Southwest Pasta Salad

This is a fun change from the normal pasta salad.  We like to have it as a side dish with hamburgers or with a Mexican flavored chicken (either marinated or with a seasoning).  If we just have the pasta I cook up some chicken chunks to add to the pasta.

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes,  diced or about 3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions (I always forget this so I usually end up using normal onions)
1/2 cup fresh corn (or frozen corn)
zest from limes
optional: 8oz diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese  (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar, or perpperjack)

Dressing:
6 TBS fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

To prepare dressing boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it's cooking, prepare dressing.

First, zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil).  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.   Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn), and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is probably one of my favorite soups.  I love it.  The Lokodi's came to visit and Lindsey tried some and she loved it too.  It really is so delicious.  My changes are noted with **.  Most of my changes are made merely out of laziness.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 Recipe Taco Chicken (**I generally just put some southwest type seasoning on my chicken)
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 cans chicken broth
1 15oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers(if you are scared, try serrano peppers; they're milder--**Will has issues with spicy foods so I generally just omit the peppers)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4).  Don't even think of buying the stuff in a bottle.
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Toppings:

Store-bought tortilla chips, or 2-3 corn tortillas, plus oil for frying (**I like to buy the tortilla strips instead of chips.  I find them at WalMart in the condiment isle, near the croutons)
Sliced avocado or guacamole
Grated or crumbled cotija cheese (**I just use mozzarella or pepper jack)
1/4 c. cilantro

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken (**I skip this.  I just get out my George and sprinkle some southwest  seasoning on my chicken).  Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

In a large crockpot, heat some olive oil (I can tell you right now that you'll never hear the words EVOO from my mouth.  Or my fingers) over  medium heat.  Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant.  Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside.  Start preparing the toppings:  grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado or prepare the guacamole, and fry the tortillas.  Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.

Mexican Meat Mix

This is another of our favorite recipes.  This is great because you can make a huge batch and then freeze the rest.

Mexican Meat Mix
(from Make a Mix cookbook)

5 lbs beef roast (or 2.5 beef, 2.5 pork)
3 T vegetable shortening
3 onions, sliced (or chopped, whichever you prefer)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 (7 oz) cans green chili salsa
1/4 t. garlic powder
4 T. flour
4 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
Juices from beef roasts

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Place roasts in large roasting pan.  Do not add salt or water.  Cover with tight lid and roast about 12 hours, until well done.  Drain meat, reserve juices.  Cool meat,  then remove bones.  Shred meat, and set aside.  Melt shortening in a large skillet.  Add onions and green chilies.  Saute one minute.  Add green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin.  Cook one minute over medium-low heat.  Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat.  Cook 5 minutes until thick.  Cool.  Put about 3 cups mix each into three 1-quart freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top.  Seal and label containers.  Freeze.  Use within 6 months.  Makes about 9 cups of Mexican Meat Mix.  (can use for burritos, chimichangas, etc)

Mexican Lasagna

Mom used to make this when I was growing up.  It is so good--one of my favorite meals.  I introduced it to Mike when we got married and it has become one of his favorite meals as well.  We probably have this every few weeks and never get tired of it.  I have made a few changes to my Mom's recipe.  When I was pregnant I made this as a freezer meal and it froze very well.

Mexican Lasagna

Mix together 1 large can Enchilada sauce and 1 small can tomato paste in a low sided bowl or pan.  Dip flour tortilla in that mixture to cover them and then line a 9x13 baking pan with one layer.  

Layer the lasagna with the following:

1-2 lb browned hamburger, drained 

chopped onion

Refried beans

grated cheese

1 can green chilies

1 pkg taco seasoning

garlic and salt to taste

Cook the hamburger with green chilies, onions, salt, and garlic. Make about 4 layers with the above ingredients.  End the last layer with another layer of tortillas and then pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top.  Bake about 20 minutes or until hot all the way through.  Cover with aluminum foil.  Serve with sour cream, guacamole, chopped olives, tomatoes, etc.

Chicken Enchiladas and Berry Yumminess

Enchiladas

Tortillas
Two small cans of green enchilada sauce
Two chicken breasts
1 small can of green chilies
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 a can of nacho sauce (more or less depending on your tastes)
Mozzarella cheese

Cook chicken. Shred. Add everything together except the enchilada sauce, tortillas, and mozzarella cheese. Fill the tortillas, roll. Put a little enchilada sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Place filled tortillas in pan and pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook on 350 degrees until bubbling.

Berry Yumminess

Two cups frozen mixed berries
One four once container of Fiber One Strawberry yogurt
Two spoon fulls of Cool Whip

Slightly thaw berries and mix everything together. As with most of my recipes you can add more or less of anything.