Mexican Pizza

My goals, of late, have not included blogging.  But when I go to the office, a certain co-worker notes that he's looking for more recipes.  He's gluten-free, so here's one for Tim!

Mexican Pizza.  We eat a lot of mexican food in our house.  What's not to like.... easy to prepare, easy to adjust for various tastes and dietary issues, and always delicious. 

I make a rolled taco dish that's delicious (here).  If you put them in a dish and covered them with salsa and cheese, you'd have enchiladas.  And in this variation, I make them open-face, and call them pizza.

I'm ready for my cheese!

Mexican Pizza
serves 4

4 flour tortillas (12" size or so)-- substitute 8 corn tortillas for a GF variation

8 oz refried beans (1/2 can)

8 oz canelli beans (1/2 can- can substitute another variety you like)

8 oz cooked meat-- left-over rotisserie chicken, ground beef, chorizo, vegetarian or skip all together

8 oz shredded cheese (mexican blend or your favorite)

Heat over to 425 degrees.  Lay tortillas onto baking sheets.  Divide the refried beans and spread over the tortillas.  Top with whole beans, then meat, then cheese.  Bake 10 minutes or until the tortillas get crunchy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and any other mexican sides.

Note:  The extra 1/2 can refried beans will keep in your freezer.  Simply put it in freezer-safe container, and don't forget about it!

Sweet Potato Chili

I'd been looking to try a sweet potato chili for a while. A few good candidates have surfaced, but this one rose above the rest. 

Why?  First, no meat.  That means I can make it for Mr. Unwired's friend.  Didn't know what to make for this week's jam session anyway. 

Second, it cooks in the slow cooker. Like my never-ending desire to instill independence in my children, I like my meals to cook themselves. 

Third, all the ingredients were in the house.   And that's all she wrote... off to the kitchen!

Sweet Potato Chili, before topping with plain yogurt and green onions.

 This turned out pretty well. I was intending to serve it to the kids for dinner, by the spices were too sharp. I used only 1/2 Tbsp chili powder and only a small (15oz) can of tomatoes with chili peppers (the other 15oz was just tomatoes). Next time, I'll cut the chili powder out entirely.  With the blast of heat from the chili powder and peppers, I didn't notice the cocoa powder.  It should have rounded out the spice panel, instead of being wiped off the flavor map.  Another reason to decrease/eliminate the chili powder (funny, this is my 'cooler' chili powder-- I had to throw out the cayenne pepper as even a dash was too much for most recipes!)  I also used red pepper instead of green since that was what I had. Green pepper, with its stronger flavor and contrasting color would have been a better choice. 

I'm hopeful that with these adjustments, I'll be able to introduce this to the kids, then dial the spices back up a bit to find a happy medium- flavorful, colorful and yummy for all.  What do you think?

Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans

Another from my short list of recipes for Mr. Unwired's gluten-free vegetarian friend.  While the yogurt is optional, it is a really lovely contrast to the full flavor of the beans-- smooth and cool.  Not sure of the origins of this one- my apologies if it's yours!

Photo to come... it's much prettier than most of my recipes, and worthy of a photo.

Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans
4 sweet potatoes (medium)
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) tomatoes, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 Tbsp plain yogurt, optional
4 scallions, thinly sliced, optional

1. Wash sweet potatoes and pierce the skin several times with a knife.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 60 minutes, or until soft all the way through.

2. While the potatoes are baking, warm the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Saute onion until translucent,  Add cumin, and stir it into the onions until it releases its aroma- should only take about a minute.  Add the cans of black beans and tomatoes, stir and cook over low heat as the tomato liquid evaporates and the mixture warms through.

3. When potatoes are cooked, slit each open, and spoon in 1/4 of the bean mixture.  Top with 1 Tbsp yogurt, then sprinkle with the scallions.

Servings: 4

Black Bean Burgers

I was afraid of this recipe.

I had it on my list to make for several months, and just never got around to it.

The idea of cooking vegetarian appeals to me. Besides the fact that we have a guest at our home 2-3 times a month who is vegetarian, it's better for the environment than eating meat, less expensive and in general, healthier.

But still, some recipes just scare me. It was outside my comfort zone. Like tofu, which also took me a few months to get around to (but was really good once I took the plunge and cooked it).

I should not have been such a wimp, because if I'd made this a few months ago, we could have been eating it that much longer. It was AWESOME!

Everyone loved it -- including the veggie.  What a pain. But he is good for expanding my recipe box, and that's what my year is supposed to be about.

The recipe came from Six O'Clock Scramble. This is the tripled version, as it makes enough for two dinners for our family.  We shape all the burgers, then cook half and freeze the other half.  Defrost in the fridge during the day, then cook as directed.  For the original, see Aviva's first book The Six O'Clock Scramble: Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families . We had it with garlic-sauteed green beans (from our own plants- how cool is that?!) and broccoli slaw.

Black Bean Burgers
3 cans black beans (rinsed)
3 Tbsp salsa (or substitute tomato paste)
1 cup minced onion, about 1/2 of an onion
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano -- crushed
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cornmeal
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork or potato masher.  You want a coarse texture, not a puree.  To this, add all the remaining ingredients except for cornmeal and oil.  Mix well.

2. Place the cornmeal in a shallow bowl or plate.  Scoop up the mixture with a 1/3 cup measure (or use an ice cream scoop), forming gently into patties.  Coat each side of the patty in the cornmeal, then set aside.

3. Heat oil in a non-stick plan over medium heat.  Place patties gently in oil, and fry until the cornmeal turns golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel, and serve with hamburger accoutrements (buns, tomato slices, lettuce, etc).  Or do as we do and just eat them plain, and fast, before someone takes your portion.