Black bean, corn and spinach enchiladas with homemade sauce

Black bean, corn and spinach enchiladas with homemade sauce 

For the Sauce

Ingredients: Makes enough sauce for 1 batch of enchiladas

• 1/2 chipotle chili, diced + 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (if not serving to toddlers, 1 chili and 2 tsp adobo sauce)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium vidalia onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 cup sherry
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable broth

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, brown sugar, cumin, and oregano and cook 1 minute more. Add the sherry, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a slow boil then simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened to stew consistency. 

This sauce can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Store sauce in an airtight container and defrost before using if stored in the freezer. I often double the recipe above and freeze half of the resulting sauce for later use.

For the Enchiladas

Ingredients: Serves 6

• 1 batch of homemade enchilada sauce, see above
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 10-oz package frozen spinach, heated, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 12-oz package of frozen corn kernels (I use the Green Giant Steamers)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded double cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large frying pan heat the 1/2 cup olive oil over medium high heat. It’s ready for frying when a small bit of tortilla sizzles immediately when added to the pan. Fry each corn tortilla for about 5-8 seconds per side, turning with tongs. Place the fried tortillas on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

In a medium bowl combine the black beans, spinach, corn, cumin, salt and black pepper. Mix to combine well.

Spoon half of your enchilada sauce on the bottom of your slow cooker. Divide the filling among the 12 tortillas, spooning about 2-3 tablespoons worth of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with about 1-2 tablespoons of Monterey Jack cheese, then roll up and place in your slow cooker, seam-side down.

Use the same method for the remaining tortillas, pressing each filled and rolled tortilla snuggly up against the others when placing them in your slow cooker. I can usually get 10 filled tortillas across and two filled tortillas in the empty space on either side of my row. If your slow cooker is smaller than mine and this isn’t possible, you can always do a second row of filled tortillas on top of the first. Just spoon a few tablespoons of sauce between the layers.

When all of the tortillas have been placed in the slow cooker ladle the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of them and sprinkle with the double cheddar cheese. Cook for 2 1/2 hours on high or 4 1/2 – 5 hours on low.

(Note: If you would like to make these enchiladas in the oven you can do so by assembling them into a large baking dish, covering with aluminum foil and baking them for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.) 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup 

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped 

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used the whole bag). 

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Honey Lime Shrimp

Honey Lime Shrimp

serves 2

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1.) In a large ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well-combined, add the shrimp, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and close it up. Place it in the fridge.

2.) Let the shrimp marinate for 30-60 minutes, flipping the bag around once or twice during that time, so that all the shrimp stay evenly covered in the marinade.

3.) When you’re ready to cook, take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point.)

4.) Add your shrimp to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Let them cook on one side for about a minute, until they curl up and start to turn pink. Flip them over, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from the pan, and serve immediately!

Chalupas

Ingredients:

• corn tortillas or tostada shells - depending how big of hurry you're in
• refried beans in a can - I spice mine up a bit with garlic powder and a touch of cumin
• 1 pound of ground meat beef cooked with onion and garlic and taco seasoning (OPTIONAL)
• chopped tomatoes
• shredded lettuce (baby spinach leaves are also good)
• shredded cheese (or we love Queso Fresco from the Mexican section)
• Any other topping you desire - guacamole, avacado, sour cream, chopped onion, etc.

Instructions:

Heat your refried beans and season to your taste.

Top your tostadas with beans, meat, and any other toppings you've prepared

Avocado Chicken Salad

Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken
1 avocado
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let all those yummy flavors blend together. 

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 hard-cooked eggs, diced

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup dried onion flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dill weed

8 slices bread

Directions:

In a bowl, gently mix the eggs, mayonnaise, onion flakes, salt, mustard powder, garlic powder, pepper, and dill. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight. To serve, spread equal amounts on 4 slices bread; top with remaining bread slices to make sandwiches.

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1 Egg, lightly beaten

3 tsp Milk

½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup Fine Dry Bread Crumbs

1 tsp Dried Oregano, crushed

½ tsp Paprika

⅛ tsp Ground Black Pepper

2– 2½ lbs Meaty Chicken Pieces, skinned (breast halves, thighs and drumsticks

2 tsp Butter or Margarine, melted

Snipped Fresh Oregano, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, mix egg and milk. In shallow dish, mix Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture. Arrange chicken pieces in greased large shallow baking pan. Make sure pieces don't touch. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (170 for breasts, 180 for thighs and drumsticks). Do not turn chicken pieces during baking. If desired, garnish with fresh oregano.