Happy Cinqo de Mayo!

Mexican Tortilla Bake

I'm adding a layer of seasoned burger/sausage crumble mix, too.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 11/2 cups cooked pinto beans or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed (I'm using cilantro lime black beans)
• 1 141/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 11/2 cups prepared tomato salsa
• 4 ounces soft or silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 12 6-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly oil a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a food processor or blender, combine the salsa, tofu, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of the bean mixture. Process until well blended.
4. Spread a thin layer of the tofu and salsa mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange 6 of the tortillas on top, overlapping as necessary. Spread the remaining bean mixture over the tortillas and cover with another layer of tortillas. Top with the remaining tofu-and-salsa mixture and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. I'm also topping this with salsa verde w heavy avocado chunks.
5. Bake until hot and bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Homemade Horchata

• 1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
• 1 quart of soy milk
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional, but definitely necessary, in my opinion)
• 1/2 cup white sugar

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice, water and cinnamon. Heat until it’s just about ready to boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Purée rice mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Flavor with vanilla and sugar to taste. Chill, and serve over ice.

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole Recipe

12 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours


* 2 1/4 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
* 2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
* 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
* 1 4-1/2-ounce can chopped jalapenos, (about 1/2 cup), drained
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, (about 7 ounces), divided
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup mild salsa
* 4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
* 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish


1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

* Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Garnish just before serving.

Mariachi Chicken Pizza

Mariachi Chicken Pizza

4 MSF Chicken Grillers -- or equal measure of MSF seasoned chicken strips. We just tried these last week in the lemon chicken. I LOVED them!! The texture is closer to real meat, which is off-putting to some, but if that doesn't bother you, then I highly recommend them! They would be great in this!
1 c. Lawry's Baja Chipotle Lime marinade
1/4 c. picante or taco sauce
1 pizza crust
3 roma tomatoes
2 c. cheese (we used colby jack)
1/4 c. sliced picked jalapenos
1/4 c. light sour cream

Place chicken and marinade in a crock pot on high for 4 hours. Turn off crock, shred.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pizza crust on a sheet pan, bake for 10 minutes.
Take out, top with taco sauce, shredded chicken, tomatoes, cheese, and jalapenos.
Place back in the oven for 5 minutes, until crisp and melted.
Top with sour cream and serve.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients:
1 lb cut-up veggie chicken of choice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 (10-oz) can green chili enchilada sauce
1 (10-oz) can red enchilada sauce 1 can large black olives, sliced 1 cup sour cream
1- 1/2 cups shredded cheese 13.25 oz box penne (or desired pasta)

Directions:
1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes, salt and pepper to taste. Combine chicken and onion and cook in a large skillet with 2 tbsp of oil until done.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender.
3. While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic and green pepper to chicken and onion. Cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don’t boil!).
4. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, and green onions.

Enchilada Soup

* 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
* 1 15 ounce can corn, drained
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
* 1 10.75 ounce can cream of chicken soup - I'm using COM, next time will try homemade chickit gravy.
* 1 cup milk
* 4 (4 ounce) chicken breasts --I used 4 MSF Chicken Grillers
* 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* avocado, (optional) sour cream, and tortilla chips for topping

* I also added a couple handfuls of diced baked potatoes and 1 small can of green chiles


In a crockpot, combine drained beans, drained tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, soup, and milk. Give it a quick stir. Add chicken breasts. Make sure to push them down so they are submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Before serving take out chicken patties, shred them, and return them to the soup. (Actually they're soft enough to cut up while still in the pot) Stir in shredded cheeses. Top with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips if desired.

Texas Two-Step

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
2 Haas avocados, diced

Directions

Combine all ingredients except avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a few springs of freshly chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Chicken Tinga

I made this impromptu to take to a friend's house. RAVE REVIEWS. I didn't follow a recipe, and because it was impromptu, I had to improvise on the ingredients. Sad to say, tomatillos aren't one of the usual staples in my pantry :) The options for tinga are endless. Sandwiches, pizza topping, rice, pasta, etc. It can go anywhere. Let's see if I can tell you what I did. It was delicious!! Spicy, but delish!

This is how it's supposed to be done. Saute, puree', etc.

• 3 tablespoons of safflower or corn oil
• 1/2 white onion, slivered (about 1/4 pound)
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 8 roma tomatoes, rinsed (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed (about 1/4 pound)
• 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of sea or kosher salt, more or less to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons of sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo. Add whole chiles if more heat desired.
• 5 cups of shredded chicken


This is what actually happened:

Saute' chopped sweet onion and fresh garlic in veg oil for 5-6 minutes, til translucent and fragrant. Add about 8 chopped and finely diced Roma tomatoes (If you're in a pinch, you can use 2 cans of the tomatoes w green chiles). Add a touch of lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper and maybe a 1/2 cup or so of salsa verde. The verde will replace your tomatillos and add in some of your missing seasonings. Stir it well, then add in 2 Tbs of adobo sauce and one well-minced chipotle pepper. There's your heat. If you don't want the heat, go without the pepper. Add just the adobo. Simmer 10-12 minutes. The color will deepen and the flavors marry the longer it sits. Next, toss in your chicken. I used 2 boxes of the MSF Chicken Grillers, nicely shredded. Simmer another 5 minutes or so, until the chicken has absorbed some of the juice. It's ready when it turns saucy instead of soupy :) We served this on top of haystacks, and it was a huge hit. Unexpected flavor, really easy inexpensive recipe, tastes like it took all day. BINGO. I'm going to refine the ingredient list and go ahead and add it to the Bistro book. Those of you who already have a copy, I'll just print it off and drop it off next time I see you :) Enjoy! :)

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 cup basmati rice
* 1 1/2 cups veggie chicken broth
* 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
* zest from one lime
* 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.

Mexican Appetillas

My sister makes these for every family get together, and with her permission I am adapting the base recipe to Mexicanize and veggietize it. :)

Mexican Appetillas

1 pkg super size tortillas
1/3 c mayo
Taco seasoning to taste (cumin, lime juice, jalepeno, cayenne, etc)
1/4 c chopped black olives
2 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c chopped green onion
1/2 c chopped green chilies

Bring tortillas to room temperature. (If they are too cold they won't roll up nicely). Mix together all ingredients except tortillas. Lay tortilla flat and spread thin layer of mixture over the top. Tightly roll tortilla and wrap in plastic. Fridge 3 hrs or overnight. Cut into 3/4" slices before serving.

Of course part of me is dying to use Tofutti cream cheese and Nayonnaise and not tell anybody, but for the first batch I'm goin' with the good stuff ;) Of course the base recipe is just minus the seasoning and the chilies, and add a thin layer of deli shaved turkey. This being a method recipe, the options are endless. Peppers, tomatoes, spinach, herbs, different cheese, etc. Can't wait to see your suggestions.

What about doing a dessert version with pumpkin cream cheese with tiny apple bits mixed in?

Touchdown!

Very rarely do I use people as guinea pigs, but last night I felt fairly confident no one would die from flavor boredom :) Aaaaaand, we have a winner! I give you:

Superbowl Sliders

(Picture will be posted asap)

4 Boca Burgers, cooked (original flame-grilled)
6 Morningstar Farms Sausage Patties, cooked just under done
2 cups taco flavored cheese
4 pieces whole grain bread, broken up and crumbed
4 eggs
3 Tbs quick-mixing flour
1 med onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chiles
1/2 c butter or margarine

Dinner roll size buns
Guacamole
Fresh salsa
Cheese, if desired

Saute' onion and chiles in butter til tender. Meanwhile, microwave or cook sausages and burgers until just under done, then crumble roughly. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. (I used my hands. Easier.) Form large soup spoon size patties and fry til done on both sides, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Most people last night ate them with just a healthy slathering of guac across the inside of the bun. Not a guac fan? How about French onion sour cream instead?

I was also thinking how this would also be yummy as a meatloaf. Throw some taco sauce or salsa in the loaf pan and then pour the burger mix on top. Served with cheddar jalepeno mashed potatoes and fresh green chile and lime roasted corn on the cob... sounds delicious to me anyway.

Feedback is welcome and very much appreciated :)

Quesadilla Triangles

Cheese, Chorizo and Bean Quesadilla Triangles

3rd Quarter
1 1/2 lbs. spicy breakfast sausage
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 can (30 oz.) refried beans
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Authentic Mexican Cheese, divided
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh green onions
10 (7-inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Guacamole and salsa for toppings

Do-Ahead Tip: The chorizo, bean and cheese mixture can be
made a day ahead of time.

Crumble chorizo and brown with chili flakes in skillet until crisp, about 8
minutes, and drain on paper towels. In a bowl, mix chorizo with refried beans and
1 cup cheese.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush 1-1/2 Tbsp. oil over one side of 5 tortillas. Place
oiled sides down on foil-lined baking sheet. Set remaining 5 tortillas aside.
Spoon 3-4 generous tablespoons chorizo mixture on each of the five tortillas on
the baking sheet and evenly flatten and spread to edges with back of spoon. Top
each tortilla with 3 generous tablespoons each, of chopped cilantro and green
onion. Sprinkle each with 3 generous tablespoons cheese. Place remaining
5 tortillas on top of the others, pressing down to secure filling. Brush each tortilla
top with remaining oil.

Bake until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn over with big
spatula to brown other side and until cheese is melted. Cut into 6 triangles per
tortilla round, platter and serve with guacamole and salsa.