Category: Mexican

Chicken and Veggie Fajitas

Mexican

The hubby mostly goes to the store now. I usually tell him what to get to go in the direction that I want to cook, but lately I am mostly inclined to say, “Surprise me!” or “Get what you can.” A few days ago he decided he wanted chicken fajitas, so I was excited to cook this yummy meal up.

I used a pre-made fajita spice mix. NBD. I split the mix up with the chicken (5 thighs that I sliced in strips) and the veggies (1/3 onion , 1 red pepper, 1 container of sliced mushrooms, 1 small yellow squash, and 1 small zucchini). I cooked both in different cast iron pans to get a nice char on them, them added them all together at the end once they were both cooked, about 15 minutes.

The family added their favorite toppings; cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, salsa, and more cheese 😉 This was a delicious dinner that I think your whole family will love!

One Pan Enchiladas

Mexican, One pot meal

Good afternoon. Last night I made one of my friends and families favorite dishes, enchiladas! Usually I am cooking them for a crown, so I buy those big disposable aluminum pans or my large rectangular casserole dishes. Since it is just four of us here, I opted for a new way of cooking them. First I cooked all my ground beef with my spices listed here. Or you could use a chili spiced mix, taco spice mix; whatever you have already will suffice 😉
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Once the beef is cooked, I take it out and put it in a bowl. There will be a little grease in the bottom of the pan. You could pat it dry with a paper towel, or you could leave it there for extra flavor. Then I added a touch of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan, rolled enchiladas with the beef and shredded Mexican cheese, and arranged them in the pan for maximum capacity 😉

Covered it all in the rest of the enchilada sauce.
Covered the top with cheese, of course!
Baked at 350 for about 30 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. So good!

Tofu, Black Beans, and Veggie Quesadillas

Mexican, Thrifty Meals, Vegetarian

Say what you want about tofu, but to me, it is a blank slate of perfect protein. You can complain about it all you want, but you have to know how to handle it. In this preparation,  I added all the flavoring of chorizo with none of the sausage. I think I made one of the best vegetarian quesadillas I have ever eaten.

SAY WHAT? I would never lie about tofu or quesadillas. Most vegetarian quesadillas at restaurants are way too soggy. The only vegetarian quesadilla I like with tofu is at Moe’s where I just get tofu, black beans, and maybe a few mushrooms. This one has WAY more flavor!

Tofu, Black Beans, and Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 shallot, diced
1 red pepper sliced thinly
1/2 a small head of cauliflower, chopped
1 small can black beans
1 tablespoon chorizo powder (you can buy or make https://emerils.com/126059/chorizo-seasoning)
1 container tofu, drained and chopped
1 large whole wheat tortilla
1 handful of mixed Mexican cheese, or whatever you have

Directions

Prepare all your veggies
Coat your pan with some oil
Add in your shallots and red peppers and cook down for 5 minutes.
Add your cauliflower and tofu with your chorizo spice blend. Mix together well for another 5 minutes.
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In a nonstick pan, add a tablespoon of oil or butter, then add a large whole wheat tortilla (or whatever you have. I have a tall stack of different tortillas in my fridge)

Add a good helping of the tofu veggie mixture with a nice handful of cheese. img_3703

Fold the tortilla over and cook until crispy on both sides, about 3 minutes on medium high heat for both sides. So yummy! I have leftover filling for something else later! =)

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Enchilada Lasagna

Mexican

Happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a nice Father’s Day. We went out to brunch, spent the day at the pool, and had this yummy meal that I made. It was very simple. It is basically enchiladas layered up like a lasagna. Give it a try!

Enchilada Lasagna

1 onion chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
1 1/2 pound ground beef
2 table spoons of cumin and Worcestershire Sauce
Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste
About 2 cups of Mixed Mexican Cheese- Queso Fresco, Cheddar, Montery Jack, etc. Shredded
1 large can and 1 small can of enchilada sauce
1 package of medium tortilla shells

Heat your oven to 350.
First cook down your onions and garlic. Add your beef. Start to brown, then add in your green chilies. Add your spices and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 8 minutes or until all are incorporated. Add in the small can of enchilada sauce. Take off heat and cool. Take pan coated with Pam and add a bit of enchilada sauce at the bottom. Then layer your tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese.  On the last layer, top with tortillas, and cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce left in the can. Then cover the entire thing with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or so until cheese is melted and bubbly.img_1654img_1655img_1656img_1662

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken, Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Mexican

Hey, ya’ll! Happy spring? This weather is really bumming me out and I am ready for some warmer temps. Down here in the south, the weather is all over the place. This weekend it was beautiful and sunny, then there were thunderstorms, and now it is freezing again. I know my northern friends are tired of all the snow and ice as well!

You guys know that enchiladas are a popular dish in my house, so I decided to create a little spring feel with some green enchiladas. I used a few different kinds of sauces and techniques.

First I used my trusty crock pot to cook the chicken. I used bone in and skin on thighs and cooked them in this salsa verde sauce all day. When I got home from work, I shredded the chicken and removed the bones and skins.

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I bought 2 different kinds of green chili enchilada sauce, because I wanted to test both of them out. They were both delicious, but the canned one was cheaper, so I probably would just stick with that next time unless there is a sale.

 

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I used the bagged sauce on the bottom of the greased casserole pan. Then I filled my tortillas with the chicken and shredded Mexican cheese. Then I topped with the canned sauce and more shredded cheese. I baked at 350 for about 30 minutes. I totally forgot to take a picture at the end, but it pretty much looks like any other pan of enchiladas I have made, just green bubbles instead of red. =)

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