mexican

Mexican Quinoa with Lazy Guacamole

By in GF Mains, Main Dish, Meatless 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

mexican quinoa

In this house we have trouble repeating meals. Or rather I should say, I have trouble repeating meals. I always want to be trying something new. And, although we do repeat a lot of old favourites, there are lot’s of new recipes in between. One thing that I could eat on pretty much a daily basis is any form of Mexican food. And, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.

I’ve recently become mildly obsessed with guacamole. Why were we not eating this with every Mexican-style meal before? I guess in my head it just seemed like too much extra work. Because let’s face it, at the end of a long weekday the last thing I really want to be doing is slaving away in the kitchen. But the jokes on me, because in reality it’s so easy to make it’s kind of ridiculous, especially if you make my lazy version. And, it adds so much flavour that we can’t even have a Mexican meal without it anymore.

Now about this quinoa. If you’re looking for a new Mexican dish to switch things up, this meal is your ticket. It’s a one pot meal that’s perfect for a weeknight. It takes minimal effort to put together, all those Mexican flavours you love are cooked right in, and you get to top it will all sorts of yummy toppings – like guacamole! Plus, it’s packed with tons of protein from the quinoa and beans so it’s a great meatless main dish. The only thing I felt was missing was a little bit of crunch, so next time we’ll be sprinkling on a few crushed tortilla chips to finish it off.

Mexican Quinoa

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 can (1 1/2 cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup corn
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
  • 1 quarter of a lime, juiced
  • To serve: salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guacamole

Add a small bit of oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute). Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Lazy Guacamole

  • 1 ripe avocado, peel and pit removed
  • 1 small lime, juiced
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Mash the avocado with a fork until smooth, stir in lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper.

Quinoa recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Peanut Butter Runner.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

By in Main Dish, Poultry 2 Comments Tags: , , , ,

I”ve tried a couple different recipes for taquitos in the past, but none of them were ever quite right for me, it always seemed that there was a lack of flavour or something was just missing. Then I remembered making an appetizer a long time ago, when we were first married, that was basically like a taquito but it was baked in a puff pastry shell. I remembered them being so delicious, so I decided to take that filling, adapt it a bit and then wrap it in flour tortillas instead. They were perfect. I wish I could find the original recipe so I could site it, but it was so long ago I don”t remember where I found it.

These are so tasty and crave-worthy, with so many flavours that I love. And, it”s a great quick, weeknight meal – basically just assembling and then a quick 10 minute bake. We served ours with a version of Quick Mexican Rice, based on what I had on hand at the time, and I ate mine with a little bit of leftover Avocado Salsa. This will definitely be a go-to meal for this mexican food loving family.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

  • 4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large), chopped small

  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 (4 0z.) can chopped green chilies

  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

  • 12-14 6-inch flour tortillas

  • sour cream and salsa, to serve

Pre-heat a pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil and the chicken, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until chicken is cooked through. Place in a medium-sized bowl along with cheese, chilies, onions, garlic, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Mix well. Place 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture into the centre of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam-side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray taquitos lightly with oil. Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. Serve warm with sour cream and salsa.

Makes: 12-14

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

By in Appetizers, GF Sides, Gluten Free 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

cheesy mexican corn dip

A couple nights ago I went over to one of my fantastic sister-in-laws’ house and we had a sleepover with our kids. Both of us had been without our husbands for a week and it was time for some adult interaction, with a little dash of craziness (a.k.a. children). As expected, the kids stayed up far too late. Even though we wanted them to go to bed, it was cute hearing the boys talking and playing in their room. It brought back so many memories! And, the fact that we made pizza for dinner and ate pancakes in the morning was just icing on the cake.

I’ve been craving this dip ever since my mom first pointed it out to me on Pinterest, even though I’d never had it before. I was hoping it would live up to my expectations and I figured that a sleepover was the perfect place to try it out. That way, if it was as good as I hoped, I wouldn’t end up eating it all by myself. I was smart to do that, because it ended up exceeding my expectations. I purposely left it at my sister-in-laws, because I knew if I brought it home I would not be able to resist it. And, eating a whole bowl of dip by myself, while tasty, would be regrettable.

This dip is melty, gooey, spicy and packed with flavour. I love how the corn and tomatoes add natural cooling powers. It is so darn good when it’s warm, but surprisingly I even found the leftovers super delicious, straight from the fridge. That is a dangerous thing.

Tread lightly my friends.

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

This dip is quite spicy. If you like things less spicy cut back on the chipotle peppers.

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced
  • 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1.5 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)
  • 1 small tomato, chopped and seeded
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Mix together cheeses, chipotle peppers, green chilies, mayonnaise, garlic powder and corn. Spread into an 8-inch baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Let cool slightly and then top with tomato, green onion and cilantro. Serve warm.

Adapted from Gina Marie’s Kitchen.

Quick Mexican Rice with Beans

By in GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 13 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

mexican rice

My husband has often talked about a side dish of rice and beans that he had growing up in Bolivia. Of course he had no idea what was in it so I’ve never had much to go on. I’ve tried many recipes in an effort to recreate the dish but none of them were quite right.

Last week we were out of groceries, it was killer hot and I didn’t feel like running to the grocery store with both kids in tow. So, while the kids played outside I soaked up the sun and thought about what kind of meal I could make out of our pantry staples. It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. ;P

This was the recipe I came up with based on what we had on hand and what sounded good to me at the time. And you know what? I nailed it. I’m sure It’s not exactly the same as the original but my husband loved it and said it tasted just like he imagined. And now I know why he talked about it so much; it’s delicious in its simplicity. Forget all those involved recipes I tried before, simple is almost always best.

This is one of those recipes that tastes great served warm or at room temperature so it’s perfect for those lazy BBQ dinners. But, I also plan on serving it often alongside our favourite Mexican meals.

Mexican Rice with Beans

  • 3.5 cups hot cooked rice
  • 1 can black beans (1 cup)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, warmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Stir all ingredients together until evenly mixed and cheese is melted.

Serves: 4-6