green enchiladas

My friend served leftovers of these to me months ago and I LOVED them! I made sure to get the recipe. I acquired the specific ingredients and... didn't make them. I used the ingredients for other meals. I acquired the ingredients again, and didn't make them. After several months of wanting to make them, having them on my menu, and purchasing the ingredients, I finally made them last week. I loved them. The hubby loved them. Our little man loved them. I guess it was worth the wait! Personally though, I recommend you not wait months and months to try this recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 16 oz jar mild salsa verde
• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 3 cups pepper jack cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• 10 whole wheat tortillas

Directions

1. Boil the chicken until cooked through. Shred chicken and set it aside.
2. In blender, puree salsa, sour cream, and cilantro (save a little for the top of the enchiladas) until smooth.
3. Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish.
   
4. Place sauce, chicken, corn, cheese, and cilantro on a tortilla. Roll the filled tortilla and place in dish. Continue with all tortillas or until dish is full.
   
5. Top with remaining sauce, cheese, corn, and cilantro.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

chicken fajitas with homemade whole wheat tortillas

My friend Heidi has a recipe blog that I love called Food of Good Report. She has great ideas and works really hard to feed her family good food. I really admire her. She recently posted a recipe for chicken fajitas that sounded so good I just had to try it! I didn't have all of the ingredients, but I used what I did have and improvised here and there. The fajitas turned out to be incredible! I will be making these a regular around our house!

Also, ever since finemealwoman contributor Echo posted her homemade tortilla recipe (with a recipe for green chili stew), I've been wanting to make my own tortillas. I used all whole wheat flour for mine and they were delicious. I love how they didn't fall apart like store bought tortillas. They were inexpensive, easy to make, and had a whole lot more flavor. Plus, I always have the ingredients on hand... water, flour, baking powder, and salt. The only trick was keeping my son from poking holes in them while I rolled them out.

Thank you Heidi and Echo for your fabulous recipes! Chef Jeff is also very appreciative! I owe ya ladies!

open faced quesidillas

This is a super quick/go to recipe that is great for a busy evening.

Ingredients

• Flat bread
• Pepper jack cheese
• Peppers
• Onions
• 1 can of black beans (I soak and cook my own beans if I plan ahead)
• Cilantro
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Tabasco
• Salsa
• Ground cumin
  

Directions

1. Add cheese, onion, beans, peppers to flat bread and microwave for 25 seconds
2. Add remaining toppings of your choice
3. Cut into quarters with a pizza cutter

i'm back with tasty gorditas

Thank you friends for your patience while I was away from finemealwoman. Our move was successful and I am now getting used to my new kitchen. Sadly, it is a downgrade from my previous kitchen. It is tiny, which makes cooking up a storm a bit more challenging. Thankfully, we have a 1 year lease and will be searching for a bigger place. I've managed to get back into my groove a bit and have made some yummy things. Here is a recipe for one of my new favorite dinners. It's quick, easy, and oh, so tasty! It might just become a regular around here!


Tasty Gorditas

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• Cumin
• Crushed red pepper
• Chili powder
• Black pepper
• Flat bread (1 per person or serving)
• 1 bell pepper
• Pepper jack cheese
• Shredded lettuce
  
• Sour cream
• Guacamole

Directions

1. Place a little olive oil in skillet. Add turkey, onion, and spices (use as much or as little as you desire). Cook thoroughly.
2. Place meat mixture on flat bread.
3. Top with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and a dash of crushed red pepper.
4. Fold in half and devour.

I'm thinking the meat could be done really easily in the crock pot. I haven't tried it yet, but that would make it even easier. Next time I make it, I'll try crock potting it.

what kind of New Mexican would i be if i didn't make a green chili stew?

first things first. you should find yourself a trusty assistant.

the pictures don't do this recipe justice. sorry. don't be fooled, it is pretty tasty.
Green Chili Stew

about 1 lbs pork, cubed

1-2 TBS oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 chopped onion (red or yellow, both taste good)

combine and cook on medium heat till pork is cooked thoroughly.

3 C water

3 chicken bullion cubes

2 cans Hominy, drained

1 4oz can green chilis (Hatch brand tastes best)

salt and pepper to taste

cook on high for 10 minutes after boil. then let simmer for at least an hour. of course things like this always taste best when left to simmer for longer, it depends on the time you have. i cooked mine on the stove but you could for sure turn this into a crock pot meal after you brown the pork.

also, please keep in mind that i cook this recipe (and so many others) according to taste so the measurements have flexibility. if you are making for a large party than just add more water. with every cup of water add one more bullion. top with cheese if you want.

hominy is a puffed white corn. it can be substituted with cubed potatoes but i prefer hominy as it gives it a more authentic flavor.
Homemade Tortillas

4 C flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 C warm water

stir together with a spoon until well moistened. then knead with hands till no longer sticky. you may need to add a little more flour. let sit covered for 10-15 minutes. then pinch off size you want and roll out flat.

i roll mine in between wax paper because it is less messy. make sure your dough is nice and thin. then cook on one side till it starts to bubble and brown, then turn and repeat.

i halved my recipe because there are only 2 of us. a half recipe made 10 tortillas. 

taco beans and rice

Of all the meals I have tried from Fresh Food Fast, this one is my absolute favorite! It was fast, fast, fast and really tasty! It was a perfect summer meal. I recommend this one for sure!

Taco Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans
• 1 cup of brown rice
• Cumin to taste
• Toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole
  

Directions

1. Cook the rice in rice cooker
   
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat
3. Add onions and peppers and cook for a few minutes
   
4. Add beans and cumin and mix
5. Top with cheese, sour cream, and guacamole on top
   

Baked Squash
Ingredients

• 1 summer squash per person
• Grated jalapeno cheese

Directions

1. Cut squash lengthwise
2. Sprinkle cheese
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender

pork burritos (or ode to leftovers part 2)

Another use for that leftover pork tenderloin...

Make a burrito with your favorite fixings and leftover pork tenderloin. We used re-fried beans from our food storage (I'm not a fan, but we've got to rotate them!).

making it up as i go

Sometimes I cook with a recipe and sometimes I use a recipe as a guideline and do my own thing with it. Sometimes I just come up with an idea and try to make it. One thing I've learned about cooking is that you don't have to stick to a recipe all the time. There is freedom to experiment, which I love.

This was our dinner a couple nights ago. It is a cross between an enchilada and a quesadilla in a way. I don't know what to call it really. I don't have a formal recipe, but here is the gist of it.

1. Mix 1/2 cup cauliflower puree and 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
2. Add grated cheese and enough soup cream to thicken it up
3. Add some pepper
4. Pour a little of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread it around
5. Spread mixture into whole wheat tortilla shells and roll them up
6. Place rolled tortilla in the 9x13 pan
7. Continue adding the mixture to the tortillas and adding them to the pan until it's full
8. Add any remaining mixture to the top
9. Sprinkle fresh cilantro and black beans to the top
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

I use a lot of vegetable purees in my cooking. It is based on Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious. I'll probably be posting about this concept in the future, but it is basically secretly adding vegetable purees to kid friendly foods. There is no secret around here though, we add veggies all the time, even in sweets!