Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Yum! Another favorite for nicer weather... Or the weird summer/fall weather we have had all morning.  A tasty change on the usual quesadilla, butternut squash quesadillas with avocado cream.  Such a great lunch item when you're at home for the day, a fun appetizer idea (cut in smaller wedges), or a lighter dinner choice.

I keep coming back to this recipe and the bonus is that my kids love it!

http://byguessbygosh.blogspot.com/2012/05/butternut-squash-quesadilla-with.html

Mexican Fiesta!

Tonight I'm having some girlfriends over for a mexican fiesta!  Our group used to get together almost once a month, but once kids arrived it made our gatherings hard to coordinate.  So tonight will be a fun night of laughs and catching up.

The menu:Pink Cadillac Margaritas and Iced Mango Sweet Tea

Chili Lime Mixed Nuts

Three Sisters Salad

Spanish Rice

Chicken Enchiladas

and Sopapilla Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ice Creams

I like putting menus in frames - it makes the event seem more formal and is a fun touch. 

Each place setting had a dark chocolate bar with the name of each guest.

And where there is mexican food, there is tequila!

The enchiladas can be made in advance and refrigerated. I made mine yesterday - just take them out of the fridge for a bit before putting in oven.  

Three Sisters Salad - perfect dish for a dinner of sorority sisters!  Corn, butternut squash and beans make up the sisters.  I snuck a taste and it is delicious!

And to give the party another fun touch... premixed margs in mason jars and labeled with guest names.  Just add some ice and shake!

I have to thank Southern Comfort magazine (August 2012 issue) for this great menu.  And also want to thank Trader Joe's for their amazing (and super spicy) chile lime mixed nuts.  Addicting.

Click on the image below to enlarge the recipes.

Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

I am a die hard fan of Cactus Restaurant's butternut squash enchilada.  Its so rich and creamy and very filling.  Plus, it has some goat cheese mixed in which is a bonus!  I stumbled across a quesadilla recipe last week and it looked delicious, fairly basic and a close resemblance to Cactus' specialty enchilada.

I made some tweaks to the recipe to make it my own, and am proud to say I now have an easy homemade version of one of my favorite enchiladas... in quesadilla form!

Cube about two cups of butternut squash and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons ground cumin and a dash of salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  As a real time saver, buy a package of frozen butternut squash. Whole Foods sells frozen, cubed butternut squash and the package contains 2 cups! Perfect!  And this is usually less expensive than buying a whole squash that you then have to peel, seed and cube.

While the squash is roasting, combine one small container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a mashed avocado and juice from one lime (a couple tablespoons worth).  Mix well and set aside.  

*I used one 6oz container of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt and this made plenty of sauce.

When the squash is ready, heat a pan on the stove to medium.  Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and let warm up.  Take three large tortillas and cover each with about 1/3 cup goat cheese. 

One at a time, place the tortilla in the pan to warm and brown.  On one half of the tortilla, sprinkle with 1/4-1/3 cup of drained and rinsed black beans, a handful of baby spinach, and one third of the squash.  Fold over tortilla and let heat up and brown.  Flip to brown both sides evenly.

Remove from pan and cut in to wedges.  Serve with a dollop of avocado sauce and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro (cilantro is optional).  Enjoy!  And don't be fooled by what seem like a small portion, these are pretty filling and rich. Serve alongside some Mexican rice and slices of watermelon for a more filling and refreshing meal.

Jodi's Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

3 large tortillas

2 c. cubed butternut squash (can use frozen, cubed squash)

1 c. goat cheese (I buy ours from Costco... two huge logs of it. Heaven...)

1 can black beans, rinsed/drained

3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 avocado

1 6-8oz container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 tsp ground cumin

olive oil

salt and pepper

cilantro, optional

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is such a fun 'holiday'. When else do you get to have an excuse to drink a margarita at any time of day?  Okay, so maybe if you are in Mexico or use the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere" excuse, you already drink margaritas at any hour.  But to me, today means yummy mexican food, drinks and dessert.  Usually we don't do dessert on Cinco de Mayo, but I found a fun idea that is great if you're short on time.

Sopapilla is a traditional Mexican bread, usually fried.  It can be served as a dessert by adding honey to the fried sopapilla. If you visit the Cactus restaurants in the Seattle area, they serve a similar appetizer called "Navajo Fry Bread with Amber Honey" (which tasted more dessert-y than appetizer to me, and was fantastic). 

I found a sopapilla style recipe, but using cream cheese for a more hearty flavor.  It is about as fast to make as any dessert I know, aside from scooping ice cream...  And no frying necessary! Plus, it could be used as a special breakfast treat in addition to dessert item.  I guess we'll call this recipe Creamy Sopapilla? Or Sopapilla Dessert (or Breakfast) Bars? 

Grab a container of Pillsbury (or store brand) crescent roll dough.  Carefully unroll the dough and divide in half (four 'triangles' per half) and pinch any seams together so you end up with two square pieces of raw dough.  Lay one square in an ungreased 8x8" baking dish.  Set the other square aside.  You may need to stretch the dough a bit to get it to cover the bottom of the dish.

Take one 8oz package of cream cheese and soften in the microwave (keep a close eye on it while heating... maybe 1-2 minutes at half power).  Mix in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp good vanilla.  Spread over the dough in pan.

Carefully set the other square of dough over the cream cheese mixture.

 Melt a couple tablespoons of butter and spread across the dough, then sprinkle with some sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and slightly firm.

Let it cool slightly before cutting and serving.  I cut in to nine squares and served with a small scoop of chocolate ice cream.  This dessert was a big hit and I plan to make it again for our Mother's Day fiesta next weekend. 

Other ice cream flavors that would be tasty are coconut, mexican chocolate and dulce de leche. Don't skimp on these ice cream flavors... go with a brand that uses fresh ingredients so the flavor isn't flat.

*This recipe can be doubled.  Just use a 9x13" pan, 2 cans of crescent rolls, 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons good vanilla, and about 1/4 c melted butter.

Chicken Tostadas

Our family tries for one Mexican dish each week, typically on what we call "Taco Tuesday".  Although its not Tuesday, this recipe looked tasty enough to bend the rules. It also allowed for a good portion of the work to be done in advance. 

Roasting and pureeing of the vegetables can be done the day or morning before eating.  Just refrigerate the puree in an airtight container.  You could also add the cut up chicken to the sauce in advance.

The finished product is very pretty, although slightly tricky to eat.  I prefer hand held tacos or burritos, or enchiladas needing a fork; but this tostada requires a knife to cut through the tortilla.

The original recipe calls for 1-2 serrano chiles, and it was way too spicy for our 3 yr old... and I only used slightly less than half of one chile.  If you're making for children or don't like spice, exclude the serranos completely and spice up your individual tostadas with sliced serranos, salsa, etc.

Chicken Tostadas, based off of recipe by Epicurious
1 medium white onion
1 pound tomatoes, quartered
2 large garlic cloves
1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
1/2 c. plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
3 c. shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 c. chopped cilantro, divided. Plus more for serving.
1 rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (1-pound) can refried beans, heated
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
1/2 c. Mexican crema or sour cream
1/4 c. crumbled queso añjo (aged white cheese, also called cotija).  I used Queso Fresco.
1 lime
Accompaniments: sliced serranos; lime wedges

Serve with side of black beans, chips and guacamole and salsa.

Preheat broiler.

Cut half of onion into 3/4-inch wedges, then chop remainder. Toss onion wedges, tomatoes, garlic, and whole chiles with 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-sided sheet pan, spreading in 1 layer.

Broil about 4 inches from heat until softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together lettuce, chopped onion, and half of cilantro.

Purée tomato mixture in a blender along with one or both roasted serranos (to taste) and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth (use caution when blending hot foods). EXCLUDE serranos if you don't want spice.  Serrano peppers are spicy! Transfer purée to a bowl and stir in chicken, remaining cilantro, and salt to taste.  If you have made puree in advance, heat over low-medium heat on stove and add chicken. 

Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry tortillas, 1 at a time, turning once or twice and pressing with tongs to immerse, until golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds per tortilla. Drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to plates.

Spread tortillas thickly with heated refried beans, then top with chicken mixture. Slice avocado over tostadas and dollop with crema.

Mound lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.  I also squeeze a little fresh lime juice on my tostadas.

Pork Fajitas with Homemade Guac and Chips

Nothing beats a fresh made bowl of guacamole.  I usually take a couple avocados and mash with some fresh lime juice, some cilantro, some chopped red onion, and a good healthy dose of kosher salt and pepper.  It tastes even better when you eat with fresh homemade chips!

I typically heat a saucepan filled with vegetable oil, about 1/4" deep. Cut up some tortillas in to chip sized wedges and place a few in the hot oil at a time. I suggest testing with just one chip first to see if your oil is too hot, or not hot enough.  It only takes a few seconds for the chips to brown before you need to flip them.  Then remove and place on a plate covered with paper towels. I typically sprinkle the finished product with seasoning salt.  Warning, these chips will have more oil on them than what you find out of the bag.  But, they're kind of fun to make, especially when you forget to buy chips at the store!

To go along with the chips and guac, I made pork fajitas, adapted from (you guessed it) the America's Test Kitchen magazine. 

2 Tbsp lime juice, plus wedges for squirting on finished fajitas 

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing finished fajitas

1/2 tsp ground cumin

4 Tbsp oil

2 red bell peppers, sliced thin

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 tsp chili powder

salt/pepper

1 pork tenderloin, about 1lb, sliced in to 1/4" thick, bite sized pieces.

12 - 6" flour tortillas, warmed

Mix lime juice, cilantro, cumin and 1 Tbsp oil in bowl.

Heat additional 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add bell peppers, onion, chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt to skillet and cook until onion is soft.  Move veggies to a place and cover with foil.

Season pork with salt and pepper and add remaining oil to skillet and heat until just smoking.  Add pork and cook until cooked through, about 4 min. Off heat, stir lime juice mix in to pork and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer mix to platter with the vegetables.  Serve in tortillas.

We like to add more cilantro as well as a few squeezes of lime to our finished fajitas!

Enchiladas

Tony was in the mood for enchiladas tonight.  I have never tried this recipe before from our family cookbook, and they were really good!  Add a few slices of fresh avocado, a couple beers, and you're good to go!

Enchiladas, courtesy of cousin Sally
2 c. chicken, cooked and sliced
1 1/4 c. sour cream
2 tsp cumin
1/2 small can of diced green chilies (4 oz)
2 green onions
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated (SAVE 1/2 c. cheese for topping)
2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 - 8oz package cream cheese, cut in to thin strips
6 flour tortillas (I used 8)

Topping:
3 Tbsp enchilada sauce and 1/2 c. picante sauce or salsa.

Mix sour cream, sliced chicken, cumin, cilantro, green onion, diced chilies and 1 c. of grated cheese together in a bowl.

Place 1/2 c. chicken filling and place it along the center of a soft tortilla. Place one strip of cream cheese down the middle of filling. Roll the tortilla and place it in a greased baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Mix enchilada sauce and picante sauce together. Pour over filled tortillas.

Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Drinks Anyone?

Who can forget about margaritas on Cinco de Mayo!? I have the all the stuff made and ready to go: simple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, and freshly made lime-salt-sugar for rimming. The lime-salt-sugar is not only tasty, but it adds a fun kick of color to the rim. Oh yeah. Its 5 o'clock somewhere, right? 

These margaritas will be a staple cocktail around our home.  These may even beat out my 'Blue Kus' as #1 cocktail in my book.  Now that is saying somethin'!

Margaritas
Ice cubes
3 ounces tequila
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce Simple Syrup, recipe follows
1/2 to 1 teaspoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon Lime-salt-sugar, recipe follows
Lime slices as garnish

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila, lime juice, and Simple Syrup. Cover and shake until mixed and chilled, about 30 seconds. Place Lime-salt-sugar on a plate, and moisten rim of glass with edge of a sliced lime. Press the rim of a rocks glass into the mixture to rim the edge. Strain margarita into the glass. 

Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

Lime-salt-sugar
Zest of one lime
2 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp sugar

Blend together lime, salt and sugar in a small blender or mini food chopper.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I went to the Food Network website this morning and came across this chicken enchilada recipe by Tyler Florence.  It has rave reviews and looked pretty good... you can cheat and use a whole roasted chicken, and the vegetables are either frozen or canned chiles/tomatoes.  So if you're searching for a last minute recipe idea for tonight, try this out!

This recipe makes pleeenty.  16 individual enchiladas, probably serving 7-8 adults if you include sides of rice and beans.

Chicken Enchiladas, courtesy of Tyler Florence

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (I used one chile as these get spicy. You can always top with more after baking)
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans. Online recipe can be found here.

Mexican Chicken Soup

Although I started back to work yesterday, I'm trying to keep up the tasty homemade meals and not resort to lots of frozen dishes or take-out. Tonight I tried another fantastic Ina Garten recipe, Mexican Chicken Soup. YUM! Seriously, does that woman come up with any terrible recipes?

Hello, perfect avo.

This soup is so good. We topped with a squeeze of lime, avocado, grated cheddar, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. I highly suggest sour cream as a must-do topping.