Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix
• 1 can refried pinto beans
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 head of iceberg leaf lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese
• Baked tortilla chips
• 1 cup of salsa
• Cooking spray

Preparation:
Cut 4 corn tortillas into strips or triangles.
Spray a thin baking sheet with cooking spray.
Lay the tortillas on the sheet, and lightly spray them with cooking spray.
Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until crispy.
Brown the turkey with the taco seasoning mix.
Place lettuce in bowls.
Top the lettuce with the meat, beans, cheese, tomatoes, and onions in that order.
Garnish with the baked tortilla chips and salsa.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner, Baked Tortilla Chips
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Shrimp Tostadas

Bring the taste of coastal Mexico to your dinner table with these easy to make tostadas.

Ingredients:
Prepared tostada shells
1 pound cooked shrimp
2 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
¼ cup of chopped cilantro
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can of refried beans, any style
Salsa

Preparation:
Coarsely chop the shrimp.
Mix the shredded lettuce with the cilantro.
Cook the refried beans in the microwave 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.
Place the tomatoes in a bowl, the onions in another, and the cheese in a third bowl.
Top the tostada shells with refried beans, then the shrimp, then some cheese.
Add the lettuce, tomatoes and onion on top.
Let each person add salsa to taste on top.


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Chicken in Lime with Cumin Potatoes and Black Beans

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of broth
4 russet potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
Pound the chicken breasts between two pieces of waxed paper until they are ½ thick.
Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.
Heat the oil in a skillet.
Cook the breasts in the oil until well done and browned.
Remove from heat and keep warm in the oven.
Slice the potatoes in thin slices.
Toss in a bowl with 2 teaspoons olive oil, just to coat.
Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with the cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Rinse and drain the black beans.
Mix the beans with ¼ cup of chunky tomato salsa or mango salsa. Place in a serving dish.
Stir the broth into the skillet and add the honey, mustard, and lime juice.
Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of broth.
Stir the cornstarch mixture in to the mustard mixture and cook until it thickens, about 1 minute.
Place the chicken breasts back into the pan, and turn to coat them with the mustard lime sauce.
Serve with the potatoes and black beans.

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Chicken Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 bell pepper, cut into slices
• 1 onion, cut into rings
• 1 can of diced green chilis
• 1 can of sliced black olives
• ½ head of lettuce, chopped
• 1 zucchini, cut into thin slices
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 tomato, cut into pieces
• 4 soft taco size tortillas
• Salsa
• Ranch style dressing

Preparation:
Cook the chicken breast tenderloins in 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add the taco seasoning mix and the bell pepper and onion.
Cook until the vegetables are crisp tender.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Into the same pan, place the corn, green chilis, olives and 1 teaspoon cumin.
Stir and cook until the corn begins to brown.
Place in a serving bowl.
Toss the lettuce with the zucchini and tomato.
Warm the tortillas on the stove or in the microwave.
Serve the salad with the ranch dressing.
Serve the fajita ingredients in a bowl and allow the family to build their own.


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Spanish Rice and Chicken One Pot Meal

This recipe was born one night while I tried to use up all the things in the pantry and refrigerator before going shopping again. It turned out so good, my family declared it a hit.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup of jalapenos, chopped (I used canned. If using fresh, one chopped and seeded pepper will be just right.)
• 1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small can of sliced black olives
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of rice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin

Preparation:
Saute the chicken breast tenderloins in a few tablespoons of the chicken broth. After cooking, cut them into chunks and return to the pan.
Cook the onion and celery in a few tablespoons of chicken broth, just until tender.
Add all the ingredients to the pan, and cook over medium heat until the rice is done, about 20 minutes.
Serve it with a salad.

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Spicy Fajitas with Chipotle Refried Beans

Use leftover roast beef to make these fajitas, or buy flank steak for tender meat.

Ingredients:
2 cups of roast beef, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small red onion, sliced in rings
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 can refried beans
1 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce
¼ cup of cilantro, chopped
Taco size flour or wheat or corn tortillas

Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a pan.
Cook the vegetables in the olive oil for about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Cook the beef in the olive oil until brown around the edges. Add the spices to the pan and stir well.
Return the vegetables to the pan, stir to mix, and keep warm.
Heat the refried beans, mixed with 1 tablespoon of chipotle sauce in the microwave for 2-4 minutes, stirring once each minute.
Remove from the microwave and stir in the cilantro.
Warm the tortillas on the stove or in the microwave.
Serve immediately.

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Turkey Taco Salad

This taco salad is lower in fat and calories than traditional taco salad made with ground beef, making it a healthier alternative.

Ingredients for Turkey Taco Salad

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 1 bag of baked tortilla chips
• 1 can of refried black beans or whole black beans
• 1 pound of sliced turkey breast (Jenni-O has presliced turkey breast)
• 1 package of fajita seasoning mix
• 1 cup of Pico de Gallo (chopped tomatoes, onion, and cilantro)
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Salsa
• Optional: Sour cream or low fat sour cream

How to make Turkey Taco Salad
Spray a pan with cooking spray and preheat.
Sprinkle the fajita mix on the turkey slices and cook until well done.
Cut the turkey slices into bite sized pieces.
Place a layer of tortilla chips in four deep bowls.
Top with lettuce.
Place a layer of beans over the lettuce.
Add a layer of cooked turkey.
Top the turkey with mozzarella cheese.
Top with Pico de Gallo, black olives.
Place tortilla chips around the outside of the bowl.
Serve salsa and sour cream on the side.

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Sonora Style Chicken Enchiladas

Smashed Pintos and Peppers


There is an ongoing discussion at my house as to whether or not these qualify as enchiladas, since they aren't rolled. I say they are a casserole, my DH says they are enchiladas. He was born in New Mexico, and he says this is how they cook them. He may be on to something. The New Mexico chiles are out of this world delicious. Whatever you decide to call this enchilada/casserole, it tastes delicious. They are so simple to make, they're perfect for a weeknight.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 package fajita spice mix
• 2 cans (16 ounces) enchilada sauce, red or green (Hatch is a New Mexico company that makes some terrific sauce. You can order peppers from them, too.)
  
• ½ pound grated cheddar cheese
• 12-18 corn tortillas
• Sour cream and salsa for topping
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can diced green chili peppers

How to Make Sonora Style Enchiladas
Cook the meat, onion, and garlic with the spice mix.
Warm one can of enchilada sauce on the stove in a pot.
Spread a large spoonful of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish.
Dip a tortilla in the sauce and lay in the baking dish.
Do this until you have 3-4 of tortillas in the baking dish.
Spoon 1/3 of the turkey mixture over the tortillas.
Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese over the turkey.
Spoon some of the enchilada sauce over the cheese and meat.
Make another layer, then another, till you have three layers.
Lay one more layer of tortillas on top and cover with the remaining cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
Just before the enchiladas are ready, warm the beans in a pot on the stove.
Add the green chilis to the beans.
Smash with a potato masher.
Serve the enchiladas and beans with extra enchilada sauce, salsa, and sour cream.

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Southwestern Baked Acorn Squash with Black Beans and Corn

This is a meal that takes about an hour to bake in the oven. It’s a vegan meal, perfect for those Meatless Mondays. If you want to add meat to this, a pound of Italian sausage, or a pound of ground turkey works nicely.

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squash, cut in half and seeded.
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (or 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis)
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place the acorn squash in a baking dish with the inside facing up.
Cook the onion in the oil.
Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and spices and stir well.
Spoon the filling into the hollow part of the squash.
Pour ¼ cup of water into the baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake one hour.
Pull back the foil and test for doneness. The squash should be fork tender.
Additional filling can be kept warm on the stove and served as second helpings.

Photo credit: CC Harmon

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