White Bean Chicken Enchiladas

Cinco De Mayo was last week. Sadly, I am guilty of taking advantage of any type of holiday to drink festive drinks and overeat festive food.

Mexican food is my favorite so you know I threw on a party hat.

One thing about Mexican, particularly when you go to a restaurant, is that it is rarely "light" and I like to eat "light" so I can eat a lot...because I rarely know when to stop.

Well maybe I know...but I am rarely willing to stop.

There's nothing like an endless supply of restaurant chips and salsa and margaritas the size of your head to make being healthy and thin seem obsolete and irrational.

Lucky for me, I can always turn to a Skinnytaste recipe and know it will not only taste good and unhealthy. But its healthy...booyah!

Ps. I have had to respell "restaurant" more times than I should be willing to admit during this post. I can't ever seem to get that word right...grrr....

White Bean Chicken Enchiladas
From Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 can water
1 chicken bullion
1 tsp cumin

For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chile
2 jalapeños, chopped
salt
1/2 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium low carb tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro and scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Mexican Chicken Tenders

I've been on this scary movie kick lately. Last Friday me and the girls went and saw "Scream 4". It was ridiculously cheesy...

Meaning I loved it! It was like the typical horror movie from the 90's...I miss those...

Nowadays scary movies are just bad...not the kind of bad I like...just the kind of bad that makes you miss the other kind of bad movies? Not following?

It's not important.

Point being, it's a rainy day and I just want to make a comforting meal, light some candles and watch a scary movie. That is my exact plan for tonight. Of course, I am not one who can bare watching scary movies alone...I'll have Shawn and Kirby to cuddle with...unfortunately for them they must endure my shrieking...but hey, I make the food so they just have to deal.

What scary movie should we watch?

I should probably say something about this recipe huh? The coleslaw that goes with it=awesome. I loved it! Also, I would advise eating the chicken with a chipotle or southwest ranch...and hot sauce...mmm hot sauce.

Mexican Chicken Tenders
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:


1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 small head cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce bag multi-grain tortilla chips, finely crushed
Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

Directions:

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Whisk 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and the chili powder in a shallow microwave-safe dish. Add the onions, separating them into rings. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss to coat the onions with the liquid, then let cool.

Meanwhile, whisk 1/3 cup mayonnaise, the cilantro and the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, jalapenos, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and toss. Refrigerate the slaw until ready to serve.

Whisk the remaining 2/3 cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon liquid from the pickled onions in a shallow dish. Put the crushed chips in another dish. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Dip the chicken in the mayonnaise mixture and then in the chips; place on the baking sheet. Mist the chicken with cooking spray. Bake until crisp and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with the slaw and onions.

Mexican Chicken Stew

Believe it or not I just experienced my first ever "professional" full body massage. At my school, the massage therapy program has a clinic that gives them for only $10....don't mind if I do! Let me tell you, I will now be getting one at the end of every quarter...a...ma...zing...

This quarter has been particularly stressful so the massage was the perfect ending to the last week of classes. This is a bit crazy, I know, but one of my teachers offered to drop our lowest quiz grade to get one of these massages...if that doesn't tell you you have a stressful major, I don't know what does...

I think people would be shocked to learn how much pressure and stress is involved with being an American Sign Language interpreter. I would have never imagined it would be like this. Though I am incredibly stressed out all the time, I still love it. I just hope I can last throughout the rest of the program. I have confidence with regular excercise, a boyfriend who picks me up when I'm down, baking/cooking/lotsa' eatin, and now quarterly massages, that I will make it.

Crossing my fingers at least!

Hope everyone is having a good Mardi Gras week! Unfortunately I haven't had even a minute to make something special for it...sorry :(

In slightly good news, the weather is slowly creeping back to being tolerable though today was particularly cold and nasty. It's incredibly gray and cold but let me tell you, this soup will warm you right up. This is the kind of soup you could eat cozied up on the couch wearing your thickest socks and comfiest blanket or out on the porch enjoying the sun with a margarita (can't wait for those days...eek!)

Aka, this soup is yum...and always will be...

Mexican Chicken Stew
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, 1 seeded and both sliced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 (28-ounce) can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes
2 medium-large chicken breasts
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
1 lime
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle in adobo sauce chopped
Sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Fat-free sour cream, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Whole grain tortilla chips, for garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and sweat until soft and translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and aromatic. Add tomatoes, chipotle,  chicken, rice, corn, black beans, Worcestershire, and stock.
Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Cut the lime in half, squeeze juice into the pot, and then add the juiced halves as well.

Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked. Pull out chicken and shred using two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Season, to taste, with salt.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, cilanto and whole grain tortilla chips.

*PS: Check out this neat article about my beloved city's good eats!

Sauteed Potatoes and Chorizo

This is a dish I made a while back for a potluck we had for the bakery. It was a "Merry Margarita Christmas" kinda thing. It was nice...we had lots of mexican food and strong margaritas. Mexican is my favorite so picking something to make was torturous. I kind of randomly selected these potatoes with chorizo because of the rave reviews on the Food Network.

Now this was good but I think I made a mistake. I think that perhaps I boiled the potatoes just a tad too long because they ended up more on the mushy side. It was still good, don't get me wrong but my heart was set on a crispy potato. My advice would be to boil the potatoes until just barely tender...maybe about 8 minutes.

The origional recipe did not have any peppers or anything, I just added some peppers for fun and color...this would be tasty even without.

Sauteed Potatoes and Chorizo
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
10 ounces Mexican pork chorizo, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and ribs removed, diced
1 red pepper, seeded and ribs removed, diced
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and ribs removed, diced
1 pound red skinned new potatoes, cut into small (1/4-inch) dice, and boiled (about 6-8 minutes)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up the clumps, until dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper lined plate to absorb any additional oil. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers and boiled potatoes and saute until brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked chorizo and season with just a little salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Chunky Guacamole with Homemade Lime Tortilla Chips

Does anyone else hate those effortlessly thin and perfectly toned girls that show up in the middle of your workout only to make you feel fat and totally discouraged? This girl came into the gym today and I envied her body, she hopped on the eliptical for 20 minutes without breaking a sweat and then left. Is that all it takes?! Meanwhile, I've been going at it for 40 minutes with 20 to go sweating buckets with my thighs full of chocolate, vodka and buffalo chicken bouncing all over the place. I'm convinced these girls starve themselves because while I do enjoy indulging, and aside from my compulsive baking, I generally eat pretty healthy, reasonably portioned meals but can pack on a pound like nobodies business.

I can't give up food because quite frankly IM HUNGRY! I miss the days when my metablolism was so fast that I couldn't even keep up with it. I could eat whatever I wanted in large quantities and still be too skinny. At the tender age of 22 I'm already suffering the lovely effects of a slower metabolism...this is crap. But don't think I'm going to stop baking up pieces of heaven that temporarily excuse being fat because let's face it, I will die of chocolate shock.

I suppose this story has little relevance to guacamole but it is something to feel less guilty about and I needed a little space to rant. Also, I love mexican food and dips so this makes me happy :) The guacamole is nice and fresh (I'm a sucker for guacamole...and most other dips for that matter) and I love the idea of baking your own tortilla chips. They're easy! Something I have learned with avacados is that when you are working with them, sometimes it is easier to handle them when you allow them to come to room temperature first.

Is anyone else as obsessed with Chipotle's Chips and Guac as me?! This is my homemade take on that :)

Chunky Guacamole
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced
2 jalepenos, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. (I use my hands.) Immediately add the lime juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes, jalepenos, and cilantro. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Homemade Baked Whole Wheat Tortillas with Seasalt and Lime
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1 package whole wheat tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
1-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime for juice and zest
seasalt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small boil. Zest one lime and add to bowl. Brush each tortilla on both side with oil and lime mixture. Cut each tortilla into about 8 triangles (almost as you would with a pizza. Arrange evenly on a baking sheet. If you have a rack I recomend putting them on a baking rack to that they bake evenly. Sprinkle tortillas with salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until the chips are golden brown on the edges. Remove and squeeze fresh lime juice (from the lime you zested) onto the chips. Allow chips to cool about 5 minutes. (If you want extra crispy chips, turn the oven off when they brown and allow them to remain in the oven for a few minutes)

Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos

Me and Shawn were both in the mood for steak one night (mmm red meat) and as we all know by now, I love me some mexican-style food. I found an interesting recipe online for steak tacos. Not only did they look good but they were healthy...I also had some shrimp in the freezer and decided to grill some to add to the tacos. Gotta love some surf and turf!

The only thing I did not like about these was the strong cinnamon flavor. I was worried about it so I halved what the recipe origionally called for and still found the flavor overwhelming. I wouldn't want to leave it out because it gives the steak a nice hint of warmth, so I guess it depends on your personal taste preferences how much to put in. Also, I really need to get more experience in working with meat...the meat was a little tough but I think it was my fault...perhaps the way I cut it or cooked it influenced the toughness. Other than that, these weren't bad at all, especially the cucumber avacado salsa, its so refreshing and delicious!

Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or less)
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/4 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows

Directions:

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Or place 6 tortillas at a time between 2 moist paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. Wrap in cloth napkin or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm. Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Avocado Lime Salsa:

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, diced
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste

Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Yield: 2 cups (1 serving is 1/3 cup)

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

As much as I love baking I have to hold off a little bit once again. I've gained a lot more weight than I need...of course not all of it is from baking...I had gotten out of my workout routine and my portion control habits. It has caught up with me so for now, I am cooking mostly healthy and only baking for special occasions (we'll see how long this lasts :))

I LOVE fish tacos and found an Ellie Krieger recipe from none other than foodnetwork.com. The chipotle cream was delicious. I only changed a couple things. I added onions with the corn and sauted them for a couple minutes in a pan and I also doubled the chipotle because I love me some spicy :)

Ingredients:

Fish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white flaky fish fillet, like tilapia or halibut

Chipotle cream:
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or lettuce
1/2 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with apaper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the thickened yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle cream. Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Mushroom Quesedillas II

Mushroom quesedillas might be one of my new obsessions. I just can't get enough. I posted before a mushroom quesedilla that I made for an appetizer for one of Shawn and I's dinners. This here is one I made for lunch with stuff I happened to have on hand and it was so tasty I just had to share it.

Mushroom Quesedilla II

(what I did was I made a filling for the week that lasted about 3 days, so I will give the veggie ingredients for the filling and then everything else is per quesedilla...hope that makes sense)

Ingredients:

(pre-made filling)
2 small cans mushrooms and stems (i prefer fresh but this is what I had on hand and they weren't bad!)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalepeno, chopped (take out the vein and seeds before you chop)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder

(for each quesedilla)
1 multigrain tortilla
1 handful mexican blend shredded cheese
1 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic and jalepeno pepper for about 8 minutes. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Stir until combined. Remove filling to a plate. Using the same skillet, lay the tortilla flat and cover with cheese. Once the cheese begins to melt, put desired amount of filling in. Let it heat through just a bit before dusting with salt, pepper, and cilantro. Fold over half the tortilla over top the other half. Allow to heat through about 1 minute and a half on each side, or until golden.

Serve with sour cream

So yum...omigosh

Cinco De Mayo!: Sopapilla Cheesecake, Mexican Brownies, Black Bean Pico De Gallo, Chicken Enchiladas

I love Cinco De Mayo because it allows me to explore the part of me that loves heat and tequila! As I may have said before mexican food is my favorite to eat and make...the spicier the better! I decided to make a little Cinco De Mayo meal for me and my 3 roomates and I must say, even writing this blog right now is a struggle, I AM STUFFED!

I couldn't decide on a dessert...I was torn between brownies and cheesecake...and then I thought DUH! DO BOTH! Oh, and do eat them first :). Dessert should always come first...and last ;)

Sopapilla Cheesecake

I love sopapillas and cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite things, so this dessert is right up my alley. Not only is it FABULOUS, but it's super quick and easy. I actually came across this recipe in an e-mail from Allrecipes.com and boy am I glad they sent it!

Ingredients:

(Ps I don't usually recommend using healthier substitutions in baking because I have learned the hard way that it doesn't always work out well...but this is a recipe that can be tweaked a little bit without consequences)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel, has less fat)
1 cup white sugar (I used a 1/2 cup of a sugar splenda blend)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls (I used a reduced fat kind)
1/2 cup melted butter (I used "I Cant Believe its not Butter" light)
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/4 cup of a sugar splenda blend)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each sheet into 9x13 inch rectangles.

Press one sheet into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, and brush with melted butter. Stir together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cheesecake.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Brownies

I've had this recipe saved on my Foodnetwork.com for some time just waiting for the right time to use it. I found this recipe intriguing. I think they are wonderful. They have a great texture and the cinnamon and cayenne aren't overwhelming. They give the brownies subtle heat and leave a "warm" after-taste

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Black Bean Pico De Gallo

Fresh, homemade salsa, guacamole or pico de gallo beats the storebought stuff ANY DAY! This is my own personal recipe with some of my favorite ingredients. It is quite loaded so feel free to add in or take out whatever your hearts desire!

Ingredients:

1 red onion, chopped

4-5 roma tomatos, cored and chopped

1 avacado, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn kernals, thawed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 jalepenos, cored, seeds removed and chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

juce of 1 fresh  lime

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir well in a large bowl. Chill 1-2 hours before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

I noticed this recipe had RAVE reviews on Foodnetwork.com so I thought I'd take my stab at it. It was quite successful. They taste as good, if not better, than what you can get at an authentic mexican restaraunt. There is a lot of prep work and takes some time but let me tell you folks...it is well worth it!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

         I would say it has been a successful Cinco De Mayo. I got to spend a significant portion of my day drinking margaritas and cooking my favorite food. It was a beautiful day so I had the kitchen window open (I love love love doing that). I spent some quality time catching up with my busy roomates and I ate myself into a coma...of which I have not recovered from anymore than when I started this post...oh well...worth it! :)

A 3-Course Mexican Meal for my Hardworking Man

I love cooking for people. Cooking is most fun when you have someone to share it with so naturally I love to cook for me and my boyfriend. He isn't around a whole lot because he travels for work and this week he was actually given the chance the be a manager for the week so he most definitely deserved a nice big meal made from scratch and with love.

Mexican food is my favorite (Italian is a close second) because I am a huge fan of heat and spicyness. So I decided to make him a 3-course Mexican inspired meal of mushroom quesedillas, mexican lasagna, and mexican crullers (churros).

Mushroom Quesedillas
I was inspired to make this by my all-time favorite restaraunt La Fiesta in my hometown of Troy, Ohio. They serve a mushroom quesedilla that is so tasty I just had to try to replicate it myself. Here we have a "Dame Good" recipe...

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 whole-wheat or multi-grain tortillas
About 1-2 cups fresh mushrooms of choice
About 1 cup of queso blanco or queso fresca (these specialty mexican cheeses are expensive so feel free to use any shredded mexican blend or even a white cheddar would be good)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dry thyme
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream
salsa

Directions:
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add oil, sliced mushrooms and onions to the hot skillet and heat until mushrooms are dark and tender (about 8 minutes)
Add minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds
Remove from heat
Put desired amount of cheese on half of each tortilla, then cover with muchrooms and onions, fold over other half of tortilla
You can either bake the tortillas at 350F until cheese is melted or put them in a skillet and brown on both sides until cheese is melted
Cut tortillas into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream

Mexican Lasagna
I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, its by Rachel Ray so you know its good! I made a few changes to better satisfy my personal taste buds, so go to the foodnetwork.com to get origional recipe. Heres what I did.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4-1/2 cup chopped jalepenos or chiles
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Salt
8 (8 inch) whole-wheat or multigrain tortillas
1-2 whole bags shredded reduced-fat four cheese mexican blend cheese
2 scallions, finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans, corn, and jalepenos/chiles. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste. Stir in sour cream

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Top with the scallions and cilantro and serve with side of salsa and sour cream.

Mexican Crullers (Churros)
A dessert I didn't bake...I know its crazy! I have been wanting to make these a while but was a little intimidated. Turns out, they are way easy. They remind me of cinnamon twists from Taco Bell which I always HAD to get as a kid. I heart Taco Bell.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 eggs
Canola oil , for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
To make the crullers: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain.

Remove from the heat. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a "hook" shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough. If not, beat in the last egg.
Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pour enough canola oil into a deep heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles.

Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming 6-inch crullers. Pipe only as many crullers into the oil as fit comfortably. Overcrowding the pan will result in soggy crullers. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Put the sugar and the cinnamon in a paper bag. Crimp the top and shake well to mix. Drop a few crullers at a time into the bag and shake until coated. Best served as soon as possible

Everything took a little while but it all turned out great! I will definitely be making all of these again!