A Surprisingly Fresh Lunch

Going on vacation always gives me renewed energy to try making new dishes. I was happy to discover last week -- tostadas. They are kind of like little Mexican pizzas. All I did was bake a few corn tortillas and then top them with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and tomato. (I did not use any chicken as the recipe calls for below and it was still delicious.) Paired with some homemade chicken tortilla soup, these tostadas made for a refreshing and simple lunch. Enjoy!



Tostadas
(Adapted from Whole Foods and About.com)

Ingredients:
8 whole corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
Salt
Chili powder

1 cup refried beans
12 ounces shredded rotisserie chicken meat
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or any kind of cheddar jack or Mexican blend shredded cheese)
1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup chunky salsa or diced tomatoes

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush both sides of the corn tortillas with vegetable oil and sprinkle one side with salt and chili pepper to taste. Place in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes, turning them over once, and then bake them for another 5 minutes until they are crispy.

Heat the beans and chicken in the microwave.

Once the corn tortillas are done baking, spread a thin layer of beans on each, and top with some shredded cheese. Return to the oven for about 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Top each tortilla with chicken, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and salsa (or tomatoes).

Quick Weeknight Meal: Tortilla Stack

I'm always on the hunt for dinner ideas that will be quick and easy to serve during the week.  My mom made this creative Tortilla Stack dish for us while we were visiting and it was delicious and relatively healthy. What's easier than putting a few layers together and then baking? Not much. And of course, any Mexican food is alright with me. I've made this several times and it's best right out of the oven. Leftovers tend to make the tortillas a tad soggy. But if you're looking to feed a crowd, this one's a pleaser! Thanks for the recipe Mom!

Tortilla Stack

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 T. fresh cilantro, minced

1 lb. ground beef, cooked

1 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 cups salsa

5 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

5 T. sliced black olives

1/3 cup pickled jalapeno slices (I used a small can of diced mild green chiles which worked well.)

Method:

Saute peppers and onions in oil until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook the beef in the same pan. Then add the peppers and onions to the meat, stir in the cilantro and cumin; heat through.

Spread 1/4 cup salsa into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer one tortilla, a 1/4 of the meat mixture, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup cheese, 1 T. olives and 2 or 3 jalapeno slices. Repeat layers three times. Top with remaining tortilla, salsa, olives and jalapeno slices.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer until heated through and cheese is melted.

Easy Entertaining: Mexican Lasagna

I love, love, love, Mexican food.  But I haven't really ventured into making anything but tacos and quesadillas at home.  Now, I don't know whether Mexican lasagna really counts as true Mexican food, but in my Yankee mind, it must come close since the flavors are all there.  This is a great dish that I've made several times in several different ways -- a few times I added a can of refried beans to the layers (good but a little difficult to spread), and sometimes I don't add cilantro or the jalapenos.  The good thing about this recipe is that it's delicious and makes enough for company, a large family, or simply for seconds (and thirds).

Mexican Lasagna
(Adapted by Kelly Oliver from Robin Miller's "Quick Fix Meals")

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 ounces cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup sour cream (regular or low-fat)
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
(NOTE: I usually use a bag of the Mexican blended shredded cheese for the cheese in this recipe, rather than using these two different kinds of cheeses.)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (regular or low-fat), divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar (regular or low-fat), divided
½ cup mild, medium or hot salsa
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges (I usually use about 10 tortillas.)
Salt, to taste (I like to use at least 1/4 tsp.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 11 by 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, black beans, 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, 3/4 cup of the Cheddar, salsa, chiles, cilantro, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of the tortilla pieces in the bottom of prepared pan, overlapping pieces slightly to cover the surface. Top with half of the chicken mixture and smooth over with the back of a spoon to even the top. Layer remaining tortillas over top, and spoon over remaining chicken mixture. Top with remaining 1/4 cup each of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. 

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, until top is golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To reheat, bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.