Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Tacos

I have been wanting to try these tacos out for a really long time now and have put them on the menu for a couple of weeks, but by the time I went to make them, I was out of a few of the ingredients.  I finally made them on Monday, and they were a huge hit.  Every one of my children loved them and even had seconds!  This meal is incredibly healthy and so satisfying.  The quinoa needs to be thoroughly rinsed before cooking; otherwise, it might have a really bitter taste to it.  I cooked mine in chicken broth to help add some flavor.  I cooked 2 cups quinoa in 4 cups of chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Make it a few hours or days ahead of time, so it is cooled by the time you need to use it.  I wasn't sure how many tacos this would make, so I made 1 1/2 times the recipe.  It made more than enough.  I bought fresh corn tortillas at the tortilla factory that we used the same day, and the next day for lunch we had it with flour tortillas.  I like it with both, but is much easier for kids to eat if you use flour.   If you use corn, I recommend heating them up on a skillet to somewhat harden the shell (not crunchy).  That way, they don't become soft and the tacos filling doesn't fall through the tortilla.  I also added diced radishes because I love the flavor they add.  Enjoy!

Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Serve with:
• corn or wheat tortillas
• chopped lettuce
• Monterey Jack, cheddar or a combination
• diced avocados
• diced tomatoes
• hot sauce
• diced radishes

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until golden and tender, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in broth, diced tomatoes, cooked quinoa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover saucepan with lid and simmer about 20 minutes, until mixture has thickened.
• Stir in corn and black beans and simmer, uncovered 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm over tortillas with desired toppings.

Source:  Cooking Classy (adapted slightly)

**I know you can barely see any of the filling in the tacos.  I got carried away with the lettuce and other toppings and didn't care by that point because my baby was crying in the background begging to be fed.  

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Keeping Up

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded

Stir together honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder until combined.  Add chicken and let sit in marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2 (10-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
1 cup half and half
flour tortillas
shredded colby jack cheese

Mix enchilada sauce with half and half.  Spread roughly 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.  Fill flour tortillas with marinated chicken and shredded cheese, roll-up, then place side-by-side in baking dish.  Pour remaining enchilada suace over the top of the enchiladas and top with more cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.

{cooks note}

An easy dish to prepare ahead of time and quick to make.  Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans to make the meal complete.

Green Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

Green Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

from the Dish on Delish by Lizzy

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen sweet white corn

2-3 chicken breasts

10 corn tortillas

1 (26-ounce) can Las Palmas green enchilada sauce

shredded cheese (can be a mixture of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar)

Set a large pot of water on to boil.  Add chicken breasts and boil until done (about 8 minutes if not frozen).  Once cooked through, remove from water and let cool.  Shred the chicken and set aside.  

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan.  Add onion and saute until starting to soften.  Stir in diced pepper and cook until starting to soften (not too long).  Add the frozen corn and saute until warmed through.  Pour in cooked chicken and about 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Take a glass casserole dish (9x13) and pour about a 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom.  Swirl to coat the pan.  Wrap the corn tortillas in a wet (and rung dry) paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds just to soften the tortillas.  

One at a time,  put about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture inside the tortilla and wrap up tightly (being sure to not break the tortilla).  Place in the casserole dish and repeat until used all the tortillas and the filling.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and layer a good amount of cheese on top as well.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until the top is bubbly and browned.  

Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and tomatillo salsa. 

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{cooks note}

This recipe is great because it doesn't call for a can of cream of chicken soup.  I love that!  It's a healthy recipe that is so tasty.  I like to serve mine with Spanish rice and refried beans.  Don't worry if you can not find Las Palmas green enchilada sauce (I couldn't) everything will turn out just fine.  Oh, and I didn't have time to make the tomatillo salsa for this dish, but trust me, it's good.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

from Favorites

1 large tomato

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons onion

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together in blender; set aside

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup rice (white, or brown or combination)

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Heat olive oil in large skillet and fry rice until brown.  Add tomato mixture and simmer until some of the moisture evaporates.  Mix in 2 cups water and bouillon cubes and bring to a rapid boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

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{cooks note}

I make this rice with every Mexican dish I make.  I personally like using Basmati rice over long white rice because of the non-sticky texture.  This is very easy to make in large quantities if you are serving a lot of people.  

Refried Beans

Refried Beans
 from my friend Heather


4 cups Pinto Beans

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Wash beans and soak in enough water to cover.  Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and soak overnight.  They soak up a lot of water, so be sure to keep adding it when needed.  They should always have 1-1 1/2 inches of water covering them.  About 3 hours before you need the beans prepared, start to cook them.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer the remainder of the time.  Watch the water.  Once done, strain most of the water into a separate bowl, but DO NOT throw it away.  Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher.  Add water (that you took out before) until you reach your desired consistency.  Add the cheese, chili powder, garlic salt and sour cream.  Add more salt if needed.  Remember, the beans will continue to soak up the water, so you can continue to add more if needed.  Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.  

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{cooks note}

I make these about once a month and we eat them the week after in burritos or as a side to different dishes I prepare to go with the beans.  This is a great way to use those beans you have in your food storage.  These are so much better than canned refried beans.  I make mine in the crock pot because I have a hard time remembering to soak them the night before.  I cook them for about 6 hours on high, but every crock pot is different so you may have to adjust the time according to how your own crock pot cooks.  When I make these in the summer and it is 5 billion degrees outside, I cook them in the garage on a flat sturdy surface.  That way it doesn't heat my house up more than it already is.  I usually have to add water about 3 more times while they are cooking.  I do not drain the water when it is time to mash them.  I have made them so much, I know how much water I like in them when I start to mash.

I store my beans in a storage container that holds up to 25 pounds. 

Rinse beans thoroughly.  Lot's of times there will be large clumps of dirt, so make sure you go through them the best you can. I like using a sieve.

After washing, I transfer all the beans to my crock pot.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

Cover beans with 1-1 1/2 inches of water.  Continue to add water as the beans cook.

I cook my beans at high for 6 hours.  Adjust your time according to how your crock pot cooks.  Every one is different.

This is what your beans will look like just before mashing.  You want them to be really soft.  After mashing, add the rest of the ingredients, plus some salt if needed.  I forgot to take a picture of the mashing because I was busy.  Oops. 

Good ol' creamy refried beans.

Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas

                            

Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas

adapted from {good life eats}

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

5 ounces baby spinach, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated (a Mexican blend works great too)

8 large flour tortillas or 12 corn tortillas 

Tomatillo Salsa, recipe follows

Sour Cream Sauce, recipe follows

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the chicken, black beans, spinach, salt and pepper in a medium to large bowl.  Stir until ingredients are just combined.  Add the beans and carefully stir in so as to not mash up the beans.

If using corn tortillas, steam them in a tortilla warmer or place them in a damp flour sack cloth and heat in the microwave.

One by one, fill a tortilla with a handful of filling.  About 1/4-1/3 cup depending on what type of tortilla you used.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese on top of the filling and roll tortilla up, placing the seam side down in the previously prepared pan.  Repeat until all tortillas have been filled.  Drizzle sour cream sauce on top, followed by the tomatillo salsa.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.   

Tomatillo Salsa

This tomatillo salsa is simple to prepare and can be served alone with tortilla chips for dipping.

6 tomatillos, husks removed (I buy a can of tomatillos)

1/2-1 jalapeno, remove seeds to adapt heat 

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, packed

2 cloves garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

If using fresh tomatillos, place them in a medium sized sauce pan.  Cover with hot water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove tomatillos from water and place in a food processor with remaining ingredients, starting with only half the jalepeno.  Process until smooth.  Test for heat and add the remaining half of the jalepeno if desired.  Set aside.  

Sour Cream Sauce

To save on fat calories, feel free to substitue low-fat sour cream.  However, I would not recommend fat-free sour cream.

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly.  The flour will start to clump, but don't worry, add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.  Stir in the sour cream, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps.  Simmer until sauce is thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.

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{cooks note}

You asked for healthy, I'll give you healthy.  We really enjoy these enchiladas.  They are packed with fiber, iron and calcium.  I do not use the jalepeno for a few reasons.  I am nursing and I didn't think my boys would like the heat too much.  It turns out great if you want to leave it out.  Since I had leftover spinach I decided to make a green salad using spinach, romaine, carrots, tomato, avacado and cucumber.  Great way to use it up if you are trying to think of what to do with it.

You can definitely make the sour cream and tomatillo salsa a day or two ahead of time. Just give the sour cream sauce a little whisk to smooth it out before pouring over the enchiladas and you should be good to go.

I cook my chicken in the crock pot for about 6 hours. Add about 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a couple of shakes of garlic powder...how do you like that for a measurement?  The chicken comes out very tender and is easy to shred.

For this particular meal I used 6 tomatillos from this can.  I am saving the rest in the fridge for another recipe.  I wouldn't go to the trouble of buying fresh.  Takes too long and this does the trick.

I use flour tortillas (made with whole wheat durum flour).  They are the uncooked kind you can purchase at the grocery store.  I have only seen the whole wheat durum one's at Costco.  Of course!  You can also use corn tortillas, but I like these.

Seasoned shredded chicken.

Just after I add the flour to the butter.  It gets pretty clumpy, but smooths out once you add the chicken broth.

Chicken broth.  I usually make my own, but this is expiring soon, so I used it .  If you have chicken bouillon, follow the directions on the label and make your own.  

Since I buy the uncooked tortillas, I have to cook mine beforehand.  Don't forget about them and burn them like I did.  

I like to cook them on my pancake griddle.  Cooks two at a time.

Sour cream sauce ready to go.

Drain and rinse the black beans.

Chopped spinach.  Did you know that spinach is one of the most abundant sources of iron and calcium.  

Eat up!

All three ingredients ready to be lightly mixed.

Ready for the tortillas.

I did not have Monterrey Jack cheese, so I used what I had left of this and added a Mexican blend that had Monterrey Jack in it.  One of these days I'll have exact ingredients for recipes, but until then, this is real life for me, people.  

The dish I used to cook the enchiladas in.

Packed and ready to roll...

After all the enchiladas are assembled, place a piece of tin foil over the top and cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Here is an avacado cut in half.  I am going to make a healthy green salad to go with the enchiladas and thought that some of you might enjoy learning how to cut an avacado. I'm sure there are many ways, but this is how I do it.

Slice the avacado like so...

Take a spoon and dish it right out.  It's as easy as that.  

But how do you get the pit out?  You jab it with a knife, give it a little twist...

and out comes the pit.  Please don't jab your hand.  That would really hurt.

The beautiful healthy salad, because you asked for healthy my friends.

Some friends of ours introduced us to this brand of dressing and we have never looked back.  We like the Light Champagne...we are crazy like that.  Not really.  You should try it, it's really good.

Not your typical enchiladas, but great nonetheless. And they're easy to prepare ahead of time.