Homemade Chili

 We have battled the flu and computer problems for the past month and now it's already time for the Super Bowl. How time flies when life gets busy! But I thought I'd share my go to chili. I have to admit that I've never followed a recipe when I make chili, so for all the years of my life I have just winged it. Considering that I turned 62 in December, that's a lot of years. So the past few times I finally began writing it down.We like a thick, meaty chili with beans, that is fragrantly spicy, but not fiery. Some hot cayenne pepper can always be added for more heat, or Ro-tel tomatoes can be used instead of plain tomatoes. I made the last batch of chili this week after my husband finally kicked the flu. He said it really hit the spot! Chili is a perfect Super Bowl food around these parts and is perfect for this cold weather that much of the country is enduring. Here's my recipe.

My Homemade Chili
From Lynda's Recipe Box
I add a little brown sugar to the chili because I think it really compliments the spices nicely.

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 large onion, diced
1/2 of a poblano pepper or bell pepper, diced
1-2 tablespoon oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 - 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans in sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
2/12 - 3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground chuck in 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Before the meat is completely browned add the onion, pepper and garlic. When meat is browned and the onion is softened, remove excess grease from the pot if needed. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, about 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir the spices into the meat mixture and let cook just for a minute. Lower the temperature if needed so the spices don't burn.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, drained black beans and chili beans with sauce. Add the water and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Place lid on the pot and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding water if needed.
Remove lid. If chili is too thick add extra water to get the consistency that you want. If too runny, cook the chili uncovered, until it thickens to the desired constancy. Stir often to keep the chili from sticking or burning. Taste chili and adjust the seasonings. May need more salt and pepper, and if you want it hotter add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Serve with several choices of toppings, such as onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, chips, etc. Enjoy!
Click here for more Super Bowl food ideas.

Skillet Tamale Pie

 If you've followed my blog for awhile, you know that I love skillet meals or other one pot meals. If I can throw everything into a skillet and have a meal, I am so very happy. And if said meal is delicious and my husband likes it, I'm ecstatic! And if this wonderful recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, "The Best Chicken Recipes", that I found last week while shopping at TJ Max for $8.00!!!, then I'm almost ready to do cartwheels. Almost. Good food and good bargains cause me to get excited.
This recipe calls for ground chicken, and I didn't have any, nor did I have ground turkey. But I had a pound of chicken breasts in the fridge, so I figured I'd make it work. I diced the chicken into small pieces. And the recipe said you could use a cornbread mix for the topping. I did as I was lazy in a hurry. I made some minor changes. I used Monterrey Jack cheese, instead of cheddar. I used a bit less garlic, and I added about 3/4 cup of frozen corn that was hanging out in the fridge. I'm adding this to my favorites list as it's easy to prepare, tastes great and it's a perfect week night meal.This is a mild tasting meal so if you like your Mexican style meals spicier, you'll need to add some more heat. We thought it was just spicy enough for the two of us. And the fresh cilantro is really a flavor booster, so try not to leave it out (unless you hate cilantro, that is). I hope you'll give this Skillet Tamale Pie a try. I think you'll love it.

Skillet Tamale Pie
slightly adapted from "The Best Chicken Recipes" form Cook's Illustrated
The recipe calls for ground chicken, but you can substitute ground turkey or lean ground beef.
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed - recipe calls for 3
1 pound ground chicken- I used breasts that I sliced thin and then diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup frozen corn -my addition
4 ounces, 1 cup, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese - recipe calls for cheddar
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 (6.5 ounce - 8.5 ounce) package of cornbread mix, made according to package directions - I used Betty Crocker. If you would rather use a homemade topping, I'll include the recipe below. 

1. Place your oven rack in the middle position in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook until half done at least and then add black beans and tomatoes to the pan. Stir until the meat is no longer pink.. Stir in the corn.
4. Mix corn bread batter to package directions.
5. To the skillet add the cheese and cilantro and mix until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dollop the cornbread batter over the the filling and spread into an even layer. Bake until the cornbread is baked through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tea. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk3 tablespoons melted butter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the melted butter. Spoon over the top of the Tamale Pie and bake as directed above. I have not tried this cornbread topping yet, but this is the topping that was included with Cooks recipe.

White Bean and Ham Soup

 Christmas is over for another year. It takes so long to get ready for Christmas, and then it's over so quickly. And the meals take hours of  preparation, and then we eat and you have a ton of leftovers. It's a good thing we like leftovers.But we'll do it all agin next year, and enjoy every minute of it.
 We always bake a bone-in ham for our Christmas dinner. No other kind will do, and that gives me a ham bone to use for cooking a pot of bean soup. I make sure to leave some meat on the bone so that the beans will have some meat in them too.

 I chop up some vegetables to add to the pot and let it all cook into a delicious and hearty soup. And of course there must be corn bread. I used Great Northern Beans for this soup, but you could also use navy, or cannellini beans. Sometimes I make Pinto Beans and Ham, which are also delicious. So leftover ham is a good problem to have. I always soak the beans in water overnight, or else I use a quick soak method, where you bring the beans to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat to let them soak for 1 hour. Then pour off the water. Add more water to the pot, then begin to cook. After wards you'll have a pot of delicious comfort food, White Bean and Ham Soup.

White Bean and Ham Soup

2 pounds dried white beans, I used Great Northerns
1 ham bone with meat
1 large onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried bay leaves
1 can of low sodium chicken broth, or about 2 cups chicken stock
about 6 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
fresh minced parsley- optional

1. Sort the beans and then soak the beans. I pour part of the beans on the counter and go through them to remove any dirt or small particles of rock that may have snuck in the bag. Repeat until all the beans have been sorted. Rinse the beans well under water. Place in a soup pot. Add water to cover. I gave the beans a quick soak by bringing the pot to a boil, then turning off the burner, cover and let them soak for 1 hour. Pour off the water. Place the beans back in the soup pot on the burner. Add the ham bone, the chicken broth and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.
2. While the beans are cooking, dice the onion, celery and carrots. Add to the pot with the bay leaves. Cook, covered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Beans will smash easily against the side of the pan when they are done.
3 Remove the ham bone from the beans and cool until cool enough to handle. Now, I like the bean soup to be a bit creamy with a thick broth, so I take a big spoon and smash some beans against the side of the pan  and stir them back in. I do this several times until the soup begins to look creamy. I guess you could use an immersion blender, but I haven't tried that.
4. After the ham bone has cooled enough, take the meat off the bone and discard any fat. Put the ham into the soup and season well with salt and pepper. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in this soup, but it will depend on how salty the ham is as to how much you have to add. Serve this soup with a huge chuck of corn bread and enjoy!

NOTE: Dried beans will take longer to cook in high altitudes. Also if the beans are older, they will also take longer to cook, so plan plenty of time when cooking dried beans.

Ham and Pinto Beans

Comfort food. That's what comes to mind when I think of my Mother's Ham and Pinto Beans. I guess I was a strange kid, but I loved Ham and Beans and everything else Mom made, even Liver and Onions (gasp). Mom almost always fried potatoes to go with the beans, along with some biscuits or corn bread. It was a feast to me!
I still love a meal like this, so for New Years my husband I had Ham and Beans, accompanied by the Cheese and Jalapeno Corn Bread of my last post. This was great meal and it's not hard to do.
If you have not cooked dried pinto beans before, you have to soak them in water overnight, or give them a quick soak the day of cooking. The beans cooked in less than 2 hours. However, if you live in a high altitude, it will take longer for dried beans to get done. My mother used a pressure cooker for beans when we lived in Colorado, as they cooked much quicker. I used 1 pound of dried Pinto Beans this time and that made 2 meals for my husband and I. When my kids were still all home, I cooked 2 pounds of beans.
I saved the ham bone from our Christmas dinner to use in our beans. It still had a good amount of meat on it, so that made for some really tasty beans. When cooking a ham bone with beans, I don't add salt until after the beans are done, because the ham bone will add some salt flavor as it cooks. So it's better to add salt after the beans are done. I remove the bone from the pot and separate the meat from the bone and add it back to the soup. Then I season it. Here's my method.
HAM and PINTO BEANS

1. You must go through the beans by hand first. To do this, pour a small amount of beans on your counter and go through them looking for any tiny pebbles, dirt or bad beans. Throw those away and scoop the good beans into a colander. Rinse beans with water. Pour beans into a soup pot, and pour water over them to cover a couple of inches. Place lid on pot and let soak overnight.

2. When ready to cook, drain off all the water from the beans. Place the ham bone in the soup pot. Pour the drained beans into the pot. Then refill the pan with enough water to cover the beans at least an inch. At this time, add a small chopped onion. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until beans are tender. Check the beans fairly often as they really can use up the water, so you may need to add more water during cooking. So make sure the pan does not get dry and cause the beans to burn. Burned beans do not taste good! (I learned this from experience too!) Beans are done when you can easily smash them with a fork, or taste them to check tenderness. In my altitude, the beans are done in less than 2 hours.

3. Carefully remove the ham bone from the soup. When cool enough to handle, remove the ham from the bone and take off any fat that may be still attached. Add the ham pieces back to the soup. I then taste them to see how much salt and pepper to add.

4. As you can see, this is a very basic method. If you like beans with a kick, add some seeded hot peppers while cooking. My Mother sometime added a dried Bay leaf to the pot. It just depends on what you like. My husband and I love to eat our Ham and Pinto Beans with a spoonful of spicy salsa added. Delicious! If you haven't cooked dried beans before, I hope you'll give these a try. They are not only tasty, but healthy as well. Enjoy!

NOTE: IF the beans are almost done and there happens to be more liquid than you want in the pot, just remove the lid and let the broth cook down some.

Tuscan Minestrone Soup

The first chill of Fall air blew in finally last week, which overjoyed me, so I made one of my favorite easy soups. This yummy soup is full of healthy veggies and it's very simple to throw together. It uses canned chicken broth and tomatoes, which is a wonderful time saver. After all the vegetables are chopped, the soup only takes about 20 minutes to cook. My husband and I love this stuff, although he prefers some chicken added to it. Either way, this body warming soup is delicious,especially with some crusty bread. This recipe is based on one by Bob Greene, author of The Best Life Diet. Give it a try for a quick, delicious and healthy bowl of soup.

TUSCAN MINESTRONE SOUP
adapted from the book The Best Life Diet

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small-medium zucchini, diced

1 small-medium yellow summer squash, diced

1 large carrot, finely diced-about 3/4 cup

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups canned, low sodium, low fat chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes-I used canned fire-roasted tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans- I have a hard time finding these in my town, so I sub with Great Northern Beans when I have to.

1/2 cup pasta, elbow or small shells

fresh thyme sprigs, if available

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, or use fresh herbs that you have available

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, zucchini, and yellow squash to the pan and cook, stirring until the veggies begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes into the pan, and bring to a boil. Add the beans, pasta and thyme and simmer until the pasta is done, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh basil. Top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! Makes about 6 servings.

NOTE: I use whatever herbs I have available, oregano, basil and thyme. My thyme plant died in the heat this summer, so I used 1/2 teaspoon dried in this recipe. I also used 1 tablespoon fresh oregano in place of the teaspoon of dried herbs. Also, sometimes I have to use more chicken broth, depending on the size of squash used. Original recipe calls for medium sized squash.

Red Beans and Rice

A few weeks ago I had a craving for Red Beans and Rice, which is odd considering that I had not made it before, except from a box many years back. So I looked for a recipe on Mary's blog where she has all things southern and Cajun. I was not disappointed as it is so good! I've made Red Beans and Rice twice now, and it has been deliciously spicy and full of flavor. I found that I can handle more pepper than I thought I could. I used a ham bone that I had left over from Christmas, stored in the freezer. This gave a wonderful, smokey flavor to this dish, more so than just using ham pieces. Ham hocks would be a good choice to use also. Here's how I made it;

RED BEANS and RICE

adapted from Deep South Dish

1 ham bone with ham cut off in pieces, or some diced ham, or ham hocks

1 package (14 ounces) Hillshire Farms Beef Sausage

1 pound dried small red beans (store brands were all that I could find)

2 tablespoon oil, or bacon grease

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large stalk celery, diced

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon, or more of cayenne pepper

fresh ground pepper to taste

salt if needed (you'll get lots of salt from the meat)

2 quarts, or more water

cooked rice

1. Sort through the beans and remove any dirt or debris. Place in a soup pot and rinse with water. Drain. Add fresh water to the pot and bring the beans to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let set for 1 hour. Drain well.

2. In the soup pot, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium high heat. Add the diced onions, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Stir and cook until softened. Add the sausage and ham, if using and stir and brown lightly. Stir in the garlic, basil, thyme, cayenne and black pepper. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the drained beans and the water to the pot with the vegetable meat mixture. Add in the ham bone and simmer until done, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until beans are tender. I added the cooked ham the last 30 minutes of cooking. Taste, and add salt if needed. When I used the ham bone and smoked sausage, I did not need any additional salt. Serve over hot cooked rice and a pan of hot, crusty cornbread fresh from the oven. Enjoy!

NOTE: You need to make sure beans do not get too dry while cooking. Add more water if necessary.

The first time I made this, I used less water, but my family wanted more broth, so, this time I have more broth to make them happy.

Bean and Bacon Soup

We have had such a cool Fall here. By that I mean it is cooler than normal for this time of year, plus it has been cloudy and downright dreary. And that type of weather calls for some body and soul warming soup! I wanted to try something new, so I turned to all the recipes I have bookmarked from all the wonderful blogs I read! Let me tell you, there are so many marvelous cooks in blog land and so many mouthwatering recipes to try, that I'll never get through all the dishes I want to make. But, I'm starting now, with this recipe for Bean and Bacon Soup, from Pam at "For the Love of Cooking". Pam has an amazing blog with some wonderful recipes, and this soup really hit the spot on a cold autumn day. I hope that you will try it.

Bean and Bacon Soup- slightly adapted from Pam at "The Love of Cooking"

6 strips of bacon

3 large carrots, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf, ( I forgot this!)

4 cans of white beans, drained (I used Great Northern beans)

4 cups chicken broth

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

In a dutch oven fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels and when cool, crumble.

In the dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion, celery and carrots to the bacon drippings and saute for about 7 minutes. . Then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 3 cans of drained beans along with the chicken broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Uncover, and remove bay leaf. Use a potato masher to partly mash the bean mixture until it slightly thickens. Stir in the last can of beans, parsley and crumbled bacon. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy this hearty and delicious soup! I served it with cornbread for a very satisfying lunch. I will be making this again and again as my husband loved it.

I did add an extra can of broth and a couple extra slices of bacon, just to make a bit more so there would be more leftovers. This Bean and Bacon Soup is so easy to prepare, that it would be perfect even for a weeknight meal. Give it a try and visit Pam's blog for more of her great recipes!

White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Hope everyone has had a great Labor Day weekend! I haven't posted in a week because life got in the way, but I'm back with a new recipe that I tried a few days ago. I had some really huge, beautiful red bell peppers, so I decided I wanted to make dip. I love the red pepper dip made with sour cream and cream cheese, but I wanted to find a healthier dip this time. I remembered seeing a different recipe at Smitten Kitchen awhile back. I was intrigued, as it is made with white cannelini beans and jarred roasted peppers. I had some peppers to use, so I roasted them under the broiler. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first, but after it's refrigerated and the flavors develop, this white bean roasted pepper dip is really delicious! Very different, but so tasty with pita chips or good crackers. I had to take pictures quick before my husband devoured it! My kids were not as enthusiastic about it and said it was just ok. Can't win them all!

White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip ( adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
2 large red bell peppers, roasted
1 can of cannelini beans, drained (white kidney beans)
1 clove garlic,minced or pressed
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 ounces of goat cheese
To roast the peppers: Cut peppers in half; remove membranes and seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay pepper halves on pan and flatten with you hand. I have an electric oven, so I put them under the broiler with the oven door ajar and roasted the peppers until black. Remove from oven and place peppers in a bowl and cover immediately with plastic wrap. As the peppers cool, they will sweat and you can easily peel off the skin, when ready. Coarsely chop peppers. In a blender add the drained beans, chopped red peppers, garlic, lemon juice and goat cheese. Blend well. Pour into a container and refrigerate a few hours so the flavors will marry. This dip is not as thick as one made with cream cheese, but it is very tasty. I hope you enjoy it!

Lynda's Baked Beans

I've noticed that some foods are hard to photograph, especially brown foods, and these baked beans are no exception! But, they are delicious Baked Beans and I've been making them forever, it seems. I didn't have a written recipe for them until our oldest son got married a few years ago and I suddenly needed a recipe for them to follow and all I could do was say, "taste as you go"! So, I finally got it all written out, so that I can pass it on to all our children! These are sweet, smoky and a little spicy, and a great addition to any summer barbecue.

Favorite Baked Beans

4 cans pork and beans (15 ounce cans)

4-6 slices of bacon

1/2 an onion, diced

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. molasses

3/4 cup Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Cut the bacon in half and brown in a skillet until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate to cool. Drain all but 1 Tbs. bacon grease from the skillet. Into the skillet add the diced onion and cook until the onion is soft and transparent. Remove skillet from heat.

In a large bowl, add the 4 cans of pork and beans, the cooked onion, the bacon that has been crumbled, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and pour into a 9x13 inch baking pan and place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for one hour. Serve warm or cold, they're delicious either way! If you like more spice, or less spice just adjust the black pepper and cayenne. If you prefer not to use bacon, but still want a distinctive smoke flavor, just add 1/2-1 tsp. of smoke flavoring to the beans while stirring up. Enjoy!

Do you like baked beans and if so, do you like them piping hot from the oven, cooled to room temperature, or somewhere in between?

Build Your Own Taco Salad

I've made Taco Salad for years and it has gradually evolved into a build your own salad. I used to mix the whole thing into a large bowl, but when you have a couple of extra picky kids, I couldn't always make it the way I liked if I wanted them to eat! I'm sure some of you have been there! Our daughter, the youngest will eat most things, but her older brothers were so picky growing up. One of them still is! So, the "build your own" idea works well for us. I cook the meat and add seasonings, and chop all veggies and put in separate bowls. My husband and I like ours pretty much the same, except, he won't eat avocado or black olives, so you see my dilemma. I buy the avocado just for ME! I have to eat the whole thing, hehe! Here's how I make Taco Salad;Build Your Own Taco Salad
1 pound lean ground beef- chuck or sirloin
1/2 finely diced onion, optional
Brown the beef and onion in a skillet until done. And I do brown the meat and don't turn it until it has a brown color; I don't like grey meat that isn't allowed to brown! Drain all fat from the skillet. At this point I add spices, or if you prefer, you can use a ready made taco seasoning.
I use 2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp.garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder, (only if I don't use the fresh onion)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Stir these into the drained meat and taste the meat to see if it needs more seasoning. Tasting your food as you prepare it is important! And like I said, use a prepared taco seasoning if you wish-I won't judge! :)
As for the rest of the salad, the amounts depend on the size of your family. Here's what I use.
1 head of iceberg lettuce, or a combination of iceberg and romaine, finely chopped
1/2 a red onion or a bunch green onions, finely diced
3 or 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
black beans, drained and rinsed
fresh or frozen corn, thawed
sour cream
salsa, purchased or homemade
cilantro, if desired
shredded cheese
tortilla chips, I try to buy low salt chips
We start with the chips on the plate first, next the meat, lettuce and tomato, and then whatever ingredients you desire, ending with cheese, sour cream and salsa! Enjoy!
What do you like on your taco salad?

Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Burritos, and a Baby!

I bet I got your attention! No, it's not me who is having a baby, it's my lovely daughter-in-law and we are counting down the days! I realized that I haven't mentioned this wonderful fact yet on my blog, but time is running out and I'm getting soooo excited that I just can't contain myself!This is our first grandchild and I am getting nervous and excited and a little crazy with the idea that she only has 18 days till her due date! Time is fast slipping by and I need to cook and get some make ahead meals in the freezer for them, so I've been racking by brain and scanning all of your wonderful blogs for either freezer friendly food, or things that will be quick for her to make. My DIL will have to go back to work, but she will have about 10 weeks off, so that will be a great help. If you have any advice or freezer friendly food ideas, please let me know in the comments. PLEASE! Whew, I got that out of the way, but seriously, it's getting hard for me to concentrate. But, I do have a recipe for you, a very easy and delicious recipe! It is great for lunch or an easy dinner! These Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Burritos are very versatile, so that you can change around the ingredients according to what you have on hand, or your personal likes.

First, you will saute onion, poblano chili, fresh corn and garlic in a little oil until soft; then add in some diced chicken to brown, or you may use some leftover cooked chicken. When veggies are soft and chicken is done, add some chili powder and cumin to skillet along with a can of drained

black beans. Stir ingredients around until beans are heated through and spices are fragrant. It smells so good! Add some salt and pepper, and you can either add 1/2 cup of salsa to the skillet, or let everyone add their own salsa at the table. On a large 9-10 inch burrito size tortilla, (that have been softened in oven or microwave), place about 1/4 of this mixture. Top this with cheese, sour cream (yes!), salsa, and cilantro. Fold in sides of tortilla over filling and then roll up, enclosing the filling. Oh, are these ever good! Cut in half, if desired; this is enough for 4 large burritos!

CHICKEN, BLACK BEAN and CORN BURRITOS

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 a large onion, diced

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 large, boneless, skinless chicken breast half, diced( or you may use leftover cooked chicken)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ear of corn with the kernels cut off, about 1 cup,( or use 1 c. of frozen corn)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

4 burrito sized flour tortillas (large)

1/2 cup, or more of salsa

sour cream

shredded cheese

chopped cilantro, if desired

shredded lettuce, if desired

In a large skillet in 1 tbs. oil, saute the onion, corn and poblano pepper for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften, then add the garlic and uncooked chicken and saute til chicken is done. If using precooked chicken, just add it with the drained black beans, chili powder, cumin and heat through. At this point, you may add the salsa to the skillet, if desired, or you may serve the salsa on the side. I've done it both ways and either way works great. Adding the salsa to the skillet just makes the filling more moist. But if you have someone that doesn't like salsa, you may leave it for the table. Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave. On a burrito, place about 1/4 of the mixture in the center. Add toppings of choice, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, more salsa, cilantro, etc. Fold in each side of tortilla over the filling. Then roll up to enclose all the filling. Cut in half, if desired. These are so flavorful, but not too spicy. If you prefer more heat, use hot peppers in the filling or a hot salsa. These burritos are delicious served with chips and my Guacamole dip, or my Tex-Mex Rice! Enjoy!

I so enjoy your comments! I appreciate all of you who read my blog regularly and all of you just stopping by every so often. Hope you're having a great week!

Corn, Black Bean and Tomato Salsa

New photo added 5-26-2012. A few years ago a friend brought a version of this salsa to a picnic we both attended and it was an instant hit, with absolutely none left over. I've changed it a little, of course, and for one thing I added the tomatoes. When you can get in season fresh tomatoes this salsa can't be topped! It is so fresh and vibrant and popping with flavor and color! I can't wait for the tomatoes in my garden to grow so I can make lots of this tangy salsa. I do use canned black beans, drained and rinsed really well, but you could certainly cook your own if desired. Fresh corn is the best also, but canned does work and so does left over grilled corn. In fact, the grilled or roasted corn is really yummy in this dish. Top it off with fresh peppers and onions and some lime juice and you've got an instant hit at any gathering. Let's make some now.

CORN, BLACK BEAN and TOMATO SALSA

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well, or about 2 cups of home cooked beans

1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen, grilled, or canned corn(drained)
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch green onions (scallions) sliced, or some diced red onion, or vidallia onion

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced, or other pepper of choice

1/2 bell pepper, if desired, diced

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 diced avocado, diced, optional

1 small can sliced, black olives, optional

about 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1Tbs. canola or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup diced cilantro, if desired

Dice up vegetables and combine in a large bowl. Add minced garlic, lime juice and oil and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. You can make this salsa as hot or mild as you like. Serve with lots of tortilla chips! I normally don't add the avocado because my husband doesn't really like it, but he's not home now, so I'll eat it before he gets here! hehe

Actually, the avocado doesn't keep well if you have any left over the next day, but you can always pick it out. This is a taste of summer on a chip, but I couldn't wait for summer to get here to make it and share it with you. Enjoy! What's your favorite summer salsa?

Quesadillas

I love Mexican food, but I really didn't get to try it until I was in high school, as it wasn't something that my Mother cooked. I have made some at home and am trying to add to my Mexican recipe collection! I have fixed Quesadillas before, but I used chicken or steak, and this time I was looking for something quick and easy that could be used as an appetizer for get togethers, (like Superbowl parties). So, I turned to Epicurious for a recipe. These are really tasty and so easy to make. The only problem was that the salsa I used was not chunky enough and it squished out when I cut the quesadilla. And, I really like more cheese in them, so next time I must remember that. However, they tasted great! I had one for lunch!

Quesadillas ( from Epicurious)

1/4 lb pepper Jack cheese, shredded(1 3/4 c.) - I used plain Montery Jack

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tea. ground cumin

8 (7-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup chunky salsa

Stir together cheese, beans, cilantro and cumin.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, but not smoking, then add a tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese mixture, spreading evenly, then top with 2 T. salsa. Cover with a tortilla. Cook until underside is golden, 1-2 min.,then carefully flip over for another 1-2 min. Repeat with other tortillas. Cut in wedges to serve. I actually find it easier to use 1 tortilla, spreading mixture on half , and then folding it in half and cooking. Then cut it in half to serve. Either way they are delicious!

Chili Tortilla Bake

One summer day last year, I was strolling down the aisle at my local grocery store, when I spied a little display rack near the spice section holding recipes. I can't pass up recipes, so without looking too closely at them I put them in my purse and continued my shopping( they were free, by the way). When I arrived home, I looked more closely at these recipes and decided that Chili Tortilla Bake sounded good and also it would be really easy. So when the weather turned cool, I tried this casserole dish. If you like Tex-Mex style food, you'll like this dish as it has the right amount of spiciness and cheese and it is easy to to adapt to your own tastes. I have made many casseroles for my family and this is one of the easiest. You simply brown the ground beef and add the other ingredients and then layer it with cheese and tortillas, sort of like a lasagna. The recipe is put out by McCormick and this is my slightly adapted version.

Chili Tortilla Bake
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cans(8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (or canned)
1/4 cup water
1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained
2 T. chili powder
1 tea. ground cumin
1 large clove garlic, minced (or 1 tea. garlic powder)
1/2 tea. oregano
6 (8 in. flour tortillas)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet brown beef and onion over medium high heat: drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies. Stir in water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 min. In a 9x13 baking dish, coated with cooking spray, place 3 tortillas to cover bottom. Layer with half of chili mixture and half of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, chili and cheese. Bake 25-30 min. I used more cheese on top than the recipe called for. Also, don't over bake as the cheese gets too rubbery. Garnish with green onions, black olives or cilantro. Do you make casseroles for your family?