Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole

August 20, 2013 by Mackenzie

Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole - amazingly delicious, full of "real foods" so it is healthy, and easy to prepare! Spencer and I are enroute to St. Louis! We are driving all the way there – 33 hours in the car with my bro 🙂 While he was driving today, I thought I would be productive with my passenger seat time and write up a recipe! Now that we’ve got wi-fi in the hotel – I can post it!

At the beginning of this trip, this Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole was divided into about 10 tupperwares in the cooler in the back of my car. Now there’s only about half left! It’s one of the super-easy, on the go meals that I made up before we left so that I could stick to my Clean Eating lifestyle and also have quick yummy meals on the road!

I’ve now made this dish twice in the last two weeks – it’s so good and very easy to take with you on the go because it is just as good cold as it is warm. Everything in it is “real” – nothing processed or genetically modified. I think you’ll love it!

Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole

Serves 10, fills one 9×13 dish
Recipe adapted from MJ and Hungryman

Ingredients:

2 organic, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into one inch pieces
1 cup organic frozen corn, thawed
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed (squeeze out as much water as possible)
1 (15 oz) can black beans
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup organic chicken broth
1 cup of your favorite salsa (I love the emerald valley brand at Whole Foods)
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Prepare chicken: heat coconut oil in a medium-sized skillet. Cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces (doesn’t matter how big because you will shred them later) and add to skillet. Cook, turning often, until cooked through. Allow to cool and when cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.

2. Cook quinoa: pour quinoa into a saucepan and add 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bring liquid to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and sauté onion until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, corn and frozen spinach and combine well. Add tomato paste, cumin and salt and pepper and mix. Then add the shredded chicken, quinoa and black beans. Mix well. (If this gets too big for your skillet, you can transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add everything in that).

4. In a medium saucepan (I just used the same one I had made the quinoa in), add the chicken broth and salsa. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add to chicken mixture and combine well.

5. Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Top with avocado and salsa.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

June 10, 2013 by Mackenzie

Although there are some amazing restaurants here in Jakarta, Mexican food is a rare find. I find this is quite tragic because I love Mexican food – ah, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Well, to solve this dilemma, we made enchiladas for dinner last Friday and boy, were they good! We combined several recipes to make these – an old enchilada sauce recipe that Tom had, a Rick Bayless enchilada recipe, Grandma Olga’s enchiladas and our own creative whims 😉 They turned out exactly how we wanted them and our Mexican cravings were satisfied.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Recipe adapted mostly from Rick Bayless
Makes one 9×13, serving 8-10

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
4 14oz cans tomatoes, drained
2 green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups vegetable stock

Directions:

In a small skillet, char 2 green chilies until black over medium heat. Place in a blender, whole, with the drained canned tomatoes and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large pot, add spices and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer and reduce for 30-40 minutes, until it reaches a soupy consistency. Then, add 1-2 cups vegetable stock and again, simmer for 30 minutes or so, until it reaches a pizza sauce consistency.

Black Beans

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight and cooked for 2 hours in water
Same spices as above

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium fry pan and add onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes until onions are softened. Add spices in same proportions as enchilada sauce. Add black beans and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 recipe for enchilada sauce, above
1 recipe for black beans, above
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
16 flour or corn tortillas, 8-inch, warmed in the microwave so they are more pliable
Mexican cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/4 of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish. Then mix in some of the enchilada sauce with the chicken.

2. Take one tortilla, spoon a couple tablespoons of sauce down the middle, then some black beans, some chicken and some cheese. Roll one side over the filling and tuck it under then roll it up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with all tortillas or as many as you can fit in the baking dish.

3. When all the enchiladas are prepared, spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and cover with cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Corn and Poblano Lasagna

December 27, 2012 by Mackenzie

Libby and I came across this recipe in the Food Network magazine and thought we would try it out for a potluck we were going to. Everyone loved it at the potluck so we made it again for ourselves the following week. Then, it’s so good that I had to make it for my family when I went home for Christmas. All that to say, it’s REALLY good!!!
It’s definitely not a traditional lasagna with sausage and tomato sauce… this has a corn cream sauce and is loaded with veggies so it is even on the healthier side!

Corn and Poblano Lasagna
Recipe from Food Network Magazine
Makes one 9×13 – serves 8-10

Ingredients
4 poblano chile peppers
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen corn kernels (thawed)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
12 (7-by-3-inch) no-boil lasagna sheets
2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese

Preheat the broiler. Halve the poblanos lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and broil until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside 5 minutes. Peel off the skin with your fingers, then cut the peppers into 1-inch strips.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute 1 minute. Mix in the corn and saute 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and thyme, reduce the heat to medium low and cook 5 minutes to let the flavors incorporate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining minced garlic clove and cook 1 minute. Mix in the zucchini and poblano strips and cook 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Spread about one-quarter of the corn mixture in the bottom of an 8-by-11-inch baking dish. Cover with 3 lasagna sheets. Layer one-quarter each of the poblano mixture and cheese over the pasta. Repeat the layering 3 more times. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake until the pasta is tender, about 50 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Remove the foil and broil until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Corn, Zucchini, Green Chilies and Lime Salad

July 25, 2012 by Mackenzie

A couple of weeks ago, Tom made his delicous chicken tacos (recipe to come at a future date!) and put me in charge of a side dish. I found this recipe via pinterest and it looked good so we went for it!

And boy was it a success! The flavors were a fantastic mix – sweet summer corn, citrus from the lime, and intensity from the garlic and cilantro… It definitely has a kick to it though so beware of how much of the jalapeno you put in 🙂

Corn, Zucchini, Green Chili and Lime Salad

Recipe adapted from gluten-free goddess recipes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 smallish zucchini squash, sliced into half moons

3 ears of fresh corn, kernels sliced off

3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded, diced

1/2 cup roasted mild green chile, chopped

4 oz. chopped jalapenos

4-5 cloves fresh peeled garlic, chopped

Sea salt, to taste

Lemon pepper, to taste

2-3 good pinches of ground cumin

A drizzle of raw agave sweetener

Juice from 1 fresh large lime (more juice or water, if needed)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges for serving

Directions:

Prepare all ingredients (chop, slice, etc). Do it now, because it all comes together fast and you need to be ready!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the squash for three to four minutes, until it starts to turn a bit golden. Add the corn, tomatoes, green chile, jalapenos, garlic, sea salt, lemon pepper, cumin, a drizzle of raw agave, and lime juice; stir to combine.
Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender-crisp. Add more liquid if needed. To serve, stir in the fresh cilantro. Top with lime wedges.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

June 6, 2012 by Mackenzie

These enchiladas were incredible. I’ve made a lot of different enchilada recipes over the years, but this one is my all-time favorite!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
(Recipe from Mexican Cooking Made Easy)

Chicken:
1 Rotisserie Chicken
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 cup light sour cream
1 Tbsp. chopped onions
1/2 cup “southwestern mix” shredded cheddar and jack cheese

Shred the chicken while it is still warm. Place into a bowl and set aside, discard unused parts of chicken. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, saute until soft. Add chili powder, ground cumin, salt and tomato sauce. Add chicken and mix well. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and add sour cream, onions, and cheese. Mix well and set aside.

Green Sauce:
2 lbs husked tomatillos – I just used canned. (I used one 1lb 12 oz can plus 3 more tomatillos from a smaller can)
4 green chilies – again I just used canned chilis, but whole chilies not the diced chilies.
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil

Cut out stem from each of the tomatillos and discard. Put the destemed tomatillos, chilies, onions, cilantro, salt, and oil in food processor and mix until smooth.

Assembly:

6 flour tortillas, 8 in.
1/2 cup “southwestern mix” shredded cheddar and jack cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm tortillas on skillet or wrap in foil and heat in oven until soft. Spread 1/2 cup green sauce on a 9×13 and warm remaining sauce in 10 inch skillet. Dip tortillas in warm sauce, remove immediately, and place in 9×13.

Spread 1/2 cup chicken filling down center of each tortilla. Wrap tortilla around filling and tuck, seam side down, in 9×13. Repeat with all six tortillas. Cover with remaining sauce and 1/2 cup cheese, top with olives. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with rice, beans, sour cream and salsa.

Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

May 17, 2012 by Mackenzie

We had some leftover chicken from our BBQ this past weekend and so I scrolled through my pinterest boards to find something new and fun to do with it. I got the okay from Spencer to make these (big deal! haha!) and they turned out great! A quick and easy meal!

Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

(Recipe from My Recipes)

Makes 4 burritos

1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.

2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

Mackenzie

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