Grilled Pineapple & Chicken Quesadillas

Flour tortillas
Fresh pineapple, sliced
2-3 chicken breasts
grated monterrey jack cheese
jalapeno, sliced (seeds & ribs removed if you don't want it spicy)
Cilantro
BBQ sauce

Adjust the ingredients according to how much you want to make & how much of each thing you want in your quesadillas - nothing complicated here.

Grill your pineapple slices and chicken breasts however you like to grill (outdoor, indoor grill pan, etc. I did mine on the George Foreman). A little s/p for the chicken is good & the pineapple doesn't need anything, just put it on the grill & let it get some golden grill marks. You could skewer it if you are afraid of it falling apart or down into the grill.

When the chicken is done, let it rest a couple of minutes then shred it or thinly slice it. Chop the pineapple into smaller, bite size pieces.

Now assemble your quesadillas: chicken, pineapple pieces, cheese. Then pour on some bbq sauce, add some cilantro and some jalapeno. Put the top tortilla on and bake in the oven, or in a skillet, however you usually make a quesadilla. We have a quesadilla maker.

Once the tortilla is browned and cheese melted, let it sit for a minute then cut into wedges (I use a pizza cutter). Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, whatever you like.

These are so yummy! If you are in a pinch, you could use pineapple tidbits from a can, but drain them well. Also, even after sitting a few minutes these are so hot inside! The pineapples and cheese really hold the heat in, so don't burn your mouth!

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman's recipe

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Bean Burritos

This makes almost 20 burritos - so you will have some to freeze for lunches or snacks or whatever. Way healthier than the frozen ones from the store!

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained

6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

4. Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

5. Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

What I did: First of all, I used whole wheat tortillas. These usually are not as good as white ones, but at Sam's they sell some really good ones in a large package that is perfect for this recipe. They are Santa Fe Tortilla Company and they are whole wheat, but they are still soft and chewy like a white tortilla and pliable enought that I didn't have to preheat them for wrapping. So I recommend those if you can find them.

We had them for dinner and each made our own burritos with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, hot sauce, whatever you want. Then I wrapped the leftovers with just the bean mixture and cheese and wrapped them up in plastic right away instead of putting them in the freezer for a while.

My husband was a little skeptical, but they do reheat really well and put a little sour cream & salsa on the side. I think next time I will definitely add a can of green chiles though.

Original recipe: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Easiest Dinner Ever.

This is so easy. You don't have defrost anything, chop anything, saute anything or even stir anything to get it going.

2 cups frozen corn
2 frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa

Layer ingredients in lightly greased slow cooker in order listed. Cook on low 6 hours. Take chicken out & shred it. Return to slow cooker & stir. Serve taco salad style on tortilla chips with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, green onions, whatever you feel like. Or serve on a taco shell or in a burrito.

from: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Enchilada Suizas and Green Rice

This is a little bit of work, but really good! And don't let all the peppers scare you if you don't like spicy food, just make sure you take all the seeds & ribs out and it will just be a mild spice.

ENCHILADAS:

2 large poblano peppers

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked & shredded

2 TB olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

s/p

8 tomatillos peeled, rinsed, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime

2 tsp honey

8 6-inch flour tortillas

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Heat broiler to high. Place poblanos under broiler and char until blackened on all sides, 10-12 minutes. Leave oven door cracked to allow steam to escape. Place peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to cool to handle, then peel off the charred skin. Chop off the top, slice open and remove seeds. Then coarsely chop what's left.

2. Place tomatillos, cilantro, lime juice and poblanos in food processor. Process about 1 minute until almost smooth.

3. Heat oil in skillet. Add onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook to soften about 5 minutes. Add smooth mixture from food processor. Stir to combine. Add honey, season with s/p and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of medium baking dish. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken, roll u and place in baking pan side-by-side. Top with remaining sauce. Dot with sour cream and top with Swiss and jack cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375 until bubbly and brown on top.

RICE:

Bring 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 TB butter to a boil. Stir in 1 cup white rice, cover and simmer 15 minutes. While rice is cooking, in food processor process about 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1 cup spinach leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno seeded & roughly chopped, and 3-4 scallions roughly chopped. Process until a thick paste.

After rice has cooked about 15 minutes, stir in spinach mixture, cover and cook 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

**I made the rice w/o the spinach since I didn't have any, and I also left out the butter & it was still good

**I keep shredded chicken in the freezer in bags containing 2 cups of shredded chicken. This only got me 6 enchiladas - so you will need 3 or 4 cups of shredded chicken if you want to get 8 enchiladas

Source: from Rachael Ray Show, December 17, 2009

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

Don't let the title scare you away! It sounds a bit Hamburger Helper-ish, but this is waaay better!

1 TB veg oil

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, minced

3/4 TB chili powder

1/2 TB ground coriander (or ground cumin)

1/2 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 TB brown sugar

2 8oz cans tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 cups elbow macaroni

1 cup frozen corn

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar jack or mexican blend, whatever)

1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over med heat. Add ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander or cumin, and salt. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off grease.

2. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping at a steady simmer until macaroni is tender, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts.

So yummy!

Source: http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/

Chicken Tacos with Spicy Grape Salsa

I wasn't sure about this one, but I tried it anyway and even the kids ate it. Justin added hot sauce and we added some sour cream between the chicken and the salsa to hold it all together and give it some extra moisture.

3 cups seedless red grapes (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
One 12-count package taco shells
One 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the grapes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

2.Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and microwave at high power until warmed through, about 30 seconds; stir in 1/2 cup grape salsa.

3. Divide the chicken mixture among the 12 taco shells and top with more grape salsa.

Meals for the week

Here are the new recipes for this week

Grilled Mexican Chicken Burgers (recipe here)
Spinach Pasta Caesar Salad & breadsticks (recipe here)
Edamame & Mushroom Risotto (recipe below)
Spaghetti

Edamame and Mushroom Risotto

2 TB olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed & sliced
1 pound frozen edamame
3 cups vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine (or veg broth)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1. Heat 1 TB olive oil in large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside

2. Cook edamame, following package directions. Drain, cool and remove beans from shells. Add beans to mushrooms in skillet, discard shells.

3. Place broth and water in med-size saucepan and bring to a simmer

4. In large saucepan, heat remaining TB oil over med heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and stir until rice is coated with oil. Cook for 1 minutes, stirring.
Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed - about 1 minute.

5. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth mixture. Cook over med-low heat, stirring until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time., cooking in the same manner. This should take about 30 minutes.

6.Gently heat mushroooms and edamame. Stir into rice and remove from heat. Stir in the pepper and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

7. Divide among 4 bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese

Source: Family Circle Magazine, 4/1/09, pg 105

April 3-10

Sorry about last week, here are the new recipes I used last week:

Fish Topped Au Gratin Potatoes (not bad, but not that great, so I'm not posting recipe)
Stromboli Recipe here
Chicken Tetrazzini (made with leftovers from storebought rotisserie chicken) Recipe below

The plan for this week:

We still haven't gotten to the frozen lasagna and the pork tacos, so they are still on the list, new items are

Barbecue chicken with mashed potatoes and corn
Creamy chicken and Vegetables with Noodles Recipe here
Chicken Ranch Tacos Recipe here
Honey-sesame Chicken and fried Rice (use Sun Bird brand seasoning packet, look for it near the Asian foods and follow directions)
Spaghetti Sandwiches (recipe below)

I guess we are all about chicken this week!


Chicken Tetrazzini
7 oz spaghetti or linguine noodles
2 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cups cut up or shredded chicken or turkey
1 cup sliced olives or mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350. Cook and drain noodles - undercook them a little so they aren't mushy (they will cook in the oven too)
2. Mix broth, milk, flour, butter, S & P, in 3 qt sauce pan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
3. Stir in cooked noodles, chicken, olives/mushrooms. Spread in ungreased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.


Spaghetti Sandwiches
my mom used to make these with leftover spaghetti sauce. They sound a little weird, but they're good!

Bread
Mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded)
eggs
milk
spaghetti sauce

1. Mix up eggs and milk just like you would for french toast, but without the cinnamon & vanilla, etc.

2. Dip one side of a piece of bread in the egg mixture, place on hot griddle egg-side down. Top with mozzarella. Dip another piece of bread and place it on top of the mozzarella, egg-side up. Flip the sandwich when one side is cooked and cheese is starting to melt. Cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

3. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce on top.

Layered Turkey Enchiladas

1 lb. turkey breast tenderloin, cut in bite-size strips
1 16-oz. pkg. frozen sweet peppers and onions stir-fry vegetables
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
9 6-inch corn tortillas, halved
1 8 oz. pkg. Mexican blend shredded cheese (2 cups)
lime wedges (optional)
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375. In extra-large skillet cook turkey in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil over medium heat 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add frozen vegetables, enchilada sauce, and cranberry sauce. Bring to boiling. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

2. In 2-quart baking dish layer one-third of the tortillas, then one-third of the cheese. Use a slotted spoon to layer half the turkey-vegetable mixture. Layer one-third tortillas, one-third cheese, remaining turkey-vegetables (with slotted spoon), and remaining tortillas. Spoon on remaining sauce from skillet; sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let sit a few minutes before serving. Serve with lime and cilantro.

What I did: I used chicken instead of turkey and flour tortillas instead of corn. I also didn't halve the tortillas? I hate fruit chunks, so I used cranberry sauce with no chunks. The stir-fry mix was a little hard to find, but I ended up using a mix that came in a clear bag (can't remember the brand) that had the peppers & onions, but celery too. you could just chop up a bunch of peppers and onions...

Source: www.bhg.com Layered Turkey Enchiladas

Taco Burgers

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 jalapeno seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 scallions, chopped
salt & pepper
large white or wheat tortillas
taco sauce
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
1 tomato, chopped

1. Combine meat, jalapeno, garlic, spices, scallions, s/p. Shape into hamburger patties (4-5).
2. Cook patties in a pan or on the grill until done.
3. warm the tortillas, place lettuce, tomato, taco sauce & cheese in center of tortilla. Top with burger. Fold the tortilla around the burger. To serve, cut on a diagonal.

What I did: I only used about 1 lb of meat and cutting them on the diagonal kind of made them fall apart, so you might just want to wrap it up in the tortilla and eat it. I mixed up the meat and formed the patties before church, then after church we just had to grill them and dinner was ready really quickly.

Source: original recipe Rachael Ray's "taco pockets"

Mexican Polenta Pie

Justin didn't really like this b/c, apparently, he doesn't like polenta. But I really liked this, so I'm posting it.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
3 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
15 oz can black beans rinsed & drained
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup salsa
2 16oz tubes refrigerated cooked polenta
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
2/3 cup fresh chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet cook onion, garlic, green pepper in the oil. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Add beans, undrained tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes.

2. In a greased 9x13 baking dish cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2 inch slices, laying out into the pan. Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over polenta in the dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange sliced polenta on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese & chopped tomatoes. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.

What I did: This recipe makes a lot, so you might want to make it in 2 pans and freeze one. I saved a few bucks & made the polenta myself (bring 3 cups salted water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup yellow cornmeal with a whisk. Remove from heat & stir until thick & no lumps. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let cool in the fridge until firm. Cut into squares to use in the recipe. This comes out about an inch thick in the pan so I cut some of the pieces in half for the top. Or you could just spread the polenta in a sheet cake pan instead of a 9x13 then it wouldn't be so thick).

Source: www.bhg.com

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TB chili powder
16 oz salsa
1/2 tsp ground cumin
10-inch flour tortillas (about 6) warm before filling if they are stiff
1 can refried beans
olive oil, for basting
sour cream
guacamole

1. In large saucepan, saute onion & garlic until tender. Add chili powder, salsa & cumin. Remove from heat, add chicken and let cool.

2. Heat oven to 450. Grease rimmed 15x10x1 baking pan.

3. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down the middle. Top with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Fold up bottom, top and sides of tortilla and roll up. Hold together with toothpicks if necessary. Place chimichangas in pan seam side down, spaced a couple of inches apart. Brush all sides of chimichangas with oil.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

What I did: The recipe originally called for a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to be added with the cumin & chili powder. Justin and I have never met a savory food with cinnamon in it that we liked. We believe it should be reserved for sweets. But add it if you like. I also used canola oil instead of olive oil b/c I wasn't sure how the flavor of olive oil would go with this. I used fat free refried beans & lite sour cream. Next time I will serve it with some shredded lettuce along with the sour cream. Leftovers are great reheated in the oven so they are crispy. I also bought small tortillas by mistake, so it made a bunch of small chimichangas instead of six big ones. Although they were a little harder to roll up, this might be better if you have kids who will want their own instead of part of a big one.

Source: Insider's Recipes Master Edition

Ziti Mexi-Cali

Today is the 15th day of 100+ temperatures and its only June! So here's a good recipe for one of those days. All you have to cook is the pasta.

8 oz ziti or other short pasta
14.5 oz can Mexican-style diced tomatoes with/jalapenos or chiles
1 can yellow corn, drained or 1 cup frozen kernels
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

1. Cook and drain the pasta.
2. Combine pasta and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix well.

note: if using frozen corn, rinse them under warm water to defrost them before adding to bowl.

What I did: I added a little spoonful of lite sour cream on top of each dish.

Source: Cheap. Fast. Good! by B. Mills & A. Ross

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

2 tsp veg oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups (12 oz) shredded low-fat cheddar
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
reduced fat sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion & red pepper, cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles & salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro adn 2 cups of the cheese.

2. Spread 1 TB enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce. Roll up & place seam side down in baking dish.

3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice & remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil w/cooking spray & place over enchiladas (sprayed side down). Seal tightly & bake 35-40 min. at 350. Remove foil during last 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted & sauce is bubbly. Top each enchilada with small spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle on some cilantro.

What I did: I used dried cilantro, so I added it in with the pineapple, beans, etc. I don't think I added the salt, and I used more than 8 tortillas. I made it in 2 small pans & froze one for another day and I can't remember if I put 5 or 6 enchiladas in each pan, but I definitely got more than 8 out of the recipe. Also, not a big deal, but if you have the time, let the veggie mixture cool off before adding the cheese - it might be easier to fill the enchiladas w/o melted cheese stringing everywhere

Source: Thanks Mindy! And if I remember correctly, you said this was a Weight Watchers recipe.

Chilaquiles

This recipe is kind of long to type out, and actually, a little more complicated than I usually bother with, but it's a good one. So here's the link:

Chilaquiles

Everyone's spice tolerance is different, but I didn't think this was too spicy. If you are worried about it, you can pick out the seeds from the peppers.

Don't substitute anything else for the fire roasted tomatoes or the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - they add important flavors. The sour cream & green onions are also a must. You could skip making the tortilla strips and use regular tortilla chips though. We loved this!

Source: Rachael Ray