Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Rice Bake

Mexican night is always a winner in my book - I love all things Mexican! This recipe is a keeper!

2 cups white long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken 
One 15-ounce can enchilada sauce
One 4-ounce can sliced black olives
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes or Ro*tel
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook rice according to package directions.
Place chicken, enchilada sauce, olives, tomatoes, sour cream, salt, pepper and cumin into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Pour cooked rice into prepared baking dish and layer beans on top of rice. Pour chicken mixture over rice and top evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cheese is melted and rice is hot.

Turkey and Black Bean Nachos

After a weekend of company, I found myself with a few bags of leftover tortilla chips. What to do? Make nachos! I threw this dinner together in no time. Perfect with"Thirsty Thursday"Margartia!

Tortilla chips (I had Multi-grain and lime flavored Tostitos leftover)
1 can reduced sodium black beans; drained and rinsed
1 can Ro*tel tomatoes with chilis
1 cup shredded cheddar/Monterrey Jack cheese blend
A few spoonfuls of queso dip (leftover from company and a bit of a splurge.)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion; chopped
1 lime
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salsa and Greek Yogurt (my sour cream) to top

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pan, saute onion till translucent. Add turkey and cook till browned. Drain; return to pan and add black beans and Ro*tel. Season with chili powder and cumin; stir until warmed through. Remove from heat and squeeze juice of 1 lime over mixture.

Arrange tortilla chips on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Top with turkey mixture. Spoon queso over turkey mixture and top with shredded cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted.
Top with your favorite ingredients!

Beef and Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Salad

This recipe had me at 'Avocado Salad'. I love all things avocado and Mexican! It was so good. Chad said it tasted like a taco crossed with a Philly cheese steak. What a great way to describe it. YUM! 

I found this recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray. 

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion; chopped
2 jalapeno chiles; stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 avocados; cubed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1 1/2 limes)
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
3 cloves garlic' thinly sliced
Flour tortillas

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, half the onion and jalapenos; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and onions are softened. Transfer to a bowl; reserve the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining onion, avocados and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook until golden. Stir in the beef mixture and warm through.
Prepare the tortillas to your liking and stuff with beef mixture topped with avocado salad.

Arroz Congri (Cuban Rice and Black Beans)

Last weekend my family and I went to one of our new favorite restaurants, Reds on the River. I ordered their special Ropa Vieja (which is essentially braised beef over rice with black beans.) Their version of the dish was topped with a poached egg. YUM! It was soooo good! Maybe I will attempt to recreate it one day. Anyways, I saw this recipe for Cuban rice and beans and it sounded good and easy enough for me to try. I am glad I did! It was healthy and flavorful. LOVED IT! 

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 green pepper; chopped

1 red pepper; chopped

1 small onion; chopped

2 cloves garlic; minced

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 - 15 ounce can black beans - don't drain

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Rotisserie Chicken; shredded

Avocado; chopped

In a medium sized pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic. Saute until soft; about 5 minutes. 

Add rice, beans, water, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper.

Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice absorbs most of the liquid and just barely skims the top of the rice.

Cover reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes (don't peak- the steam is what cooks the rice.) After 20 minutes, shut off the flame and let sit covered for another 5 minutes. 

Top with chicken and avocado. 

Recipe adapted from here.

A Thinner Mexican Dinner

My sweet husband lost a bet we made during the Superbowl. As my reward, he cooked me anything I wanted. My choice, The Abs Diet Book's take on Taco Salad. I love anything Mexican and have been wanting to try this one for awhile. We loved this recipe! So good and very easy (maybe I should have made him work harder?) I think he needs to be in the kitchen more often!

For the meat: 
1 lb lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans; drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup water

For the dressing: 
4 medium tomatoes; diced
2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the salad: 
2 romaine lettuce hearts; chopped
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 ounces baked corn tortilla chips; crushed

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat until no longer pink. Add the garlic and beans, cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cayenne and water and stir until well combined and some of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Divide the lettuce among bowls, top with beef mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Spoon the dressing over the salad and top with crushed chips.

Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Ok - these carnitas were awesome! Chad was eating the leftovers for lunch everyday; he could not get enough of them. Very flavorful and easy if you prep the night before. I found this recipe on Gina's Weight Watchers blog and made a few adjustments. Great blog with tasty low-fat recipes. Make these this week! You will not be disappointed! 

2 1/2 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean - with all fat removed

6 cloves of garlic; cut in slivers

Homemade taco seasoning (found here) 

3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth

1 small can diced chilies 

2 bay leaves

A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Season pork salt and pepper. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (This step is not necessary, but adds a lot more flavor!)

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork and cut small holes. Insert garlic slivers throughout pork. Season pork with taco seasoning all over.  

Pour chicken broth in crockpot, add bay leaves and diced chilies. Place pork in crockpot and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork and remove any bones. Combine well with the juices, remove bay leaves and adjust seasonings. Let cook for another 15-30 minutes. 

Serve with corn tortillas (warmed over a gas stove is best), fresh cilantro, lime juice and light sour cream. I would also recommend light, shredded Monterrey jack cheese, salsa and avocado. 

Turkey Taco Salad

I found this recipe on my Everyday Food Ipod app; you can find the original recipe here. I love this app because there is a new recipe sent to me everyday. I have saved several and this one has been sitting saved for awhile. This week was a great time to use it. YUM! We both loved it. 

1 lb ground turkey; lean

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion; diced

1 small zucchini; diced

1 can black beans; rinsed and drained (I added these)

1 red bell pepper; ribs and seed removed and diced

1 1/2 cups green salsa

Salt and pepper

Romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cups Fritos (recipe calls for tortilla chips, but Fritos sounded better) 

1 cup small cherry tomatoes; halved

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent (about 5-7 minutes.) Add turkey; cook, stirring often until starting to brown (another 5-7 minutes.)

Add zucchini, bell pepper, black beans, and 1 cup of salsa; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and let cool. 

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with Fritos, tomatoes, remaining 1/2 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer to serving dishes and top with turkey mixture and cheese. 

Rotisserie Chicken and Tomatoes with Guacamole

Let me start by saying, this was not supposed to be a blog post. I have been quite busy with work and Summer that I have not had time to create weekly meal plans. All of our meals have been repeats (which are great), just nothing new to post on here. I was inspired to make Mexican last night and I wanted to keep it simple and fresh. Sorry for the picture quality, like I said - I was not planning on posting this one. It was too good not to though, so I snapped away with my phone camera. 

1 rotisserie chicken; skin removed and breast meat shredded

1 can Ro*tel tomatoes

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 lime

1 can fat-free refried beans; warmed on the stove

2 ripe avocados

2 Roma tomatoes; diced

1 jalapeno; seeded and minced

1 garlic clove; minced

Salt and Pepper

Corn tortillas

In a medium sauce pan, combine shredded chicken, Ro*tel, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder. Squeeze half of lime over chicken and warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes. 

In a small bowl add 1 avocado and mash with a fork. Add tomatoes, garlic clove, jalapeno and salt and pepper. Mix to combine well. Squeeze remaining half of lime over guacamole. 

Warm corn tortillas. Spread each tortilla with refried beans and top with chicken mixture and guacamole. I sliced another avocado and added that on top as well. (I am an avocado nut!)

I had cheese and salsa out, but we didn't use either ingredient and didn't miss them. 

Recipe created by me. 

We both LOVED this recipe. It had just enough heat and was so flavorful and easy to make. I could make this one every week and be happy. Try it! 

Shredded Mexican Chicken Tacos

Ok, these tacos are amazing! I will be making these again and again.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup salsa
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning or 2 1/2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
2 garlic cloves; minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
Hot sauce (to taste)
Avocado; diced
Cherry tomatoes; chopped
Shredded Mexican blend cheese
Romaine lettuce; chopped
Corn taco shells

In a medium sauce pan, add chicken breasts and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; add salsa, taco seasoning, garlic and chili powder. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Start pulling chicken apart with 2 forks until shredded. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste. You can also add a little water if sauce is too thick. Cook until chicken is fully cooked.

Prepare tacos and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Stephanie Cooks.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I will never buy taco seasoning again. This recipe is so easy and I can control the flavor and salt content. 

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 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all spices together and store in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Healthy Tex Mex Turkey Tacos

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion; diced
4  garlic cloves; minced
1 lb. ground lean turkey
1 package taco seasoning (I used a Hot & Spicy flavor) 
1 red bell pepper; seeded & chopped
1 jalapeno pepper; seeded & chopped
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn 
1/3 cup light Mexican beer (or water)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) can Ro*tel; drained (or Mexican-style tomatoes)
1-1/2 cups of salsa
1/2 small can chipotle chiles; drained & chopped 
Corn Tortilla shells
Avocado, tomato, reduced fat Mexican-blend cheese


Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with olive oil.
Add the onion and cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic to skillet and cook 2 minutes more or until slightly soft.
Turn heat up to medium-high and add turkey; stir to crumble the turkey. Add taco seasoning and combine. 
Add red pepper and jalapeno pepper to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in corn and next 8 ingredients (corn through chiles). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes.
Warm shells according to package directions and fill. 
Serve with avocado, cheese and tomatoes. 


Chad's rating: 9/10
Amy's rating: 10/10


Recipe was adapted from here.

Black Bean Burritos and Guacamole

1 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 15 ounce cans black beans; drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
1 avocado, peeled and diced (I ended up using the Guacamole)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the beans and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing, until warmed, about 5 minutes.
Wrap the tortillas in paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Lay flat on a work surface and divide the beans, avocado and cheese among them; roll up like burritos. Wrap in paper towels and microwave until cheese is melted about 1-2 minutes.

4 avocados; peeled and diced
1 jalapeno; diced
1 tomato; diced
1 clove garlic; minced
1/2 red onion; chopped
1 lime; zested and juiced
Salt and pepper

Mash everything together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to come together.

Chad's rating: 8/10
Amy's rating: 9/10

Burrito recipe found from Rachel Ray and Guacamole created by Chad and I.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Sliced Avocado
Cooking spray

Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the chicken with the onion mixture.  Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10
Amy's rating: 8.5/10

Recipe adapted from the Two Novice Chefs, One Tiny Kitchen Blog. Which was found on the Annie Eats Blog

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

8 ounces white button mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast (about 1 breast)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cups baby spinach, sliced into ribbons

4 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese (I shredded a block of aged white cheddar)

Salt and pepper

Salsa & Avocado for topping

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add chicken and spices and combine evenly. Add spinach and salt and pepper.

Continue cooking till spinach wilts.

Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Spoon 1/2 chicken mixture on top and then add more cheese. Top with another tortilla. Heat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Place quesadilla in pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until light brown. Flip and cook the other side for an additional 3 minutes.

Remove from pan once cheese is melted. Slice in quarters and serve.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 10/10

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger (food network)

Turkey Nachos

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

10 ounces frozen corn kernels

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 lime, juiced and zested

Tortilla chips - baked or multigrain

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat pepper jack or cheddar cheese

Salsa

Avocado

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add ground turkey. Brown and crumble meat. Season with chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Add green pepper and garlic.

Cook for 8-10 minutes then stir in corn and beans. Adjust seasoning. Stir in zest and juice of lime.

Arrange a layer of chips on a baking sheet. Top with half turkey mixture and half cheese. Repeat layers.

Transfer to oven and bake for 5-6 minutes.

Top with salsa and avocado slices.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Chipolte Bean Burritos

Picture from Cooking Light - my pictures did not turn out.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa
6 (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas (such as Mission)
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 3)
1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons light sour cream
Guacamole

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chili powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream & guacamole; roll up.

Chad's rating: 9/10
Amy's rating: 10/10

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken, white meat shredded

2 cans sweet corn, drained

1 jar salsa

2 cans refried beans

2 cans or 1 quart chicken broth

Crushed tortilla chips

Avocado

Mexican blend cheese

Sour Cream

Add chicken, corn, beans, salsa and broth to a crock pot. Cook on low all day. Top with remaining ingredients.

Recipe from my sister, Laura.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 10/10 - YUM!

Mexican Inspired Chicken

Mexican Inspired Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts

1 avocado

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Mexican cheese blend

Medium salsa

Marinate chicken breasts in a bag or sealed Tupperware dish. Combine olive oil, chicken broth, lemon juice, honey and spices. Place in fridge for about 20 - 30 minutes. Cook on grill pan on both sides until cooked through. Top with shredded cheese right before taken off the grill pan.

Meanwhile, saute onions and red peppers in olive oil.

Top cheesy chicken with salsa, onion and pepper mix and avocado slices.

Serve tortillas and rice on the side.

Chad's rating: 9.5/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10

Marinate measurements are not exact. I just used anything I had that sounded good and it worked!

Ultimate Tacos

Ultimate Tacos

We love Taco night - and we always look for ways to "spice it up". Last night's Tacos were by far my favorite!

1 lb ground beef

Old El Paso Hot and Spicy Taco seasoning

1 block Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, chopped - squeezed with a lime

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tostitos Medium Salsa

Daisy non fat sour cream

Flour and corn tortillas - warmed

Brown meat, drain. Add seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. In tortilla - layer Monterrey jack cheese first, then meat, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese and finally sour cream.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10

Amy's rating: 10/10