Mexi Pasta Toss with Windset Farms

I love fresh, crunchy vegetables. In our house, cherry tomatoes are eaten by the handful on their own or with slices of cheese, and sweet peppers are munched on in lunches, dipped in hummus, tossed in salads, or just about any way you can imagine. In the summer, being veggi-fied (is that a word?) kicks into high gear and our fridge is always bursting with all kinds of produce. What can I say? We love our vegetables. Every day, I take a small container of sugar snap peas, carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, and pepper slices in my lunch. Grape tomatoes and the mini peppers are quick and easy to pack-and eat!

One of my favourite brands to buy that's greenhouse grown is Windset farms. The cukes, peppers and tomatoes are always so delicious and they are readily available. This post isn't really sponsored by them; I've bought their veggies for a few years now and often chat with them on twitter. Since BC Veggie Day was recently and we were celebrating green house grown tastiness that is now making it's way into the grocery stores, the nice folks over at Windset Farms sent me the above veggies  I wasn't asked to post anything, but offered to because I loved them so much. I immediately got down to work and transformed the veggies into something delicious-not that those lovely tomatoes weren't delicious enough that I wanted to just sit and munch them raw, all by themselves.


Anyway you really should try this pasta. It's not a heavy, full of cheese and sour cream or other greasy stuff that some would associate with Mexican type food. It's light and bursting with all kinds of things that are good for you-veggies, beans, some cheese, and a bit of spice. We came up with it on the fly and ended up eating the leftovers the next day for lunch, too.

Ingredients:

200 g of fusilli pasta
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sweet peppers, slivered
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1-2 chunked avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup Mexicana Touch of Philadelphia Cheese
fresh lime
*like it spicy? Add a bit of chopped fresh jalapeno

Directions:

Get the water boiling and cook the pasta according to the package directions. While it's bubbling away on the stove, heat up a large, deep pan and saute up the shallots in a little olive oil until they are softened. Add the garlic (and jalapeno if using)  and continue to saute until fragrant. Stir in the beans, chili powder and cumin, stirring and cooking it for another 2-3 minutes. Take the beans off the heat and set aside.

When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Drain the rest. Add the hot, drained pasta to the pan with the beans and shallots, tossing and adding a little of the reserved water to moisten, and then stir in the cheese. Transfer everything to a large bowl.

Toss the pasta and beans with peppers, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro until everything is well mixed together.

Serve the pasta with slices of lime to squeeze over top.

Makes 4 servings

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Corn, Black Bean and Barley Salad

This week, before school was actually in session (which would mean back to work for me), I went back to work to take a course. What? A week early of sitting and learning, packing lunches and taking tests?

It's kind of hard to go back early. One thing that makes the day a lot better is a really good lunch, and while I made this for dinner one day this week there was enough leftovers that it became lunch as well. I think teenagers and even older kids would probably really like this for lunch. I also packed some yogurt, an apple, and some cheese with crackers and it was really quite satisfying. If you want to add some protein, sauteed garlic shrimp or grilled chicken is a nice touch as well.

A tip about the corn: a good way to cut the kernels off without them flying everywhere is to place your cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet. Then hold the cob at one end, balance the other on the cutting board, and slice downward. The kernels should be contained somewhat by the baking sheet. A bundt pan works well too, but I don't have one and the baking sheet worked just fine.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pearl or pot barley
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 ears fresh corn, with the kernels cut off
1 cup black beans (about half of a 19 oz can), drained and rinsed
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 purple onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
1 avocado

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp liquid honey
garlic clove (grated or minced)

Directions:

Measure out the barley into a dry medium sized pot. Over medium heat, toast the barley a little. It should  become golden and you'll be able to smell it. Don't leave the stove or ignore it, because the barley can go from toasted to burned pretty quickly. Just stir it around and watch it. When you can smell it and it's all warm and toasted, add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 40 minutes. The broth will absorb and the barley will be plump and cooked.  Cool to room temperature.

In a heavy saucepan, saute the corn in a bit of oil until golden and cooked. Cool.

In a large bowl, toss together the beans, cooled sauteed corn, bell pepper, tomato, mango, onion, and cilantro. Toss with the barley.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients until they are well mixed and pour about half the dressing over top of that salad. Toss, then add the avocado and add more dressing to taste if you feel the salad needs it, as well as salt and pepper. I didn't use all the dressing. Store the leftover in a Mason jar with a lid in the fridge

Serve the salad immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings

Adapted from Spilling the Beans

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Veggie Enchiladas

These babies are absolutely delicious. Stuffed with black beans, pepper jack cheese, spinach, and corn, then topped with a cheesy tomato sauce, they are little bites of heaven. Being Canadian, I accept that I know nothing about a good enchilada. But Sydney, having lived in Arizona, knows. According to her they are some of the best enchiladas she's ever had. The original recipe is from Martha Stewart.

As for me? These are going to be a regular dish in our house for sure. And let me tell you that they make really GREAT lunches. Plus they are super easy to make. The only issue that I had was finding good corn tortillas. Where I am, corn tortillas are rubbery and awful, so I had to use flour. You use whatever works for you. I also might add fresh cilantro, just because I really love it.



Adapted from Crepes of Wrath and Martha Stewart

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (14 oz) can sodium reduced vegetable broth
3 cups grated pepper jack cheese
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz chopped spinach; thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed
6 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
about 16 six inch flour tortillas

Pre-heat oven to 400 F

In a saucepan, heat your oil, 1 tsp of the cumin, flour, and tomato paste. Whisk together to form a paste. Cook for about a minute, whisking so it doesn't burn.

Slowly add the veggie broth and 3/4 cup water, whisking as you go to keep from getting lumps. Bring to a boil, still stirring, and then reduce the heat and simmer while it thickens up, about 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a 9X13 inch baking dish with oil. (I forgot to do this and mine stuck.)

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the corn, remaining 1 tsp of cumin, 2 cups of the cheese, the beans, white parts of the green onion, and the spinach. Lay the tortillas out flat and using a heaping 1/3 cup, fill each tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll them up tightly, laying the seam side down in the dish.

When you are finished, sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese and then pour over the enchilada sauce. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes while they bubble and meld into deliciousness. Having never made REAL enchiladas before, I was concerned about the amount of sauce in the dish, but it's okay. Trust me. You need the sauce. Sauce is good.

Enjoy. These are amazing. YUM!

Serves 8

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Loaded Party Nachos

One thing I'll never understand is how anyone eats nachos with that nasty fake cheese sauce. I mean, seriously? How on Earth can anyone stomach that stuff? For Halloween, I created these deliciously cheesy dinner nachos as a treat for Jake and I to nibble on. Paired up with Spanish Rice and Andrea's guacamole, they were little bits of crunchy, salty, spicy heaven. Loads of veggies, spicy meat and cheese make them go from junk food to almost healthy!

1 large bag of nacho chips
1 onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1 (19 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
about 2-3 cups of aged cheddar cheese (more or less, if you need)
chopped fresh cilantro

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

Spread the tortilla chips out on a rimmed cookie sheet, sprinkle with cheese, and set aside.

In a fry pan, saute the ground beef with onion until cooked through and no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, stirring and tasting to correct for seasonings. Stir in the drained black beans and set aside to cool.

Set the cookie sheet with the tortilla chips in the oven for a few minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the cooled beef/bean mixture, diced tomato, diced peppers, and cilantro. You may not need all the beef/bean mixture, so you can put it in the freezer for another day. Or, just load it all up-whatever works for you!

Serve with fresh guacamole, salsa, and Greek yogurt or sour cream to greedily dip into, licking the salty goodness off your fingers.

Serves 4-5.

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Ditch the Processed Packet: Spanish Rice

For the longest time, I used to make flavored rice mixes from a packet. Full of things like chicken fat, maltodextrin, potassium choloride, and disodium inosinate, they really aren't the best things for you and have a lot of preservatives and salt. Why not make your own? Does it really make a difference?

Oh, baby, you bet it does. Full of spicy goodness, this version of Spanish/Mexican rice will have you saying "ole!" before you scarf it all down greedily. The heat of your salsa will determine the heat of the finished product, so if you would prefer something a little milder, make sure to use a milder salsa.

Adapted from Looneyspoons by Janet and Greta Podleski

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used Kitchen Basics Vegetable Broth)
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup salsa (I used Newman's own Black Bean and Corn)
1/2 tsp each chili powder and ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt and black pepper
chopped fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, drizzle some oil on the bottom and set over medium heat to warm up. When the oil is hot, toss in your onion, sweet red pepper, and garlic. Stir around and let it cook until the onions are clear and soft, about 5 minutes or so. Stir in the rice, chicken broth, salsa, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper (optional). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and partially cover. Cook another 25-30 minutes until tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and serve!

Serves six.

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Fish Tacos

Last week I was at Cactus Club and had the MOST amazing Halibut tacos. They were so good that I dreamed about them every day after for a week, wishing that I lived right in the city so I could go back and sample some of their deliciousness. Sadly, I don't live anywhere near a Cactus Club.

Desperate for some relief from my craving, I found some cod on sale at the grocery store and decided to cook up my own! What makes these tacos great is that everything is fresh and home made. The guacamole, the fresh salsa, the bits of purple cabbage, and the lightly spiced fish. Don't skimp on anything-these are well worth it.

The only thing that I would have changed is the fish. Sadly, my selection of places to buy really good fish here are limited and I'm afraid that the fish I bought wasn't the best quality. If you can, get some really good stuff for this recipe-it makes a difference.

1 1/2 lbs firm white fish-cod or halibut
chili powder
cumin
shredded cabbage
1/2 onion, chopped finely
coriander, chopped
small sized tortillas-I used flour, not corn

home made guacamole
home made pico de gallo

Turn your oven on to broil and set the rack so it's not *right* under the broiler, but close to it. Line a baking sheet with foil and set the fish on it.

Brush the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. You can also use cayenne if you like heat and are adventurous.

Broil the fish until it is opaque and flakes easily. How long that actually is depends on how thick it is, so watch it carefully.

When it's cooked through, break it into chunks and serve with the cabbage, onion, fresh salsa and guacamole so that everyone can dress up their own.

Easy, huh?

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
2 fresh limes
2 tbsp fresh diced onion
handful of coriander, chopped
1 small roma tomato, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste

Mash up the avocados. Stir in the other ingredients, and then salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

Fresh Salsa:

1 tomato, seeded and chopped finely
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced fine (if you like heat, keep the seeds)
2 tbsp fresh onion, minced
salt and pepper
lime (zest and juice)
small bunch of coriander, chopped (about 1 tbsp)

Stir everything together, then zest the lime over top and squeeze some juice in. Cover and put in the fridge

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Chicken Tortilla Casserole

I found this recipe hidden away in a file, scribbled on piece of loose leaf paper. I have no idea where it came from, but it's one of those really easy, throw everything together type of casseroles that you can just toss in the oven after a busy day.

Today was a busy day and I admit, I wasn't in the mood for cooking. When it was finally on my plate though, I remembered why I liked this recipe so much...it tastes yummy! (and it makes really great leftovers, too)

l lb boneless, skinless, chicken breasts chopped into 1 inch sized cubes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 onion, minced finely
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced finely
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
19 oz stewed tomatoes
4 oz light cream cheese, cubed
1 cup corn
10 stale corn tortillas, broken into small pieces
shredded Cheddar or Monteray Jake cheese
chopped fresh cilantro

Saute the chicken in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until browned and cooked through. I sprinkle it with the first bit of chili powder, cumin, and a bit of pepper. Remove to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, add a bit of oil and saute up the onion, sweet green pepper, and jalapeno pepper until nice and soft. Stir in the second portion of chili powder and cumin, continuing to cook and stir another minute. Then stir in your stewed tomatoes, bringing up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the cream cheese, making sure that it blends in well before you add the chicken and corn. Take the whole mixture off the element and set it aside.

Line the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan with 1/2 of the stale tortillas. I just rip them up and scatter them over the bottom of the pan. Top with 1/2 of the chicken filling, then top with the remaining tortilla pieces, and the remaining chicken filling. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with greased tin foil, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes until bubbly and hot.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before you serve it. I have tried to cut the casserole into slices, but it never stays all together so I end up just scooping it out. Top with fresh cilantro and avocado.

Serves 4-5

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Jamie Oliver's Mexican Bean Wraps

So, the week got away from me and before I knew it, Friday was staring me in the face. Friday?!? Already? Actually as I'm writing this, Friday is almost over here on the West Coast.

This week I decided to try Jamie Oliver's Mexican Bean wraps. I believe they were the same wraps that he made for the kids at the Huntington Elementary school in that last, do or die meal before they finally allowed him to stay longer.

Good one, Jamie! They were really good!

I admit, Jamie's recipes have a few techniques that make me stop and scratch my head. I mean..make up what looks like a fairly bland mixture of beans and onions, and then puree half of it? What's that all about? It all comes down to trust. Okay, he's the chef, I'm going to try it.

Every time, every single time so far, I wonder why I bothered questioning at all. Why? They were yummy! Not just that, but both Jake and I took them in our lunches the next day and they were equally as delicious. I did change things up a bit and added more chili powder, some fresh cilantro, and slathered them with our favorite salsa. I know, I know..I just can't leave well enough alone.

These are SO MUCH better than canned re-fried beans. I can't even BEGIN to tell you. Don't even bother with canned, re-fried, loaded with salt (and look like dog food) beans. These are SO cheap, and so easy to make, your kids could make them FOR you.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (I minced it)
a pinch of chili powder (I um...used about a tsp-we wanted a bit of spice!)
1 tsp tomato puree (I used tomato paste)
480 g of tinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used a scale and weighed them. Turns out about two 14 oz cans?)
150 g of tinned tomatoes (again, I used a scale. It wasn't much, actually)
salt and pepper
1/2 green pepper (I used yellow)
1/2 red pepper
5 large flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
150 g cheese ( I didn't even measure...lolol!)

With a bit of oil in your fry pan, saute up the onion and garlic until it's nice and soft. Add the chili powder. Stir it around, then add in the kidney beans, tomato puree, and canned tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the juice from the tomatoes is cooked off.

Remove from the heat and set aside. Scoop half of the bean mixture out of the pan and put it in your food processor. What, you ask? Really. I'm serious. Process 1/2 of the bean filling until it's a paste.

Saute up your peppers a bit so that they are soft-ish too. Add them to the other half that you didn't process-the chunky beans and bits of onion, etc. Stir.

Lay 5 flour tortillas out on the counter, and divide the pureed bean paste between them. Spread the pureed beans on the tortillas. Top with the chunky bean/pepper mixture. I added a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and then topped each with some cheese. Roll them up and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake them for about 20 minutes at 400 F until hot, browned, and delicious. Serve topped with salsa and a sprinkle of cheese.

Makes 5 wraps.

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Make Your Own Taco Night

Tacos are one of my hands down favorite meals as far as flavor and fast to make. With people in my house that have specialized diets, everyone can fill their own and all I have to do is set out everything out. What's not to like? Often we go with a turkey filling, but this week I cooked up a beef one that is a favorite of mine and Kevin. It has a lot of flavor but isn't too spicy-if you like spice, add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. You can use it with crunchy corn or soft flour tortillas, and the leftovers freeze really well. Make sure to simmer it good and long to get rid of the juice or your tacos might be a bit drippy.

Adapted From The Easy Gourmet

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 each sweet green and red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp each brown sugar and red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chili powder
one 398 can of stewed tomatoes

Saute the ground beef until it's cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off the fat. Add the onion, sweet peppers, and garlic; stirring and continuing to cook until they are soft. Stir in the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, salt, black pepper, oregano and chili powder. Let it continue to cook (and stir!) for a few minutes to let the spices blend into the meat.

Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid. Increase the heat and cook, uncovered so that the mixture thickens and the juices are absorbed. It takes about 15 minutes or so.

Serve warm with an assortment of taco fillings, such as:

-chopped green onion
-diced tomato
-shredded lettuce
-shredded cheese
-avocado, cut into chunks
-salsa
-refried beans
-chopped sweet red pepper
-black olives

Put everything out and let your family fill their own!

Makes 10 burritos, probably more tacos. You can freeze the leftover filling, too.

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Tortilla Bake

Want burritos but no rolling? This recipe is really fast and easy. In the picture I used 8 inch (ish) whole wheat flour tortillas and stacked it higher then normal, but you can do it with three larger tortillas if you wish.

3/4 lb ground turkey or beef (I always use turkey)
1 small onion, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 jar your favorite chunky salsa
1 cup coarsely mashed kidney beans
1/4 chopped fresh coriander
Tex mexy pre-shredded cheese
four 10 inch flour tortillas

Place 1 tortilla on a cookie sheet and pre-heat your oven to 350F.

Saute your onion, red pepper, and ground beef (or turkey) together until the meat is cooked and the veggies are soft and yummy. Sprinkle in the cumin and chili powder, stirring. Take it off the heat.

Stir in enough salsa to make it saucy but not dripping-I use about 1/2 jar, so maybe 1/2 cup? Stir in the mashed up kidney beans and the chopped coriander. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over the tortilla sitting on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with some cheese, top with another tortilla. Top with 1/3 more filling, more cheese, repeat layers, ending with the last tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese.

If you have a lot of filling, you can add another layer of meat and cheese, topping with another tortilla.

Bake in the 350 F oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is warm and bubbly. We just slice it up like a pie and eat it, but you could serve it topped with chopped lettuce, black olives, sour cream, etc.

Serves 4.

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Mexy-ish Chicken Wraps

Jake's new love is the sort-of-Mexy-but not really stuff that comes out of my kitchen. Real Mexican food, I'm sure, is nothing like the stuff I make. Usually it has a lot of calories and milk products in it (like cheese!) which he can't eat. So I find myself being a bit inventive when it comes to doing pseudo-Mexican.

This recipe is screamingly easy. I came home from work, threw it together, and in about 1/2 hr we were happily digging in. Don't believe me? Go on, read!

This recipe is ©Karen Humphrey 2009

1 box of Spanish Rice mix(whatever brand you like)
2 whole chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
2 batches of Andrea's No Fail Tortillas (only if you are ambitious. They taste best, but if you don't have the time go with a pack of the small fajita sized flour tortillas)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1-2 limes
2 avocados, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion
2 sweet peppers (I used 1 red, 1 yellow)
La Grille's Vegetable seasoning
vegetable oil

Start prepping the rice as per the package instructions.

In a skillet over medium heat, begin by frying up the onion in a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with some La Grille vegetable spice and cook until they are soft and a nice brown. Transfer to plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan and saute the peppers, also sprinkling with the La Grille vegetable spice, until they are tender. Transfer to plate.

Lastly, the chicken goes into the same skillet. Sprinkle it with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until the pieces are no longer pink. Lastly, zest a lime right over top, then cut the lime in half and squeeze all the juice into the pan, stirring to bring up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to plate.

Serve everything in a "help yourself" style. I had a plate of chopped tomato and avocado, another with the sauteed peppers, onions, and chicken. The tortillas are incredible piled high with the spicy rice, chicken, onions, peppers, and topped with creamy avocado. We didn't even miss sour cream or cheese, but you could add those in as well.

Serves 4

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Karen's Black Bean Salsa Burritoes

I have tried many burrito recipes, but none seemed to be perfect, until I came up with this one. Newman's Own Black Bean and Corn salsa is perfectly seasoned, with a fantastic smoky flavor that just makes these burritos go from ho-hum to amazing! They also make a great freezer meal, or lunch box item. Defrost until the centers are no longer hard, and then bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.



1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, sliced
one 500 ml (approx) jar of Newman's Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 small can sliced black olives (about 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 lime
two 398 ml cans refried beans
2 1/2 cups of aged cheddar (you can also try pepper jack)
2 packages of burrito sized (10 inch?) flour tortillas (about 16)

Brown the beef, onion, and sweet pepper with a bit a oil in a skillet until the beef is brown, no longer pink, and cooked through. Remove from skillet to a bowl. Add olives and stir in entire jar of salsa.

Taste and adjust your seasonings. I think it's good just the way it is, but you can add more spice if you like. Add coriander, cut the lime in 1/2 and squeeze the juice over top, and stir.

Lay the tortillas out on the counter. In the middle of each one, smear about 3 tbsp refried beans, then top with 2 1/2-3 heaping tbsps of the beef mixture, and a sprinkle of cheese. Continue until you have divided the fillings among all the tortillas. Roll them up by following these directions (for the rolling, not the filling)

Place your burritoes seam side down in a baking dish and heat up for about 10-15 minutes at 350 F. Or, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and then tin foil, and put them in the freezer for another day!

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Chicken and Bean Quesidillas with Home made Tortillas

Can you make your own tortillas and filling for this? You betcha. I worked in a Foods class once where a bunch of teens made this totally on their own. They were absolutely a family favourite when I re-created the dish at home. This recipe is a bit work intensive-if you don't want to make your own tortillas, you can just substitute some store bought 6 inch tortillas and I promise I won't tell. I've been known to do that myself on busy nights.

Our secret!

The recipe is from a Foods class that I work in, and I don't know the source exactly....whoever it is, they are brilliant.

Makes 6 six inch Quesidillas

2 full chicken breasts (4 breast halves)..cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 jalapeño pepper (if you like spicy)
1 small diced onion
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
*optional add-ins...black olives or corn to your liking...

1 can (398 ml) re-fried beans
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Make home made tortillas (see below). They really aren't that hard, and are so much better for this recipe!

Saute chicken in a small amount of oil until no longer pink. Transfer to plate, cool, and shred. In the same pan, saute onion, jalapeño (if using), and garlic until translucent. Add the chili powder, cumin, and cardamom and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. Stir into the chicken mixture.

Lay six of the tortillas onto baking sheets. Divide the beans among them, smearing the mixture right out to the edges. Top with chicken mixture, and then with cheese and lay a tortilla on top of each. Brush the tops lightly with oil.

Bake at 425 F for about 8-10 minutes (watching closely) until cheese is melted and it's hot. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole!

*The original recipe says that you can gently fry the quesidillas in a lightly oiled non stick pan, which can be tasty but I find this way less greasy.


Home made Tortillas (makes 12 six inch tortillas)

300 ml whole wheat flour
450 ml all purpose flour
6 ml salt
90 ml margarine
90 ml warm water

Mix everything together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it all comes together. Turn out on a floured counter and knead for 5 minutes. Then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, cover with a tea towel and set in a warm spot to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 450 F. (can't believe I forgot this line! Ack!)

Roll each ball of dough into a 6 inch round tortilla and place on an upside down cookie sheet. (really! The bottom! I know this is weird, and I have no idea why this is, but it works. Strange.)

Cook for 3 minutes, then cool on rack before proceeding to topping with the quesidilla fillings.

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