Baked Black Bean Flautas

So....I'm not sure if anyone is still looking at this blog anymore but I still think of recipes to post on here all of the time.  So if nothing else, I know where they will always be, once I get them all posted haha

A friend of mine brought something very similar to this to us the week after I had Warren and we loved them so I found a recipe on Pinterest that is very comparable.  I've made it a few times for us (and I made it for Serena & Ryan's family recently too).  This is honestly a super easy recipe and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand.

The one change I made, was instead of adding water to the beans when cooking I added the juice drained from Rotel tomatoes.

(credit given to: http://vittlesandbits.blogspot.com/2010/05/oven-crisp-black-bean-flautas.html)

Oven-Crisp Black Bean Flautas

• 1 t. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 10 oz. can mild Rotel diced tomatoes & chiles, drained
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 C. Monterey Jack cheese (or whatever type you prefer)
• 5 10" flour tortillas
• canola oil, for brushing

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.

Add 1/2 C. water along with beans, onion powder, chili powder and cilantro.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 10 minutes until most of water is evaporated.

Remove pan from heat and smash beans with back of spoon or immersion blender until mixture is thickened but still chunky, with some whole beans left.  Stir in salt & Rotel, and allow mixture to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, or line with nonstick foil.

Microwave tortillas in 10 second intervals until soft & pliable.  Spoon a heaping 1/3 C. mixture in a line down center of each tortilla and sprinkle cheese on top.

Fold in sides on either end of the line, and then roll tortilla tightly around filling.  Secure end with a toothpick and set on baking sheet with seam side down.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the flautas with oil and place baking sheet in oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.  Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa.  (I would also recommend cutting them in half to let them cool... the filling stays really hot in the enclosed tortilla!)

OBB Cheesesteak Sandwich

One of our favorite quick and easy meals is Cheesesteak Sandwiches from Our Best Bites!  I usually use yellow or orange bell peppers just as a personal preference over the green.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/07/cheesesteak-sandwiches/


Angie

Tebow’s Pizza Pie

My mom shared this recipe with me from GMA and since it's football season I thought it was a good one to share. Even Allie likes it, so that's huge for us! She said she'd like to eat this all the time, and she never eats meat or green things and this has both and she liked it!


Tebow's Pizza Pie  Servings: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 30-60 min

This pizza pie is one of star quarterback Tim Tebow's favorite dishes that his mother made growing up. Although Tebow has never made it himself, he says the pizza pie is great for serving to friends and that it represents the kind of "normal food" he prefers.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
c. chopped green pepper
1 pkg. Italian style spaghetti sauce mix
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
c. water
1 large can baking powder biscuits 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions
Brown the meat, drain. Add green pepper, cook until tender.
Stir in sauce mix, tomato paste, and water.
Simmer 10 minutes.

Line greased 9 in. pie pan with biscuits, press together to seal.
Sprinkle c. Parmesan cheese over the crust.
Fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella cheese and
remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20
minutes.

(The sauce can be made ahead and reheated to facilitate last
minute preparations.)

I've just used a regular tube of biscuits and tried the jumbo and both worked, but I need to remember to bake it longer if I do the jumbos! Also, I don’t know why but I’ve still never had a pie pan so I always just make it in a 8x8 pan.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Can I just say.....I love this stuff!!!  I got this recipe off of makeit-loveit.com and it is supposed to be served on top of sweet pork tacos.  Pork tacos will never be the same without it! But I've also taken it to a few BBQ's and potlucks just as a coleslaw and it's been a hit every time!  I'm only posting the slaw recipe but if you want the pork recipe just let me know...it's delish too!

1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage (red cabbage is good!)
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor-or chop and combine by hand (I just chop the cilantro and garlic, whisk the other ingredients together, then add the cilantro and garlic).  Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.  **If you use a head of cabbage, I would recommend using half of it then see if you need more if needed. 

-If you try it, let me know what you think!

Spinach Salad Wraps

So....It's been a while but I have a list of recipes that I've been wanting to post so I'll start with this one.  I love this one for summer!  I cut it out of one of Mom's "Better Homes & Garden" magazines last year and it's delicious every time I've made it (plus-it's super easy, which is always a plus).

5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. snipped fresh parsley (I just use dried)
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I just use a little bit of regular yellow mustard)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 5-oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach (about 5 cups)
6 10-inch flour tortillas
6 slices mozzarella cheese-torn in half (shredded is good too)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and drained (or just use precooked, crumbled bacon)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions (green onions are good too)
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1.  For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, sour cream, sugar, parsley, salt, garlic, and mustard until combined.  Whisk in the olive oil; set dressing aside.
2.  Divide spinach among flour tortillas. Top with cheese, mushrooms, bacon, onion, and sliced egg.  Drizzle with dressing.
3.  Roll up tortillas.  If necessary, secure with toothpicks.  If desired, wrap in waxed paper and cut in half to serve.  Makes 6 servings.

-The only tip I have is that I like to cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil (or toss them in with the bacon) just a little bit before I put the wraps together.  I've tried it both ways but I like them better cooked

Honey Lime Enchiladas

So I have a list of recipes that I have wanted to blog for awhile now. So here goes. The first one, Honey Lime Enchiladas, ranks in the top 5 of my family's favorite recipes. I would've never thought to put this combo together, but boy am I glad I gave it a try. They are soooo good!

This recipe can be found on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

A tip from the website is to saute diced onion and garlic and add to the marinade. I always do this, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic. Also, I always use sour cream instead of heavy cream and think it tastes great. I've never been able to find a 16 oz. can of enchilada sauce, so I have used two 10 oz. cans or one 28 oz. can and it comes out just fine. I have also used a variety of cheeses, cheddar, pepperjack, colby jack, just whatever I have on hand. I usually marinade the chicken for a couple of hours, but I have done it for as little as 30 minutes and once I did it overnight and I didn't notice a big difference.

Something yummy to make to go along with these enchiladas is Mel's Honey Lime Fruit Salad :http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/honey-lime-fruit-salad.html

Give these a try! I think you'll love them! Oh yeah, and these are almost better rewarmed the next day!

Regis Fruit Cobbler

We had this for dessert yesterday so I thought I’d share the recipe, and it was the first time I had ever made it. My mom has made this a few times for us and I always like it when she does because it smells so good. I’m not a fan of cobblers, but I love this one cuz it taste more like cake. It’s also super easy.
Regis Fruit Cobbler
1 - 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain liquid)
2 - 12 oz. bags frozen fruit (I like to get 2 different kinds of fruit.)  (We’ve always had one bag of peaches and one bag of the mix of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries but you can have whatever you want!)
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cube butter, melted
(Icecream to serve on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an ungreased 9x13 cake pan spread the can of pineapple with the juice.  Spread 1 of the bags of frozen fruit over the pineapple.  Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the fruit.  Spread the other bag of frozen fruit over the cake mix.  Sprinkle the nuts over the fruit.  Melt the butter and add the sugar and stir until combined.  Pour butter/sugar mixture over the nuts and fruit.
Bake for about 1 hour until golden brown.  (May take a little longer to bake.)  Serve warm with ice cream on top.

Thai Peanut Noodles

I saw this is the Our Best Bites cookbook and it said it was one of the favorites on the blog so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s also on their site http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/thai-peanut-noodles/. I kept putting off trying this, but we were given a ton of peanuts for Christmas so I thought it was a good time to test it. It’s super easy and Everybody loved it, Allie especially. She still talks about it. I liked it except I think I didn’t cook enough noodles and the sauce was too powerful, but that’s just because I don’t know how to judge how many noodles to make, is there a secret way to measure them? How do you judge how many noodles to make?! Here’s the Recipe:

Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

I didn’t do the Sriracha chili sauce because I couldn’t find it, and I was afraid of having it hot. We will be having this again.

Avocado Chicken Salad

(photo from thekitchencookie.blogspot.com)

I've had this pinned on Pinterest for a while and when I got 10 avocados in our Guacamole Pack from Bountiful Baskets I decided to try it.  I made it just as the recipe calls but I didn't cook enough chicken so I probably only had about 2 cups but it would definitely be better with more chicken.  For the cabbage, I used Napa Cabbage because it also came in my Bountiful Basket and I probably had slightly more than it called for (plus I like it better than regular cabbage).  I made it when Mom was in town & Serena had it with us and we all loved it!! (at least they said they did haha)    I would recommend slicing the avocado and arranging it on the plate then putting the salad on top instead of filling the avocado like in the picture~it was kind of hard to eat out of the avocado. 

We just loved the chicken salad! It would be delish in a pita pocket or just as a sandwich.  The almonds, celery & cabbage gave it a good crunch!  YUM!!

Here's the recipe:

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1 cup cabbage, shredded

½ - ¾ cup celery, diced

¼ cup green onions, chopped

½ cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

2½ teaspoons mustard

1½ teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Milk, to desired consistency  (I didn't use milk)

Combine all dressing ingredients & whisk together.  Set aside.  Combine chicken, veggies, and almonds then stir in the dressing.  Then top avocado with chicken salad.

Enjoy!
~Ang~

Ham & Cheese Sliders

I love Superbowl Sunday, not because I love the Superbowl, but because I love Superbowl food! When I saw this recipe http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/ham-and-cheese-sliders.html, I knew I had to try it for the Superbowl and it did not disappoint!

I followed the recipe exact. I made Rhoades white dinner rolls for the rolls and I bought honey ham from the deli. I also only made half the sauce as recommended and it was just right.

I thought these were super good and they seemed to get good reviews from everyone! I am excited to make them again!

Mini Puffed Oven Pancakes

I recently saw this recipe http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/01/mini-puffed-oven-pancakes-with-berry-sauce/posted on Our Best Bites blog and since my family loves breakfast for dinner, especially crepes, I thought I would give it a try and boy did it go over well!

I got comments like: Rhett: "Mom, you are the best cooker ever. You should go on one of those cooking shows and make these because you will win first place." Gracie: "I thought crepes were my favorite food but just for the record, these are my favorite." (I'm not sure where she heard the "just for the record" thing, but she says it all the time!)

I made a double batch and it was a good thing, because Gracie and Rhett ate 12 each! I didn't make the sauce, because I had some raspberry pie filling that I needed to use. I also had some leftover Buttermilk Caramel Syrup (also from OBB) that we used. They were both really good on the pancakes and of course we had to sprinkle powdered sugar on them and top it all off with some whip cream!

To go along with the pancakes I made this Orange Julius: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/01/classic-orange-julius.html
I don't think I had ever made an "authentic" Orange Julius before and this one was it! It was so good! I'm sure I will be getting requests for this meal again soon!

I'm sure I will be getting requests to make these again soon!

Mike's Favorites -Part 1 "Aussie Chicken"

I don't know if you all know this but Mike has a love for mushrooms unlike most.  I mean they are right up there after ME (of course) but up there with his other top loves like bacon, Dr. Pepper, his XBox, potatoes, steak, etc  :)  Needless to say, we eat mushrooms often: in salad, eggs, stuffed, sauteed, and the list goes on.  So when I found this recipe, I knew it would be a hit in this home.  It might not be your cup of tea but it sure is Mike's.

I believe it's supposed to a mimic recipe from a dish at Outback Steakhouse but we've never had it there.  I got it from this blog about 3 years ago so I'm not sure if it's still a good source for recipes since this is the only one I've ever tried.  One of the great things about this recipe is that it's easy to downsize or expand the recipe if needed.  Welp-here it is!

Aussie Chicken
* 4 Chicken Breasts (I like to cut them in half so they are thinner & a better chicken to goodies ratio. For just the 2 of us, I will use 2 chicken breasts sliced thin creating 4 thing pieces so we have leftovers.)
* 8 slices of bacon (I use the crumbled bacon from Costco-saves time & increases simplicity)
* 2 Tsp Seasoning Salt
* 2 Cups Colby Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded (I prefer Monterey Jack)
* 1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (you knew that was coming, huh? but of course I use a bit more)
* Honey Mustard -it didn't have a measurement but it will depend on how saucy you like things.  I think originally it had a recipe for this but I like simple & just buy Honey Mustard Dressing (current favorite, suprisingly enough is WalMart brand Honey Dijon Light Dressing) but you could probably try the Honey Mustard dips they have now for a thicker sauce

-Rub chicken breasts with seasoning salt, cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes (sometimes I don't wait 30 minutes because I forget so I just rub it in really well & then start cooking it). 
-Preheat over to 350. 
-Cut bacon into bite sized pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy & set aside.
-Heat a tablespoon or 2 of oil in the skillet & place the breasts in the hot oil for 5-6 minutes per side, or until brown. 
-Drizzle some Honey Mustard in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (for just Mike & I, I use an 8x8 dish).
-Once browned, place the chicken in the baking dish & drizzle more sauce over the top.
-Then layer mushrooms, bacon & shredded cheese on top.
-Bake for 10 minutes or unitl cheese is melted & chicken juices run clear (I usually do 15 just to be safe).
-You can use more of the honey mustard for additional sauce if you need it.
                                               Enjoy!!

The Beginning of a Great Thing!

Hi Everyone!

Well, it's finally up and running with lots of kinks to work out (I'm sure) but I am SO excited for this blog!  So let's all embrace the idea & share, share, share!  Share cooking successes & failures (wink wink -you know we've all had them) as well as crafts, DIY projects, or even just great deals that we should all know about! 

So-here we go:

At the cabin for Christmas, Marilee showed me this awesome blog so I've been trying some new recipes on this month's meal plan.  One of our new FAVORITES, which will be a regular in the Searle home is Mel's Crispy Chicken Wraps. They are SUPER easy & SO yummy!!  It calls for a rotisserie chicken which makes it even easier since it's already cooked but I rarely buy those & I'll be using boiled & shredded chicken next time.  We had 4 or 5 left over and they were yummy the day after too! 

Happy Cooking!   Luvs~Ang~