Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

We had this for dinner last night. It is one of my favorites! Very good and very good for you!

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups salsa, divided (see note below)
3-4 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 tortillas, white or whole wheat
sour cream
guacamole
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes

Pour beans into large mixing bowl. Use the back of a fork or spoon to mash them a little. Next add chicken, 1 cup of the salsa, and the spices. I also add about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Mix well. Spread mixture on tortillas, roll up, and place seam side down in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese and salsa, cover with foil, and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes and more salsa! So yummy!

*I've tried this with so many kinds of salsa. Our *most favorite* is Baja Salsa, but it's made locally so I'm not sure how available it is outside of Colorado. I buy it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, so you might look for it there. My favorite salsa in a jar (on the mexican aisle) is Ortega. I've tried 'em all and this is the one we like best for this recipe. Oh, and I always make this with whole wheat tortillas, but the original recipe calls for white, so I'm sure that is just as yummy. All of the toppings are optional, but the guacamole really makes it exceptionally delicious. Enjoy!

Blueberry Scones

Will asked me a few days ago if we could make blueberry scones. I searched my cookbooks and found a recipe after John came home from a quick grocery run with some yummy blueberries. It was my first attempt and they were most delicious.

Blueberry Scones

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
1/2- 1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in 6 Tbsp butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add buttermilk (start with 1/2 cup and add more only if needed) and mix gently. Mix blueberries in very gently. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two balls. Flatten each ball out with hands into a 6-7 inch circle. Cut each circle into 4 pie wedges. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm and enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of many variations I have for this particular dish. This is the easiest though and my kids will actually eat it. It's a great dinner on a chilly night, like, say, a snowy Wednesday in MAY!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2-3 chicken cooked breasts, chopped (save broth)
1 or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can Veg-all, drained
1/2 small onion, diced (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. I've tried 'em all and Pillsbury is the best. They come in a 2-pk, but you only need one, so freeze the other for next time. Sometimes I make two; if I only make one, there are no leftovers.

While the chicken is cooking, I like to steam my chopped potatoes and onion for a few minutes in my steamer basket--I think it helps the potatoes cook and little faster and I think there's nothing worse than biting into an undercooked potato. Combine soup, Veg-all, chicken breasts, chopped potato, onion, and chicken broth in bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into 9x13 dish and dot with butter. Place pie crust over the chicken mixture and bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes. You may need to lightly cover the dish if the crust starts getting too brown.

Smoothies

YUM! We make these almost every morning at our house. If not for a breakfast drink, then for a mid-afternoon pick-me up. So yummy and so good for you.

Strawberry Pineapple Banana Smoothie

5-6 strawberries
1 banana, peeled
1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (I love Horizon or Dannon)
6 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. YUMMY! Makes about 2-3 cups.
If we have extra I'll pour it into popsicle molds and freeze for a cool treat later.

Orange Pineapple Smoothie

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
6 ice cubes

Blend together.

Sometimes I experiment with whatever fruit I have on hand. Blueberries and raspberries are yummy. Bananas go well with almost anything too. I always keep canned pineapple in my pantry and yogurt in my fridge so we can have 'em whenever the mood strikes. Enjoy!

Dallas Tacos

I made this for dinner tonight. It is an old favorite. My mom used to make it and she got the recipe from my grandmother. I don't know why it's called Dallas Tacos, but it's so good and easy that I don't really care. I think it's pretty healthy too. And I love how colorful it is. It's a great summer supper.

Dallas Tacos

2 lbs. lean ground beef
28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 can Ranch style beans
1-2 tsp salt

chopped tomatoes
shredded romaine lettuce
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
guacamole or chopped avacado
salsa
fritos

Brown ground beef. Drain well. Puree tomatoes in blender and add to meat. Add beans (don't drain) and salt to taste. Mix well and simmer for about an hour for best flavor. You can shorten this time, but flavor is best the longer you let it simmer.

Arrange fritos on plate. Top with meat mixture and toppings of your choice.

Greek Salad

I made this to take to our friends' house last night. It came from a friend in Arkansas (thanks, Leann) and it is our fave!

1 head romaine lettuce (washed, dried, and torn in pieces)
cherry tomatoes, halved
thinly sliced rings of red onion
crumbled feta cheese
kalamata olives
cucumber slices

I dont' know that I measure the above ingredients. We like tomatoes, olives, and feta, so we use lots. Only a few onions though and I can't stand cucumbers, so I omit them.

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Whisk together and pour over salad. Toss well and serve. It's best if you toss about 15 minutes prior to serving. Don't make and toss ahead of time. Your salad will seriously wilt if you do.

I want to start a Recipe Blog

I've had this idea for awhile now. I have a dozen or so tried and true recipes that are simply too good not to pass on. And, if I post them somewhere in the blogosphere, then they'll be permanently preserved in cyberspace, right??

So here goes. Enjoy!