Cheesy Tex-Mex Casserole

I'm not usually a big casserole making fan...but it had me at "tex-mex" =) This is a variation of Emerill's Ooey Gooey Tex Mex Casserole. His recipe calls for stew meat AND ground beef (among several other variants)....in my opinion that's just too much beef! But if you're a big beefy fan, go ahead and try it. Or add some beans instead like I do and have a great well rounded meal, not too beefy. This is the first recipe with beef in it that my 2 year old has EVER eaten! AND she had seconds!!! Granted, I slathered it in organic sour cream...but still, I've never been able to get her to eat beef before. This is one of hubby's favorite meals. He once came home from a long day and had eaten a burger on the way home but didn't want to tell me (I hate it when he eats right before coming home when I've made a yummy meal!!). I had made this meal that day and he still had 2 servings of it because it's just THAT good. He JUST told me tonight about the burger, and that was like 2 years ago! So even if you're anti-casserole, try this, it really is THAT good!

Ingredients:
1 lb organic ground beef
2 cups organic black beans, cooked
1 organic onion, chopped
4 TB organic tomato paste
2 large tomatoes diced
1 veggie boullion cube
2 cups of water
(or instead of water and boullion you could use 2 cups veggie stock, or beef if you must be that beefy, ha)
Approximately 6 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups organic jack cheese, shredded
2 cups organic cheddar, shredded

In a large skillet, saute onion in a little oil for 3 minutes. Add ground beef stirring constantly until cooked through. Add beans, tomato paste, tomatoes and boullion/water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off burner. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large baking dish, pour a couple ladles full of beefy/bean mixture. Top with a layer of tortillas. If using small tortillas, place two side by side. If using large ones, place one whole one and a strip of another to cover the remaining space. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, and cover with beefy/bean mixture. Follow with another layer of tortillas, cheese, and beefy/bean mixture. Keep layering until beefy/bean mixture is done or you're at the top of the dish. Your last layer should be tortilla covered with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Top with a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce

Mexican Stuffed Poblano Bake

This is so yummy, I could eat it all the time. Well...almost all the time...I have to leave room to eat enchiladas and french onion soup =) This turned out to be totally family-friendly. The first time I made it just for hubby and I because I thought it would be too spicy for the kids. They kept asking for bites and ended up eating a ton of it. Though, here's a disclaimer, some poblano peppers are spicier than others so if I had really spicy ones it wouldn't be so kid-friendly. But I've made it many times since then and they still gobble it up. So maybe cooking them for so long makes them less spicy, I don't know. Either way, we love this recipe!

Ingredients:
24 oz organic crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
2 organic onions, chopped, divided
1 jalapeno, chopped
Sea salt and pepper
3 cloves organic garlic
2 cups organic beans, black or pinto
1/2 cup organic cornmeal
1 cup pepperjack cheese
1 ts organic cumin
4 large poblano peppers, organic if you can, I can't find them =(

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender, puree tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapeno, 2 garlic cloves, and a dash of salt. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
Mince remaining garlic clove. In a large bowl combine garlic, beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, 1 diced onion,  cumin, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 ts salt, pepper to taste.
Slice peppers in half and remove stems and seeds. Place in baking dish and stuff with bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
Invert another baking dish to cover the dish and place in oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes until cheese browns.
Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Veggies and Beans

This is a great vegetarian option to the traditional sweet and sour dishes. Though this would still be awesome with chicken if you wanted to.

Ingredients:
2 heads organic brocolli
1 organic red pepper
2 cups diced pineapple
1 cup organic beans, pinto, black, or kidney
1 organic onion, sliced
2 cloves organic garlic, minced

1/4 to half a cup pineapple juice (Note: if using canned pineapple, which I don't recommend with bpa lined cans, you can use the juice from the can. You can run some pineapple through a juicer. Or use frozen pineapple and as it defrosts you will end up with enough juice. Or with fresh pineapple you can mash some with a potato masher and squeeze some juice out.)
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
2 TB organic cornstarch
1/4 ts organic ground ginger
1/4 cup organic vinegar (apple cider or white wine)
2 TB braggs liquid aminos, or organic soy sauce

In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, vinegar, and braggs or soy sauce. Set aside. In a skillet, saute in a little water or oil, brocolli, red pepper, and onion until tender. Add minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add beans and pineapple and cook until heated through. Pour in reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce is thickened.
Serve over brown rice.

Mexican Chicken and Beans

You had me at "mexican" =) Quick, easy, and yummy!

Ingredients:
1 lb organic chicken thighs or breasts, diced
2 cups organic corn
1 cup organic black beans
1 ts oil for cooking
1 TB cumin
1 ts chili powder
1 ts garlic salt
1/2 cup water

Optional:
Tortillas (fajita or burrito)
Sliced jalapeno
Organic sour cream
Salsa

Cook diced chicken over medium in a skillet with the oil. When fully cooked, add the beans, corn, water and seasonings. Cook about 10 minutes until sauce thickens and flavors are mingled. Serve with or with a tortilla if you wish and top with sliced jalapenos, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream!

Quinoa Tabouli

Quinoa is so very good for you with 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of fat in a one cup serving. It is a gluten-free grain, so it's great for everyone. You can use it in place of rice on most recipes. Tabouli or Tabbouleh usually calls for bulgar wheat. This is a yummy side or main dish. Enjoy!
This is a variation of a recipe I saw at www.hacres.com

Ingredients:
1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup organic grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
A couple mint leaves, minced
3 cloves organic garlic, minced
 Half a cucumber, diced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Juice of one lemon
2 TB gluten-free tamari (or organic soy sauce, braggs liquid aminos)
2 TB olive oil
1 ts sea salt
pinch of cayenne

Place quinoa in a fine strainer and rinse. Rub the grains together.
Place quinoa in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, cool.
In a small bowl, mix together lemon, tamari, olive oil, salt, and cayenne.
Toss all ingredients together.
Let mixture sit for an hour for all the ingredients to mingle. Refrigerate until ready to serve and toss one more time. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Nachos

Nachos are such a well rounded meal! So grab a tray of them and head to the living room for movie night with the kiddos! That's what we do! (You can even throw on some meat if you must for those meat eaters!)

Ingredients:
1 bag organic tortilla chips (important to get organic since a huge percentage of corn is GMO)
2 cups shredded organic cheese, jack or cheddar
1 can sliced black olives
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 organic onion chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 cup organic black or pinto beans (already cooked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay chips on a parchment lined large baking sheet. Scatter all the ingredients except the cheese all over the chips.

Top with cheese. (I like putting the cheese on top of the toppings because it holds them to the chips)

Cook for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve sour cream and salsa on the side, Enjoy!

Tacos - Make your own taco night!

I'm sure most people know how to make tacos. I'm not talking authentic Mexican tacos, I'm talking American-ized tacos. But, do you know how to make it without the little packet of taco seasoning? If not, read on! Make your own taco night is a favorite around here. Simply fill a bunch of bowls with taco toppings, hand out shells, and let the kiddos go to town! Garden of Eatin makes organic taco shells, which I was super excited about when my grocery store started carrying them!

Ingredients for taco meat:
1 lb organic ground beef (or more depending on size of your family, this leaves us leftovers)
1TB organic garlic powder
1 TB organic chili powder
1 TB organic cumin
1 TB organic all season salt
1/2 cup water

Brown meat. Add all the other ingredients and simmer while you chop everything else! So easy-no packet needed =) (If you have onion powder, add some of that too, I never have any)

Toppings:
Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Chopped cilantro
Shredded lettuce
Diced jalapenos
Beans
Salsa
Guacamole
Hot Sauce
Sour cream

Chicken Fajitas (Works great for beef too!)

This recipe works for a pound of meat. Easily multiplies for more meat. Make with my tortillas! Mmmm, Mexican food!

Ingredients:
1 lb organic chicken (or organic beef may be used)
1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 organic red pepper, sliced
2 organic onions, sliced
1 cup organic beans, pinto or black
Organic sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce if desired

Marinade:
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup water
2 TB olive oil
2 ts braggs liquid aminos or organic soy sauce
3 cloves of organic garlic, shopped
1 ts salt
1/2 ts ground pepper
1/2 ts cayenne pepper

Slice chicken in strips and soak in marinade for at least an hour, up to overnight, in the refrigerator.

Cook chicken in a pan with red pepper and onions until chicken is cooked through.

Wrap in a tortilla with beans, cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa. Enjoy!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

My mom used to make super yummy beef stroganoff when I was kid. As I got older and liked meat less, I realized I'd rather it with ground beef so I'm not biting into chunks of meat. Plus this seems much easier...less cooking time, no beating of meat, etc. My kids gobble this up, I bet yours will too!

Ingredients: (Serves 6 adults)
1 tb coconut or olive oil
1 lb organic ground beef
2 lbs sliced mushrooms, organic
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (I make my own and highly suggest you do too! I'll post the recipe when I can)
1/2 ts ground pepper, organic
1-2 ts sea salt, to taste
1 ts garlic powder, organic
1/2 ts organic ground nutmeg
8 oz organic sour cream , or more of you like it creamier
1 lb organic pasta (This time I used organic rombi pasta 'cause it was there and it was cute, ha. I usually use organic egg noodles or organic whole wheat ribbons, not bowties, ribbons)

Heat up a skillet and add the oil. Brown the ground beef. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.

At this point, start the water for the pasta, and when boiling throw the pasta in and cook until al dente. Add the mushroom soup, pepper, salt, garlic powder, nutmeg to the meat/mushrooms. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. When the pasta is almost done, stir the sour cream into the meat mixture and heat it up. Drain pasta and dish out onto plates and top with meat mixture. Don't forget to pour a lot of sauce on top so you can drink it off your plate when you're done...and then lick it...to pre-wash of course =)

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Let me start this by saying this didn't end up being kid friendly. Well, "my" kid friendly (it's not like it was spicy or anything). None of them liked it. BUT hubby and I LOVED it. We got seconds. To be fair, my oldest who generally loves everything I make, hates cheddar and sour cream. Yes you heard that right. I would think he was switched at birth if I hadn't had a homebirth =) I think part of the problem was when they asked "What's for dinner?" and I answered "Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas" all they heard was "Bla bla bla Enchiladas". So they were expecting my regular enchiladas which is their absolute favorite. You can get that recipe here. So anyway, back to these really yummy enchiladas that WE liked...I don't know what's wrong with those kids.
This fills two baking dishes
Ingredients:
1 lb organic chicken
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (I used this because I make my own, but you could use cream of chicken if you are buying it in a can)
16 oz organic sour cream
6 oz Trader Joes Salsa Autentica (don't have a TJ's? You need a thin not chunky salsa)
1 organic onion chopped
1 can green chilies
2 lb block of cheddar cheese, shredded
16 wheat tortillas

Boil chicken (you can bake but it's easier to shred if it's been boiled). After it's cool, shred it. In a big bowl, mix together broth, soup, sour cream, salsa, onion, and chilies. Set aside two cups. Add to the mixture (not the 2 cups) 2 cups of cheese and the chicken.

Lay out a tortilla and spoon mixture down the middle.

Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in a baking dish.

Pour reserved sauce over the enchiladas. Cover (I cover mine with an upside down baking dish because I don't use foil in cooking) and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over them and cook for two more minutes for the cheese to melt. Serve with some rice and maybe my Mexican corn salad.

Awesome Rosemary Chicken

I love rosemary! I guess it's a little over the top to have rosemary roasted potatoes with this dish, but it was SOOO good! We love both so why not eat them together? ;) Though this would pair nicely with some creamy mashed potatoes, garlic roasted veggies, a salad...you can't go wrong with this chicken! This is adapted from a recipe at www.mommybistro.com

Ingredients:

2 lbs organic chicken, thighs and drumsticks

1/2 cup evoo

Handful of fresh rosemary (removed from stem)

1 1/2 ts sea salt

1 ts ground pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Place chicken in a baking dish. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything up really well with your hands (I know, Eww, I hate touching chicken, but sometimes it must be done!). Spread the pieces out evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes (Yes, really that long. It seems like a long time but don't worry, it will come out GREAT!!!) Mouthwatering yumminess!!! (Can you believe my spell check says "yumminess" isn't a word??? Weird.)  Enjoy!

Chicken and Chile wrap

The peppers in this add a zing to the standard chicken wrap. Super yummy! My hubby is very excited EVERY time I make these. I skip the peppers for the kids.

Makes about 5 wraps 

(I make big ones for me and hubby and small ones for the kids. This should make 5 big ones. Another option for a great appetizer - use small tortillas and when done cut them in half and you have mini wrap appetizers!)

Ingredients:

1 lb organic chicken, cooked, diced

5 whole wheat tortillas 

3 poblano peppers

1 bunch green onions

Homemade mayonnaise, to taste. Here's the recipe

1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese

Coat peppers in olive oil and put under broiler on high for a few minutes. Flip them over and put back under broiler for a few minutes. If you would like to remove the skin, place the peppers in a bowl and cover for about ten minutes. This will steam the pepper and allow you to peal off the skim more easily. I used to do this but now I don't bother unless I burn the skin under the broiler. Slice the peppers.

Wet tortillas and place in a toaster oven for about 2 minutes. This is optional  but allows for easier wrapping. Lay out tortillas and spread mayonnaise down the middle. Layer on the chicken, peppers, cheese, green onions. Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy!

Asian Chicken Salad

Want flavors that explode in your mouth? Try this delicious salad. It can be a low calorie meal itself or a great side dish to stir fry or other favorite Asian main dishes.

Ingredients: (organic is always recommended!)
3 TB rice vinegar
2 TB Braggs liguid aminos (or organic soy sauce, NEVER non-organic)
1 TB ground organic ginger (fresh can be used if you have it, add 2-3 TB)
2 ts wasabi powder
3 TB organic sugar (I prefer sucanat. Just never use white refined sugar for anything...except a craft project ;)
1 TB sesame seeds
1/2 cup organic sesame oil
1 bag pre-shredded red cabbage
6 cups chopped romaine, organic
1 cup shredded carrots, organic
1 cup diced pineapple
1 cup diced mango
2 cups diced cooked chicken, organic
1 cup cooked chow mein noodles

Whisk together vinegar, braggs or soy sauce, ginger, wasabi powder, sugar, and sesame seeds in a small bowl until well blended. While whisking, pour oil into bowl in a thin stream. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, romaine,  carrots, pineapple, mango, chicken, and noodles. Pour dressing over mixture and toss gently. Serve.

Cheese Enchiladas

I'm from California and my favorite food ever is enchiladas. Granted I like almost anything Mexican (or Mexi-Cali, since I guess I've never really had Mexican food in Mexico). I judge every single Mexican restaurant by their cheese enchiladas. If they aren't good, I don't go back. Harsh? Maybe, but enchiladas are super important to me =) So, since moving to NY there is a serious lack of Mexican restaurants so if I want enchiladas I have to make them myself. I came up with this recipe and in my opinion it's perfect. I've passed down my love of enchiladas to my kids. They always have seconds and sometimes thirds. So try this recipe, you'll be happy you did!!! And FYI I use small whole wheat tortillas for this. You by all means CAN use corn tortillas. I actually prefer corn, but the tortillas are a little trickier to roll. So warm them first. My husband prefers flour tortillas. I conceded since I've been unable to find organic corn tortillas. Since corn is highly GMO'd, I opt for the flour tortillas. I did make my own tortillas once, but that took a long time.

I make two pans at a time, cut in half if you only want one. But believe me, you'll want leftovers!

Cheese Enchiladas

18 small tortillas
16 oz. organic jack cheese

Sauce:
2 TB olive or coconut oil
1 TB organic chili powder
1 TB organic cumin
1 ts organic garlic powder
1 ts sea salt
2 cans organic tomato sauce

In a saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Toss in the chili powder. Cook for a few minutes. Pour in both cans of tomato sauce. Rinse down the sides of the cans with water so they both fill half way and pour the water in the pot. (You are only adding one can of water, each can is half full) Add cumin, salt, and garlic powder. Simmer on medium low for atleast ten minutes.

Let sauce cool for ten minutes (not totally necessary, but your fingers will thank you in a few minutes).
This is how I set up my work station:

Pour a spoonful of sauce in each pan and spread it around. Also pour a spoonful of sauce on the empty plate.

Take a tortilla, lay it on the plate, and rub it around in the sauce. Flip it over and do the other side so both sides are coated in sauce. Sprinkle cheese across the middle. (Now by all means you can add veggies, ground beef, chicken, etc...I'm just partial to just cheese)

Grab one end and roll up. Place in baking dish, seam side down.

Continue with all tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over the top and spread around. Sprinkle on remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbly! I always serve them with a side of rice and beans, sour cream, and cholula hot sauce! Enjoy!

Thai Curry Chicken

This recipe isn't completely from scratch since the curry sauce is actually from a can. You could by all means make your own curry paste. If you do, please feel free to comment and share your recipe! I've just  never done it...I will someday...but I have four kids....sometimes someday is very far off =) I use the brand Maesri, Red Curry Paste. I've tried others and the thought of them makes me want to gag, ha, I really really like this one. I didn't even LIKE curry until I tried this one. It has all natural ingredients and spices...but it's not organic =( This recipe can be made the day ahead for an even bigger explosion of flavor.

Thai Curry Chicken

1 large onion, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
2 lbs organic chicken, diced into one inch cubes
2 tbs oil (I use coconut oil)
1 can red curry paste
1 can organic coconut milk
Sea salt to taste
1-2 cups rice, brown

If making this the day you plan to eat it, cook rice. Heat oil in a pan. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and onions. Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the can of curry paste, stir it all up. Add the can of coconut milk and mix up well. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, atleast. At this point you can put it in the fridge and save it for tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, throw it in the crockpot a few hours on high, or 4-6 hours on low. The flavors will have melded nicely and you will drool over the aroma until dinner =) If desired, add another can of coconut milk for a very sweet/savory dish. Plan accordingly and start the rice at the appropriate time. Serve the chicken and sauce over the rice. Pair with a nice salad or veggie rolls. Enjoy. You're welcome =)

BBQ Red Bean Burgers

Normally I'm not one for veggie or bean burgers, but these were super good!!! Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser posted a recipe on facebook awhile back and I had been wanting to try it for awhile. Well, as with any new and strange recipe, I put it off, put it off, and put it off. It was on my menu for about 4 weeks. I finally tried it tonight! I made some changes so I will post below how I made them.

BBQ Red Bean Burgers

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 minced onion
• 2 chopped and seeded tomatoes
• 1/2 minced jalapeno (I only used half since I'm feeding kids. If I was to make it for myself, I'd use 2 jalapeno's probably)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (25 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed,well drained(that's a big can, use 2 regular ones if you can't find a big one)
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce ( I use Trader Joes BBQ sauce, YUM)
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 4 whole grain buns, toasted (I used Ezekial buns)
  
  
  Toppings: (any, all, or none) jack or cheddar cheese, organic of course
    lettuce
  slices thick tomatoes  
  avocado
  bbq sauce
  onions
  
  
•  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion, tomato, jalapeno, garlic and chili powder; sauté 5 minutes.
• Using fork or potato masher, coarsely mash beans in bowl.
• Combine with onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce and egg white.
• Shape mixture into 8  1/2-inch-thick patties.
• Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill
• If grilling, oil the rack or spray grill rack with nonstick spray, then fire up coals to medium heat.
• If pan-frying, heat a little olive oil over medium heat.
• Place patties on grill or in skillet and cook until golden brown and heated through, about three minutes per side. (I did them in a skillet. I did them three minutes on each side, twice.)
• Place burgers on buns.
• Top with any of the above toppings or use your imagination!