Pork & Bean Enchilladas

I love to use C.O.S.T. (Cook Once, Serve Twice) cooking is so easy and helps in cooking economical quick meals. I used the left over pork tenderloin from Saturday and made a whole new meal in a few minutes with some convenience foods.Pork & Bean Enchiladas

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cooked and chopped

1 14 oz. can of pinto beans

2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese

1 jar of Frontera Enchilada Sauce

8 corn tortillas

Mix pork, beans and 1/2 of the cheese in a bowl. Heat tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them up a little. Fill tortilla shells with 1/8 of the meat/cheese mixture and roll them up. Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in a 13 x 9 casserole dish and place tortillas on top. Cover with the remainder of the sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake until cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Served with Rice A Roni Spanish rice and Sweet Corn Saute from a previous blog.

Comfort Food in a One Pot Meal

When I first lived on my own and started cooking for myself this was one of those meals I loved. I used convenience foods at the time and Rice-A-Roni and pre-cooked chicken were the starts of this dish. As my palate matured and our dietary requirements changed I re-worked the original into a really good meal that is quick to cook (30 minutes or less) and a breeze to clean up.
Almost Chicken and Rice-a-Roni
3 chicken breast halves (about 1 lbs.), diced
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb. vermicelli, broken into small pieces
1 cup of white rice
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
salt and pepper

In a dutch oven over medium high heat, heat olive oil and saute chicken and onion. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is browned lightly and no pink shows. Remove chicken and set aside. Add rice and vermicelli and brown slightly. Add in chicken stock, the mixed veggies and the chicken to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through and all the stock has been incorporated. Adjust seasonings to taste, we like a lot of black pepper on this dish.

TIP: Original version was one box of chicken rice a roni, one package pre-cooked tyson roasted chicken and one bag of frozen mixed veggies. Follow directions on box of rice a roni, when you add the water and seasonings add the chicken and veggies. It is quick, cheap and easy. If it didn't have a gabillion grams of sodium I would still eat it like this. :-)

Dinner in the crockpot - Olé!

I spent the entire day hanging with my favorite aunt, Aunt Judy. I wanted to have a hot, healthy, dinner when I did got home so I decided to break out the old crockpot. I made Mojo chicken and served it on soft tortillas with all the toppings and taco rice. It was nice to come home after 8 hours and have a great smelling dinner waiting...now I know what my husband must feel like every night! This dinner tasted a lot better than it looks in the picture, I swear!Mojo Crockpot Chicken
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne (to taste..we like it hot)
Juice of one lime
1 cup of water

Throw everything in to the crock pot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and serve with tortillas, lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream.


Pico De Gallo
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced fine
1 jalepeno, diced
2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
lime juice
salt

Mix and refridgerate for at least one hour for the flavors to meld together well.


Healthier Taco Rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup of brown rice
1 medium red onion, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups of water

In a large sauce pan saute the olive oil, rice and onion until just translucent. Add in the rice and the seasonings bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until rice is just tender.

Modern Sunday Dinner

Growing up we had spaghetti sauce and meatballs almost every single Sunday, we ate dinner at 2:00-3:00 p.m. and usually had a table full of people. It was time to have a delicious big meal prepare with love and shared with family and friends. For us Sunday dinner is still a special time to sit down and enjoy a big meal but in the summer I like to keep them light. I served Broiled Halibut with peach salsa served over wilted garlic spinach and lime-cilantro rice.

Broiled Halibut with Peach Salsa

2 - 6-8 oz Halibut Filets

2 - Fresh ripe peaches

1 - clove of garlid chopped fine

1 - Jalepeno chopped fine

2 tsp, chopped cilantro

Juice of a lime

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

1) Seed and dice peaches and put in a small bowl

2) Add in chopped garlic, jalepeno, cilantro and mix.

3) Squeeze in the juice of a lime and add a pinch of salt.

4) Blend well, leave at room temperature until serving.

5) Spray fish with oilive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6) Broil under the broiled for approximately 8 minutes turning once, or until fish is opaque throughout.

I like to use the Misto olive oil sprayer. This is a MUST have kitchen item http://www.misto.com/

Served with wilted garlic spinach and lime-cilantro rice.

Lime Cilantro Rice

3 cups steamed, white rice

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Juice of a lime

Mix rice, olive oil, cilantro and lime juice together. Serve immediately.

Wilted Garlic Spinach

4 cups fresh, washed spinach

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1) In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat heat olive oil and saute garlic for about a minute. Add in spinach, coat with oil and cover tightly for 1-2 minutes or until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.