Mexican
Stuffed Peppers with a Mexican Flare
In the summer months when it is hot and you are craving some Mexican food for dinner but a burrito sounds too heavy and filling, this recipe is a nice healthy alternative. This Stuffed Pepper recipe with a Mexican Flare is a wonderful and satisfying recipe to try.
Stuffed Peppers with a Mexican Flare
1 ½ lbs ground turkey
1 teaspoon avocado oil
3-4 cloves garlic smashed
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2-3 teaspoons cumin
3 cups cooked Farro (I used quick cooking faro from Trader Joes) or brown rice
1 (15 oz) can corn drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth divided
6 large red, yellow or orange peppers
Cook farro or brown rice in 3 cups of chicken broth. Set aside.
Saute garlic in a large skillet with avocado oil. Place ground turkey into the same saucepan, add the spices, and cook until meat is completely cooked. Add tomato sauce and ½ cup chicken broth and cook on medium low, about 5-8 minutes until bubbly and flavors have blended. Save the remaining ½ cup chicken broth to put into bottom of baking pan when pepper are stuffed and ready to be baked. While meat mixture cooks, cut peppers in half lengthwise like pepper boats and clean out membranes and seeds. When meat mixture is cooked, add the farro or brown rice and stir until mixed evenly. Fill the cut in half pepper boats and place into a 9×13 pan. We actually were able to make two 9×13 pans and they tasted just as yummy the second day. I only cooked one pan the first night, saved the filling and cut, …
Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna
This vegetarian Mexican casserole is a show stopper. Combining all the delicious flavors of an enchilada casserole with the unique flavors of roasted vegetables makes one of the best Mexican dishes. Using mozzarella cheese adds a flare and thus the name…Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna. I first tasted this at a friend’s home and she was eager to share her recipe. I made a few healthy adaptations and viola…..
Ingredients
4-5 cups butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
1 red bell pepper , chopped into cubes
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa (we used Pace)
12 corn tortillas, 6 inch diameter
1 ½ cups greek plain yogurt
1 bottle Trader Joes enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the vegetable filling:
- Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
- Put butternut squash on a roasting sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and chopped red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder, and saute the vegetables and spices on high heat until charred just a bit. Mid-way through, add corn, then rinsed and drained black beans. Add roasted butternut squash Add more salt if needed. Add more chili powder or cumin, than indicated in the recipe, if needed.
Assemble the casserole:
- Use a casserole dish either 9×13 or 11
Hatch Green Chili Enchilada Casserole
As summer winds down and you find yourself a bit stressed about getting back into the routine of school schedules, regular commitments starting up again or just a busier life ahead…this is a great recipe to have on hand. It is easy and nutritious. You can make it ahead of time and bake it later. It serves a large family and is great for parties. I made this a few weeks ago when we had a crowd of people stay for dinner after Garrett’s first birthday. If you can’t find Hatch Green Chili Salsa you can use salsa verde.
10-12 medium sized flour tortillas (I used the homemade style ones from Trader Joe’s)
4 large chicken breast cooked and chopped into chunks (cook in 2 cups chicken broth for 4-6 hours in crockpot)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cups yellow onions chopped fine
3 garlic cloves minced
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 cups greek plain yogurt
2 bottles Hatch Green Chili Salsa (Trader Joe’s brand)
2-3 cups Colby Jack cheese grated (you can use Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar mixed)
- 10-12 medium sized flour tortillas (I used the homemade style ones from Trader Joe's)
- 4 large chicken breast cooked and chopped into chunks (cook in 2 cups chicken broth for 4-6 hours in crockpot)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 cups yellow onions chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 2 cups greek plain yogurt
- 2 bottles Hatch Green Chili Salsa (Trader Joe's brand)
Chili Chicken Stew-Creative Meals that Multiply for Busy Families
Spring is in the air and families are beginning the frenzy of evenings filled with sports practices, games, spring music concerts and all sorts of activities. As a mom who prefers not to grab fast food for her family on the way to or from all the evening activities….we have to have a strategy. When we were in the flow of 4 girls doing multiple activities and I felt like I was driving circles around our community, I came up with a creative strategy of “meals that multiply“. This is the first installment of some of the meals I made regularly that literally lasted for a week and the family never knew that our dinners came from the same big pot of stew.
Chili Chicken Stew (Crockpot or stovetop)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces if cooking in a pot on stove)
1 large onion chopped
1 yellow, orange or red pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
2 Tbs oil
2 (15oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans
1-2 cups pace picante sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Place whole chicken breasts, fresh or frozen, in the crockpot. Put all remaining ingredients in the order listed in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours. Remove chicken from stew and shred. Place back into crock pot, mix and serve. 
To make on stovetop, cut chicken into bite sized pieces and cook chicken, onion, pepper, and garlic in oil in a large pot until chicken is white and no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours. This chili chicken stew can be made the day before and freezes well.
Now here is where the magic begins……This one pot of chili chicken stew can be …
Crockpot White Bean Chili
As the weather begins to cool and the nights get dark earlier, it is fun to have dinner all ready to go in the Crockpot at the end of the day. This recipe takes a bit of thinking and planning to get the ingredients prepared ahead of time but once everything is in the Crockpot, you will have a delicious and nutritious meal that serves at least 8 people or can be served in 3 or 4 different ways throughout the week.
Ingredients
1 pound dried great northern beans
8 cups chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 medium onions chopped fine
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bottle hatch green chili salsa (you can use 2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies)
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teraspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium zucchini
2 cups frozen corn (I used Trader Joes roasted frozen corn)
1 teaspoon salt
For toppings
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup minced cilantro
tortilla chips
Place dried beans in a 5 or 6 quart crock pot and cover with water about 1 inch over beans. Cover and let soak overnight. 
Drain water in the morning and add 6 cups of chicken broth, the garlic and half the onions. Cover and cook on high 2-2 ½ hours until the beans are soft but not mushy. (If necessary add some boiling water to the beans to keep them covered.)
While beans are cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook remaining onions until tender. Add the chicken, jalapeno and cook until chicken is brown on the outside. Add to the crock pot with green chili salsa, 
oregano, cumin, cloves and cayenne. Add remaining 2 cups of broth and stir to combine all. Cover …
Colorful Summer Salad
Today is another beautiful summer day and I am out tending my vegetable garden. In comes another bowl of tomatoes and I decided I wanted to try a summer salad recipe that would be a fun side dish to accompany any BBQ meat or could be eaten as your main meal. I know many of you have made Cowboy Caviar and I love that recipe but my hubby does not like avocado. He does LOVE salsa though so I made this colorful summer salad based on our homemade salsa recipe with a few variations.
Ingredients
8 medium tomatoes (I used 4 different types of heirloom tomatoes)
1 large red onion
2 ears of corn
1 large orange pepper
2 bunches cilantro (1-2 cups)
1 hot jalapeño pepper
1 mild jalapeño pepper
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
½ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic smashed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sesoned pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon Pilarcita’s hot and spicy Mexican spice blend (this blend has chili peppers, salt, garlic, onion, lemon and orange peel as it’s base)
Chop the tomatoes, onion, orange pepper and mix in a bowl. Dice the jalapeño peppers and chop the cilantro fine and add to the bowl. Add the drained and rinsed black beans and stir salad. In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, garlic and spices. Mix well and pour over the vegetables. Stir well and refrigerate for an hour or so before serving. This is a great salad to take to a potluck BBQ because it make a large bowlful of a beautiful colorful summer salad. Will store for 4-5 days in a tupperware container. If you want to serve it for your main meal, you can put on a bed of greens and serve …
Read MoreCowboy Caviar with a Twist
Memorial Day BBQ’s are the BEST when everyone brings one of their favorite dishes to share. Yesterday my mom brought some Cowboy Caviar and it was SCRUMPTIOUS. She added a special ingredient that made it better than ever! Set a bowl of this fun appetizer out and it will be gobbled up.
Ingredients
2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 small bunch of green onions chopped
⅔ cups cilantro chopped
1 can corn drained and rinsed (2-3 ears of bbq corn cut off cob)
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed (most recipes call for pinto beans but we like the garbanzo beans for a new twist)
2 avocados chopped
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Mix all dressing ingredients and let dressing sit until all vegetables and beans are chopped and mixed together. Toss dressing over bowl of vegetables and salad. Place in a serving dish and serve with tortilla chips. This can also be a wonderful side dish for a mexican dinner-enchilladas, burritos, fajitas. You can use leftovers the next day rolled in a tortilla that has been warmed with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
- 2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 small bunch of green onions chopped
- ⅔ cups cilantro chopped
- 1 can corn drained and rinsed (2-3 ears of bbq corn cut
Salsa a Family Favorite for Memorial Day BBQ
Memorial Day is this coming weekend and I know that many people are already planning their Memorial Day BBQs. We have 2 BBQs coming up this weekend and I am definitely going to whip up a batch of this fantastic salsa. Whether you are having Mexican food, BBQ chicken, ribs or burgers, this salsa is delicious as a side appetizer or condiment for whatever you are grilling.
Salsa Recipe
1-28 oz can Hunt’s tomato sauce
1-3 oz can El Pato tomatillo sauce
4-5 large tomatoes chopped
1-2 large red onions chopped
2 cups chopped cilantro
Depending on how chunky you want your salsa will determine whether you want to chop the vegetables by hand or chop them in the cuisinart. If you want a moderately chunky style salsa, chop the tomatoes and onions and cilantro by hand and stir together with the tomato sauce and tomatillo sauce. Let sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator and serve with tortilla chips, or cut up vegetables.
This recipe was shared with me years ago when I took my youngest daughter on an overnight camping field trip to the 49er’s Gold Country with her 4th grade class. The young adults that ran the 49er’s campground did all the cooking on outdoor grills and they served this fantastic salsa at breakfast, lunch and dinner. They were willing to share their basic recipe and through the years our family has made this recipe (with a variety of modifications) for all sorts of family events. It has become an all time favorite!
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Stuffed Peppers-Garden Healthy Variety
I have always wanted to find a good stuffed peppers recipe! And, I think I finally did! I took the Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from “The Recipe Critic” and made a few swaps and changes and created a healthy, tasty meal! Full of protein, very colorful, yummy spices, and a new product from Grain & Simple that can be found at Costco! “2 Minute Grains” is full of red spring wheat berries, quinoa, farrow and barley with tomato, onions, and peppers- It is a perfect side for a night of BBQ turkey burgers or, as I discovered with this recipe, the perfect add-in for stuffed peppers! You will love this recipe! We first published this post about 1 ½ years ago and it was one of our most popular recipes, so we decided to repost. With gardens beginning to produce home grown peppers and tomatoes, this is a fabulous springtime recipe.
INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers
Ground Turkey, 1 pound
1 medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves
2 TBS tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes diced
2 packs of Grain & Simple 2 Minute Grains (from Costco) or 3 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Colby Jack cheese, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add olive oil to pan. Saute the onion and garlic. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, coat with olive oil and cook the ground turkey. Add the onion and garlic once browned. Remove from heat.
3. Add the tomato paste, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and lemon juice. Heat the 2 Minute Grains as directed on package (or cook your quinoa or brown rice according to …
Read MoreWhite Chicken Chili-Slow Cooker Method
During the month of March, our theme has been PEACE. As we approach one of the most significant days of the year, Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, I wanted to share a recipe with you that can help you maintain peace in your home, in a practical way. I know it can get very hectic preparing for Easter gatherings, parties and community events as we plan to get together with family and friends. So I decided to post this delicious recipe that you can make this week in your Crockpot or slow cooker. You can grab these 5 simple ingredients (plus any toppings that sound good to you) at the store, run home and throw everything in the crockpot and have a wonderful meal prepared for your family without adding extra stress to your week.
Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth
4 large boneless skinless raw chicken breasts (4 cups cooked shredded chicken for stovetop method)
4 (15-oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained
2 cups salsa verde (store-bought or homemade http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/tomatillo-salsa-verde/)
3 tsp. ground cumin
optional toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream/greek plain yogurt, crumbled tortilla chips
Add chicken broth, 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, beans, salsa and cumin to a slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken.
Serve warm in large bowls with desired toppings.