Squash Fajitas

It's the time of year when my garden is producing zucchini in abundance and so I'm putting all of my favorite zucchini recipes to good use.  My family isn't even complaining!  This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law, Karie.  I've been making these fajitas ever since then.

SQUASH FAJITAS

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
2 T olive oil
Sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and cheese, if desired

Marinade:
2 T lemon juice
½ c salsa
½ c Italian dressing
1 t Worcestershire sauce

Place 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces into marinade and store in plastic zipper bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat 2T olive oil in pan and sauté slices of: onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and pepper until vegetables are soft. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper as desired then grill or pan fry. Add cooked chicken to vegetable mixture and heat through. Serve in warmed tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

Mexican Casserole

I was given this recipe at a bridal shower before I got married.  Admittedly this recipe won't be on a recommended list for a weight-loss plan, but it's fun to splurge every once in a while.  This Tex-Mex dish won't dissapoint you or the kids!

2 1b. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 soup can water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. tortilla chips (Doritos of Fritos are best!)
2 c cheddar cheese, grated


Brown hamburger. Add onion and green pepper. Sauté. Stir in tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, water, and taco seasoning. Heat. In 13"x9"x2" pan, layer tortilla chips, meat mixture, and cheese. Top with tortilla chips. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Left-overs are better the next day.

Tortilla Stacks

I honestly don't remember where I first found this recipe.  This is a fun Tex-Mex main dish and it's easy to make too.  Serve it with your favorite Mexican or Spanish rice.

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c salsa
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
½ c thinly sliced green onions
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
2 c cheese, grated
sour cream

In 10-inch skillet, brown ground beef with garlic until no longer pink; drain. Stir in salsa, and beans; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place 4 tortillas on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread half of bean mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to edges, using about ⅓ c bean mixture for each tortilla. Top with ¾ c cheese. Repeat layering with 4 more tortillas, remaining bean mixture and ¾ c cheese. Top with remaining 4 tortillas. Bake at 350˚ 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ c cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until heated through. Garnish with sour cream and green onions.

Sonoran Chicken Pasta

I fell in love with a cookbook that I found at my son's school book fair and of course, I just had to purchase it.  Beside it was for a good cause - right?!  This new cookbook contains copy-cat repices from popular restaraunt chains.  My mouth literally watered as I reviewed the recipes.  I had all the ingredients for this one, so I gave it a try.  I was really pleased with the result.  This recipe was fun to try because as a pasta lover I knew I'd probably like this, but this recipe has a Tex-Mex twist which is a new way to prepare pasta for the family.

Sonoran Cheese Sauce:
6 T butter or margarine
½ c finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ - ⅓ c all-purpose flour
1 c hot water
1 T chicken bouillon powder
1 ¼ c fat-free half-and-half
½ t salt
½ t sugar
1 t lemon juice
⅛ t cayenne pepper
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
¾ c reduced-fat Velveeta, cubed
¾ c salsa
½ c fat-free sour cream


10 oz. cooked penne pasta
6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ c diced tomato
1 T chopped green onion


To make the Sonoran cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.


Mix together the hot water, chicken bouillon, and half-and-half. Add the mixture slowly to the roux, stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to cook for about 5 minutes (it should have the consistency of honey).


Add the salt, sugar, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to blend. Do not allow to boil. Add the Velveeta and stir until melted. Add the salsa and sour cream and stir to blend.


To assemble the pasta, place the cooked penne, chicken, and black beans in a medium bowl. Add the cheese sauce and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with diced tomato and chopped green onion.

Dinnertime Quesadillas

I really can't remember where I first found this recipe.  This recipe is a quick main dish that is loaded with fiber and protein while being kid-friendly at the same time.  It's also a great way to use left-over chicken - just shred the precooked chicken in your food processor to save on time.

2 c shredded cooked chicken
½ c drained canned whole kernel corn
½ c sliced green onions
½ c drained canned black beans, rinsed
1 c salsa
1 c shredded cheese
Tortillas


Layer chicken, corn, onions, beans, salsa, and cheese evenly over one half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half to enclose filling. Cook one or two quesadillas at a time in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes on each side or until quesadillas are lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted.  Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, and avocado slices, if desired.

Mexicana Chopped Salad

I seem to have a dilemna when it comes to serving a Mexican main course for dinner - what to serve as a side.  I get tired of the usual rice, beans, and salsa.  Variety is nice!  So I've always wanted to have a good salad standby that would work nicely with that great Mexican dish.  I've tried a lot of different recipes and I hadn't found one that I really liked until today.  I admit I was skeptical when I read the ingredient list but I decided to give this recipe from Kraft foods a try.  Boy am I glad I did - this salad was excellent!

⅓ c fat-free Italian salad dressing
½ t ground cumin
1 can (15-oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, chopped
2 c halved cherry tomatoes
1 yellow pepper, chopped
½ c chopped white onion
½ c Mexican style finely shredded cheese

Mix dressing and cumin together. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing mixture; mix lightly. Serve immediately.

Corn Salsa

I first tasted this salsa at my sister-in-law's baby shower. It's wonderful. Karie convinced the hostess to share the recipe and I've been making it ever since. I like to serve it with the scoops tortilla chips because it's easier to eat with less mess.  I served salsa with Cheese Enchiladas in honor of celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl:
2 cans (15 oz – each) sweet corn
2 small cans sliced ripe olives
1 red pepper, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
1 ½ t minced garlic
2 avocados, diced


Dressing:
⅓ c olive oil
¼ c lemon juice
3 T vinegar
1 t each oregano, salt, and pepper


Whisk together and then pour over corn mixture.