Tuesday Recipe: Pumpkin, Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

Once again, my skepticism with a pumpkin recipe impacting one of my fave genres of food turns to OH MY GOODNESS! THIS WORKS!

Hubby & I love TexMex! We could eat it 3, 4, 5 times a week! So, when somebody wants to mess with it, we're like, "Naw." But, this is #PunkinChunkin month when I like to try a pumpkin or pumpkin pie spice twist on sweet and savory dishes. Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publications issued the PUMPKIN edition for America's pumpkin addiction

After reading several articles online about the ancient Hispanic culture and the pumpkin, I figured the two have made a beautiful life, together. Who was I to think my Mexican food and my orange squash don't work in the same recipe?

I used a blend of the cute little Sugar Pie Pumpkin and the Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin to measure enough cooked pumpkin for this recipe. The Kabocha is a brighter, sweeter flavor -in my opinion- compliments the cumin seasoning, fresh cilantro and soft corn tortillas! It just works!

Pumpkin, Bean & Chicken Enchiladas

2-4 tsp Olive Oil (enough to sauté onion and jalapeño)
1 small Onion, chopped
1-2 Jalapeños, seeded & finely chopped
1 3/4 cups Cooked Pumpkin -OR- 1 (15 oz) can 100% Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cups Water
1-2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1 can Black Beans or Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained & smooshed!
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked & shredded -OR- 2 cans of (12.5 oz) Chicken Breast
1/2 cup shredded Cheese (your preferred)
Cilantro, chopped
6-8 Corn Tortillas, softened in microwave 30 seconds between paper towels) I purchased the "Super Soft" White Corn Tortillas at Walmart and bypassed the microwave.

• Heat oven to 400*. Lightly coat square/rectangle baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• In medium skillet, heat onion and sauté onions & jalapeños until tender and onions are opaque.
• Stir in pumpkin and water, chili powder, cumin and heat through. If needed, add enough water (up to 1/4 cup) to your desired consistency. 
• 
  
• While this mixture is heating...Turn beans (already rinsed & drained) into a large bowl and slightly smoosh with the back of a fork.
• Add HALF of the pumpkin mixture, all the chicken and cheese and cilantro. Reserve the other HALF of pumpkin mixture to pour over the tortilla rolls, once assembled.
• 
  
• Assemble tortillas: Onto a soft(ened) tortilla, spoon about 1/3 cup bean, pumpkin & chicken mixture; roll up tortillas and place seam sides down in prepped baking dish. Pour the remaining half of pumpkin mixture over all of the assembled tortillas. COVER DISH with lid or foil.
• 
  
• Bake, covered, 15 minutes. The lid or foil keeps the tortillas and pumpkin mixture
  
  from drying out.
• Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired, and Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until heated through.
• Serve with extra cilantro, salsa or limes.

Note: I thinned the left-over filling with a little of the pumpkin mixture and poured into an oven-safe dish coated with non-stick spray. Then, topped with the remaining pumpkin mixture and crunched up tortilla chips on top with extra cheese. Made a great TexMex Lunch Bowl for later!

GO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! 

I'd love to hear how your enchiladas turned out and what you thought of them or how you changed the recipe to make it your own!

Tuesday Recipe: Shrapnel Dip

When good friends get together, there's good food to go with the fun. Why bother with the plates when the party can happen standing around the kitchen island loaded with fare that brings us together? 

"Mmmm!"
"That is sooo yummy!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"I gotta have this recipe!"

One dish that had us hanging over the bowl scooping with tortilla chips was texted to me while hanging over the bowl scooping with tortilla chips! Thanks, Gabs! Now, you can hang over the bowl scooping with tortilla chips laughing it up with friends!

Shrapnel Dip

1 can White Beans (like navy beans)
1 can Black Beans
2 cans Green Giant Steam Crisp Corn! (Trust me on this!)
1-2 Avocados, diced
1-2 Red or Orange Bell Peppers, diced (Because they're pretty!)
Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved & quartered
Cilantro, leaves only chopped
Fresh Lime Zest & Juice
Salt & Pepper, to taste
optional: 2 Tablespoons Red Onion, finely chopped (None for me.)


Choose the sauce... What brings it all together depends on your tastebuds. I experimented with 4 different options, all to taste and texture:
(1) 3-4 Limes, zest and juice (My fave!); or
(2) Italian Dressing; or
(3) Wish-Bone Balsamic Vinaigrette; or
(4) NEW! Wish-Bone E.V.O.O. Dressing Lemon Herb (What I went with for an after party!)

• Drain AND Rinse beans and corn together in colander. Then, PAT DRY to remove excess liquid. Ain't nobody got time for soggy chip.
• Gently mix all veggies, cilantro and lime zest together.
• Squeeze lime juice over the veggie mixture.
• Decide which sauce choice to gently fold into the veggie mixture.
• Serve with tortilla chips!

Here's an idea... add a finely chopped jalapeño for some heat!

Go #playwithyourfood!

2-on-Tuesday: Roasted Pepper & Corn with Quinoa

I needed a quick vegetarian, Tex-Mex-tasting, protein-packed filling for a tortilla or topping for a salad or I was gonna blow my nutrition budget!

To truly get the roasted effect I was craving, there should be gas in the grill. I didn't have time...I WAS HAWNGRY! I turned the oven up to 400 degrees at a medium broil, placed the orange bell pepper in the little cast iron skillet and monitored the roasting while occasionally turning the pepper with tongs.

Attempting to achieve a fire-roasted effect on the corn didn't pan out, too well. Will try, again, when the grill is fired up! I used what I cooked, but should have gone with fresh corn. Live and learn!

What I wanted was Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Dip. What I opted for was a very ripe avocado partly diced and partly smooshed with shredded sharp cheddar to serve as the "creamy" binder for the recipe with a very large jalapeño chopped small for that bite I like! With the lime zest and juice, my hubby never suspected avocado was even near his mouth! (Sneaky wife stands smiling while hubby enjoys his tortilla!)

Cilantro is the star with quinoa receiving the supporting

role! You'll probably want to double or triple the entire recipe if serving a family.

Roasted Pepper & Corn with Quinoa!

1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 cup Corn
1 orange or red Bell Pepper, roasted, skinned, seeded & diced
4 Green or Spring Onions, sliced (I'm not fond of raw onions)
1 - 15 oz can Black Beans, drained & rinsed (I used half of the can)
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1-2 large Jalapeños, chopped small
1-2 very ripe Avocados, partly diced & partly smooshed with
1/2 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar
Zest and juice from 1-2 Limes
1 teaspoon ground Cumin or Adobo
Salt, to taste
Tortillas or salad greens

• Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well!
• If your quinoa is still warm, it will somewhat "melt" the very ripe avocado with shredded cheese!
• Remember, this is NOT an exact science, so add and subtract with what your mouth likes!
• Serve chilled over a bed of salad greens OR stuffed into a warm tortilla!

It curbed my hawnger in a nutritious way and there were left-overs for another meal! <cha-ching!>

#GoPlaywithYourFood

2-on-Tuesday: Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes with Spicy Cilantro Pesto

Saturday was the first day of college football season and I was in the mood for cookin' up

some spice! Here's another offering from the Forks Over Knives cookbook! As of this writing, I've been enjoying a mostly-plant-based nutrition since December 1, 2012! 

If you are considering making a lifestyle shift with fitness and nutrition to effect your health, I do have a couple of notes for ya...

1. The first 2 weeks of your new fitness and nutrition lifestyle will be the hardest.
2. If you can swing it -OR- if your health insurance covers a yearly wellness exam, DO IT! You'll have a good base of numbers to launch forward. Find out cholesterol, weight (ugh), blood pressure, thyroid (TSH) levels, then, you'll know what type of nutrition to pursue. Don't be too overwhelmed if your physician suggests meds to control these areas. Typically they opt for fitness and nutrition as their first prescription.
3. Find a fitness regime that makes you smile -after the first 2 weeks of fatigue and muscle soreness- and STICK TO IT! Consistency is the key! The cheapest is walking or running. I love REFIT® & Zumba! Known as "The Angry Runner," I am intentionally trying to smile for a couple of seconds during each run.
4. If there's a nutrition change, the hardest parts are (1) not giving up and (2) food preparation, if you have a busy lifestyle. When I don't prepare a menu or weekend food prep for the meals ahead, my husband and I will end up making poor nutritional choices and it'll cost us more money, too.

OK. On to the good stuff...FOOD!

Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes with Spicy Cilantro Pesto
(page 188, Forks Over Knives cookbook)

4 large Tomatoes, topped and scooped-out
1/2 Yellow Onion, peeled and diced small
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced small
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
2 ears Fresh Corn, kernels removed (+/- 1 cup)
1/2 (15 oz.) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked Quinoa
S&P, to taste
3/4 cup Spicy Cilantro Pesto

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and scoop out the flesh. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• Place onion and red pepper in a large saucepan and dry/water sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. I like the veggies slightly crunchy!
• Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes--careful not to scorch the garlic.
• Add corn, black beans and cooked quinoa.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
• Mix-in the cilantro pesto.
• Spoon quinoa mixture into tomatoes, arrange in baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes!
• Prior to serving, top with some of the pesto!

Spicy Cilantro Pesto
(page 24, Forks Over Knives cookbook)

2 cups (+/-) packed Fresh Cilantro
1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds, toasted (I used pine nuts, instead!)
2 Jalapeño peppers, coarsely chopped (I used 2 because the tofu and nooch de-heated the peppers!)
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
Zest and juice of 1 Lime (I only had the bottle kind on hand.)
Salt, to taste
1/2 package Extra Firm Silken Tofu, drained
optional: 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (nicknamed "nooch")

• Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pureé until smooth and creamy!
• This recipe serves as a pretty good dip for baked corn chips, too!

Food Prep Tips: 

• I had the "1/2" onion, red pepper and the 1/2 can of black beans from the previous night's recipe of Cheesy Mexican Quinoa.
• Be sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking to wash-off the bitter outside. You can't see it, but it's there! Trust me, I forgot, once, and had a little upset tummy. Same with the black beans...rinse 'em!
• To drain silken tofu (a different technique than draining firm tofu), remove from package and let sit for awhile or over night. The whey (the liquid you'll drain-off) will separate from the curd.

2-on-Tuesday: Greek Black Bean Burgers

HA! YES! This was a great recipe I picked up from Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean!

Seitan is pretty great, but this filled that hawhnger in mah belly! Easy to make. My hubby found it yummy, too! I served on a bed of greens with sliced tomatoes and a dollop of olive tapenade on the side! But, it could have easily been between two buns with lettuce and tomatoes. I'm pretty sure this would be awesome rolled into "meatballs" with spaghetti...TONITE!! 

Greek Black Bean Burgers

1 small Red Bell Pepper, roasted, peeled & diced
2 3/4 cups Black Beans (I used 2 cans), rinsed
1 1/4 cup Quinoa, cooked and drained
1/4 cup Hummus (homemade or store-bought)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Onion, diced
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs (all I had was Panko, which worked great!)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Greek Seasoning

• Use a potato smasher in a medium bowl and smash those black beans!
• Add quinoa, hummus, garlic, Greek seasoning and onions and combine well.
• Add red pepper, feta and breadcrumbs. Mix until breadcrumbs are well combined.
• Form into patties (or "meat"balls) and squeeze firmly to make sure they stick together.
• Bake 400 degrees for 9 minutes - FLIP - 9 more minutes! 

I baked on parchment for ease of scooping, flipping and clean-up! Don't be skeered to re-use the parchment you just baked one batch of burgers on. Bake the second batch on that sheet of parchment.

How else can I use this recipe? Hmmmm....

~"Sam"