combining the mango, plum tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir gently to combine.

Flatten the chicken breasts into cutlets by butterflying each piece open then pounding it out 1/4 inch thick.

Set up three shallow dishes on the counter.  To one dish add the flour, to the second add the eggs and beat with a splash of water, and to the third add the bred crumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, granulated garlic, and lemon zest. 

Bread the cutlets by first tossing them in the flour, then dipping them in the beaten egg, then coating them in the breadcrumb mixture

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the cutlets in batches until golden brown on each side and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side, adding more oil to the pan as needed between batches. As each cutlet finishes cooking, transfer it to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while the others cook.

Serve the cutlets with the raw sauce over top and lemon wedges to squeeze over the cutlets if desired.

Chicken Parm Bites

With just 2 people in the house, there tends not to be a lot of snacks around as I don’t typically buy anything at the grocery store that I’m not using in recipes.  Anything else that I could buy would likely be bad before even half of whatever it is has the chance to be eaten.  Thus, I decided to make a homemade snack.  Silly me thought it might last throughout the week; not with my sous chef around.  Once he learned of this delicious snack, I never got another bite.  Literally. 

All that said, these little bites are DELICIOUS and the tomato pesto sauce that goes with with is very refreshing!  I had some leftovers bread crumbs that I used, however, if I could have, I would have used Panko bread crumbs.  If you can, you definitely should use them!
This recipe is another fabulous one from Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book recipe!  Click the photo to order from Krista Kook’s Amazon store.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 pounds chicken tenders, each cut into thirds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup homemade basil pesto or store-bought

Directions

Arrange three shallow bowls on the counter and fill one with the flour, one with the eggs and one with a mixture of the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, lemon zest and parsley.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and coat each piece first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumb-cheese mixture.  Set the coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet.

Place a large pan over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons EVOO. Cook the chicken pieces in 2 batches, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 5-6 minutes.

While the pieces are cooking, place a small pot over medium-high heat with the crushed tomatoes and bring up to a bubble. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pesto.

Serve the chicken bites with the tomato-pesto sauce alongside.

I also used Organic chicken for the first time when I made this recipe, and I really like it!I absolutely believe that hardly anyone would ever taste the difference.  I completely get that.  However, it’s the way I feel after I eat this chicken.  I don’t feel tired like I do with regular chicken.  We’ve had it for several meals now (still to come), and they all have the same effect.  I think I’m changed :)