Recipe #365: Southwestern Egg Rolls

These were AMAZING! I loved the filling. You could use it with anything. I found the recipe on pinterest and the recipe is originally found here. I made just a couple of changes...

You need:
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans of southwestern styled corn, drained
1 cup of fresh spinach cut into thin slices
1 chicken breast plus 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar
1/2 cup mozzarella
4 green onions chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of spring roll wrappers

• first stick the chicken in some water mixed with the 2 tbsp taco seasoning and boil. when cooked through shred chicken and put in a large bowl
• mix in the remaining ingredients (except the wrappers!)
• heat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray
• lay out one wrapper, with point facing you.
• place 1/4 cup of filling in the point of the wrapper and start to roll up, when you get half way, fold in 2 outside corners to the middle and tightly continue to roll up. 
• wet the tip of the remaining corner to make sure it sticks to the roll
• place rolls on the prepared baking sheet ( I did about 12 on a sheet) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until wrapper gets golden brown. Turn the rolls half way through baking

they tasted amazing with some taco ranch dressing...mix some cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch of cayenne pepper with about a half cup of ranch. work out the measurements until if is the flavor you want. It was a pretty yummy dipping sauce!

Recipe #358: Taco Salad Bowls

I made another taco salad found here, but in this one everything is combined and it comes with a taco bowl! ;)

You need:
lettuce
half of a tomato
shredded cheese
1/2 lb of ground beef
taco seasoning
1 cup salsa more or less
couple tablespoons ranch dressing (we didn't have sour cream!)
soft tacos
chips, crushed

• find a small bowl that is oven safe. set the soft taco inside to make it form a bowl shape. (you may need to heat the taco in the microwave for a couple seconds to make it soft enough to shape
• heat oven to 350 and set bowls inside for about 5 minutes or until taco is hard around the edges
• once they are done take out and put on a small plate
• meanwhile, brown ground beef and add in taco seasoning and necessary water.
• prepare vegetables and put in a large bowl.
• mix in taco meat, cheese, salsa, and ranch
• mix in chips
• spoon into taco shell bowls

Recipe #303: Quesadilla Asian Style

You need:

Rotisserie chicken
corn
cheddar cheese
whole wheat tortillas
sweet chili sauce

• in a tortilla, add some shredded rotisserie chicken, corn, cheese and a little sweet chili sauce
• Spray both sides with olive oil
• heat in the pan until both sides are brown
• drizzle on some more sweet chili sauce and enjoy!

Recipe #287: Chocolate and Banana Chimichangas

I walked into the kitchen and this is what came out! :) It was kind of messy to eat, but pretty amazing and chocolately!

You need:
2 tortillas
creamy peanut butter
1 mashed banana
chocolate chips

• butter the back of a tortilla
• on the unbuttered side, spread some peanut butter in the middle
• top with mashed banana and chocolate chips.
• fold opposite sides into the middle
• heat at 350 for 10 minutes, or until tortilla gets crispy
• top with whipped cream and chocolate

Recipe #286: Spinach Enchiladas

The idea for these started from a Real Simple recipe found here, but I veered a lot from the recipe! I really liked these and it was a great meatless recipe!

You need:
1 cup of spinach, chopped
1/2 can of pinto beans, drained and washed
1/2 cup of corn
1 1/2 cups cheddar, shedded
paprika
6 tortillas
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup (or more) salsa

• mix together spinach, pinto beans, corn, 1 cup cheddar in a small bowl.
• in another bowl, mix together salsa, sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheddar
• divide spinach mixture into 6 tortillas, roll up and put in a 9x13 dish seam side down
• cover with salsa mixture 
• bake at 400 for about 20 minutes

Recipe #285: Churros

My students are studying the continent of North America, and in an effort to encourage good behavior, if they were able to keep the letters in CONTINENT TREAT then I would make them something from North America. So I settled on churros, because  it seemed more fun then anything from the US or Canada. I found a recipe here and then make some adjustments based on the reviews. I tripled the recipe as well. All in all it wasn't too hard!

You need:
3 cups water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp oil
3 cups flour
oil for frying
1 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon

• in a sauce pan combine water, sugar, salt and oil. Heat until boiling.
• add to flour. Mix until it forms a soft ball.
• put some of the dough in a pastry bag or ziploc (and cut a hole to pipe out)
• heat oil in a skillet. 
• pipe dough into the hot oil. I did about a finger length size and cut if off with a knife
• fry about 5 at a time (depending on the size of your skillet)
• once they are golden brown let them cool on a paper towel.
• get the next batch in the fry pan and then take the ones that are cooling and toss them in a bag with cinnamon and sugar.

my students really enjoyed them even though they were kind of soggy on the second day! :) definitely taste better fresh! :)

Recipe #278: Spinach and Chicken Quesadilla

An easy, delicious meal!

You need:z
tortilla
rotisserie chicken
shredded cheddar
spinach
small bit of butter

• on a tortilla add some cheese, spinach and shredded rotisserie chicken
• fold in half and spread a little butter on both sides
• heat in a pan until cheese is melted and tortilla is a little brown

top with sour cream and salsa!

Recipe #260: Baked Taco Rice

another twist on a tacoish meal.

you need:
1lb ground beef
 rice
1 cup cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce
lettuce, sour cream, salsa, chips for toppings

• make rice
• brown meat and add spaghetti sauce.
• mix rice and beef together in an 8x8 dish
• top with cheese
• bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted
• serve with your favorite taco toppings!

Recipe #260: Baked Taco Rice

another twist on a tacoish meal.

you need:
1lb ground beef
 rice
1 cup cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce
lettuce, sour cream, salsa, chips for toppings

• make rice
• brown meat and add spaghetti sauce.
• mix rice and beef together in an 8x8 dish
• top with cheese
• bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted
• serve with your favorite taco toppings!

Recipe #255: Nachos

This was Monday's dinner. I used the leftover meat from Sunday's lunch but I am sure any leftover taco meat would be great! It was just nice to have beans, onions, and tomatoes already worked into the recipe! I also used some of the homemade tortillas because we were almost out of chips.

You need:

chips
taco meat
cheese
others: beans, tomatoes, onions
lettuce, salsa, sour cream

• on a baking sheet layer chips. spread meat (and beans, onions, tomato if not already included)
• sprinkle cheese on top and bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes at 450 or until cheese is melted.
• take out and cool for a couple of minutes
• top with lettuce, salsa and sour cream

Recipe #250: Tortilla Pie

I found the recipe here but made some changes.

You need:
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1/4 cup onion
1 garlic cloved minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp hot sauce
taco seasoning
3 Tbsp or more minced cilantro
4-6 tortillas (I used my homemade ones so they were a little smaller)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

• cook meat, onion and garlic. drain fat
• add tomato, beans and spices, and a couple Tbsp of cilantro
• mix cheeses and remaining cilantro together
• spray the bottom of a round 9 inch cake pan. 
• layer bottom with tortilla
• top with meat mixture than another tortilla
• next cheese and another tortilla, more meat, and a tortilla then rest of cheese on top
• bake at 400 for 15 minutes

enjoy with sour cream, lettuce, and salsa!

Recipe #248: Whole Wheat Torillas

Well, I had all the different stuff I needed to make something Mexican, except for the tortillas that is! And while it might have been faster to go to the store and get some, I didn't feel like having to get into the car and drive anywhere, so instead I decided to make them from scratch! I used a recipe I found here and loved the fact that they were whole wheat.

It was definitely a work in progress but I look forward to making them again. I think it will start to get easier too, or rather, that hopefully my tortillas will look more normal the more I make them. It wasn't until half way through that I figured out a good system...rolling them all out at once did not work so great!

You need:

2 1/2 whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm water 

• heat tap water in microwave for a minute
• using a dough hook on your mixer, mix flour, oil and salt together until crumbly
• gradually add warm water
• roll with hands into a log and divide into 12 equal pieces
• roll into balls and flatten tops
• cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes (I used this time to make a batch of boule bread dough! :) )
• on a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into and 8-10 inch circle. (tip: I set up a space to roll out the tortilla on the stove right next to where i was browning them so I was rolling one out while one was in the fry pan)
• grease a warm 12 inch pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown 30-45 seconds on each side.
• eat, refrigerate, or freeze!

Recipe #238: Baked Tacos

I found the recipe here but did some tweaking!

You need:
ground turkey
1 can pinto beans
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup spaghetti sauce
10 hard tacos
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
other toppings you like!

• brown meat
• drain pinto beans
• add beans, taco seasoning, and sauce to the meat and mix on low heat.
• arrange tacos in a 9x13 pan
• add meat and cheese to taco shells
• bake at 400 for 10 minutes
• add your favorite toppings!

Recipe #223: Beef Chimichangas

I found this recipe here and of course changed it to use what I had on hand! I think without the sour cream and by using whole wheat tortillas this version is probably less calories! :)

You need:
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp taco sauce
dried oregano
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
whole wheat tortillas

• brown ground beef, and drain oil
• add taco sauce and dried oregano
• remove from heat and add cheese, mix well
• put about 1/3 cup of beef into middle of each tortilla
• fold left and right sides together, then top and bottom to enclose meat. 
• bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until tortilla is crisp. top with your favorite toppings!

Recipe #214 and #215: Chicken Tacos two ways!

This is a variation of another recipe I made found here.

You need:

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus taco seasoning
3 cups (or less if using frozen chicken breasts) water
3 chicken boullion cubes
1can cream of chicken soup
tortillas
cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomatoes etc.

• put chicken, taco seasoning, water, and boullion cubes in crockpot. Heat on high for at least 4 hours 
• take  one piece of chicken out and shred 
• in a sauce pan add chicken and cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup water from the crock pot, stir until cream sauce is heated
• shred the other chicken breast and put back in the crock pot. 
• choose your favorite chicken and add to a soft taco along with your favorite toppings!

Recipe #208: Baked Soft Tacos

This might look very similar to this recipe, because it is. I needed something easy, and using ground beef actually made it go a lot faster!

You need:
1 lb of ground beef
taco seasoning
salsa
5-6 tortillas cut into 2 inch strips
cheddar cheese
toppings: lettuce, tomato, and greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)

• brown beef, then add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and some water
• put down a layer of beef in a 9x13 pan
• top with tortilla strips, salsa, and cheese. repeat each with another layer
• bake at 350 for 30 minutes
• add your favorite taco toppings! 

Recipe #206: Cheesy Chicken and Tortillas

This was a pretty good and easy meal. We were going to hang out at my grandparents for the day so put the chicken in the crockpot in the morning and then it took 10 minutes to get in the oven! Easy meal with not a lot of hands on time! I found it on pinterest but is originally found here.

You need:
3 chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus taco seasoning
3 1/4 (or less if using frozen chicken breasts) water
3 chicken boullion cubes
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
6 torillas
4 cups or so cheddar cheese

• put chicken, taco seasoning, water, and boullion cubes in crockpot. Heat on low for at least 4 hours (ours was more like 7!)
• take chicken out and shred 
• in a sauce pan melt butter then add soup and a little more taco seasoning
• stir in chicken
• in a 9x13 pan put a layer of chicken, then layer tortillas and cheese on top. repeat another layer of each. (I didn't really break apart tortillas because I didn't read original directions, it is your choice!)
• bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

Enjoy on top of rice. As we were eating we were thinking of all the great add ins you could do with this! The chicken mixture is so good and I will definitely be using it again!

Recipe #152: Chicken Enchiladas

My mom found a recipe and this has become a family favorite! I went looking for the recipe though and couldn't find it, so I tried to remember what she did and this is what turned out! :) It was delicious, Will and I fought over the leftovers and he won! :)

You need:
2 chicken breasts
5-8 tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

• boil and shred the chicken
• in a bowl, mix together salsa and sour cream, add chicken
• in an 8x8 pan (fit 5 tortillas perfectly) add mixture to a tortilla shell, roll up and hold in place with seam down
• continue until pan is filled up.
• I had extra of the chicken mixture so i actually spread it on top, or you can take a 1/2 cup salsa and spread on top of tortillas
• top with cheese
• bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted

very yummy!

Recipe #116: Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe ages ago from a Woman's Day magazine (you can find the recipe here), and have made it several times over the last 5 years or so, but not very recently. It was another perfect meal for a autumn feeling day! Here is my variation

You need:
2 cans chicken broth
1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I borrowed some of Alex's chicken! ;) )
2 zucchini
1/2 cup corn
4-5 tomatoes, diced
pinches of pepper, red pepper, and basil
(We topped this time with cheese and tortilla chips, I did make the crispy tortilla strips one time, and have also used the torilla salad toppers...all delicious!)

• pour broth into large pot
• add zucchini and tomatoes. let them soften
• add corn and chicken
• add in spices
• let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes
• add toppings and serve!

Recipe #114: Pulled Pork Tacos

A little twist on your normal tacos or BBQ pork! :)

I took the general idea from a Woman's day recipe (you should checkout their IPod app!).

It was perfect for leaving in the crock pot, heading out to church and having it ready for a quick bite when you get back!

You need: 

 double recipe of Taco/BBQ sauce found here

2 packet of taco seasoning

about 2 lbs pork loin

taco stuff: tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, etc

• mix taco sauce recipe in the crockpot
• add two taco seasoning packets and mix together
• put pork in crock pot and coat with sauce
• cook on high for about 3-4 hours
• in last 30 minutes, use a knife and fork to shred pork into small pieces.
• stir it several times to make sure pork is completely coated in sauce.
• enjoy in tacos with your favorite toppings!