Mexican
Simple, Delicious Homemade Guacamole
This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday which means lots of yummy food! Chips, salsa, and guacamole are staple football game foods – so this year, WOW your friends with this delicious homemade guacamole that is sure to impress! And, you don’t even have to skimp on your New Year health goals with this recipe! Avocados have so many health benefits – check out a few here from Best Health. If you are devoted to stay committed to your health goals, try this recipe with your favorite veggies instead of chips!
Now, I have to give credit where credit is due – I always have my husband make this recipe because it is so delicious when he does! However, tonight was the first time we actually measured out the ingredients together (I’m a recipe follower and he’s more of a wing-it kinda guy in the kitchen), and it was the best guacamole we have ever had! He likes adding more kick to his (see the optional ingredient below) but he knows I like it better without so he usually won’t add it if he knows I want some.
If you are making this recipe for a larger group, I would definitely double (or triple) it, as I’m guessing it will go fast 🙂
Ingredients:
4 Large Avocados
1/4 Cup Pace Salsa
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
One Lemon
(Optional) Tapatio Sauce (Add to taste)
Directions:
- Cut open avocados, remove pit, and add insides to a large bowl. Mash up.
- Add all other ingredients to the mashed avocados, except for the lemon, and mix together.
- Cut the lemon in quarters and squeeze one quarters worth of juice into the bowl (Make sure no seeds fall into the guac). Mix and add more to taste but do not add
Bean Dip
Bean Dip is a great thing to make for a party, to take to a friend’s house, or just to enjoy on your own. As I was making this bean dip, I was thinking about how important each layer is to create the overall taste. Yes, analyzing a bean dip. Seems a little weird. But when you are making food for other people to join in and fellowship together while eating, you really think about how much more there is to it. Food brings people together. And people have all sorts of stories, all sorts of characteristics, all sorts of “layers” that takes time and investment getting to know them. And each layer is important. It is a part of who they are, where they came from, or how they have grown. Taking out one layer or one part of the story may leave a piece missing.
So here’s the bean dip recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put all ingredients in a 9×13 pan in this order (smooth out to make flat layers)
- 2 small/ 1 big can of refried beans
- Mix together 1/2 cup of mayo and 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 3.1 small can of diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup of salsa
- 2-3 cups of cheddar cheese
- Olives on top (optional)
Cook for 30 minutes and enjoy with a bag of tortilla chips!
- 2 small/ 1 big can of refried beans
- Mix together ½ cup of mayo and ½ cup of sour cream
- 1 small can of diced green chiles
- ½ cup of salsa
- 2-3 cups of cheddar cheese
- Olives on top (optional)
- Preheat oven to
Nutritious Nachos-RECHARGED with summer veggies
When our girls were young, nachos were a favorite go-to meal along with quesadillas. These NUTRITIOUS and DELICIOUS nachos are covered with vegetable goodness, made on home baked tortilla chips and are an easy complete summer meal. Whip up a batch the next time you have a group over or just enjoy on a Sunday afternoon while watching a ballgame. If you have the time to grill your corn and let it cool a bit before you make this recipe it has a wonderful added bbq flavor but fresh cut off the cob works as well.
Ingredients
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 red onion chopped (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 red pepper chopped
1-2 cups fresh corn (you can bbq first for added roasted flavor)
1 jalepeno pepper thinly sliced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon sea salt
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
½ pound ground turkey (optional if you want vegetarian version)
8-10 corn tortillas
½ cup grated Mexican cheese blend (cheddar and Monterey jack or colby jack)
½ cup queso fresco crumbled
1 avocado diced
1-2 tomatoes chopped
⅓ cup cilantro chopped
1 lime cut into wedges
Brown ground turkey seasoned with 1 teaspoon each cumin, chili powder and salt in skillet until completely cooked. Set aside
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add zucchini, corn, red pepper, jalepeno, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt and cook 5 more minutes. Add black bean and stir until heated through. Turn off heat and let cool.
Cut corn tortillas into quarters and spread out in a 15×10 inch jelly roll pan that has been coated with olive oil spray. Spray tops of tortillas with olive oil …
Tortilla Casserole-with a Healthy Flair
When your family feels like Mexican food and you have a busy day ahead of you…this casserole can be made ahead of time (even a day ahead)and baked right before dinner. This recipe is low fat and really delicious. Serve it with a green salad and some guacamole and salsa.
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 can black beans, drained (optional for added protein)
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 can or bottle (12-14 0z) enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese shredded
- Begin to brown the ground turkey in a large skillet.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper and continue to cook until onion and pepper are soft and ground meat is cooked.
- Add the seasonings, corn and black beans and stir until blended.
- Mix the tomato sauce and enchilada sauce and add half of this sauce mixture to the browned meat and vegetables.
- Reserve remaining sauce to pour over top of casserole.
- In a PAM sprayed 9 by 13 pan, layer 6 corn tortillas, half the meat mixture, half the cheese. then layer the other 6 tortillas, half of the meat mixture, half of the cheese.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20-25
Stuffed Peppers with a Twist
I have always wanted to find a good stuffed peppers recipe! And, I think I finally did! I took the Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from “The Recipe Critic” and made a few swaps and changes and created a healthy, tasty meal! Full of protein, very colorful, yummy spices, and a new product from Grain & Simple that can be found at Costco! “2 Minute Grains” is full of red spring wheat berries, quinoa, farrow and barley with tomato, onions, and peppers- It is a perfect side for a night of BBQ turkey burgers or, as I discovered with this recipe, the perfect add-in for stuffed peppers! You will love this recipe!
INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers
Ground Turkey, 1 pound
1 medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves
2 TBS tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 packs of Grain & Simple 2 Minute Grains (from Costco)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Colby Jack cheese, shredded…
Read MoreW.O.W. Enchilada Casserole RENEWED
As a busy mom trying to make healthier meals for my family I’ve decided to revisit some of our family favorites and spruce them up a bit, rather than trying to find completely new recipes. I received a new cookbook for Christmas called, “Deceptively Delicious,” by Jessica Seinfeld that is all about incorporating vegetable purees into your foods.
I love the idea of putting more veggies in my meals because 1) I love veggies, and 2) I’d rather do anything else in the world (even go to the dentist) than struggle to get my kids to eat their veggies every night.
So I combined some principles from Jessica’s Chicken Enchilada recipe to one of our family favorite recipes from Trader Joe’s: W.O.W. Enchilada Casserole.
So here’s my version of W.O.W. Enchilada Casserole (with lots of hidden veggies!)
Ingredients
-
TJ’s Olive Oil (for pan)
-
1 bottle TJ’s Enchilada Sauce
-
1 pound cooked ground beef or ground turkey
-
6 TJ’s Green Onions, sliced, green tops preserved for garnish
-
1 package TJ’s Corn Tortillas, cut into strips
-
1 package TJ’s Mexican Shredded Cheese Blend
-
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (made ahead of time!!)
-
2 zucchinis grated and pressed to remove moisture
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1 can TJ’s Black Beans, rinsed
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2 TJ’s Avocados, sliced
Tortilla Stack – REVISED
Tortilla Stack is one of our favorite crockpot dinners. However, this weekend, I wanted to make it when hosting dinner for a friend, but I did not have the 2 hours prior to start the crockpot. I decided to turn it into a Tortilla Stack Bake instead of making it in the crockpot! It was delicious!! We even found that baking the stack makes for better consistency for the tortillas! So, here is an oldie and a goodie, REVISED!
1 teaspoon Canola Oil or Olive Oil
1 small-medium yellow Onion, chopped
4-5 Garlic Cloves, pressed (or mince if you do not own a garlic press)
1-2 teaspoons of Fajita Seasoning
1 can Diced Tomatoes, Drained (14.5-ounce)
1 can Tomato Sauce (14.5-ounce)
2-3 Chicken Breasts, cut into small pieces
1-2 tsp Turmeric
1 can Corn, drained (14.5-ounce)
1 can Black Beans, drained (14.5-ounce)
7-10 Whole Wheat Tortillas (This number is for small tortillas; May need to be ripped in some places to cover the sauce areas)
2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded (Add more if desired)…
Mexican Rice
Use this recipe with the following recipes to make a full meal
Mexican Taco Cupcakes
Mexican Marinade
Salsa #1
Salsa #2
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Kosher or sea salt to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
- 1(14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1(4 ounce) can diced green chiles (optional)
- 2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium (optional, chicken broth)
Directions
In a large skillet or sauce pan add oil, turn to medium-low heat and saute onion until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and continue to saute one additional minute.
Add remaining ingredients, cover, reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 45 minutes or until rice has soaked up the liquid and is tender. (NOTE: The time it takes to cook rice depends on the brand. 35-60minutes)
Remove from heat, leave covered and allow to set 10 minutes before serving.
Adapted from http://skinnyms.com
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Carne or Pollo Asada Marinade
We had some precious friends over for a barbeque last week and I had planned to have Mexican food. My favorite summer Mexican meal is a buffet style build your own burrito or taco or Mexican salad. With the fresh corn already roasted on the BBQ the day before, the fajita style vegetables sliced and ready to be stir fried, the homemade salsa chilling in the refrigerator and the guacamole ingredients on the counter, I ran to our local Trader Joes to pick up my favorite Carne and Pollo Asada meat. Well to my surprise, they were out! So I bought some thinly sliced sirloin and some chicken and went home with ingredients to create my own marinade and this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy this fresh and healthy rendition of Carne and Pollo Asada.
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup fresh lime juice
6 cloves garlic smashed
½ cup olive oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup rice wine vinegar
2 T cumin
2 T chili powder
½ tsp cloves
2 T fresh oregano chopped fine (dry is OK)
1-2 T frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tsp salt
Pour over 3-5 lbs chicken (breasts sliced in half or thighs) or sirloin thin sliced beef.
Marinade for 2-3 hours and BBQ. Slice thin and serve with tortillas, rice, beans, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. This is my husbands Carne Asada burrito ready to be rolled up and eaten. Yummy!
What is your favorite Mexican marinade for your barbecued meat?
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Mexican Summer Salad
When the summer days warm up, a great option for an easy dinner is this delicious and nutritious Mexican Summer Salad.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ red pepper diced
½ cucumber diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional: 1 tomato chopped and 1 avocado cut into small pieces
Drain cans of beans and corn and add all the remaining ingredients. Stir and chill at least an hour or until ready to serve. You can serve this as a side dish with quesadillas or barbecued meat. We cooked up some seasoned ground meat and had a build your own Mexican dinner salad picnic with lettuce, meat, salsa and chips.
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