Quesadilla Casserole

This is the last of my new recipe updates! Hooray!!! That means I'm caught up, since this was our dinner for last night.

I had to adapt the quantities of this recipe and add a couple things to accommodate my larger family, but I am happy to report that this meal turned out great! We loved it, and once again, it was a crowd-pleaser. Before I was a mom, I never would have cared if my dinners were suitable for kids. Obviously, I didn't have kids, so it never occured to me that was something that people had to consider at mealtimes. Now days, I pretty much base my recipe selection on that factor alone. One of first questions I ask myself about a potential dinner idea is this: "are the kids gonna like this one?" (Also, I ask myself: "Is it healthy, tasty, and is the husband gonna like it?" I must admit, the kid question does come first though.)

I am happy to report this was kid-approved; and the adults loved it, too!

Quesadilla Casserole
Adapted From: Clean Eating Magazine website

Ingredients:
cooking spray or olive oil
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 whole-wheat tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 15-oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup low-sodium, all-natural barbecue sauce (no more than 7 to 10 g carbs and 1 g fat per 2-tbsp serving)
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella), divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to broiler.

Coat chicken with cooking spray (or a small quantity of olive oil) and garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. You may need to flip them once during the cooking process, halfway through. Once chicken is cooked, removed from oven to cool (enough to handle) and set aside. Reset oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, place tortilla strips on a large baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, toss and spread in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees, until crispy, tossing halfway through; set aside to cool.

Go back to the chicken, and cut into a large dice or cube. Remove to a large rectangular casserole dish; including any juices from the cutting board.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

In the same casserole dish, combine chicken, corn, beans and barbecue sauce. Spread mixture in an even layer. Transfer dish to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with 1/2 cup of cheese, tortilla strips and then the other 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until brown and bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Creamy Corn Soup with Chicken and Roasted Chiles

I let the husband choose the second official cookbook for my cooking project. We are huge Rick Bayless fans at my house, so it was no surprise when he picked Everyday Mexican. Since I have tried many recipes (with great success) out of this book already, I challenged myself by picking three dishes that we normally would have automatically passed over for this week. This soup was one of them. I don't know why, but corn soup is not something I think about making at home. Processed forms of corn are so prevalent in our food system, I automatically dismiss actual corn as part of our meal. (Read or watch anything by Michael Pollan and you will understand where I am coming from; current corn production/processing is pretty much the devil.) I think I have become a little prejudiced against corn. Since I knew in my heart Rick Bayless would not steer my wrong, I set aside my issues with corn and made this soup. At first, I will admit, I was luke-warm about it. However, the more I ate of it, the more I absolutely loved it. It really took me a few bites to understand and fully appreciate this soup. As expected, it was hearty, subtle, and delicious. We all had seconds...which is a definite seal of approval around our table.

Creamy Corn Soup with Chicken and Roasted Chiles
Adapted From: the Everyday Mexican cookbook, by: Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
2 large fresh pasilla chiles or poblano chiles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cups corn kernels, frozen
1-2 tablespoon corn starch
1 quart milk
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or about 3/4 pound leftover chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Roast the chiles directly on the open flame of a stovetop or under a broiler until charred and blackened all over, 5-10 minutes depending on method. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel until cool enough to handle.

In the meantime, heat the oil over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan and add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Transfer to a food processor along with the corn, cornstarch, and 1 1/2 cups of the milk.(I used an immersion blender and pureed it right in the pot.) Process into a purée and transfer back to the saucepan, straining out the corn kernel skins if desired.(I did not strain my corn kernel skins out of our soup, I wanted a heartier texture.) Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently.

When the chile is cooled somewhat, rub off the blackened skins, pull out the stem and seeds, and rinse to complete the job. Cut into 1/4-inch strips or pieces, then stir into the simmering soup along with the chicken and remaining milk. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, if necessary, stirring as you go. Serve with sprinkled cilantro.



The Result:
As I said this was delicious, and fairly easy to put together. I used some pre-cooked chicken breasts, so I did not need to cook the chicken in the soup. I couldn't find poblanos, so I used pasilla chiles as a substitution that worked out just fine. Also, see my notes (in italics) in the cooking directions for a couple of minor changes I made to the original directions. My only real issue I had was that I needed more cornstarch than the original ingredients indicated. I think I probably used about 3 tablespoons of corn starch to get the texture I was going for. I would recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of corn starch and then adding more as you go, until you get the desired result for your soup. The chiles were not spicy, but gave the soup a great roasted flavor. Thanks Rick Bayless for another keeper to add to our repertoire.

Corn and Cheese Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! Tonight we are going to get into the spirit of the event by having some Mexican-inspired food. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (i.e. pre-kids), Cinco de Mayo was a big deal. I would go out with my girlfriends and we would dance all night and drink margaritas until our lips were chapped from all the salt-rimmed glasses. Alas, things are much more civil now...which is actually fine by me. I would much rather spend the evening quietly with my husband and kiddos, anyway!!! However, we can still celebrate--gringo-style--by making a healthy, vegetarian version of enchiladas.

This is another dish I found on the myrecipes.com website. The only variation that I am making is that I am substituting frozen corn for fresh, but otherwise following the recipe. I think I will serve this festive dish with some vegetarian pinto beans and, of course, a green salad.

Doesn't that sound exciting???? I am telling you...we are gonna party 'til the break of 7:00 pm tonight!!!

Corn and Cheese Enchiladas
From: myrecipes.com; All You magazine, July 2008

Ingredients:
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh (from 2 medium ears) OR frozen and thawed corn kernels
1/2 cup whole milk
Salt to taste
2 cups grated pepper Jack
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

While tortillas are baking, oil a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Warm 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in corn and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Remove tortillas from foil. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of corn mixture in center of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a heaping tablespoon of cheese. Roll up tortilla and set in dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information:
Yield: 4 Servings
Calories:457
Fat:25g (sat 13g)
Protein:20g
Carbohydrate:41g
Fiber:5g
Cholesterol:64mg
Sodium:323mg





The Result:
These were soooo good! We had some friends over for dinner, and we all liked them a lot. My only critique is that I have the worst luck with corn tortillas! They always break apart and become a total mess. I even heated them up this time, according to the directions, and they were still a a total mess. So, the taste of this dish turned out the same; but it was more like a casserole rather than actual rolled enchiladas. Really, no difference...other than it totally annoys me! The corn tortilla thing is not this recipes fault, and is just my issue with corn tortillas in general. I love the way they taste, so I will just have to keep trying and figure out a way to get them to work for me.

We had some pinto beans and a green salad to round out our meal. One more note...I ended up making 12 enchiladas and using 2 cans of sauce, since we had 6 people eating (4 adults and 2 kids). The portions ended up being perfect, and this is another keeper recipe.

Ina's Corn Muffins

I saw this recipe demonstrated a couple weeks ago on an episode of Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics and I knew that I had to make them soon. They did not seem to be too complicated to put together, and I had all the ingredients stocked in my pantry. My son loves to help me in the kitchen, so this looked to be an fairly easy recipe to tackle with a 3 year old assistant.

Ina's Corn Muffins
2009, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.

Jen's Notes:
This recipe actually made 18 muffins for me; due to the size of the muffin pans that I used.

So, I ended up having to make a few minor substitutions. I did not have unsalted butter, so I used salted butter and then cut down the amount of salt used in the recipe to a little less than 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Next, I used half and half instead of whole milk (it was either that or skim, and I thought half and half would turn out better due to the higher fat content). The batter was more dough-like and dense than normal muffin batter, so it was a little tricky to get it into the muffin cups. Just be aware that you may need to use a scoop and your fingers to get the muffin papers filled to the top. They are cooling right now, so I will let you know how they taste very soon!



The Result:
These are really good muffins. The texture is slightly crumbly, but still moist and flavorful. Despite the dense batter, the actual muffins turned out light. These are going to be perfect for a quick snack or a breakfast on the go. I will probably make this recipe again, since it meets all of my basic requirements...easy, quick, and yummy!

Saito Chicken & Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

This is probably my favorite grilled chicken recipe. My friend, Claire introduced it to me a year or so ago, and now it is a summertime staple at our house. It combines everything I love about hot weather food...it's cooked on the grill, easy to put together, and super-tasty. My picky (but lovable) mother in law even likes it! (That is a true stamp of approval, because she is very discerning when it comes to what she eats!!!) Paired with a cool salad it is all you need for a scorching, end-of-July dish.

Saito Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken parts of your choice
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. lemon juice,
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix and pour over chicken. Let marinate at least an hour, flipping chicken after 30 minutes. Grill 5-7 minutes each side on medium heat OR until no longer pink in middle.

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Now for that cool, summer salad...

I came across this salad recipe this morning on a blog I read called For the Love of Cooking. The photos of this dish made my mouth water, so I knew I had to build my dinner around this salad. Seriously, this salad looks luscious!!! It seems that Pam from For the Love of Cooking got this dish from a different blog that she references called Jehan Can Cook. Either way, it is a great idea and it is now going to be recycled yet again here on my blog. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this salad!!!

Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients for salad:
pint grape tomatoes cut in halves
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
2 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Slice the tomatoes in half. Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool. Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients for dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn and honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the avocados. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Enjoy.



The Result:
I was right about this corn salad...it was mouth watering. Fan-freakin'-tastic! We loved it so much, there was barely any left for the husband to take in his lunch. I think I might make another batch either tonight or tomorrow; just so we have it on hand. The chicken was moist and delicious as usual, and the corn salad went well with it. Overall, this was an awesome and simple meal. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Corn Star Raviolis in Sweet Basil Cream Sauce

This has to be one of the dumbest names for a recipe that I have come across in awhile. Despite the stupid name, these looked really tasty when I saw them demonstrated on Guy's Big Bite. Since I have been in the mood to try new things lately, I figured I would give this recipe a go. I have only tried one other Guy Fieri recipe, and it was not all that great. I am hoping that this one turns out a little better.
I don't think I need to serve anything with these, and I like that the ravioli filling can be mixed up ahead of time. That will put me ahead of the game for later. The boy and I have a MOMS Club Halloween party this afternoon, so I will get a late start on my meal preparation. I am hoping that these will come together quickly at dinnertime. Wish me luck!


Corn Star Raviolis in Sweet Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 ears Fresh sweet corn, shucked and removed from the cob (or substitute thawed frozen corn)
3 tablespoons Red bell pepper, minced
3 tablespoons sweet onion, diced
10 each Fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Freshly cracked pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pinch nutmeg, ground
6 ounces ricotta cheese, room temp
6 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 package wonton wrappers
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
Special equipment: cookie cutter (3-inch round) or ravioli stamp

Directions:
Melt butter in saute pan, add in corn, red bell pepper and onion. Let saute until onion is translucent and corn has released some of it's sugars. Add in 1/2 of the basil leaves and a couple of twists of black pepper. Add in 1/4 cup heavy cream and reduce by half. Set aside to cool.

When cool, smash up a bit with a fork, stir in ricotta and cream cheese. Place wonton wrappers down (three at a time works) and in the center of each, place 1 1/2 t filling. Brush exposed wrapper with egg yolk, carefully place a second wrapper on top and carefully seal edges, making sure to get out any air bubbles. Cut with star cutter, work fingers around edges to make sure seal is tight. Set aside on floured baking sheet and continue to assemble.

When finished, boil water and gently add raviolis a few at a time, cooking for 2 minutes or until they float. Carefully remove and drain.

For Sauce:
In clean saute pan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter, when melted, add in remaining basil, saute until crisp and butter is just very lightly browning. Add in remaining cream and reduce to thickened. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste, serve over raviolis immediately. Garnish with Parmesan.



The Result:
These were awesome! Probably one of the best raviolis that I have ever had. Fan-freakin'-tastic. definitely a keeper! They were somewhat labor-intensive, so I will probably only make these for a splurge meal. Also, they were very rich and decadent. They sauce reminded me of a really great Alfredo sauce and the ravioli itself was savory, rich, and full of flavor. Very creamy. So, so yummy. The wonton wrappers held up great, and I had no issues with them falling apart. Everything went exactly according to plan on this recipe, so I was a very happy girl. A bonus was that I got to use my ravioli stamps I bought at William Sonoma, some time ago. Now I feel like my ravioli stamp purchase was not frivolous! I love when superfluous kitchen gadgets become useful.
The only change I made was that I added one clove of garlic and one whole shallot to the filling mix. I only had a small onion, so I supplemented with the other ingredients. I have a ton of filling left over, so I think I am going to improvise some creamy soup from it.

DeCio's Corn and Pasta Frittata

I am taking a break from cooking my freezer gems. All the recipes that I have made from those protein items are heavy and/or gravy laden. I am actually getting tired of sauce/gravy. "Inconceivable!" you say????? Well, I just need to make something lighter tonight. Also, I am using my slow cooker so much, my other cookware is getting jealous. I can't have those negative emotions swirling around in my kitchen. The Le Creuset pieces can be especially vicious (they are French, you know).

I found this recipe on the DeCio website, and it sounds promising. I love a good frittata, and this one has an ingredients list that seems pretty tasty and very easy. I have a busy day planned again, so I really need something that I can throw together quickly. I will let you know if this frittata delivers!

DeCio Corn & Pasta Frittata
This sweet, fresh tasting frittata is great with any pasta, especially the spinach and red bell pepper varieties.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups eggs
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 tsp butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup corn either fresh frozen or canned
3 oz uncooked pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Cook pasta to al dente. Combine eggs, breadcrumbs, and provolone cheese in a small bowl. whisk and set aside. In medium skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms, onions, and corn 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Add egg mixture and cook until set around edges. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 450 until center is set.

Jen's Notes:
I will use DeCio's Spinach Basil Garlic linguine in this dish. Also, I don't have any provolone cheese, so I will substitute mozzarella. Lastly, I will use a small yellow onion as a substitute for the green onion.