Chicken and Black Bean Tacos

I almost considered putting "messy" somewhere in the title of this recipe but was a little worried it would scare people away from trying it. ;) They are messy but man are they worth it! These little tacos are deceptively simple and surprisingly delicious. I had tried experimenting with something else and when that didn't really work, I modified it for this recipe instead. So yummy!

Just a note: for this recipe, I used canned Parmesan cheese. Normally I believe in using only freshly grated Parmesan cheese. While that would work for this recipe, there is something about the canned variety that gives it a nice flavor.



Chicken and Black Bean Tacos
Recipe from Cucina di Harwood

2-3 chicken breasts
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes {the sweet onion variety is really yummy!}
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Canned Parmesan cheese
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Corn tortillas

Directions:
Cook your chicken breasts, using the skillet method, in 2-3 cloves garlic. When cooked through, shred. Add the beans, tomatoes, cumin and Worcestershire sauce; cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. When ready to serve, sprinkle with canned, grated Parmesan cheese, per your preference. Serve on warmed corn tortillas with shredded cheese and lettuce. Fold in half and eat up!

White Sauce Enchiladas

I am a pretty big fan of enchiladas. I really love green sauce enchiladas. So I decided to try a new idea and go with some white sauce. Mmm, I'm so glad I did! This recipe is sooo yummy! Seriously, you won't regret making these.

White Sauce Enchiladas

Recipe slightly adapted from $5 Dinners

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded, cooked chicken

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1/2 can green chilies {I liked the slightly more subtle flavor I got by only using half the can but if you like more spice, you can use the whole thing}

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

Tomatoes, sliced

5-6 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

In a large skillet, melt the cream cheese with the sour cream over medium-low heat. Once all melted and mixed together, add the green chilies and the chicken broth. Stir together until well incorporated. You can add more chicken broth if you want a thinner consistency. Add garlic powder.

Reserve about 1/2-1 cup of the cream cheese mixture; set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining sauce. Stir in the chicken and let simmer about 10 minutes so the flavors can begin to infuse. When there is about a minute left, add the can of corn and stir.

Spoon the cream cheese chicken mixture into warmed tortillas. Roll and place into an 8x8 baking dish. You'll get between 5-6 enchiladas in the dish.

Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture over the top. Top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle shredded cheese over that. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

The tomatoes give it a really nice light flavor and help round out the white sauce. You could reserve the corn and serve it on the side instead of inside the enchiladas, whichever your preference is.

Scrumptious!

Homemade Burritos

My hubby and I are big burrito fans. We really love them around here. I've worked and worked on a recipe until I finally came up with what we think is the perfect burrito recipe. Now, I once mentioned to my dad that I had come up with this great recipe and he said to me, in effect, "The real way to do it is to put lard in it." And I basically went, "Um, yuck." I mean in no way for that to offend anyone. Just for some reason the idea of lard kind of grosses me out. There is no lard in this recipe. None. Zilch. Nada. So I guess that makes this recipe about as non-authentic as you can get. However, I still think it tastes good. :)

Yes, I know. It looks like I have large ugly man hands.

Homemade Burritos

Recipe created by Cucina di Harwood

1/2 lb ground hamburger

1 can Refried Beans

2 1/2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried cilantro or 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp  Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup low fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. Salsa Verde

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Dash of pepper

Tortillas

Desired toppings - I really like spinach, tomatoes, green peppers, green onions, and extra cheese 'cuz I love cheese. Mozzarella is my favorite. Other good toppings are ranch, salsa or taco sauce.

Directions:

Brown the hamburger over medium heat until cooked; drain. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook until heated through. Put a scoop on your tortilla and add any toppings you so desire. 

This is also be yummy with a scoop of rice on the tortilla as well.

Yum!

Bean Chicken Wraps

This past weekend I saw my younger brother and he commented about this lil' ole cooking blog. It made me happy to know that someone out there actually looks at these recipes and enjoys them. He told me that he really likes my cooking site and thinks it's pretty good. However, he also said, "But you need more real food. You've got a lot of treats, but you need more main dishes, like Italian and meat dishes." I told him I'd work on that. :) So I came home and looked in my food photo folder and discovered that I've got lots of main dish recipes I haven't shared. So over the next couple of weeks I'll share a few that I've got saved up. Of course, they don't all fall under the meat or Italian categories, but they are main dishes! ;)

This recipe was inspired by one of those e-mail recipe exchange things. I'm sure most people have had them. But you know, they don't usually turn out as they should in theory. I'm lucky if I get one recipe back. Sad, sad. Anyway, I participated in one once and I got a recipe back that inspired this one. It is really yummy and so easy to put together. I think it's a perfect lunch recipe.

Bean Chicken Wraps

Recipe from Cucina di Harwood

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes -- Cooke time: 15 minutes

1 large chicken breast, cooked in garlic and cut into bite size cubes

1 12 oz or so can white beans, mostly drained {any kind of white bean works well}

1/2 yellow or green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup green onion, chopped - use green and white parts of the onion

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup shredded 

1 cup cooked rice

Tortillas

Directions:

Mix together the beans and chicken. Put into an oven safe casserole dish. Top with onions, peppers, seasonings and juice and lightly fold into the beans mixture. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Warm tortillas in microwave for a few seconds so they are pliable and soft.

Top tortilla with a scoop of rice and bean chicken mixture. For some extra flavor, squeeze a bit more lemon juice on top. Wrap up and eat up! 

Variation:

You can use a 12 oz can of chicken instead of cooking your own chicken breast.

You can also cook this up in the microwave if you didn't want to fire up your oven.

DK Wraps

My brother-in-law came up with this recipe while he was on his mission in the South. He needed recipes that were easy and relatively inexpensive. These fit the bill pretty well. He and my sister made them for us when we were down visiting for Christmas. For being so simple, they are deceptively delicious. Actually, I'm kind of craving one right now. 

I also love the versatility. There are so many different ways you could cook them up, they could pretty much fit any taste.

DK Wraps

Recipe from Dakotah Gordon

Ingredients:

Flour or whole wheat tortilla wraps

Ground beef, cooked

Creole Seasoning

Bacon, cooked and chopped

Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Spread ground beef onto bottom half of tortilla wrap. Sprinkle desired amount of Creole seasoning onto meat - the more seasoning you use, the spicier it will be. Add some bacon and shredded cheese to the top. Fold the tortilla so that there are no open ends; grill on a George Foreman, in a saucepan, or on a barbecue grill. Serve it up! Mmm!

Variations:

Cooked, shredded chicken

Cajun or Italian seasonings

Add some BBQ sauce or ranch dressing

Use grilled fish, chopped shrimp or crab for the meat

Swiss cheese instead of cheddar

Black Bean Spinach Burritos

We love this recipe! My hubby has been begging me to make it for quite a while now and since I'm finally back to where normal food tastes {and smells!} good again, we're gonna have this month as part of menu! It's a really super yummy recipe and quite healthy too.


Bean and Spinach Burritos
Sarah Harwood
Spinach {I just use the pre-washed ready to eat stuff in a bag though you could easily purchase a bunch on spinach and wash it yourself}
Olive Oil
1 C finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained
1 can (10 oz) whole tomatoes with green chillies, undrained {you can use RoTel, which will add a little spice}
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
8 flour tortillas {if you use whole wheat tortillas it's that much healthier}
2 C (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese {I just use the cheese sparingly}

Directions:
-saute onion and garlic until tender {about 5 minutes}
-Add beans, tomatoes, cumin, and oregano. Simmer, uncovered, until mixture is dry. Remove from heat and mash some of the beans
-Preheat oven to 350
-Arrange some spinach on each tortilla. Spoon bean mixture onto spinach. Sprinkle cheese over bean mixture, roll up and place in baking dish
-Cover with tinfoil and bake 20 minutes or until heated through

Note: These burritos taste really good with Avocado Relish {recipe to follow}!

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

This is a very yummy dinner. We really loved it. I didn’t have any coriander so I didn’t use it; I used flour tortillas because that’s what I had and I just used cheddar cheese; and I mixed everything together, including the sour cream, because I’m not a big fan of plain sour cream taste.

I made mine in a round cake pan because the two of us don’t need much.

Really, though, it is super yummy! I think this would also taste really good made like enchiladas instead of a casserole {and it might help prevent the tortillas from going soggy – I’m pretty sure that’s why you use corn tortillas but we just always buy flour}.

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups diced chicken breast meat
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce – MILD
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (8 oz) container low fat sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.
Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.
Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.
Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Number of Servings: 8 - Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe my mom is famous for - and they're my personal favorite enchiladas. This is the conversation (as I recall) that ensued around the dinner table the first time she made them:

Dad: What's different about these from the other kind you make?
Mom: This kind has a green sauce and is made with chicken instead of beef.
Dad: I like these better! They're good.
8 Children: *gobble . . . mhtyod . . . sluuurp . . . mmyhuplme!*
Mom: Then I guess we'll have these from now on.
Dad: Good idea!

And we have. I don't remember the last time my mother made enchiladas with beef and red sauce. And that tradition has carried over to me as well. The only time we eat beef/red sauce enchiladas is when we go out to a Mexican restaurant to eat!

Chicken and Green Sauce Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast (I use 1 or 2 to make an 8x8 size baking pan)
  
• Large can green enchilada sauce (I use mild because I'm not very "spice" tolerant!)
  
• Tortillas
• Shredded Cheese

Directions:
Boil the chicken until cooked through. Cut up into small pieces (there are some people who like to cut their chicken before they cook; yes, it will cook faster but it's a pain to cut when it's raw - you decide!). Return to pan and add the large can of enchilada sauce. Cook until warm through (if you do this, it won't take as long to bake).

Warm up the tortillas in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. (The purpose of doing this is to help them roll without breaking. You probably only need to do this if your tortillas have been in the refrigerator, as mine always are).
Spread about 2 Tbsp. of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish (this ensures that the enchiladas won't stick). Place some of the chicken/sauce mixture on the tortilla. Add some shredded cheese, roll and place in pan. Continue until you have the desired number of tortillas in the pan. Spread more of the sauce/chicken mixture over the rolled tortillas (I do this because I don't like dry enchiladas - you can add more or less depending on how moist you want them to be - I like mine nice and saucy!) and cover with cheese.

Cover with tin foil and bake @ 350F for 30 minutes or until warm through. Serve with salad and bread sticks (or whatever you feel like!) :)


*Note: You will notice that there isn't much for amounts in the listed ingredients. You can adapt this recipe to fit your family/appetite size. I usually make mine in an 8x8 pan and that is enough for us, company (usually one other couple) and leftovers. My directions are for that size specifically but it's really easy to transfer to another size. I can usually fit between 8-12 tortillas filled with the sauce over the top and I usually have leftover sauce.