Cinco De Mayo Recipe: Quick Sopapillas & Strawberry Salsa

These quick and tasty appetizers make a good snack and give your guests something special to munch on while waiting for your Cinco De Mayo feast. These faux sopapillas don't require any frying, so they're also healthier than the real thing. When paired with a fresh, fruity salsa, they add a perfectly unique spring flair to the proceedings!

Quick Sopapillas with Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients:

Sopapilla:
1 package tortillas
natural cooking spray (coconut oil works well & adds a tropical taste)
1 to 2 tsps cinnamon, to taste
1/3 cup sugar

Salsa:
1 carton organic strawberries, rinsed & trimmed
1 organic apple, peeled and cored
2 kiwi fruit, peeled
1/2 to 1 Tbsp sugar, to taste
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut tortillas into wedges and use the cooking spray or oil to lightly coat both sides of the tortillas. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a little bowl, then sprinkle the coated tortillas on both sides with the cinnamon sugar. Place tortilla wedges on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turning once, until crispy. Remove and let cool on a rack.
• Prepare salsa by putting the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse, creating a chunky salsa to your liking.
• Serve salsa in a little bowl with the sopapilla chips for dipping.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Fajita Dinner In A Pouch

This easy-peasy yummy dinner takes little prep time, so you can spend your time enjoying the great outdoors on a summer evening, instead of cooking away in the kitchen. Grilling food in foil packets makes it easy to cook a full meal at once, and clean up of course is a snap - you won't even get the grill dirty! Enjoy this tasty summer dinner for a picnic with friends, or just a lazy summer evening at home in the backyard.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Dinner In A Pouch
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4 teaspoons Mexican seasoning powder or chili powder
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, diced small
2 onions, diced small
tortillas for serving (optional)

Directions:

• Mix Mexican seasoning and lime juice together in a bowl, then add the chicken and bell peppers, and cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
• Make 4 pouches out of aluminum foil and spoon mixture (including the liquid) into the center of each pouch, dividing ingredients equally.
• Fold edges of pouches tightly and form envelopes, leaving a bit of room for hot air and expansion within the pouch.
• Put on grill set at medium-high and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the pouches several times to cook evenly.
• Serve on tortillas with toppings such as sour cream or guacamole, if desired.  This meal may also be served over a salad.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salsa Verde Burritos

From Asian to Mexican, grilling can bring many exotic flavors right to your own backyard. Today's recipe features spicy salsa verde and creamy avocado for a tasty and easy meal great for a quick lunch or dinner in a shady spot on a hot summer day!

Grilled Chicken Salsa Verde Burritos (Serves 4.)

Flour Tex-Mex tortillas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skin and bones removed
olive oil for grilling
salt and pepper
1 cup salsa verde
8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
1 avocado, sliced thin
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:

• Set your grill up for medium-high heat.
• Rub the chicken with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill, close cover, and cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Remove from grill and let rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes; then slice chicken into thin strips and place in large bowl.
• Add salsa verde to bowl with chicken and stir gently to combine; set aside
• Place tortillas on the grill just until grill marks appear, flip and do the same to the other side. Remove to working surface.
• Lay out tortillas and divide the chicken slices, avocado, and cheese evenly between all the tortillas and roll up into a burrito.
• Makes 8 small burritos.

Low Carb Recipe: Chicken Cheese Quesadillas

Here is another great example of how a classic, easy and tasty food can fit into your low carb diet - you won't feel like you're on a diet when you make simple and delicious recipes like this part of your regular meal plan! This will serve 4 as a full meal, or cut in half will serve 8  as a light snack or lunch. Feel free to add any other veggies you'd like, just making sure you cut them very small so they heat during the short cooking time. Fresh diced tomatoes are a great addition, and other tasty suggestions include green peppers, olives, or avocado - or come up with your own!

Easy Chicken Cheese Quesadillas
(Serves 4-8.)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients: 

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or Pepper Jack if you like the heat
8 small low-carb tortillas
8 oz cooked free-range chicken, shredded
2 roasted red bell peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Directions:

• Lay 4 tortillas out on work surface.
• Evenly divide the cheese and sprinkle 1/2 of each portion over the tortillas.
• Spread even amounts of the chicken, peppers (and/or other vegetables), and cilantro over the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese. 
• Set the remaining 4 tortillas over the filled tortillas, press gently to close.
• Spray a non-stick skillet with a little cooking oil.
• Put over medium heat, then set each quesadilla in skillet, cooking 2 minutes, or until browned slightly, then flip and cook another 2 minutes.
• Remove from skillet and continue with each quesadilla until finished.
• Cut each in half or in wedges and serve warm. May serve with a dollop of sour cream and stay within your low carb diet.

Recipe - Easy Summer Black Bean Burritos

I've been pretty much living on these for the past couple of weeks!  They're just so easy, delicious, fast, and really don't require any cooking - they are perfect for a quick summer lunch or even dinner. The only thing is - they're so simple I almost hesitate to use the word "recipe"!  :-)

But here it is - a quick, healthy, tasty, and minimal-effort weeknight dinner perfect for those summer evenings when you just don't feel like cooking. This can also be a fun one for the kids -  let them pick their own fillings, and help assemble them - it will give them a sense of ownership of their food, and encourage them to eat some veggies!

Easy Summer Black Bean Burritos: (Makes 4; May be adjusted as needed.) 

Ingredients (feel free to mix it up and add your own!):
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans - easy to cook ahead and refrigerate until needed - and feel free to substitute other types of beans!)
Several leaves fresh lettuce, rinsed and torn
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
4 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
1 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
3 TB slivered sweet or red onion (optional)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (optional; cheddar, monterey jack, or colby are all good choices, or even crumbled feta)
Salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat tortillas in toaster oven or dry skillet on low-medium heat until warm and flexible.
2. Heat beans in microwave about 30 seconds (or just leave them cold - they are good this way too).
3. Place tortillas on plates, divide beans evenly among them, spreading along the center. Add lettuce, other toppings as desired, and spoon salsa and sour cream over the top. Add a sprinkle of salt if desired.
4. Wrap tortillas around fillings and eat!

These have slivered sweet onions, & lettuce & cilantro from my garden.

Feel free to be creative with these!  I listed a few optional suggestions above. I have had them both with and without any of these optional ingredients - they are always good. Feel free to try different herbs, cheeses, and other condiments. Corn could also be a good addition, and maybe olives? If you want to get really crazy, sprinkle with a dash of cumin, chili powder, or another seasoning. Your options are really limited only by your imagination, and what you have on hand.

Make up your own version, and of course come back and let us know how it turns out!

Recipe - Quick Fix Enchilada Casserole (Meatless)

Here is another great vegetarian recipe I came up with last week. If you are really strict on the "from scratch" designation, you might gripe at me for this one, as I used a Image via Wikipedialot of canned stuff, since I was in a hurry. However, you can just as easily cook the beans yourself; beans are easy to soak and cook ahead of time, so you can just make them the day before and keep in the fridge until you need them. (Or use home-canned corn, tomatoes, etc.)

Start to finish, this recipe probably takes 10 minutes to put together, and 15-20 to bake, so it's a pretty darn quick and yummy weeknight dinner. The spiciness of the chipotle is countered by the sweetness of the corn, and everything comes together nicely. Feel free to substitute other types of beans, cheese, or chilies. (Pinto beans would probably be great as well.) The leftovers (if there are any) also make a filling and tasty lunch the next day.

Sorry - I ate some before I remembered to take a picture!

Quick & Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole (serves approx. 3-4)

Ingredients: 
1 (14-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups pre-soaked and cooked from scratch; this equates to a little more than 1 can, but that's okay!)
1 (14-oz) can whole-kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 (14-oz) can diced chili-seasoned tomatoes (or plain diced tomatoes - add garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder to taste)
1 small onion, diced
1 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced (+ 1 tsp sauce from can)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (substitute soy-cheese if you are vegan)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (substitute soy-cheese if you are vegan)
6 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in skillet until hot. Add onion and saute about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
2. Meanwhile, spread tortillas on a tray and bake in oven (or toaster oven) 3-5 minutes, until hot and flexible, but NOT crisp.
3. Add minced chipotle and sauce to onion and saute about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add drained beans and corn, stir, and cover. Cook just until heated through.
4. Butter a 9-inch baking dish and spread a couple of spoonfuls of the hot bean mixture over the bottom. Place 2 tortillas on top (it is okay if they overlap. If you are really particular and want to trim them to fit, you may do so, and place the scraps around the sides).
5. Spoon 1/3 of the tomatoes over the tortillas, and sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese, then olives (if using). Add half of the remaining bean mixture. Cover with 2 more tortillas.
6. Repeat one more time, ending with the last 2 tortillas, topped with the remaining tomatoes (be sure to spread all the way to the edges, and the rest of the cheese and olives.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. 
8. Serve hot, with a salad or steamed greens for a quick, healthy, and tasty meal.

(By the way, I didn't use olives, but later thought that would be a good addition.)