4 Ingredient Mexican

A friend and I were talking about how cooking with young babies and kids in the house includes lots of quick meals.  But, it is also important to us to provide balanced meals.  This is definitely one that fits the family-friendly, balanced, provides-variety kind of meals!  I stole this meal from my sister-in-law years ago and just have never shared here.  

Enjoy!

- 2 cups frozen corn

- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

- 2 large frozen chicken breasts (about a pound)

- 1 1/2 cups salsa

Pour frozen corn on the bottom of the crock pot and place chicken breasts on top.  Cover with beans and salsa.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.  (adjust time if using thawed chicken breasts) 

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.  Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir until the corn, chicken, beans, and salsa are combined.

Here is the reason I love this dish:

Serve over a bed of chips.  Garnish with cilantro, cheese, lettuce, tomato, lime wedges, ... favorite toppings

Or, serve over rice, garnished with favorite toppings

Or, serve in a tortilla with rice and favorite toppings as a burrito

I love the versatility of this one!!  Becomes a great way to eat Mexican at home.  Nachos for an at-home take-out kind of meal.  Rice bowls.  Burritos.  Easy to accommodate each person's favorite! 

Taquitos

This is such a great, simple idea!  I love Mexican flavors; I am always looking to add them to our weekly rotation.  Always!  So, here is a pinterest inspiration turned success!  

I made it dairy-free for my little guy.  My preference would always be too add cheese.  But, for little guy's sake, no cheese on these.  I think any taco meat or favorite taco, burrito, enchilada filling would be perfect for these.  I used shredded chicken that was flavored with Sofrito (a Mexican tomato, onions, peppers, and cilantro mixture), salt, pepper, and cumin.  Then I mashed a can of black beans and mixed those in with the chicken.  Yum!  (My preschool daughter is not a fan of beans, so mixing like this is my best bet to get her to eat them as well as stretch the chicken to make this quite a budget-friendly meal!)

Put about a 1/3 cup of the mixture onto a tortilla.  Roll them up.

Mix a tablespoon each of melted butter (non-dairy butter this time again for the little man) and vegetable oil.  Brush the taquitos with the mix.

Bake 15 minutes or until lightly golden (as you can see below, I should have pulled mine out about 2 minutes earlier).

Notice today's recipe is not really a recipe.  Just a great idea!  Use your favorite taco meat.  Or, go vegetarian with sweet potatoes and black beans.  Or, make it really kid friendly with just meat and cheese or beans and cheese.  Or...  so many ways to fill them!

We had a family dinner the night before. I had taken a cheese dip.  So perfect for dipping taquitos in!  I served with roasted vegetables, salsa and my left over cheese dip.  I will be making these again soon!

Make a lot.  Half could go in the freezer.  Or, make for Monday night supper then eat the leftovers for lunch the rest of week (or in lunch boxes)!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

And, Pioneer Woman wins again!  

This recipe is so good, and so simple to prepare!  I have made it a couple times now.  This weekend I made it as part of my son's first birthday party menu.  It did not disappoint as a crowd-pleaser!  

A pot of soup that begins with red and green peppers, onion, and garlic sauteing in a pot...

...with seasoned chicken and black beans added...

 ...and ends in a bowl with some avocado, red onion, and cilantro...

Yes please!  (last picture "borrowed" from Pioneer Woman's site)

- 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breats

- 1 tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 cup diced onion

- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel

- 32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Stock

- 3 tbsp tomato paste

- 4 cups hot water

- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained

- 3 tbsp cornmeal or masa

- 5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform 2-3 in strips

Suggested Garnishes

- diced avocado

- diced red onion

- salsa

- grated cheese

- cilantro

- sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt.  Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over chicken breasts.  Sprinkle a little of the mixture over the chicken breasts.  Set aside rest of spice mixture.

Place chicken breasts on baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until done.  Use two forks to shred chicken.  Set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions, green and red peppers, and garlic.  Stir and begin cooking, then add rest of spice mix.  Stir to combine.  Then added shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal into a little bit of water.  Pour into soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  Check seasonings, add more if needed.  (Add more chili powder if it needs more spice; be sure not to undersalt.)  Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.  Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.  

Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a couple or all of the garnishes!  

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Soup

So many soups, so little time!

I made a new soup last week....it was amazing!  

Love these colors!  

Have you ever blended an onion?  Have you ever blended onion, tomato, and cilantro?  Oh.my.word!  The smell is worth the blending, and the flavor is absolutely amazing! 

If you like soup, 

if you have a palate for Mexican flavors,

then this recipe is absolutely one I recommend to you! 

- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large red potato (I used two small white potatoes)
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash (about 3 cups diced)
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- lime wedges, warm tortillas, sour cream (optional for serving)

Preheat broiler.  Chop bell pepper and onion into 2-in pieces.  Place onto medium pan, spray with oil.  Broil 5-7 minutes or until lightly charred and softened.  Place roasted vegetables, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper and salt into blender.  Blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, dice potato and zucchini into 1/2-in cubes.  Place potato and broth into large pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 6-8 minutes or until potato begins to soften.  Add blended roasted vegetable mixture.  Cook 7-8 minutes or until zucchini are tender.  Serve immediately or allow to simmer until ready to serve.  Serve with lime wedges, tortillas, and sour cream, as desired.

Thank you to Pampered Chef for another yummy recipe from the Latin Flavor cookbook!
Notes:  next time I might add chicken, or take out potato and add chicken.  For more kid-friendly, I might take out the chipotle pepper and use a Guajillo pepper instead (all the flavor with not much heat).

Enchilada Casserole

Oh friends!  I am so excited about this one!  

Do you like authentic-tasting Mexican food?  Will and I are always on the hunt for good Mexican food, not just okay, but good Mexican food.  This is it!  I really wonder if the guajillo pepper is one that the Hispanic families I used to visit used a lot in their cooking.  Those families, when I entered their home, would insist I taste what was on their table.  Yes please!  This red sauce is reminiscent of that flavor.

The red sauce is an adaptation from a recipe I tried recently, Chilaquiles.  I think it is defiinitely my replacement for the red enchilada sauce in a can.  The chicken mixture I dreamed up on my own.  I am so proud of this chicken mixture!  I am looking for ways to incorporate this more.  This recipe was going to be traditional enchiladas (red sauce, chicken mixture rolled into their tortillas, red sauce and topped with cheese), but I was running low on time, so I turned it into a casserole.  I admit, because I made this one up, I would love to know if you try this one.  It really is good and it really is easy!!  (TRY the Guajillo peppers!!  They are in the bright yellow and clear bags, dried peppers.  They are not spicy, just flavor-filled.)

For the red sauce:
- 3 dried Guajillo peppers
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (fresh tomatoes would be awesome too!)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 white onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
- a little (about 1/4 cup) fresh or (about 1/2 tbsp) dried cilantro

Broil the peppers about 90 seconds per side.  Then combine all ingredients in the blender.  Pour from blender into sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Then allow to simmer while making the chicken mixture.

For the chicken mixture:
- 2/3 white onion, sliced in thin rings or strips
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2/3 - 3/4 can black beans
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- salt to taste

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the onions and garlic.  Saute until soft (maybe 4-5 minutes).  While sauteing the onions and garlic, blend the black beans with the chicken broth.  Add the bean puree and the shredded chicken to the pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Then reduce to simmer.

Putting Together Casserole:
- red sauce
- chicken mixture
- 8 corn tortillas, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Manchego or favorite Mexican food cheese)

Layer a little red sauce, then chicken mixture, and chopped tortillas.  Repeat.  Top with a little red sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 uncovered for 15 minutes.  Then uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

I forgot to take the finished picture!  Whoops!  I'll add it if I take it layer. Notice we had one for that night and one for the freezer.  Love those!

What do you think? 

Chicken Chilaquiles

Anyone wanting Mexican?  Me, always!

My favorite dish at Dos Taquitos (the many, ahem 3 times, that I have been) is chilaquiles.  Yummy, cheesy, saucy chilaquiles!  I have tried it at other restaurants, and well, I need to stick with chilaquiles at Dos Taquitos.  Nothing compares!  When I saw this recipe in a cookbook of mine, I knew I had to try it.  You know, just in case it is even close to as good.  

It isn't the exact same as Dos Taquitos, but it is so good.  Look at this yumminess...

...totally worth you trying!  I mean, wonderful!

.

- 5 large dried guajillo peppers, stemmed *  (see note at bottom)

- 1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro, divided

- 2 small onions, divided

- 8 plum tomatoes, cored

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 1 garlic clove, peeled

- 2 tsp vegetable oil

- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

- 1 tsp salt

- 4 cups coarsely crushed restaurant-style tortilla chips

-  2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican-style Manchego cheese

Preheat broiler.  Arrange peppers on a sheet pan.  Place pan 2-4in from heating element.  Broil peppers 30-45 seconds or until slightly charred.  Chop cilantro and cut 1 onion in half lengthwise.  Place peppers, half of the cilantro, half of the onion, 4 tomatoes, broth and garlic in blender.  Pulse on low speed until blended.  Place remaining tomatoes in blender; pulse on low speed until blended.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Thinly slice remaining onions.  Add onions to skillet; cook 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in sauce, chicken and salt.  Return to heat and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat; stir in chips and top with cheese.  Cover; let stand 5 minutes.  Remove lid; sprinkle with remaining cilantro.  Great served with a green vegetable or salad.  Or, serve with fried eggs for an authentic Mexican breakfast (says the cookbook).  

Look at the sauce on this dish

 Reallly, look at it!   The peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, ... delicious!

 From Pampered Chef's Latin Flavor cookbook!  Mexican food at home, my kind of supper!

* These guajillo peppers are not spicy.  On the hot-ness scale at the top of the bag, they only get a medium.  I would classify them as mild.  They have really great flavor but no real spicy-ness.  Also, these can probably be found at Wal-Mart, in a bright yellow bag in the international/Spanish aisle.  I bought these at the International Food Store in Raleigh.
**Another note from the cookbook:  omit oil.  Cook 6 oz chorizo for 6-8 minutes for even more flavor.  Continue with the rest of the directions.  

Jicama and Mango Salad

Jicama?  What's that?  Will and I watch Chopped, obsessively watch Chopped.  Jicama has shown up often enough that it stands out in my mind.  I remember that they describe it as "a potato-like starch commonly used in Latin cuisine."  I wanted to try it.  

Jicamas are huge!  So, I used ~3/4 of my jicama in this salad and then roasted the rest of it the next night, in order to try it both ways.  Roasted was so good! just roast it enough to overcome the supremely crunchy nature of it, which is what made it so good in this salad.  I actually describe jicama as a starchy root vegetable with some juicy, citrus notes.  

If you like Mexican food, if you want to try something new, if you like fresh and crispy, then this is definitely worth trying!

- 1 medium jicama, about 1 lb.
- 2 small cucumbers
- 3 medium mangoes
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 limes, juiced
- kosher salt

Peel and cut the jicama into long thin strips.  Slice the cucumbers in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut into strips approximately the same size as the jicama.  Peel the mangoes, cut the cheeks off, and then slice into wedges.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with the cilantro, chili powder, and lime juice.  Just before serving, garnish with a little salt and a few sprigs of cilantro.

 Notes of interest:  Anna-Kate ate this!  She enjoyed the jicama most when roasted but she ate the salad!  That means this will be repeated in our house!  I found this by searching "jicama" at foodnetwork.com.  Thank you to Tyler Florence for this one!  (According to him, this recipe serves 6.)

Mexican Pizza

- pizza crust (I used Pilsbury refrigerated pizza crust.)
- tomatillo salsa
- favorite shredded cheese
- chicken, cooked and cubed

Fix pizza crust according to package directions. I like to bake it for 6-8 minutes first. Then spread salsa on like sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with chicken. Bake for another 4-6 minutes to melt cheese and meld flavors.

This was so good! I had this at a Pampered Chef party and loved it. I fixed this last night for Will and Anna-Kate. Both really liked it! Yes, both. Anna-Kate ate it and enjoyed the pizza with green salsa! Yay for a fun, Mexican-flavored dish!

Black Bean Salad

I stole this from my sister-in-law who stole it from Skinny Taste. It is so yummy! It really needs no other description.

- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 9 oz. frozen corn, thawed
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 scallion, chopped

- juice of one lime

- 3 tbsp evoo

- 1 tbsp cilantro

- salt and pepper

- 1 avocado, diced

Combine beans, corn, tomato, red onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with olive oil and lime juice. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Add avocado just before serving.

I served the salad with a Mexican-flavored pizza. Quite yummy! I could see serving it with this favorite chicken of mine, or really an Mexican-style dish!

(fake) Chiles Rellenos Chicken

This recipe is taken from a Pampered Chef cookbook, "Stoneware Inspirations." I think the name is a total misnomer. The recipe, however, is really tasty!

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each)
- 2 limes, cut in half
- 2 egg whites
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
- 1 cup finely crushed nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips (about 3 cups chips)
- 1 can (8 oz) whole green chiles, drained and cut into strips
- 4 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tsp fresh cilantro
- salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease pan. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Juice lime halves into bowl. Add egg white and pressed garlic; whisk until frothy using whisk.

Place tortilla chips in a bag and finely crush. Place crushed chips in shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts into egg mixture and then into chips, coating completely. Discard any remaining crushed chips. Place chicken on pan.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Arrange chile strips over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes or just until cheese melts. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with salsa if desired.

This is what is for dinner tonight at the Simmons home, served with blackbeans mixed with a can of rotel. Enjoy!

King Ranch Casserole

This is a dish that my husband grew up eating. I had never had it, but instantly fell in love. A Mexican take on chicken pie!

- 3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can Rotel
- 1/2 can chicken broth
- 12 tortillas, cut into small squares
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cups grated cheese

Blend the following until smooth: 2 cans soup, rotel, broth.

In a 13x9 (or 2 8x8) greased casserole dish, place a layer of chicken, half of the tortilla squares, half of the onion, half of the cheese and half of the sauce.

Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.

Bake uncovered for one hour.

If you like this, try my variation! or make your own and share them with me!