Black Bean Burritos

If you've been following Ice Cream & Wine for a while now, you know that I have not shared any recipes involving red meat. And while this might be a controversial topic among my family (hello, I was raised in Nebraska!), I don't think it's too big of a deal. A lot of people have asked me how we came to this decision - the decision to cut red meat from our household. To be honest, I don't have an exciting answer. My husband and I just feel better about our health when we stick to poultry and fish.

Lately though, we've been incorporating a lot of vegetarian meals into our weekly menu. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, I've found that we save money when we have 1-2 vegetarian meals a week. Beans and tofu and extremely cheap in comparison to meat. Secondly, vegetarian meals tend to be on the "lighter" side which is great for the summer and our appetites!

This all relates to my recipe for the day: Black Bean Burritos. These burritos are a great alternative to ones filled with meat. They have a great flavor from the black beans and green chiles. Very easy to make and very easy to enjoy!  

Black Bean Burritos
Inspiration: Black Bean Burrito Bake, Cooking Light, March 2003

Ingredients:
1/2 small can diced green chiles
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheese - I used a Mexican blend

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the green chiles and sour cream. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Pour half the black beans into a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash until beans turn into a thick paste. Add in the remaining whole beans, corn and sour cream mixture. Stir until well-combined. 

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 8x8 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes - or until heated through.

Salsa Chicken

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's a gloomy day here in Baltimore, but I'm dealing with it. The good news is that starting tomorrow, we'll be seeing a lot of sunshine. Close to 80 degrees on Saturday? Well, that just sounds like a perfect Easter weekend to me. 

Don't you all think it's time for another crock pot recipe? I must agree. Salsa Chicken is quite the popular meal on many blogs, and it's easy to see why. Just like BBQ Chicken, this crock pot chicken dish is an absolute delight. Simple and easy? Easy peasy, is what I like to say. I love being able to throw frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot - very easy preparation!

The great thing about Salsa Chicken is that it is very versatile. We usually use it for tacos, but you can use the chicken for enchiladas, quesadillas, taco pizza, and even for dips. It is so good - you must give it a whirl!

Source: there are many variations of this recipe out there - with a few tweaks and combinations, this is my way of making Salsa Chicken.

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 can of black beans

1 1/2 cups of frozen corn

1 16 oz. jar of salsa - I always use spicy/hot

Directions:

Place frozen chicken breasts in crock pot. Rinse black beans - pour over chicken. Then put the corn in, followed by the salsa. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. About an hour before you serve, shred the chicken with two forks and stir to fully mix everything together.

*We serve this in tortillas with cheese, black olives and some sour cream. Feel free to get creative!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is by far my favorite soup. There are many reasons why I like it: it's made in the crock pot, it's spicy, and the cheese on top is perfection. It's very easy to prepare this soup. To save time in the morning, you could chop the onion and peppers at night and put them in the fridge. In the morning, you'll just drop everything in!

I just did it all in the morning, and it worked out just fine. I made this soup in the fall for my work's "Soup Cook-Off." I won! Clearly, it's a great soup!

Source: Real Mom Kitchen  

Ingredients:

1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes - I used the one with green chiles

1 - 10 oz. package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion - I used white
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper - I used red, although green would add some color

2 chicken breasts - frozen works well
1 - 10 oz. can enchilada sauce - I used hot

1 - 10.75 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk - I used skim

*Optional toppings

Directions:

In a large crock pot, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion and pepper. Place two chicken breasts on top. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and soup. Stir in the milk until smooth. Pour over chicken breasts and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours - or on high for 3-4.

About an hour before it's ready - use two forks and shred the chicken breasts. I just do this while they're inside the crock pot. It's easy - and I don't have to worry about making a mess when I remove them.

Serve in bowls and *top with a variety of selections: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados, you name it!

Mmm...Mexican Lasagna.

So I feel like I've been on this Mexican food kick these past few days. I made Taco Dip on Friday, cheesy quesadillas for the Super Bowl (I didn't blog it - it was rather simple & I just used ingredients that I had on-hand) and last night I made Mexican Lasagna. My husband had to walk home from campus last night, as the shuttle system was shut down because of this crazy blizzard we're experiencing. He couldn't find a taxi either, so he trekked it across Baltimore. I just admire him and his positivity. I would have sat down in the middle of the street, waiting for someone to get me. :)

Anyway...once he got home, he said he was craving some solid, hearty comfort food. Yay! It was a win for the wife - I had the Mexican Lasagna in the oven, and boy was he excited! This was extremely easy - I know I say that a lot - I should just stop because all the food I make is super easy - but really, this was! You can tailor it to your tastes...if you don't like green chiles, then just use diced tomatoes. If you don't like black olives, then don't add them. Get creative!

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking - Mexican Lasagna.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground turkey (or beef)

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup of salsa

2 tortillas - I used whole wheat

1/2 can refried beans

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 small can of sliced black olives

Shredded cheddar cheese - I actually used "Mexican Style"

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey (or beef) - add taco seasoning. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 2.5 quart baking dish, pour half the salsa on the bottom. Place 1 tortilla in the baking dish - mine didn't fit perfect, but close enough. You'll be having two layers, so you'll split the ingredients in half.

Spread half of the refried beans over the entire tortilla then add cheese, ground turkey, tomatoes, corn, black olives, then spread some salsa over the top. Add another tortilla and repeat. You can finish it with more cheese and black olives.

Bake covered (with lid or foil) for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. I served it with sour cream on top.

Taco Dip

I've been craving a creamy, cheesy dip for quite some time now. With the "storm of the century" about to hit the East Coast, I figured this was my time. Of course, I needed specific ingredients, so my only option was to head to the grocery store the day the blizzard was going to creep in on Baltimore. So there I was, with all of the crazies in the grocery store, fighting lines, being denied milk (I couldn't even buy soy milk - it was all out!). In the end, it was completely worth it...this dip was amazing! I had looked up various recipes, and there wasn't a clear winner in my eyes. I combined a few, and this is what I got: an absolute delicious...easy...tasty...creamy...perfect dip! I think I would make one minor change next time (and only because I LOVE spicy food): I'd add a small can of diced jalapenos to the cream cheese mixture.

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese - I used low fat

1/4 cup sour cream - again: lowfat

1 - 10 oz. can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 tablespoons taco seasoning (might equal one normal packet, but I had a HUGE packet)

1 - 2.25 can of sliced black olives

1/2 cup shredded cheese - Mexican blend

tortilla chips

Directions:

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature - I set it out for about an hour. Set oven to 350 degrees. 

Using a spatula, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, can of Rotel and taco seasoning in a medium dish. You should stir it until it is well-combined. Evenly spread the mixture into a pie plate. Drain the black olives and sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle cheese over black olives. Bake for 13-15 minutes. After removing it from the oven, allow it to set for about 5 minutes before digging in. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

I came across this picture while cleaning up some folders on my computer this morning. I completely forgot about this recipe! I'm not sure how that happened - it's really good. I made it in the summer, and we really enjoyed it. Thinking about it reminds me of warm weather...something I wish I was enjoying right now. Instead, I'm watching huge snowflakes cover the ground outside. I shouldn't complain, though - it's really pretty. Back to the recipe: it's yummy and healthy...a wonderful combination! I pulled this from the Cooking Light Complete Cookbook (huge thanks to my sister). This is a great variation of the normal "rolled" enchiladas - enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups salsa verde

cooking spray

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/4 crumbled feta cheese (feel free to be generous!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute' 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute' 1 minute. Combine onion mixture, chicken, salt & pepper.

3. Spread 1/4 cup salsa verde in an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 tortillas over the sauce; top evenly with half of chicken mixture and 1/2 cup salsa verde. Repeat layers ending with tortillas. Spread remaining salsa over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Cut each tortillas stack in half. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

*227 calories

*5.3 g. fat

*18.4 g. protein

*4.7 g. fiber