"Mexican" Lasagna

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2009

4.5 stars (out of 5 - simple and delicious!)

MB was coming for dinner, so I wanted to make something different from the other dishes I had made her and this old recipe popped into my mind. It ended up being the perfect thing to make, as it is a simple (non-finicky) recipe that I could cook while we chatted away!

Ingredients:

1.5-2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups green or red pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
7" white tortilla shells
1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Low fat sour cream
Optional: 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup chopped green onions

1. First, I added the onion, garlic, and red pepper to a large wok and cooked until they were softened (5-7 minutes).

2. I then added the tomatoes, salsa and cumin and brought the mixture to a boil and simmered (uncovered) for 10 minutes. After this time, I added the beans and heated them for a few minutes.

3. Once this mixture was cooked, I sprayed a 9x9 pan (although there is enough mixture for a 13x9" pan...my oven just isn't big enough!!) and started to layer. First, I added 1/3 of the bean mixture, covered with one layer of tortillas and 1/2 of the cheese. I then added another layer of the bean mixture, tortillas, bean mixture and top with the remainder of the cheese. I baked it for 35 minutes at 350F, and let cool for 10 minutes.

4. Here you can garnish with tomatoes and green onions, but I kept it simple and just served it with a dollop of sour cream.

Me and MB before dinner!

Overall, this recipe is simple, yet very different from a lot of other dishes I make. I had actually forgot how good it tastes! I will definitely have to remember to make this again in the future.

Taco Salad (w/ Veggie Ground Round)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 2009

2.5 stars (out of 5 - impressive looking, but difficulty eating it makes it very disappointing)

Ingredients:

2 (8") flour tortillas
1/3 pound of ground round (I used 1 pack Yves Veggie Ground Round)
1/3-1/2 cup water
4 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tsp chili powder*
1/4 tsp ground cumin*
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup salsa (optional)

{*Note. I used a taco seasoning mix that we had in the cupboard because SB doesn't really like the chili taste so much. I'm sure the chili powder/cumin is also good, though!}

Veggie prep:

1. First, I placed the tortillas in our oven and baked for 10 minutes at 350F (depending on how crispy you want them... I think medium crispy is good!).

2. While they were cooking, I placed a saucepan over medium-high heat and added some olive oil. I then added the veggie ground round, water (bit by bit) and taco seasoning, and let simmer for 10 minutes. {If you are using real meat, cook until browned, drain and pat dry with paper towel, and return to the skilled adding water, green onions, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes}

3. For each salad I... cut a tortilla into 8 equal size pieces and placed them on a plate...

4. ... then added half of the shredded iceberg lettuce...

5. ... topped it with 1/2 of the meat sauce...

6. ... and added half of the tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese.

7. Finally, I decided to add a little bit of sour cream, because I will take every opportunity to eat it with my meals!

Overall, I thought that these were just okay. I thought they looked VERY impressive, but in the end they were difficult to eat and to mix the different flavours. You would end up with one bite of lettuce, one bite of meat, one of tortilla.... I think you're better off making super-nice soft tacos with ground round.

Easy Fajita Night

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009

4 stars (out of 5 - perfect for a quick and easy meal)

Ahhh, another fall-back quick and easy favourite! I looove fajita night. We usually keep an "Ol' El Paso Soft Taco Kit" in the house- it's not the best bang for your buck, but it's so convenient to store. It includes soft tortillas, taco seasoning (which I prefer to fajita seasoning), and salsa. Today, we had planned ahead and bought everything separately.

1. SB sliced and cooked up his chicken breast (1st pic), while I did the same with my "Chick'n" breast (2nd pic).

2. While the chicken/chick'n cooked, we grated some cheddar cheese, opened the sour cream & salsa, chopped some onion & green pepper, and mixed the taco seasoning with 1/2 cup of water.

3. We both do ours differently: SB likes to throw everything together and then stick it in the oven for about 5 minutes at 400F, until it's all melted. It doesn't look very appealing, but I'm sure it tastes good!


4. I, on the other hand, like to add my chicken to the tortilla, add the veggies, then sour cream, then cheese. I don't like my cheese melted. Then I roll it up into a nice, neat bundle.

Overall, quick, simple, and tastes great!