Meatless Burritos

Original Recipe: Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes

 

There wasn't anything spectacular about this meal: it was certainly perfectly "fine" and will surely be made again because I always have the ingredients on hand.  Everyone seemed to like it, although rolled tortillas stuffed with filling usually don't mix well with little kids.  Next time I'll probably serve it with Tostitos and let them dig in, scooping style.  Also, I think it needed a little more flavor, which is easily fixable with some garlic, smoked paprika, green chilis, cayenne, cumin (if you like that sort of thing, and I don't, so I avoid using it whenever possible), etc.

 

Ingredients

3 cans (15 oz each) black beans and/or red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained [I used petite cut]

1-1/2 cups salsa

1 cup corn [I used frozen]

1/2 large jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 8- or 10-inch flour tortillas

* Optional Toppings:

shredded lettuce

shredded Mexican cheese blend

sour cream

cooked rice

green onions, sliced

 

Directions

(1) In 3.5-, 4-, or 5.5-quart slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn, jalapeno, chili powder, and garlic.

(2) Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

(3) To serve, spoon bean mixture onto tortillas.  Top with desired toppings.  Roll.

 

Kid Participation:

* dump all ingredients into slow cooker

* activate slow cooker

* make a massacre of the meal and earn yourself a bath

Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole

Original Recipe: Weight Watchers (but tweaked)

This is an easy throw-together dish since I always have all the ingredients on hand. And if I don't, it's still forgiving and substitutions are easy.

The family all ate their servings of this dish (except *J*'s share of spinach). We just dug in with normal utensils, but this could also be served dip-style (scooped with chips) or perhaps even as filling for burritos or tacos.

Ingredients

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup salsa

1 teaspoon cumin [optional]

1 teaspoon garlic powder [optional]

2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened [optional]

1 (15 oz) can refried beans [I used vegetarian, fat-free]

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn [I used 16 oz Trader Joe's roasted corn], thawed

1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers

1 Tablespoon chili powder [or to taste]

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart or 9x13" baking dish.

(2) In medium bowl, combine rice, salsa, cumin, garlic powder, and cream cheese. Evenly spread half of mixture on bottom of baking dish.

(3) In another bowl, combine beans, corn, peppers, and chili powder. Evenly spread over rice in dish.

(4) Layer spinach over bean mixture.

(5) Sprinkle cheese over spinach.

(6) Evenly spread remaining rice mixture on top.

(7) Cover; bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Kid Participation:

* Combine various mixtures

* Spread mixtures (perhaps not so evenly)

* Sprinkle cheese

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Original Recipe HERE

I picked this as a last-minute addition to dinner because I needed a side dish.  It turned out to be tastier than the entree.  This was enthusiastically gobbled up by my husband, my 3-year old, and my 1-year old.  Since I was in a rush, I added the avocado along with everything else and didn't have time to refrigerate it for 30 minutes.  It still tasted great, and it was even better the next day after the dressing had had time to really permeate the vegetables.  See helpful information on how to cut an avocado without making a massacre of it here.

This is similar to my standard homemade salsa recipe: same ingredients as well as finely chopped mango and a few spoonfuls of store-bought pineapple or peach salsa, as well as some minced jalapeno and garlic if I want it spicy.

Ingredients

1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

9 oz frozen corn, thawed

1 tomato, chopped

1 small hass avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 scallion, chopped

3 Tbsps lime juice [or juice of one lime]

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp cilantro [optional]

salt and pepper

Directions

1) Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper in metal or ceramic bowl.

2) In separate bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, and sugar.

3) Add dressing to vegetables.  Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation: Just mixing everything together.

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

Original Recipe HERE

I love enchiladas because they're hard to screw up, can be frozen, make good leftovers, and can be adjusted to suit the tastes of those you're feeding.  They can also be healthy or a heart-attack-in-a-pan.  I tried to make these relatively healthy by using low fat chicken broth, light sour cream, low fat cheese, and whole wheat tortillas (because if you look at how bad just one regular tortilla is, it's astounding).  These were a little more labor-intensive than I'd expected, but they made enough for dinner for two, lunch for two, and lunch for one.  So I guess they actually saved me time in the long run.

Ingredients for Chicken and White Bean Filling

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup minced white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 can (15.5 oz) Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded [canned chicken can be substituted]

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

Ingredients for Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

2 cans (4.5 oz each) chopped green chiles

1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded & finely chopped

salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese

8 to 10 10" tortillas

chopped fresh cilantro and/or scallions [optional]

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375.

* For the Filling

2) In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

3) Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes.

4) Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Remove from heat.

* For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:

5) In a large nonstick pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

6) Add flour and stir well. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

30 Slowly whisk in chicken broth until sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

7) Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to taste. Cook 1 minute and remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

* To Assemble

8) Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.

9) Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the filling. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of tortillas.

10) Pour enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese.

11) Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes until enchiladas are hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Notes: Next time I'll try to make the filling and sauce ahead of time and refrigerate them so that I can just throw the enchiladas together and put them in the oven.  I'll also throw in some brown rice or quinoa (or a can of black beans) to make even more so I can try freezing a few.  And I'll also mix some salsa into either the filling or sauce just to see how it adjusts the taste.

Kid Participation:

* Pour beans and chiles into bowl

* Stir filling

* Spread sauce on bottom of pan

* Pour sauce over enchiladas

* Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas