Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas

Taco Tuesday. It's becoming a tradition in our household. Over the past few years, it's pretty much become routine for us to have a Mexican inspired dish on Tuesday nights. I love Mexican food. At the beginning of each month I make a big batch of refried beans and black beans. I separate them into freezer bags and store them in the freezer until I need them on Taco Tuesday! [Recipe to come] Most of the time, I'll just make chicken or ground turkey tacos with a side of rice and beans. Not only are they so quick and easy, I never get sick of tacos. Sometimes I like to switch it up, though - enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, taco salad, flautas... This week's recipe is Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas. These crispy baked tortillas are stuffed with a mix of chicken, cheese, and beans. They're great served with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, margaritas, or wine :)

Chicken and Bean Baked Flautas

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
2 cups refried beans or 1 can refried beans
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 cup fresh grated cheese
1/4 tbsp cilantro, chopped
12 flour tortillas
Olive oil for brushing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, saute for about 2 minutes. Add chicken and beans to the pan. Sprinkle in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix in cheese and cilantro and heat until cheese is melted.

Spoon in about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place in a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Lightly brush olive oil on the top of the tortillas.

Bake in a preheated oven. After 15 minutes, turn the tortillas. Let them bake for another 10 minutes and turn to another side. Bake the remaining two sides for 5 minutes each. Remove when the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with guacamole, sour cream, or salsa (or all 3!).

Pomegranate and Mandarin Orange Baby Kale Salad

Today's recipe features two ingredients that I discovered only last year. Yeah, okay, so I didn't really just discover that they existed - I knew what they were. I just never really gave them a chance. Quite honestly, kale scared me. I had no clue what to do with it. And pomegranate... I didn't even know where to being...

On two separate grocery shopping trips, I decided to be brave and bought each of them. On both occasions, I spent a couple of days contemplating what exactly I was going to do with them. With the kale, I decided to play it safe and make a kale salad... and I liked it. For the pomegranate, I had to lean on Google for some advice - how was I even supposed to cut into this thing? After a little research, I headed to the kitchen to dissect this interesting little fruit... 20 minutes later... Yes, 20 minutes later... I had finally removed all of the bright red seeds from the peel and membrane. Despite this time consuming process, I didn't regret it. I loved every tart, juicy bite of this wonderful fall fruit.

So here I am, no longer scared of kale and pomegranate, offering you a delicious, refreshing, crisp, tart, and sweet salad recipe. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Pomegranate and Mandarin Orange Baby Kale Salad

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
Zest of 1 mandarin orange
Juice of 1 mandarin orange
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups baby kale
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 mandarin orange, peeled and separated into wedges

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, orange zest, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Place kale in a bowl. Pour dressing over kale and toss to coat. Top with pomegranate seeds and orange wedges.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

I couldn’t help myself. I had to buy it…

As I was walking through the store yesterday, I looked over and saw this shiny, fluted… bundt cake pan! It was just sitting there shouting my name, “ROSE! Buy me!” So I did. I’m kind of surprised that I don’t already have one, but I’m even more surprised that I have never made a bundt cake! Can you believe it? Me neither. So I decided it was about time. I mean, what better time than now, with the birth of my blog and all?

On my drive home I was contemplating what kind of cake I should make. Then it hit me – pumpkin, of course! I figured it would be best to continue my pumpkin spree so that I won’t feel so guilty for abandoning it for a good portion of the month. Plus, it helps me to be in the fall and Halloween spirit :-) It's been awhile since I've made any type of pumpkin cake, but I happen to love pumpkin cake/cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, so I wanted to combine the two in a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake! A delicious pumpkin cake filled with a sweet cream cheese center... Remember when I mentioned the smell through the house from the Pumpkin Granola? This cake was even better! The cinnamon, the nutmeg, the vanilla... the combination was amazing. When I took it out of the oven, it looked so delicious. I knew that I should let it cool completely on the cooling rack, bundt I just couldn't help myself. (Ha! Get it? But... Bundt... Okay, corny, I know.) Needless to say, I loved this cake and I hope that you do too. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Ingedients

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil, slightly melted

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bundt pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

In a the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment to mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Once eggs are mixed in, add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended, then add the remaining half, again mixing until just blended.

In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon, mixing until smooth.

Spread half of the pumpkin batter evenly into the bundt pan. Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon in the remaining batter. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then place cake on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Top with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Granola

I can't believe that October is nearly over and I've managed to make just two pumpkin recipes this month. One of those being yesterday morning's pumpkin overnight oats and the other this delicious pumpkin granola. I figure that even if the weather in North Texas is too warm to feel like fall, a pumpkin recipe will surely put me in a fall mindset. The smell that resonates through the house as this granola bakes is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

If you've never attempted to make granola before, you need to. It is so simple you will wonder why you ever even bought it. It's also really easy to substitute ingredients. Don't like pecans? Use walnuts. Add dried cranberries. Or chocolate chips. This pumpkin granola can easily be made into a whole different granola.

Enjoy this granola as cereal with some unsweetened almond milk, over greek yogurt, as a topping to overnight oats, or on its own as a crunchy snack. Any way you choose - it's simply delightful.

Pumpkin Granola

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, stir together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until all the dry ingredients are well coated.

Split the mixture between two baking sheets and spread evenly. Place one baking sheet on the top rack and the other on the bottom. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Every 10 minutes, switch the sheets between top and bottom racks and stir to ensure that they cook evenly.  When granola is done, remove from the oven. Allow to cool on sheets for about 30 minutes. Transfer to airtight container or ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator.

*Tip: Don't stir the granola right after it comes out of the oven. It will feel soft at first, but after you let it cool completely it will harden up and create yummy, crunchy granola clusters [my fav!].

Teriyaki Sauce

Living in Western Washington, there are a few things that you become very familiar with seeing - coffee stands, mountains, rain, and teriyaki restaurants. Mmm, teriyaki... If you've ever been to Seattle, I'm sure that these are some things you may have noticed. If you haven't taken the time to try teriyaki, I highly recommend you add it to your next trip's itinerary. You'll be happy you did! Sadly, there seems to be a shortage of teriyaki-loving restaurateurs in Dallas and all of the teriyaki related menu items that I've come across just haven't been the same. Good news is.... this homesick Washingtonian has found a solution. This teriyaki recipe is so good, you'll want to put it on everything - rice, chicken, vegetables, pork, pizza, ice cream... Okay, eh, maybe not ice cream. But it is seriously delicious!

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 tbsp turbinado sugar or packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Directions

In a saucepan, mix soy sauce, water, ground ginger, garlic powder, sugar, and honey, over medium heat. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add the mixture to the saucepan. Stirring frequently, heat over medium heat until sauce reaches desired thickness. If necessary, add water if sauce is too thick.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls Ups

These individual serving size lasagna roll ups are so simple to make. I was able to come home from work, assemble them, roll them up, pop them in the oven, and eat just in time to run out the door for class.

 
Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

10 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked
6 cups fresh baby spinach and 1 cup water or 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
15 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 cup low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 egg
Salt and pepper
3 cups marinara sauce*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. If using fresh spinach: Chop spinach. Place spinach in a large pot with about 1 cup of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain spinach. 
3. In a medium boil, combine spinach, cottage/ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper. 
4. In the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish, ladle in half of the marinara sauce (about 1 1/2 cups).
5. Dry the cooked lasagna noodles of any water. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter to use as your rolling surface. Lay noodles flat on wax paper. Spread cheese mixture evenly over all the noodles. Roll the noodles.
6. Place the rolls evenly spaced in the baking dish over the marinara sauce. 
7. Ladle the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover with foil and put in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.

*I make my own marinara sauce. I've provided the recipe below. I like to make a big batch that I can portion out and freeze. If you're pressed for time, you can use jarred sauce.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 15 oz cans organic tomato sauce

1 15 oz can organic diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp sugar*

1 bay leaf

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and sugar. Pulse until combined.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce mixture and bay leaf to skillet.
5. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in chopped basil leaves. 
7. Allow the sauce to cool before freezing.

*I use turbinado sugar or sugar-in-the-raw. 

 

Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp Over Pasta

It's great to have a handful of quick and easy recipes that you can easily turn to when you're pushed for time. Like most typical Sundays, today I spent the day busy with church, chores, football, grocery shopping, and homework, so I decided to dig into my recipe book for a quick and easy, yet oh-so-good, recipe for dinner.  

Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp over Pasta

(Adapted from Chili's Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp) 

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Shrimp:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound large shrimp
• 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley 
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme

Pasta:

• 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Garnish:

• chopped cilantro
• lime wedges

Directions

Shrimp:

1. Mix seasonings in a small bowl -- salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, parsley, paprika, onion powder, and thyme.
2. Remove tails from shrimp. (Because the shrimp is being served over pasta, I think that removing the tails make it easier to eat. If you're making only the shrimp, you can leave the tails on.)
3. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add garlic and shrimp to skillet.
5. Cut lime in half and squeeze both halves on shrimp.
6. Sprinkle seasoning over shrimp and mix so that all pieces are evenly covered with seasoning. 
7. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is cooked through.

Pasta:

1. Boil water. 
2. Salt water.
3. Add pasta.
4. Stir occasionally. 
5. Follow package instructions for cooking times - cook until al dente.
6. Remove from heat and drain pasta.
7. Return to pot - don't return to heat. 
8. Drizzle to coat with olive oil.

Plate:

1. Plate, dividing pasta into 4 servings.
2. Top each plate with equal portions shrimp.
3. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedge. 
4. Enjoy!

Revel in... Blogging

I confess.

I have an on-again, off-again relationship with blogging. I’m a “yo-yo blogger.”

A while back my brother-in-law asked me something that I had been asking myself for quite some time - "Why don't you start a blog?" And of course I thought to myself, "Yeah. Why don't I?" So I tried. I forgot about it. Then I tried again. Yet again, I forgot about it.

Let’s try this again, shall we?

I love to cook. And bake. And well, I really love to eat. Sometimes I even like to get crafty. It’s not always easy to find the time to do these things (okay, I always find the time to eat) when you have a busy schedule. Both my husband and I work and go to school. Add in family, friends, and hobbies and we stay pretty busy. Sometimes I just need to take a few minutes to allow myself to step away from the hustle and bustle and relax, whether it’s by keeping track of my day’s menu or sharing a recipe. So let this be my escape – a place that I can reflect and take accountability.

Wish me luck!