Championship Bean Dip

Three things I really love:

1. Beans (especially refried)

2. Dip (especially when it includes beans)

3. My crock pot

So what happens when I can bring all three things together for a common cause....MAGIC!  I love this dip, it is the ultimate dip in my world, and it is just so easy!  I served this when I had friends over to watch the ASU football game, and everyone was raving about it, it really is the best bean dip ever!  I found the original recipe in an old Fix It and Forget It cookbook that was my grandmas, and modified it a bit for my tastes.  It is the perfect party dip because you throw it all in the crock pot and 2 hours later you have a delicious dip!  Serve with tortilla chips, Fritos or corn chips and you have yourself a winner!  With football Bowl Games and the Superbowl just around the corner this is just the dip to cheer on your favorite team to victory!

Beans are not one of the most photogenic foods....so please no judgements on the photo!

Championship Bean Dip

2 (15 oz. each) cans refried beans (I use Rosarita Spicy Jalapeno)

2 c. picante sauce (I use Medium heat Pace)

2 c. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 c. sour cream

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Chips for serving

Combine all the ingredients, except chips, in the crock pot; stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on High for 2 hours, or until heated through, stirring once or twice during cooking.  When ready to serve, turn crock pot to warm and serve with chips!

Note: This makes a really, really big batch, feel free to cut all the ingredients in half, but I like to have leftovers to make burritos!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

So it's been awhile I know, but the fall is always a crazy time for me and now it is the holiday season and time is just flying by!  I have a backlog of things to share, so fingers crossed I will post more than once per month moving forward! 

You may ask why is fall so busy?  Well....one word....football!  I don't play football or coach football or even have a job that has anything to do with football (although I kinda wish I did), but I watch football, and I watch it a lot!  I love college football, NFL and even play in 2 Fantasy Football leagues!  I wake up in the morning to my radio alarm playing sports talk radio and listen to it while I drive around all day....during the fall, football just seems to take over!  I even manage to travel to a couple of away games every year to follow my beloved Arizona State Sun Devils (this year we went to the Wisconsin and Cal games).  Unfortunately, both of my favorite teams, ASU and the Arizona Cardinals, are not having very good seasons this year....but I am no fair weather fan...I still have to watch and give them my support!

While the NFL still has a few more weeks to go, college football is over.  Well, it is not really over, but when your team doesn't go to a bowl game, it feels like it is over (although who am I kidding, I will still probably watch most of the bowl games...I am a football junkie, remember?).  Going into our last game, the Sun Devils knew that even with a win they wouldn't get a bowl game, but it being our rivalry game against the University of Arizona Wildcats....it was basically going to be played like a bowl game....and it did not disappoint!  After a slow start, the game got to be really close, and ASU pulled out a one point victory in double overtime by blocking an extra point (which they also did to send the game into overtime to begin with)....talk about drama!  It was a crazy game, with highs and lows, and very fun to watch (being the junky that I am, I actually taped it and re watched it the next night so that I could take it all in again....do you think there are support groups for this kind of addiction?) and I was glad that I had invited some friends over to watch it because it really made it that much more fun.

So here is the first of the dishes that I made, this was a real winner, and everyone really liked it.  It is actually supposed to be formed into the shape of a ring, but since it was for a football party I shaped it like a football as much as I could...genius!  The buttery crescent rolls were so tasty with the Mexican fillings, and everyone piled on guacamole and salsa and declared it a winner!  This was a snap to throw together since I had precooked and froze the chicken a couple of weeks ago; I have one more bag of chicken in the freezer so I have a feeling this will be making a repeat appearance soon!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Adapted from www.justapinch.com

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, un drained

1/2 c. mayo

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 small tomato, chopped

1 lime

2/3 c. finely crushed tortilla chips

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken, olives, cheese, chilies, mayo and taco seasoning; stir to combine.  Seed and chop the tomato and add to the mixture.  Juice the lime and add 2 tablespoons to the chicken mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of crushed chips and add remaining chips to the mixture; mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate triangles.  Arrange on a cooking sheet making a circle with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside.  There should be about a 5 to 6 inch diameter opening in the center.

Spread chicken mixture evenly onto the widest end of each triangle.  You can really heap the mixture on, and you may have a bit leftover.

Bring points of triangles up and over filling, and tuck under the wide ends of dough at center of ring.  Sprinkle with the remaining crushed chips.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crescent rolls are golden.  Let cool for a minute, then slice along the seems to make wedges.  Serve with garnishes if desired.



Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

Well, looks like the cat is out of the bag, Laura (my sister) if you are reading this, please forgive me!  Why am I asking for her forgiveness?  I may or may not have not mentioned the word jalapeno when I invited my sister over for dinner and told her what I was making!  My sister is a wimp when it comes to spicy food; for instance, she claims to LOVE buffalo wings, but then wipe all of the sauce off of each one before she eats it....so weird!!!  So when she asked what I was making, I told her Mexican Chicken Casserole, she said yum, so I said see you at 6!  I knew that if I mentioned the "J" word she would not even try it, so I had to be a little bit sneaky....but isn't that what big sisters are for???

So at 6 last Sunday night, my sister and my parents arrived for dinner; we sat down and ate, and guess what?  They all liked it!  My sister made a little mention that a few of her bites were a little spicy, but like I said before, she is a major spice wimp.  This was really good, and fresh tasting.  I liked that it didn't use a canned soup as the base, which I am not against at all, but they can sometimes make dishes feel really heavy.  I also really liked the addition of the spinach, it was a good way to get in some veggies, this almost tasted like a spicy spinach dip with chicken, which is definitely not a bad thing in my opinion!

My only suggestion when making this would be to use more chicken.  The pound of chicken called for in the recipe seemed a little sparse to me, but do what you like!  I was also thinking of maybe instead of adding more chicken, to just use a can of black beans, or even use no chicken at all and just black beans....mmm beans....well they don't call me The Bean Queen for nothing!

I am really sorry I didn't get a picture of the insides, but trust me, it was very pretty!

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen

2 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, diced

3 jalapenos fresh, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
20 oz chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp. pickled jalapenos, diced
2 Tbsp. jalapeno pickling liquid
2 c. light sour cream
4 green onions, tops only, diced
2 Tbsp. lime juice, or about 1 lime
1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
2-3 c. cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Saute onions, jalapenos, and garlic until soft. Sprinkle flour over jalapeno mixture and cook for several minutes until golden. Add chicken stock to pan and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring often, until simmering and slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine spinach, pickled jalapenos and liquid, sour cream, lime juice and green onions. Add chicken stock mixture to sour cream mixture and stir thoroughly until mixed.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer a handful of crushed tortilla chips, chopped chicken, and half of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of crushed tortilla chips, and the rest of the chicken and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top casserole with another layer of crushed tortilla chips and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Bake casserole for 30 to 40 or until hot and browned. Top with fresh pico de gallo, if desired.

I served mine with a big pot of pinto beans.....mmm mmm good!

El Charro Cafe - Tucson, AZ

Yes friends, your eyes are not deceiving you, I went to Tucson.  I know that anything related to Tucson is against my religion being a Sun Devil and all, but I went to see this country lady.

 

Do you recognize her?  It's Carrie Underwood!  I have loved Carrie since her days on American Idol, and when she won and started putting out country albums, I loved her even more!  The first time she came to Phoenix I had a conflict and couldn't go to the show....fast forward a year later and it is announced that she is coming back to Arizona....but this time to Tucson....yuck!  But this is how much I love Carrie, I will head into enemy territory to see her!  The show was awesome, and the picture above is of her in an old truck that literally was right over our heads!  My sister and I had a great time, but not wanting to stay in Tucson for too long, we left and drove back to Phoenix right after the show!

We got to Tucson about an hour and a half before the show and wanted to grab some dinner.  My sister and I are both Mexican food junkies, so we decided to check out some of the local food and plugged in our request to the GPS and let it guide us.  Our GPS led us to the El Charro Cafe, which was an adorable, old, little building in downtown Tucson, it didn't look scary and the parking lot was busy so we decided to give it a try!

The restaurant is comprised of a couple of little old houses and patios, very cute, but very lacking in bathrooms!  Once we were seated at a table indoors, we were presented with a basket of chips and two kinds of salsas, one red and one green.  The chips were on the thick side for my taste, and not warm, but they were decent.  The red salsa was milder than the green one, but still had some nice kick to it.  Both were tasty, but not the chunky kind of salsa that I like the most.

My sister was wanting to eat lighter that night and decided to start with the Charro Salad.  The menu didn't have much of a description, but she was treated to what she called the "most amazing salad ever!"  The salad was mixed greens, with chunks of mango, roasted pepitas, dried cranberries and Casero cheese in a light vinaigrette.  The presentation was beautiful, and she loved the combination of flavors; just the other day she mentioned how good it was and we were there 2 months ago!

In the last 6 months, my sister has become absolutely obsessed with shrimp tacos.  She orders them wherever we go, and rules out places and picks places based on the availability of shrimp tacos!  Well, this night she didn't get shrimp tacos, even though they had them on the menu, but she opted for Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas.  The tostadas were on the appetizer menu, but the serving was 3 large tostadas, so definitely enough for a meal.  The shrimp tasted so fresh with the lime, lemon and tomato marinade.  The crispy shells with the cool seafood topping were the perfect dish for a hot summer night.

The menu at El Charro is huge, and I had such a hard time deciding what to order!  There were many items that sounded good and were so different from some of the items that are typically found on menus, but we were in a bit of a rush to go to the concert so I got an old stand-by, a Green Chile Beef Burrito Enchilada Style with a side of beans!  I like to measure most Mexican restaurants by their Green Chile, so I figured I would give it a try here.  The beef was nice and tender, and the green chile packed just enough heat that made it flavorful but didn't make it so it scalded my mouth.  The beans, well they were just blah, boring, no flavor, not good.  And look, they didn't even garnish them with any cheese!

I don't think we could have stumbled upon a better place to eat on our trip to Tucson, for the most part the food was tasty, the building was historic (built in 1922) and they got us in and out in record time, letting us get to the show, which was our real mission for the night.  I wouldn't go back if I was really in the mood for some good beans, but I would return just to try out some of their other intriguing dishes.

El Charro Cafe (5 Tucson locations)
311 N. Court Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85701
www.elcharrocafe.com

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

Oh my goodness, it has been way too long since I have been able to post anything food related here, but my computer is working again (for the most part) and I am ready to get back to making a more regular appearance on here!

According to my camera, I actually made these back on April 12, so it seems that I am about 2 months behind in all my posting, which is a shame, because I have made some yummy stuff during that time!  These tostadas are actually a spin on a recipe that was getting posted all over the various blogs that I read, they were intended to be eaten as a sandwich, but being such a Mexican food lover, I have a hard time putting the concept of Mexican food and sandwiches together, plus I wanted something crunchy, so thus I served it tostada style!  But feel free to serve on a nice crusty roll if it is a sandwich that you crave!

This is actually a Rachael Ray recipe, and it actually took less than 30 minutes!  The basis is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, so that really eliminates a lot of time, but there is some prep involved with getting all of the chicken off of the bone.  (Quick Tip: It is much easier to pull the chicken off the bone and shred it while it is still warm, so if I go to the grocery store early in the day, I always de-bone and shred the chicken when I get home and then just refrigerate until I am ready to start cooking.)  This smelled delicious while cooking, and the end result confirmed it, the chicken mixture was creamy with a touch of heat.  For the shells, I just took corn tortillas and fried them in a little bit of oil until crispy, but you could always use pre-made shells or bake them until crispy for a lighter version.

Since it was just me eating this, I was able to package up two more portions for the freezer, which will be just perfect when I need a Mexican fix after a long day at work!

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray - September 2009

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 c. store-bought salsa verde
1/2 c. sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 tostada shells
4 slices Monterrey jack cheese (I just used shredded)

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Stir in the chicken to coat.

2. Pile the chicken mixture on the tostada shells. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa if desired....and of course....a side of beans!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

So as you can tell from all my previous posts, I am a huge Mexican food lover!!  But what you may have not caught on to, is when it comes to Mexican food, I rarely choose chicken as my filling of choice.  I will choose a beef or pork dish over chicken almost any day; I couldn't even tell you the last time that I ordered something at a Mexican restaurant that involved chicken (and well, I go to Mexican restaurants at least a couple times a week)!  With that being said, I was oddly drawn to make these creamy chicken flautas, I saw them pop up on a bunch of blogs, and the ingredients in the filling sounded so delicious, that I decided to just give it a whirl.  I am so glad that I tried this, not only is the filling so easy to put together, but it is delicious!!  While mixing it up I was considering not even putting this in the tortillas, just heating it up and eating it with a spoon!  The flavors are so fresh and really pop, that I just loved the combination!  Since these are baked and not fried, this is actually quite a healthy meal, loaded with lean protein! 

My sister came over for dinner the night that I made these, and she was a big fan as well.  I really wish that I had taken a picture of the gooey filling for you all, but you will just have to trust me and try it out for yourselves!  But a word of warning: line the baking sheet with foil, because some of the filling is bound to escape!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

adapted from On My Menu

4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 c. green salsa

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions
1 (12.5 oz) can solid white chunk chicken, drained (Or sub 2 cups cooked chicken)
1 c. grated pepperjack cheese
12 small corn tortillas
Kosher salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine, and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Place 2-3 Tbsp. of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Spray the tops of the tortillas lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa and/or shredded cheese!

Quick Restaurant Style Salsa

As a born and raised Arizona girl, I grew up eating chips and salsa; actually, a lot of chips and salsa!  There is just something so refreshing about salsa on a hot day, it is the perfect snack, and if you don't overdo it on the chips it is quite healthy too!  I have never made my own tomato based salsa before so when I saw this recipe pop up and I read how easy it was to make, I figured that the time had come!  This really does taste like the salsa you get in a lot of restaurants, and since it starts with canned tomatoes, it couldn't be easier, or cheaper!  I whipped this up in my food processor in less than 2 minutes....seriously!  The flavor gets better after it is refrigerated for awhile, so I would suggest making it a bit ahead of when you want to eat it, but if you just can't resist....it will still be tasty!

Quick Restaurant Style Salsa

adapted from Taste Buds

2 (15 oz. each) cans Mexican-Style stewed tomatoes
1(4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

1/2 bunch cilantro, rinsed

1 bunch green onions (stems and bulbs), rinsed
1 tsp garlic salt or powder (I used powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp vinegar
Using a food processor (or blender), blend tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, cumin, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Add onions and chilies. Stir and serve with chips.

See....I told you it was easy!

Cafe Carumba

A couple of weeks ago we had one of our monthly alum dinners that I am in charge of planning.  I couldn't quite figure out where to go; it is getting hard because I don't like to repeat restaurants, but eventually I decided on Cafe Carumba which is in Old Town Scottsdale.  I had been there once, when it just opened about 4 years ago, but after I looked at the menu I could see that it had been revamped, so I was excited to try it.  Our group arrived, and we thought the interior was cute, decorated in modern Southwestern decor, but we were shocked to see only about 2 other tables occupied....and it was 7:00 on a Friday night!?!  Nevertheless, we were there, we were hungry, and we figured we would't have to wait too long!

We started off with the Nacho Bowl, which was basically all of the nacho toppings placed in  bowl with chips to dip in it.  The girls that ordered it really liked it, but I thought that it was missing a key element to nachos...the cheese!  It was just seasoned ground beef, sour cream, onions and tomatoes; while all the ingredients were tasty, I think some cheese would have made things a whole lot better!  But it didn't stop them from scraping the bowl clean!

One of the other girls wasn't too hungry, so she opted for the Caracas Chopped Salad, which was a combination of grilled chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes and cojita cheese served on romaine. The presentation of the salad was very nice, the bright colors of the corn and tomatoes made it look very appetizing. The chicken was nicely cooked and the combination of all the simple flavors made for a nice, light meal.

The most popular item with our group was the Taco Platter, three out of group of seven ordered it, but they all chose different fillings!  The picture below shows the grilled chicken tacos, but there was also on order of the steak tacos and the pork tacos too!  Everyone liked their tacos, the fillings were generous and the flavors were good, and since the platter came with three tacos and two side dishes....there were a lot of leftovers!  We all thought that the choices for side dishes were quite unique, not just your typical rice and beans.  We tried almost all of them amongst us; the side salad, sweet potato fries, homemade potato chips, black beans, pinto beans and even the roasted mushrooms and spinach!  The homemade chips and the sweet potato fries were our favorites, but they were all quite good.

My sister opted for the most unique entree out of group, she ordered the Chicken Oscar "Carumba" Style!  The dish was a grilled chicken breast topped with two crab cakes, asparagus and topped with an ancho hollandaise sauce.  The presentation was lovely; the chicken was cooked perfectly and the crab cakes were full of crab, but the only thing that didn't make this an out of this world dish for her was that the sauce was a bit too spicy for her.  I tasted the sauce and liked it, so if you don't mind a bit of spice, this is a fun Southwest twist on a classic dish!

There were a lot of items that sounded good to me on the menu, but ultimately I decided to go with the Green Chile Pork.  I love green chile pork, and I usually measure most against the one at Z'Tejas, so I was intrigued to try this version.  It was served in a hot skillet with warm tortillas on the side.  I tried a bite of the pork first and it was very tender, it just fell apart, but I didn't really get much green chile flavor.  I scooped some into a tortilla, along with some pinto beans and took a bite, it was good, but it just didn't have that much flavor, the beans overpowered the pork!  It was not a terrible dish, but I guess I am a bit of a Green Chile snob....and this one is not one that I will be ordering again!

Overall, we had a nice experience at Cafe Carumba, the food was good for the most part and the service was quick.  I am still perplexed as to why the restaurant was so empty the entire time that we were there, but I have heard that it is a popular brunch spot on the weekends, so I may have to go and check that out.  I would go back again to try out their happy hour as well, especially, since unlike almost all the other restaurants in Old Town, they actually have their own parking lot!

Cafe Carumba
7303 E. Indian School Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85281
http://www.cafecarumba.com/

Tamales

Whenever I tell someone that I am making homemade tamales I always get the same reaction, "Wow, that is so much work."  Well, if someone had told me they were making homemade tamales a couple of years ago I would have had the same reaction, but now I know, it really isn't all that hard!  Now, in saying that, I don't grind my own masa or anything, and maybe that is where the difficult part lies, but with store bought masa it couldn't be easier!  It has become a tradition now for me, my sister, my mom and my aunt Martha to get together and spend an afternoon making tamales.  Yes, it does take some time for them to cook, and the more people helping to assemble the better, but the results are so worth it!  This would also be a really fun dinner party idea, invite a group of people over to help assemble the tamales and then drink margaritas and eat guacamole while they cook....hmmm....maybe I am going to have to do that!

My sister, mom, Aunt Marth & Me showing off our tamales!

Tamale Dough

2 c. masa harina (It can be found by the flour in the grocery store)

1 (15.5) oz. can chicken broth, warmed

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. lard

1 (8 oz.) can creamed corn

1 bag corn husks (Follow soaking directions on the package to pre-soak)

Combine masa harina, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in lard with a pastry blender.  Stir in warm broth and creamed corn to form a soft dough.  Now you are ready to assemble!

Optional Fillings:

-Green Chilies

-Shredded cheese

-Shredded beef (We use Del Real brand pre-cooked shredded beef found at Costco)

-Cooked Chicken

The options are endless!

Lay out a pre-soaked corn husk on your work surface, with the wide side closest to you.

Spread a thin layer of the dough on the husk, leaving about 1/2 inch on each of the sides and only up 3/4 of the way up the husk starting on the large end.

Layer your desired filling ingredients on the dough.  (On this one we put shredded beef, diced green chilies and shredded cheese!)

Now we are ready to fold them up!

Lift up the husk from the left side, and fold over on top of the tamale.

Then fold the right side over (it will be overlapping the the left side).

Lastly, fold the bottom flap up.

Now your tamales are ready to be steamed!

(If you want these to look more decorative, you can take a strip from a husk and tie it around the tamale and knot it, but they will stay together just fine even without it.)

To cook the tamles, you need to fill a large pot with about an inch or two of water and bring to a boil.  Then you you need to use a steamer basked (or in our case, a jimmy-rigged upside down strainer) to put the tamales in so that they are not touching the water. Cover with a damp towel and steam for about 40 to 45 minutes until the tamales are cooked.  They are down when they easily peel away from the husk.  You may need to had more water during the cooking time, so check after 20 minutes or so.

And there you have it, a plate of fresh, homemade tamales!

This recipe makes about 20 tamales, but we quadrulpled the recipe and ended up with about 6 dozen!  These freese really well, and can reheat in the microwave in about 2 minutes.

Spinach Enchiladas

If you had asked me as a kid if I like Spinach Enchiladas, the answer would have been an overwhelming NO! But once I got hooked on Spinach Artichoke Dip, I started to notice and taste all the delicious possibilities that spinach had to offer. Spinach works in just about anything, and really adds both color and nutrition to a dish; so now, I almost always have at least one package of it in my freezer to toss into a dish that I am cooking. Lately, I have really been into ordering Spinach Enchiladas out at restaurants, which is not the norm for me, but they have been hitting the spot (and well, the addition of the spinach should make me feel less guilty for all the chips and salsa, right?), and every restaurant seems to have such different versions. Some are in red sauce, others a cream sauce, and some have even been topped with sliced almonds that added a delicious element to the dish.

While watching some football a couple of Sunday nights ago, I got a craving for some Spinach Enchiladas, and while I could have gone out and picked up some take-out, I realized that I had all the ingredients on hand, so I decided to just make them myself! Let me say, these really are very easy, and they are really delicious. This night, I made them with a packet of enchilada sauce mix that I doctored up with some Chipotle seasoning for a bit of heat, but a can of prepared enchilada sauce would works just fine too, or you could even go the cream sauce rout....just go with whatever you are craving!

I baked these up in the toaster oven, which only took about 15 minutes, and I had myself a homemade Mexican feast. These were actually even better re-heated the next day, what a bonus!

Spinach Enchiladas

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen, chopped spinach; thawed and drained
1 packet Enchilada sauce mix, prepared per package directions (Or just use a pre-made kind)
2 c. Mexican blend cheese, shredded
6 - 8 corn tortillas, warmed per package directions (I could only fit 6 in my pan)
4 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Once spinach has been thoroughly drained, combine it with the cheese and onions. Season with salt to taste. In an 11 x 7 inch pan, pour a thin layer of the enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Working with one tortilla at a time; dip each tortilla in sauce, then stuff with spinach and cheese filling. Roll up, and place seam side down in the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and top with any leftover filling mixture. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Avocado Mexican Pizza

The Sunday of my Labor Day Weekend was kind of an odd day. I had slept in until 11:00 (don't be jealous, tailgating takes a lot out of a girl!), which meant that at around 11:30 I finally ate something that I considered to be breakfast. I then hung around and watched TV in my pajamas and read the paper, at 2:00 I decided it was finally time to take a shower and get dressed so that I could run some errands. Just as I was about to get into the shower my dad called, he wanted to go to lunch. Well I was not at all surprised about my dad's lunch suggestion, he always wants to go to lunch, but I was surprised that he wanted to go to lunch so late in the day! You see, my dad is a creature of habit, when the clock strikes twelve, he eats lunch; so I was amazed that he had missed his lunch time that day, but, nevertheless, I agreed to go and meet him.

I had to drop some stuff off to my mom, so I swung by their house and picked my dad up, and off we went to his favorite place, Valle Luna. We didn't actually end up getting there until 3:00 by the time I showered, got to my folks, etc., so it basically could have been considered dinner at this point! After we ate, I carried on with my day, but at about 9:00 that night I realized that I was hungry! I didn't want to have anything really big or heavy, but I knew that I needed to eat something. I had been browsing some of the blogs that I read when I cam across this recipe; I quickly realized that I had just about everything on hand to make it, so I decided to whip myself up a light, late-night dinner. I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, and because of that, I did think that there was a lack of color on the plate, but the taste was not lacking! This was quick and tasty, and hit the spot to curb my hunger until the morning. I did find it funny that the original recipe called these quesadillas, but I just couldn't bring myself to go with that title because they are open-faced, so I changed the name! These can be made as appetizers for a party, or just as an afternoon snack; and the possibilities for toppings is endless!

I will list the full recipe for 4 servings, but I made a single serving just for me.

Avocado Mexican Pizza

adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
3 firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped (or 2 baby bell peppers) - I didn't have any on hand
1 jalapeno, finely chopped - I used chopped jalapenos from a jar
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped - I used green onions
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt to taste
4 flour tortillas
cheddar cheese (or Monterrey Jack), shredded - I used a Mexi blend

Chop all of the vegetables. Stir together olives, avocado, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, onion and lime juice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Put tortillas on a large baking sheet. Broil tortillas 2-4 inches from the heat until pale golden brown, about 45 seconds. Turn tortillas over and cover with cheese; broil until melted and bubbling, about 30 seconds. Divide olive mixture among the tortillas, cut each tortilla into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

I love throwing things into the crock pot, walking away for 8 hours and coming home to a hot meal. I threw this dish in my crock pot on Sunday morning and went about my day, when I got home at 6, it was ready to go. I was starving, so I quickly, heated up some corn tortillas to make taco shells, then piled on the meat, shredded cabbage and some cheese. I took a bite, and my first reaction was, "Hmmm....interesting." When used in this context, the word interesting, is not always a good thing. While this didn't taste bad, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. As a Mexican food lover, I like some heat to my food, and this was just too sweet for me. I guess that it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, considering the pineapple and brown sugar, but I thought that those would just temper the heat, not take over. I did eat my tacos, but I sadly decided that if I transferred it into my fridge, it would just sit there, so I sadly put the leftovers down the drain. This recipe got many good reviews, but they must have come from tamer eaters, so if you don't like it hot...give this a try!

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

3 lb. boneless pork roast

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juices
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde

2 (4 oz.) cans green chiles, undrained
2/3 c. brown sugar

Serving Ideas:

Warm flour tortillas, corn tortillas or taco shells

Cheese; cheddar, queso fresco, etc.

chopped cilantro

lime wedges

shredded lettuce or cabbage

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for six to eight hours. Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper. In a colander, drain juices from crock pot. Mix shredded pork with pineapple/salsa mixture that remains in colander and serve in tortillas with desired accompaniments.

Creamy Jalapeno White Sauce & Shrimp Enchiladas

Every summer when I visit Coronado with my family, there is one thing that I always have to do...go and eat at Miguel's Cocina! My family has been eating here since I was a toddler, and I have many fond memories of spending time there with both family and friends. When we first went back to stay in Coronado after about a 15 year hiatus, I was really excited to go back to Miguel's. It looked just how I had remembered it, but one thing that I didn't remember was the Jalapeno White Sauce that they serve alongside the chips and salsa. Let me just say....it was love at first bite! Maybe I never ate this stuff as a kid, or maybe it had just been too long, but I could not believe that I didn't remember it. Even though there are jalapenos in it, it is not really spicy, it is just a smooth, velvety white sauce that goes great with just about everything on the menu!

On my recent trip to Coronado, I was only able to get to Miguel's once (I usually try to sneak in at least two trips) but I savored every bite of the sauce, knowing that I wouldn't get to have it again for an entire year. Well.....I was wrong! The other day I was surfing around on the Internet and came across a website full of secret restaurant recipes, it got me thinking, and so just for fun I Googled "Miguel's Cocina Jalapeno White Sauce," and to my complete surprise it popped right up! In reading the blurb, apparently Miguel's will actually give you a recipe card if you ask for the recipe at the restaurant....who knew??!! With the secret recipe now in my hot little hand, I knew that I was going to have to try it out ASAP. And while I am always a fan of eating just dip for dinner, I decided I need to be a little bit more grown up and actually make some real food as well, so I got some shrimp at the butcher counter to make into some enchiladas with the sauce on top!

The instructions for the dip seemed pretty simple, but they did call for "clarified butter." I had heard of that before, but didn't know how to make it, so after some Internet research I was good to go. It actually was pretty simple, but a word to the wise, start with double the amount of butter that you actually will need, because the clarifying process reduces it by half. Once I had the butter ready it was smooth sailing, and the sauce came together in just 10 minutes! I tasted it, and it was almost a perfect duplicate of my beloved sauce from Miguel's! I think it could have used even a bit more jalapeno, so adjust according to your heat tolerance. Once the sauce was ready, I prepared the enchiladas and I had myself a delicious (although, not low fat at all) Mexican feast! I think next time I will try and make it using half and half and see how it works out!

The possibilities are endless for this sauce.....thank you Miguel!

Creamy Jalapeno White Sauce

2 c. whipping cream
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. chicken base
2 Tbsp. clarified butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (Or more if you like it hot!)
1 Tbsp. juice from jarred jalapenos
1/2 c. shredded cheese (Mexi-Mix)

Heat whipping cream in a saucepan over high heat. When cream is ready to boil, stir in sour cream. When sour cream dissolves, reduce heat to medium. Stir in chicken base and jalapeno juice and simmer.

While cream is simmering, make a roux by warming butter in a saucepan over medium heat, adding flour, and mixing with a wire whip until mixture starts to turn pale gold.

Just before cream mixture is about to boil again, add roux, whisking briskly until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in minced jalapeno and shredded cheese.

Shrimp Enchiladas
(I just made enough for me, so adjust accordingly)

8 extra large shrimp, peeled and deviened
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
Olive Oil
1/2 c. Jalapeno cheese sauce
3 corn tortillas
1/2 c. shredded Monterrey jack cheese
Green onions, chopped

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add shrimp; sprinkle with seasonings and some of the onions. Cook until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and roughly chop. Add in a touch of the cheese sauce.

Warm tortillas in microwave. Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Fill tortillas with shrimp mixture; roll up and place seam side down in dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese and onions.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Enjoy!

Crispy Fish Tacos

As you all should know by now, I have a Mexican food addiction! One of the things that I really like, but don't typically order at restaurants is fish tacos, I usually go for enchiladas or green chile burros. But there is one place that I almost always order a fish taco, and that is Rubio's! What really makes Rubio's fish tacos so tasty is the creamy white sauce that they put on the taco, it really pulls together all the flavors and makes them divine. I have never tried to make fish tacos at home before because I didn't know how to make the white sauce. Well, last night I decided to do some Googling and came across the "Top Secret" recipe for it...and you know what, it is embarrassingly easy! Basically, it is just equal parts of mayonnaise and plain yogurt, yup, that's it! So I threw some breaded fish portions in the toaster oven, whipped up the sauce, heated up some corn tortillas, and then tossed on some shredded cabbage and cheese....and voila...a delicious fish taco! I couldn't believe how similar my impostor tacos tasted, and they were so easy! If I wanted to make them even more authentic, I could fry the fish myself, but I just didn't want to mess with that. I did doctor my sauce up a bit with some garlic powder and Mexican seasoning, but I don't think that it was necessary. I can't wait to have some more of these later...but first I think I need to stop and get some limes!

Crispy Fish Tacos

(Measurements are for 4 tacos, double as needed.)

Tacos
4 breaded fish fillets or 8 breaded fish sticks
4 corn tortillas
shredded cabbage
shredded cheese
lime slices

White Sauce
1/4 c. mayonnaise (I used light)
1/4 c. plain yogurt (I used fat free)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp. Mexican seasoning (optional)

Cook fish in oven according to package directions.

Combine ingredients for white sauce, chill until ready to serve.

When fish is ready, warm corn tortillas on the stove-top. Spread white sauce on tortilla, top with fish, then more white sauce. Lastly, top with cabbage and cheese and a squirt of lime juice.

Enjoy!

Pollo Fundido

Oh no friends, I am in trouble! Why am I in trouble? Because I have figured out how to make Pollo Fundido at home...and I have to say it is just as good, if not better than versions that I have had in Mexican restaurants around town! And adding to the trouble....it is way too easy to make...which makes it way too convenient for me to make it way too often! I am going to have to put some limits on myself on how frequently this can show up on my plate...but it is going to be oh so hard!

For those of you not familiar with Pollo Fundido, it is one of my all-time favorites to order at Mexican restaurants. It is basically a chicken chimichanga, covered in a jalapeno cream cheese sauce and melted cheese. It is cheesy, gooey and spicy all rolled into one, basically it is just plain delicious! I have been on a mission for the last few months to try and re-create the jalapeno cream cheese sauce that comes with fundidos, and not because I wanted to make a fundido, but because I am obsessed with using it as a dip for chips...it is like a cold queso dip...divine! I have tried a few versions before, and none of them ever quite worked out. I recently came across a recipe for a version of the cream cheese that called for chicken base. I wasn't quite sure what chicken base was, so I of course googled it, it turns out that it is a liquid form of chicken bouillon. Well, chicken base is not that easy to track down, I searched grocery stores far and wide, and was finally able to find some at Super Wal-Mart...jackpot!

So tonight was the night that I decided to put all the pieces together, to make one of my favorite meals! The chicken cooked in the Crock Pot, and then after that, the sauce came together in about 2 minutes, and 10 minutes later, I had dinner! This chicken was delicious, and I am not usually a chicken person, I much prefer beef or pork, but I can for see using this in quesadillas, tacos, burritos and tostadas too. I am planning to freeze some to keep for another time...which means I can have Pollo Fundido....pronto!

Pollo Fundido

Chicken Filling

1.5 lbs. chicken breasts (I just threw mine in frozen)

16 oz. jar Salsa Verde (I used La Victoria Thick N' Chunky)

2 cubes Chicken bouillon

Throw everything in the Crock Pot and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and shred, put chicken back into Crock Pot with remaining sauce and mix thoroughly. Keep warm until ready to use.

Cream Cheese Sauce

8 oz. cream cheese (I used light)

1/4 c. Half & Half

2 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos (I got mine from a 4 oz. can and then saved the rest)

1 tsp. chicken base (liquid bouillon)

1 tsp. garlic salt

Soften cream cheese, and then mix in all the other ingredients. Add more jalapenos if you like things really spicy. Set aside. (I mixed mine in my Magic Bullet.)

Other Ingredients

4 - 6 burrito size tortillas (I buy the ones you have to cook first)

4 - 6 slices cheddar or American cheese

Canola Oil (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a medium sauce pan until hot. Place about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken filling on each tortilla. Fold one end over filling, then fold in the sides and continue to roll up burrito style until sealed well. Place burritos, one at a time, in hot oil, flipping over after about 30 seconds. Once golden brown, drain on paper towel or cooling rack. Place drained burritos on baking sheet. Spread cream cheese mixture on top, then top with a slice of cheese. Bake for

5 - 10 minutes until cheese melts.

Serve with rice and beans if desired....delicioso!

Smothered Tacos

Okay, so this may not look too pretty on the plate, but it was oh so tasty! I found this on a blog (sorry to the original poster, I forgot to jot down your address) a couple of months ago, and while it has been really warm here, I just felt like making a casserole one night. Growing up, my mom very, very rarely made casseroles; I am not sure if it was because she refused to use the oven on a week night (due to peak electricity hours) or if it was because she just didn't like them. Even though I had a lack of casseroles during my early years, I somehow came to love all things casserole! I told my mom once that I should have been raised in the mid-west where casseroles are king, rather than the hot desert where we grill year round! So while those that live in colder climates relish the moment that they are able to fire up their grills and sit outside, I prefer to crank down my air conditioning and throw a casserole in the oven!

I made this recipe as written, but I think it could be easily adapted for vegetarians and non beef eaters alike, by either using more beans or substituting ground turkey. I really enjoyed this; even though it was 105 degrees outside, so I can only imagine how much more I will enjoy it when it drops below 70 degrees here (and yes, I know, I am in for quite a wait)!

P.S. The original poster called this Enchilada Casserole, but I felt that the name wasn't quite right, so I am re-naming it Smothered Tacos!

Smothered Tacos

1 lb. ground beef (or ground meat of your choice)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 (14.5 oz.) can Refried Beans (I used Spicy Jalapeno!)

1 pkg. hard taco shells (I ended up only using 8 shells)

1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (16 oz.) can red enchilada sauce

1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain fat. Add the taco seasoning and water as directed on taco packet; simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spread refried beans evenly among the 8 taco shells, top with taco meat. Lay in a 9x13 pan.

Mix soups and enchilada sauces together, spread over the top of the taco shells. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly! Serve with sour cream if desired.

Monterey Jack Salsa

As promised, here is another recipe from the BBQ. This was my favorite out of them all! I found this recipe on Recipezaar a few months ago, and altered it just a little bit. When I was putting it together, I was a bit skeptical of what the results would be, but it turned out fabulous! I think it helped that I mixed it up and let it refrigerate for about 3 hours before I served it; it gave it ample time for all the flavors to get to know each other! We ate this with tortilla chips, but I am sure it would be just as good with crackers or veggies. It may not look pretty in the bowl, but trust me, it is good!

Monterey Jack Salsa

adapted from Recipezaar

4 oz. can diced green chilies
4 oz. can chopped black olives
4 green onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c. zesty Italian salad dressing

Mix all the ingredients together, and let let chill at least 2 hours before serving to "marry" the flavors! Serve with chips, veggies, crackers, etc.

Tamale and Corn Casserole

I have a lot of cookbooks. Let me correct myself: I have a lot of cookbooks that I have never cooked anything out of! I always purchase them with such good intentions, with plans to make many of the delicious items that cover the pages, but for some reason, I just never get around to it, and they sit and gather dust on my shelves. I have really scaled back on my habit; when I was in high school, I was constantly buying cookbooks at Ross and TJ Maxx and at rummage sales. I loved collecting them, and even had two entire shelves in my closet devoted to them, forcing my other favorite item to collect (shoes) to be forced to be kept on the floor (gasp)! I had all different genres of books, and even starting collecting really weird ones, like Miss Piggy Cooks and the Wizard of Oz cookbook! I guess cookbooks were really just another hobby for me, and still to this day I love getting in bed at night and reading through a cookbook from cover to cover. I finally got rid of most of my collection a few years back when I realized just how neglected they had been, still sitting in the moving boxes they were lovingly packed in years before. So the other night I started sifting through a book that I had bought probably two or three years ago and realized that this was another of the lonely and forgotten books on my shelf. But as I looked through it, I couldn't figure out why, there were a ton of recipes that I wanted to try, so I started marking them like crazy! On Tuesday night, I got home from work early so I decided that I was finally going to give this book a try.

I decided to try the Tamale and Corn Casserole. To many of you out there, you will look at the ingredient list and not find it to be very appealing, probably mostly in part due to the canned tamales. I myself happen to really like canned tamales and keep them on hand to make my grandma's Tamale Dip recipe. I was excited to find a new use for them. But if canned tamales are not your thing, you could easily substitute any tamale of your choice. This casserole was really easy to put together and I thought it was very tasty, although not pretty once it is served because it is a bit runny. I am a bit confused as to why it was listed in the side dishes section of the cookbook because it was hearty enough to be a meal. I would make this again, but I might tweak a few things. First of all, I would probably leave out the corn, weird I know, but I think this contributed quite a bit to how runny it was, plus you get enough corn flavor from the tamales. And secondly, I would put the green onions on top next time for a prettier presentation. This made quite a bit, so I have a lot of leftovers....but I think it is even better leftover!

Tamale and Corn Casserole

adapted from The New Holly Clegg Trim and Terrific Cookbook

2 (15 oz. each) cans Beef Tamales (I used Hormel)

1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

1/2 c. green onions, chopped

1/4 c. evaporated skim milk

1 (7 oz.) can salsa verde (I used Herdez)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 c. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Remove tamales from cans and wrappers, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place pieces in a single layer in the bottom of baking dish.

Open corn and pour over the tamales, covering evenly.

Spread green chilies over corn layer.

Sprinkle chopped green onions over the green chile layer.
Combine the salsa verde, evaporated milk, chili powder and cumin, whisk to combine. Pour over green onions.

Sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until heated through, and bubbling.

Burrito Bake

I am a creature of habit. Like clockwork, I always do my laundry on Sundays, it is the one routine that I never vary from (too bad I can't be like that with my gym routine!). Since I know that my Sundays will inevitably be filled with hanging around the house and switching loads from the washer to the dryer, I usually like to make a nice meal since I have plenty of time to dither around in the kitchen. But on this particular Sunday, I wasn't in the mood for any experimentation, so I decided that I wanted to stick with something more classic that I could whip up quickly and then go on about my business around the house. I had gone to breakfast (is it still called this if you go at noon?) with Laura and Karen that day, and since I had not had any Mexican food, I knew that I wasn't yet ready to give up on my personal challenge; so I had to make something Mexican!

I decided to go with the Burrito Bake. I had found this recipe on the Recipezaar website a few months back, tried it out and loved it...and it is so easy!!! The cool part about it is you can alter the ingredients based on your tastes; I have made it with ground turkey and black beans, and even threw in some corn once! But Sunday night I stuck to the original recipe....because classics never go out of style!

Burrito Bake

adapted from Recipezaar

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 (1 1/4 oz.) envelope taco seasoning
1 (8 oz.) package crescent rolls
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese

Optional Toppings:
chopped green pepper, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream, sliced ripe avocado

In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the beans and taco seasoning; and heat through.

Unroll crescent roll dough. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish; seal seams and perforations.

Spread beef mixture over crust; sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice.

I topped mine with some light sour cream and avocado slices......yummy yummy!