Southwest Chicken Wraps

The other night I was going to a friend’s house for an evening of homemade pesto on pasta, wine, and girlfriends (the best kind of evening!) so I decided to make these easy wraps for all my boys so they would have something for dinner. I know, I’m so nice.

This is a great recipe for when you have leftovers or if you’ve pre-planned a little bit. I knew I was going to make these wraps so I had already poached some chicken breasts and cooked the rice. Then all I had to do was throw everything together and it was ready in no time.

1 cup cooked rice*

1 cup cooked & shredded chicken

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (4 0z) can chopped green chiles

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped **

1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp southwest seasoning

2 cups shredded cheddar

flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350* and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Mix rice together with the chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. *If using precooked rice make sure it is not cold; room temp or even a bit warm is best.

Add the remaining ingredients except for the cheese because you may not use it all, though mixing it into the chicken mixture would certainly not be a crime, so by all means do it that way of you wish. **For the bell peppers I used 3 mini yellow bells. You can use any colors you like.

Arrange cheese and chicken in the center of tortillas and fold in the sides, making a little pillow. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 or 15 minutes or just until the tortillas brown slightly.

Serve with avocado, sour cream, salsa, green onions, and tomatoes. Yum! Recipe yields about 6 burrito-sized wraps or a dozen smaller (6 inch) wraps.

Wednesday Extravaganza, Cast Party Wednesday, What’s in Your Kitchen, Thursday Treasures, Full Plate Thursday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, TGIF,

Chicken Enchilada Pasta Bake

Instead of rolling the mixture up in tortillas I decided to make it a one-dish meal by combining everything with some cheesy pasta. Yum!

1 lb. spiral or penne pasta, cooked

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 T EVOO

3 tsp southwest seasoning blend*

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp peper

1/2 cup bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 onion, sliced thin

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 (12 oz) jar enchilada sauce

1 T lime juice

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese blend, divided

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the spices (southwest, cumin, chili pepper, salt & pepper). Southwest seasonings is just a combo of chipotle powder, chili powder, brown sugar, and paprika, so you can easily put this together with separate ingredients.

3. Cut chicken up into slices or bite-sized pieces and toss with 1/2 the spice mixture. Heat 1 T EVOO in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

4. In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 T of EVOO and cook the onion and peppers until soft. Add garlic for a few minutes longer. You may need to add a bit of water or chicken broth here. I put in about 1/8 cup.

5. Add in the enchilada sauce (I use Trader Joe’s 12 oz. jars but you can use any kind you like) the lime juice, and the remaining spice mixture. Stir well to combine.

6. Stir back in the chicken and add 1 cup cheese until it begins to melt.

7. Mix with pasta and place in sprayed baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly and perfect.

This recipe was featured on Tuesday’s Table @ Love in the Kitchen!!

Quinoa, Black Bean & Corn Burritos

I am stoked to share this recipe with you today. After a very loooong week of hardly any cooking and no posting, I am back in the saddle and kicking May off with this awesome vegetarian (and potentially gluten free) tex-mex  meal! These burritos can easily be made with a GF tortilla or even better in corn tortillas and eaten taco style. Enjoy!

1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water)

1 T EVOO

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained*

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

flour or corn tortillas

If desired: avocado or guacamole, diced tomatoes, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese, taco or hot sauce

1. Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onions, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute.

2. Pour in broth and tomatoes. *I used tomatoes that didn’t have chilis in them so I added a can of diced green chilis (4 oz can) but only used 2 oz. It’s up to you how much heat you like. Add in spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper) and cooked quinoa; stir well to combine.

3. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer for about 20 minutes or until mixture thickens.

4. Stir in black beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro, and allow to simmer an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered.

5. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings. If making burritos I suggest heating up a small pan with some cooking spray and setting the folded burritos in the pan for just a few minutes on each side. This will help keep your tortillas together and it gives it a nice added flavor and texture.

May Menu ~ 2013

You may have noticed that I took a little sabbatical from blogging. I didn’t know I was going to take a break but it was obvious that I needed one. It’s also pretty obvious that I didn’t cook nearly as much of my April menu as I intended and I usually try to make those recipes up the next month, but alas, I probably won’t get to those any time soon. But I do have a whole menu of new and exciting recipes to share, and I appreciate all you wonderful readers and fellow bloggers for coming back to see what I’m cooking

Recipes I’m cooking that I’ve shared before:

Zucchini Noodles,  Cilantro Lime Rice,  Spinach Tomato Feta Frittata,  Cheeseburger Salad,  Black Bean & Steak Taquitos

Recipes I’m working on this month:

Quinoa, Black Bean & Corn Burritos

Fish Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Dip

Mushroom & Peas Pulao

Chicken Enchilada Pasta Bake

Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole

Southwest Chicken & Corn Chowder

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

White Bean Turkey Chili

Marinated London Broil

Cajun Chicken Fritters with Cajun Aioli

Bourbon BBQ Sliders with Garlic Aioli

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers

Chipotle Steak Burritos

Crispy GF Sweet & Sour Chicken

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

Crock Pot Short Rib Tacos with Queso

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

 Sides & Other:

Thai Dragon Noodles

Turkey Bacon & Cheddar Potato Cakes

Four Bean Salad

Breakfast Enchiladas

Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese

Desserts:

Gooey Butter Bars with Fresh Strawberries

Mini Apple Tarte Tatin

Strawberry Tart with Basil Cream

Vanilla-Coconut Rice Pudding

Lemon Cake with Raspberries and Yogurt Frosting

Wonton Taco Cups

How fun is this? I thought the kids would especially like this twist on the taco but even Hubby tore into it and wanted seconds. The taco mixture is cheesy and satisfying and the wonton shells are just fun.

1 lb. ground beef (or chicken or turkey)

1 pkg taco seasoning (1/4 cup)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

20 wonton wrappers

1/2 cup queso cheese

1/4 cup taco sauce

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Extras for serving:

shredded lettuce

avocado

salsa

sour cream

black olives

tortilla chips

1. Preheat oven to 375* and lightly spray muffin tins. Layer two wonton wrappers, spreading out the corners, and gently place into tins. Use a wooden spoon to push the corners down. Careful not to rip the wonton.

2. Ground beef (if using turkey or chicken add a splash of EVOO to the pan).  Drain if necessary and add taco seasoning and water, according to package directions.

3. Add beans and corn; allow to heat through.

4. Divide the queso cheese evenly between the muffin cups by placing about 2 tsp into the bottom of each. Fill the cups up with the meat mixture. Place a tsp of taco sauce on to of the meat mixture and top with 2 T of shredded cheese.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes before serving.

Makes approx. 10 taco cups. Use jumbo muffin tins.

Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad with Chili Lime Ranch

There’s so much goodness in this salad that I think the title could have gone on, such as the Crunchy Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad with Pico de Gallo and Chili Lime Ranch and Avocado.

Whew! Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t do that, too, but rest assured that is exactly what you will find in this salad. It’s awesome! It only takes a little bit of prep work and then you’ve got a fantastic one-dish meal that will blow your socks off and everyone else’s at the table as well.

This salad is very filling but not heavy. Perfect. Oh, and BTW this chili lime dressing/marinade is great for your chicken any time, so keep the recipe for a day you want to grill a bird with a little pizzaz.

Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 recipe chili lime dressing, divided (following)

Pico de Gallo (recipe following)

Salad greens, as much as you want (I used a green leaf and iceburg mix)

Shredded cheese, Mexican blend, to taste

Tortilla chips or strips, to taste

2 large limes, juice divided

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1 avocado

 Chili Lime Dressing/Marinade

1 1/2 T lime juice

1 tsp lime zest

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/3 cup EVOO

Pico de Gallo

1/2 red onion, diced

4 large roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup frozen corn

1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp salt

1. Mix together ingredients for the dressing/marinade and chill in refrigerator until chilled.

2. Make Pico de Gallo with all ingredients listed and chill in refrigerator until ready to use. Taste and add salt & pepper as needed.

3. You will divided the dressing into 3 parts: 1/2 to marinate the meat, 1/4 for the ranch, and the last 1/4 reserve for brushing onto the chicken. Take the 1/2 measurement of dressing and marinade your chicken breasts for at about 30 minutes. This does not have to be in the refrigerator.

4. While things are chilling and marinating make your ranch dressing by combining  it with one of the 1/4 measurements (this comes out to 2 or 3 T.) Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. You can either grill or pan fry the chicken. If using a pan, heat up some EVOO over medium heat and use the remaining bit of dressing/marinade on the meat while it’s cooking. Meat should be tender and juicy. Slice or cube.

6. Mash your avocado. Take the remaining bit of lemon juice and mix it with the avocado and a pinch of salt, to taste.

7. Chop up your greens and arrange on a plate. Scoop some pico de gallo, top with shredded cheese and chicken. Top that with some crushed tortilla chips and avocado, then drizzle the chili lime ranch over it all. *Use extra ranch if needed.

*You could even go ahead and combine the chili lime ranch with the avocado mixture to make a heavenly dressing, but for those who don’t like avocado I left it separate for this recipe.

 

April Menu ~ 2013

Spring has officially arrived and with it comes some great eating. It’s almost time to pull out the grill and make some awesome Balsamic Grilled Chicken (I’ve been craving that!) or make a Caprese Pasta Salad or some Black Bean Taquitos.

Hot Hamburger Plate (Number One’s birthday) and Caramel Cake

Oven Baked Tacos with Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Pico de Gallo

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Pesto Parmesan Green Beans and Oven Roasted Potatoes

Cheeseburger Salad

Black Bean Taquitos with Salad and Mexican Rice

Caprese Pasta Salad

Romano-Crusted Chicken with Skillet Veggies and Cheesy Pesto Bread

Pan-Seared Tuna Steaks with Lima Bean Butter 

 Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

Taco Cornbread Pizza

Chicken and Rice Pilaf with Roasted Asparagus

~ Recipes I am working on this month ~

Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad with Chili Lime Ranch

Poor Man’s Mongolian Beef

Wonton Taco Cups

Amazing Cashew Chicken

Poached Salmon with Sour Cream & Dill Dressing 

Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Chicken Asadero Chimichanga

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

Eggplant Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Asian Chicken Pizza with Peanut Sauce

Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos

~ Sides ~

Smoked Salmon & Creme Fraiche Bruschetta

Macaroni Salad

Spinach Squares

Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini with Ragu

Asparagus Feta Tart

Crispy Parmesan Baked Potaotes

Arancini w/ Marinara

Homemade French Bread

~ Desserts ~

A Little Bit of Everything Cookie Bars

Raspberry Coconut Squares

30 Minute Mini-Cini Buns

Margarita Cupcakes

Black Bean & Chicken Oven Fried Chimichangas

Wow- it’s been a while since I’ve done a Mexican dish, and I have really missed it. Ya’ll know how much I love Mexican food around here. This chimichanga is just another simple tex-mex dish that you can pull together in no time, but while I was making this it gave me an idea for another version of the chimichanga- so stay tuned

Black Bean & Chicken Chimichanga

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

1 can organic black beans

1 cup salsa

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 T dried onion flakes*

1 (4 oz) can of green chilis

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

8 flour tortillas

2 T butter, melted

sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Line a cookie sheet with some foil and give it a light coating of coking spray. Wipe off any excess if needed.

2. Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. *You can use fresh onion, about 1/4 cup diced, if you’d rather. I used onion flakes because I wanted everything to cook together for some time in the crock pot {except for the cheese, of course} and my prep time was limited. 

3. Combine the cheese with the chicken and beans mixture when ready to start rolling up your chimichangas. Melt the butter in a small bowl and have it ready.

4. This mixture will yield 8 chimichangas, so divide it evenly into each tortillas. Fold the sides over the mixture, then fold in the bottom and the top. Place seam-side down on the cookie sheet.

5. Brush each chimichanga over the top and on the side folds with the butter. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Garnish with any number of the following toppings:

sour cream

salsa

avocado/guacamole

shredded cheese

diced tomatoes

sliced black olives

green onion

Mexican Stew

Here’s another awesome crock pot meal for you. This one is full of great flavors and gluten-free ingredients. You can easily adjust the heat to your liking and even swap out the meat with black beans for a vegetarian meal.

1 lb. ground turkey (or 15 oz. can black beans)

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 large white or gold potatoes, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup roasted green chiles, chopped*

1 quart (4 cups) chicken or vegan broth

sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 lime, juiced

2-3 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 -2 tsp organic sugar, as needed to balance the spice

1. Brown the meat in a skillet. Put the cooked meat (or beans) into the crock pot and combine with the onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, squash, potato, carrots (I used bagged matchsticks), green chiles (*I used 1 large jalapeno), salt & pepper, and the broth. Set on low and cook for 7 or 8 hours. Stir occasionally.

2. About 20 or 30 minutes before serving, add the lime juice, cilantro, and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may also need to add a bit more of broth. Heat through.

March Menu ~ 2013

Well, it’s that time again. If you’re one of the few who haven’t yet done the “New Years Diet” then you may be thinking along those lines about now. For me it’s not so much “diet” as “cleanse” and by that I mean a cleansing of the pantry, budget, and body. This month will feature a few fattening yummy favorites (for the boys, of course) but I am focusing mostly on healthier recipes. Along with the links to previous posts there are many new recipes I’ll be working on this month, so stay tuned.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Dijon Dill Salmon with Grain Mix

Pasta and Lentil Soup

Spinach Tomato Feta Fritatta

Orange Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice

Black Bean Soup

Ultimate Baked Beans

Oven Baked Tacos

Black Bean Risotto

Potato and Leek Soup

Vegetable Ragu with Grilled Fish

Butternut Cake

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

St. Patty’s Day Cupcakes

Recipes I am working on this month:

Mexican Stew

Peasant Soup

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Seared Beef Fillet with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Black Bean & Chicken Oven Fried Chimichangas

Creamy Lobster Risotto with Green Peas

Appetizers and Sides:

Antipasto Skewers

Rosemary Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Cheesy Pesto Bread

Smoked Salmon Bruchetta

Desserts:

Pineapple Galette

Plum Crumble

White Chocolate Strawberry Pie

Carrot Cake Roulade