Mexi-Cali Salad Bowls

easy peasy, lime squeezy

This quick Mexico-California fusion salad continues my spring salad rainbow series. I make this salad all the time. It's a great week night meal, if I'm cooking just for me, or have next to nothing in my refrigerator. We spent the weekend out of town with friends (and their new little girl Marilyn). So, I needed an easy dinner for tonight. This was just perfect.

This salad requires only 6 main ingredients: crushed blue corn chips, lettuce, onion, bell pepper, black beans, and cheese. But, it's so much better with spices and an array of toppings. I suggest chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder to spice things up. And, topping everything off with salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, and a lime. But, you can do whatever you want with this salad. That's one of the best things about it...the other is that it's delicious! Make this quick, easy, customizable, and tasty salad, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
~ 2 C Blue Corn Chips, crushed
1-2 Heads Romain Lettuce, roughly chopped
1 T Canola Oil
1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 T Chili Powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Can Low-Sodium Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1 C Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Toppings: Salsa, Sour Cream, Avocado, Cilantro, Hot Sauce, and/or Lime Slices

Directions
Make the salad bowls: In 4 large bowls, divide the crushed blue corn chips and chopped Romain lettuce evenly. Set aside.

Cook the veggies: In a medium skillet add 1 T oil. Heat over med-high until very hot. Carefully add the onions and pepper. Sauté until soft and the onion begins to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add in the spices and cook another minute. Add the black beans, reduce the heat to low, and warm through.

Top the bowls: Once the veggies are ready, top the prepared bowls evenly with the mixture. Add the cheese and any (or all) toppings desired. Enjoy!

Dry Martini w/ Antipasto Garnish

all in one drink + app

I'm bringing a whole new meaning to drinks and appetizers with this recipe. I've made a simple and straight-forward drink and jazzed it up with a fun antipasto garnish. In essence, this recipe serves as both drink and appetizer all in one! This would be an easy and different way to start a dinner party. With the holidays coming, easy is the key word.

I've made a dry martini with vodka here, but you can make a dirty martini or use gin instead of vodka. The star here is the antipasto garnish (not so much the drink). For the antipasto garnish I've skewered cheese, meat, olives, and a piece of roasted red pepper. Make this all in one drink + app as the holidays roll around. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 1 Drink
Dry Martini
2 1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

Antipasto Garnish
Assorted Cheeses (suggest provolone & fresh mozzarella)
Assorted Meats (suggest prosciutto)
Large Green Olives
Red Bell Pepper

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high. Cover a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Begin by roasting the red bell pepper: Cut the top off the pepper. Cut it in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Broil for 8-10 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the pepper to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, discard. Cut the peeled pepper into wide strips and set aside.

Make the garnish: Using skewers or stir sticks (I found plastic ones at Meijer that were perfect), skewer the cheese, meat, olives, and roasted red bell pepper as desired. Customize the antipasto garnish to you and your guests liking. Set aside.

Make the drink: Fill a shaker with ice. Add the vodka and dry vermouth. Shake until the drink is well chilled. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Top with the antipasto garnish. Cheers!

Slow-Cooker Cheesy Queso Dip

say cheese...

For my next three rainbow series posts I'll be using my trusty slow-cooker. As the days have finally turned cold for good, out comes my slow-cooker. It's definitely one of the best pieces of equipment in my kitchen, but probably one of the least used. Well, it's going to get a workout over the next few days!

This appetizer is super quick, yet quite tasty. It combines roasted peppers, onion, tomatoes, black beans, and Velveeta Cheese. It's perfect served with blue corn chips or it can be poured over a baked potato to create a meal out of it. This recipe is the epitome of easy, so no excuses, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
2-3 Poblano Peppers
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
2 lbs. (1 large box) Velveeta Cheese (low-fat okay)
1-2 Chipotles in Adobo
15 oz. Can No Salt Added Tomatoes
15 oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
To Serve: Blue Corn Chips

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high. Line a sheet tray with foil.

Begin by roasting the peppers: Cut the tops off the poblanos and the red bell pepper. Cut each pepper in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared sheet tray. Broil for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow them to steam for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, peel off the charred skin and chop. Put into the slow-cooker.

Roast the onion: While the peppers are steaming, cook the onion. Cut the onion into wedges, spread on the foil lined sheet tray, and place under the broiler. Cook for a few minutes, turn, and continue to cook until the edges are charred. Allow the onion to cool, then chop, and add to the slow cooker.

Make the queso: Cut the Velveeta into cubes, dice the chipotle peppers, and add to the slow-cooker. Finish by adding the tomatoes and black beans. Set the slow-cooker to low and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve the cheesy queso dip warm with blue corn chips. Enjoy!

French Style Red Onion Soup

thaw out from this deep freeze with a bowl of steamy soup

An all-time favorite soup of mine (and my husband) is French Onion Soup. I make this for us every winter and it always warms us up. As most of the country has been experiencing a deep freeze, this recipe comes at a great time. It's also easy to make and doesn't require many ingredients.

What makes this version of French Onion Soup different is that I'm using red onions instead of the classic sweet yellow onion. Red onions are still sweet, especially when you allow them to caramelize slightly, but they retain more of their texture and shape in this soup. I actually prefer them over a yellow onion after making this both ways. Because this soup contains few ingredients and is a one-pot-wonder it makes for a great week night meal. Warm up! Make this for dinner. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
4 T Unsalted Butter
4 Large Red Onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. Fresh Thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 Bay leaf
1/3 C Sherry Vinegar
1 Box Vegetable Broth
1 Can Beef Broth
6 Thick Slices Crusty Bread
1 1/2 C Shredded Swiss Cheese (can sub Gruyere)
1 1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella
Salt & Pepper

Directions

In a large dutch oven over med-high heat melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and 1 tsp. salt. Stir and cook until the onions reduce by half and begin to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Once the onions have reduced by half, add in the chopped thyme, bay leaf, and sherry vinegar. Allow the sherry to cook out and deglaze the pan, about 5 minutes. Then add both broths and cook for another 10-15 minutes to meld the flavors. Note: you can use all veggie broth to keep this vegetarian, but the beef broth is very traditional and helps to balance all of the flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste, as needed.

While the soup cooks, move the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler. Toast the bread slices for 1-2 minutes on each side. Also, mix the cheeses together in a bowl; set aside.

Once the soup is done cooking, ladle into 6 bowls, and top each with a slice of the toasted bread and 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture. Arrange the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown. Allow the bowls to cool for a few minutes and then serve. Enjoy!

Deliciously Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

ooey, gooey, goodness over tortillas stuffed with veggies


Spring might have come by calendar on March 20th, but here in Cincinnati we have seen nothing but grey skies, cold temperatures, and yes, more snow. Sadly we have not sprung from our hibernation or shed our winter wear. So, to keep us warm, but inspire our household with festive colors, I made my Deliciously Easy Cheesy Enchiladas on Sunday.

Steven's parents were in town to visit and we spent the day huddled at home as a mix of rain and snow poured down outside. Here's how...

Recipe - Serves 4-6
Enchilada Sauce
4T Butter
3T Flour
2C Stock (veggie or chicken)
8oz. Block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
2T Chili Powder
1T Paprika
1T Cumin
1/2T Garlic Powder
1+ tsp Hot Sauce

Stuffed Tortillas
8 Tortilla Shells (burrito style)
3C Cooked Meat (optional) - shredded chicken, browned ground beef, etc.
15oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
3C Veggies - bell pepper, green onion, corn, salsa, etc.
Cooking Spray
Toppings - Cilantro, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Limes, etc.

Directions

Begin by making a roux: melt the butter in a large, high-sided, skillet over med-high heat; start adding the flour, a tablespoon at a time, and whisking until it is incorporated and begins to bubble.

Turn the heat to medium and allow the roux to cook as you add your spices - chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder - whisk the spices with the roux until combined. It will be very dark.

Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly to ensure no lumps form. Add the hot sauce and allow the sauce to cook until thick, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the cubed cheese. Whisk the cheese until completely incorporated into the sauce. It will be a golden color.


Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Build the stuffed tortillas by adding your meat (optional), beans, and veggies to each, rolling the tortilla like a burrito, and placing it seam-side down into your baking dish. If the tortillas don't want to roll, heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them up. After all of the stuffed tortillas are in the baking dish, pour the cheesy enchilada sauce over them. Be sure the tortillas are completely coated.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, uncovered, until dark orange and bubbling. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then top as you like. Enjoy with Mexican style rice!