Chicken Burrito Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

We've been eating tons of salads at our house lately, and this was a super easy variation. I would suggest cooking up a large batch of beans and freezing them in smaller containers or just draining and rinsing canned beans. We have one cheese hater in the family so we keep that on the side.

Chicken Burrito Salad

500g chicken breast

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked rajma beans

1 can corn, drained (or ~2 cups from frozen)

lettuce, roughly chopped

3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped

Grated cheese, optional

Cut chicken breasts in half (parallel to cutting board) to create thin cutlets. These will cook faster. Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper or whatever seasoning you like. Grill or saute chicken and set aside.

Layer salad bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and beans. Add cheese if desired. Cut cooked chicken into smaller pieces and lay over the top of the salad.

Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing from Fifteen Spatulas

1 large bunch fresh cilantro/coriander, cleaned

1/2 cup plain yogurt, thick (like ND's brand)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 chili, seeds removed, optional (I did not use this)

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the tastes with a little more salt or honey as desired to balance the tanginess.

Tortillas - Seriously!

This one is not a recipe that I have adapted. It is literally PERFECT as written. I have never had the time of day for tortilla making because I never like the results. It always feels like, "Well, that's a chunk of time I'll never get back." No more with this recipe. If you follow it exactly, you won't be disappointed. We've been in lockdown so I decided to give them another go. These were soft and didn't break open when you filled them. I kept the cooled tortillas in a bag in the fridge for several days, and they were still so soft.

Pro Tip: If you have a child who is an expert with playdough, get that kid to help you roll these out. Seriously! My 11-year-old is a champion tortilla roller thanks to all her days on playdough. If you're not doing this yet, get your kids in training.

In closing, here's the recipe, and from everyone who has ever been a tortilla failure, thank you for redeeming us, Cafe Sucre Farine!! Also, yes, I get that olive oil is not "traditional," but I have nothing to complain about with this awesome recipe.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is perfect to kick of the autumn soup weather. The flavors are light and bright, but the soup is filling. It's an adaptation of this one from Danny Boome at Food Network. You could use fresh tomatoes and beans that you cooked in the pressure cooker, but for me, this should be about a quick weeknight meal with minimal prep.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 Tbs oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs garlic, minced
1-2 green chilies, seeds removed, diced (optional)
6 cups water
2-3 chicken cubes (start with 2 and adjust)
1 can tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 chicken breasts
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
One large roti, grilled and cut into thin strips, or tortilla chips

Add-ons:
Grated cheese
Lime wedges
Avocado slices

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and chili and fry for about a minute. Pour the water, tomatoes, chicken cubes, and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower heat to simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook on low heat 20-25 minutes.* Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the soup, shred it, and then add it back to the soup. Add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips.

*To really speed this up, I poached chicken the night before and had it ready to shred. This dropped the "day of" cook time by at least 10 minutes.

GF Note: This recipe can be gluten free if you choose canned tomatoes with no additives, GF corn chips (Cornitos brand are marked as GF), and GF stock cubes.

Chicken Enchiladas

I scoured the internet to find a recipe for enchiladas that was really workable here, and I adapted this one from Southern Living.  Admittedly, it is not the cheapest meal if you use the shortcuts that I employ, but it does take it back to the realm of weeknight dinners if you do use those. I cook some chicken ahead of time so that step is eliminated, and I buy locally made tortillas. This is a very American take on enchiladas so look elsewhere if you're aiming for truly authentic.

3 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or other meat already cooked)
1 Tbs chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
1-2 batches enchilada sauce
2 cups cheese
8 large flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 230 C. Stir together the first four ingredients, 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, and 1 cup cheese. For extra flavor, add in some browned onions and garlic. Into each tortilla, spoon up to 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center. Roll and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Pour any remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

Basic Enchilada Sauce

This recipe goes with the Chicken Enchilada post. Since we can't easily find canned enchilada sauce here, this is a quick shortcut recipe. I found this recipe here at Dinner Then Dessert. It gets the job done and is flexible as far as how spicy your family likes their food.

Basic Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbs flour
3 Tbs American style chili powder (recipe here)
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup water
1/2 chicken cube
2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder (or finely minced onion)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the flour and chili powder. Cook until the color begins to brown slightly while you keep stirring. Add all the other ingredients to the saucepan and stir until they are fully combined. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and has lost its "raw" tomato color.

Black Bean Taquitos

Over the summer, I was trying to think of ways to change up our traditional southwestern style dishes that we eat at home. Tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, and even bean tostadas are classics in our house, but still I want more variety! I remembered seeing taquitos in America, which are basically just a crispy rolled up tacos, and thought they might actually be easier my small kids to eat. Filling and delicious, these are a great weeknight meal, especially if you've cooked some black beans in advance. Serve them with fresh salsa and sour cream for dipping. If you flash freeze these on a cookie sheet for a couple hours, then bag them, they also work great for lunches! No need to thaw in advance.

Pardon their slight burned color! Priorities, people...

Black Bean Taquitos
1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cheese, grated
6-8 tortillas or thin rotis

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle in taco seasoning and salt, stirring about 30 seconds. Add in the black beans with 1/4 cup of water and cook over low heat about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in cilantro in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat. Into each tortilla, spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Carefully roll each filled tortilla to look something like the photo and place seam side down in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 225C/425F. Prior to baking, brush each rolled taquito with some oil. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops of taquitos begin to turn golden.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is one of my go-to favorite salads when the mercury rises. It's less of a recipe and more of an "add a little of this and a little of that" kind of thing. Make it as spicy as you'd like, use whatever beans you like, and if you have access to some good avocado, please add it for me! Serve it as a salad or a Texas Caviar-type dish with tortilla chips. It's also delicious on top of Spanish Beans and Rice. When you want to keep your salad cold, use frozen corn kernels or beans. They will thaw in about 20 minutes, and you'll have a nicely chilled salad.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 cups black beans, cooked, rinsed, and drained
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 cups frozen or 1 can sweet corn, drained
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 fresh chilies, seeded and chopped finely
1 large handful fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, starting with the smaller amount when a range is suggested and adjusting to your liking. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

Note: For perfect pressure cooked black beans (in 1st gen. pressure cooker), start with the quick soak method (boil 2 minutes, switch off, and cover for 3-4 hours). I don't have the forethought to do overnight soaking. Rinse and cover beans with water again in the pressure cooker. Clamp down the lid of the pressure cooker and bring to pressure (first whistle), then turn to low and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off and allow pressure to release naturally.

Spanish Beans and Rice

While I was searching for some new meatless meal inspiration for observing Lent, I came across this website which you should totally check out if you live where packaged goods are harder to come by. Most of the recipes use things we have readily available to us here, and they're vegetarian if you're trying to watch your budget or health. Now I cannot claim any authentic "Spanish"ness about this rice, but where I come from tomatoey rice dishes are usually called Spanish Rice. The original recipe from My Plant-Based Family had a couple things we don't have readily available so I just subbed in what we do have plus a little extra flavor. I love how you could play with this dish. We had ours as a stuffing in whole wheat roti with cheese, salsa, and sour cream on top. Delicious and something I can feel good about!

Spanish Beans and Rice
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon oil
1 cup brown rice
3 cups warm water + 1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon American chili powder
2 cups cooked beans (kidney, black, etc.)

I cooked mine in a Miracle Oven to make it a true one pot dish. Heat the oil in a pan (or bottom of Miracle Oven) oven medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until lightly golden. Add in the rice, allowing the oil to coat the grains. Add in all the remaining ingredients. It's a squeeze in the Miracle Oven, but it does fit. Keep the heat high until the sauce begins to bubble. Drop the heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is soft and sauce has absorbed into the rice. Whether in the Miracle Oven or in a 175C/350F preheated oven, it should take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Note: If you need a short cut, you can drop the liquid in the recipe to 2 1/2 cups water and cook the rice (no beans) with seasonings on the stove top on low for about 45 minutes (according to the original recipe). At the end of cooking, you add in the beans and heat through.

Green Enchiladas

As you probably know, I'm pretty crazy about leafy greens. For several years, I have owned this fabulous cookbook called Simply in Season, which in my opinion is a must have for people living where food is very seasonal. I like just about anything I cook from that book, but I've always been a bit nervous to try to the Chard or Kale Enchiladas in the book, just sounded a little too veggie! I finally gave them a go last night, and they were pretty delicious, especially if you're looking for more vegetarian oven meals. My husband ate the leftovers for breakfast so that was a good sign! I've added a few of my own twists to make it easier to make here, but it's very similar to the Spinach Lasagna I posted earlier this year with a Mexican twist.

Super high class on paper plates, eh?

Green Enchiladas
2 tsp oil
2 onions, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb or 500g leafy greens (2-3 large bunches), chopped with stems separate
1 tsp cumin powder
Pepper, to taste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups paneer (or 1 500g block)
1 can tomato puree or sauce
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
10 tortillas or thin rotis
1 cup cheese, grated

In oil, saute onions, garlic, and the chopped stems of the greens until onions begin to turn translucent. Add the leaves of the greens, cumin powder, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium low heat until the greens are wilted. You may need to add a few spoons of water to keep them from scorching. Remove from heat and set aside. Crumble paneer into the greens mixture and taste for seasoning, making sure the filling is salted to your liking. Combine the tomato puree, taco seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a container and pour about half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with some of the paneer/greens mixture, roll, and tuck ends under, placing seam side down in the baking dish. The tortillas need to be a little warm to be flexible enough to do this. Pour remaining tomato puree over the top, cover with foil, and bake in a 350F/180C oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

We ate ours without anything else, but they would probably taste great with a little sour cream on top!

Simple Weeknight Dinner: Bean Tostadas

Tacos are a regular feature in our house due the usual abundance of seasoning packets we have on hand. Here lately, however, we never seem to finish our taco leftovers so I started looking for another summery take on Mexican food. These simple bean tostadas are really easy to make, especially if you have someone who can get you ahead of schedule by making tortillas or rotis (non-baking powder version) and salsa. If you've never made salsa, the easiest ones involve simply chopping a few tomatoes, an onion, some garlic, fresh cilantro, and a chili, then seasoning with salt and lime juice. If it weren't for all the chopping, my kids could make it! If you're making tortillas, do a double batch and then freeze the cooled ones in plastic bags so they'll be perfect for quick tostadas.

Bean Tostadas
Rotis or tortillas (1-2 per person)
Fresh salsa
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Shredded lettuce or cucumber
1 can refried beans
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
Bacon drippings (optional)
Oil

Pop the box of cream into the freezer about 30 minutes before dinner. Then prepare according to this post about 5 minutes before serving. Prepare all your grated ingredients and keep in small bowls. Heat the refried beans with 1/4 cup water, cumin powder, and bacon drippings (if desired). Stir until you have a smooth spreadable consistency. Meanwhile, heat about 1/4" of oil in the bottom of a frying pan. Once it's hot but not smoking, add rotis one at a time. Initially, you need to press down the middle a little to keep it from puffing and to promote even frying. After about 30 seconds, flip the roti and allow the other side to turn golden, too. Drain over paper towels, allowing the tortilla to drip over the pan for a few seconds before transferring to the draining towel. You can also sprinkle with a little salt if you'd like. To build the tostadas place a fried roti on the plate, top with the bean mixture, then grated cheese, and any other toppings you would like. It's a bit messy, but soo delicious to eat!

We only had a couple spoonfuls of beans left afterward so I'd say this one was a winner, especially for the kids who were thrilled to eat a giant tortilla chip!