****Chicken Fiesta Salad

This was probably one of my most favorite salads.  It's not just any ordinary salad.  It's like a flavor explosion in one salad bowl.  Trust me on this one, it's amazing!

It even makes an awesome snack just as a dip with chips!  Seriously tasty eats! 

Chicken Fiesta Salad Recipe

1 cup Chicken Fiesta Recipe
Organic romaine lettuce or any greens
2 tbsp. Guacamole
2 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. Garlic Aioli
2 tbsp. Taco Sauce

Fill bowl up with tasty greens.  Top with remaining ingredients.


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Black Bean and Caramelized Onion Chipotle Nachos

I don't have time to cook new meals every day.  Many things I make in large batches so I can either freeze them for another night or have in the refrigerator for quick lunches and meals.  

Chips are my favorite.  My weakness, for sure.  So turning delicious leftovers into a plate full of nacho goodness is fantastic!  It's great with Guacamole too!  Gosh I love leftovers. 

Black Bean and Caramelized Onion Chipotle Nachos Recipe

1/2 cup Black Bean Refried Beans
1/2 cup Chipotle Caramelized Onions
1/4 cup Pico de Gallo
2 tbsp. cheese, shredded
Couple of handfuls of tortilla chips
Sour cream, optional
Guacamole, optional

Spread tortilla chips on a large plate. Top with remaining ingredients. Microwave for about a minute until everything is hot and melted. 

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More recipes like this!
Sweet Potato with Chipotle Black Beans, Caramelized Onions and Guacamole
Black Bean Southwest Lasagna
Chipotle Black and Kidney Bean Taco Salad
Red Beans and Rice
Southwest Pasta Salad



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Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas

This is such an easy and versatile meal, I just couldn't wait to share it. 

Throw most of the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning and let it simmer and cook all day. Come home, throw in the cream cheese and you're all set. 

There's nothing like an ooey gooey quesadilla for dinner!

 Don't forget to smear it with this amazing Avocado Garlic Aioli.  This stuff rocks, I could eat it with a spoon.  Make a big batch, keep it in the refrigerator and put it on just about anything. Except for ice cream.

Then of course, if you're like me, you'll drizzle more of this awesome sauce on top.  

Corn tortillas for me, whole wheat tortillas for the rest of the family.  Perfect. 

Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 small can of tomato paste
1 jar green salsa, I think mine was about 15 oz.
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Taco Seasoning (or just more chili powder)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. cream cheese
Corn or flour tortillas or tortilla chips
Avocado Garlic Aioli

Put chicken in crock pot.  Combine tomato paste, green salsa, corn, black beans and seasonings in a bowl and then add it to the slow cooker.  Cook for 5 - 7 hours on low.  Cut the cream cheese in chunks and add them to the slow cooker. Let melt for about 20 minutes or so, stir and enjoy. 

This is great on nachos too!


More food on a tortilla!
Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas
Southwestern Chicken Wraps
Cheesy Chimichangas
Cuban Quesadilla

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Jalapeno Cornbread Grilled Cheese with Black Beans & Chipotle Caramelized Onions

Best. Sandwich. Ever.

Oh my, I knew it would be good but I took a bite and my eyes rolled back in my head and I was swallowed by pure comfort.  

The flavors are amazing together and will leave you wanting more and more. And more. 

Seems like a lot of ingredients but with a little planning, it isn't too hard.  I made 2 loaves of cornbread and used one with Chili the day before.  We used the leftover Refried Black Beans for bean burritos and taco salads for a couple of days.  The Chipotle Caramelized Onions are just heaven on a plate and go with anything you want to put them on.  So don't be intimidated by the amount of prep.  Seriously, it's worth it.  

This is a grilled cheese. So of course you start with bread, butter and cheese.  But the Jalapeno Corn Bread has SO much flavor, it's not JUST bread.  

Once you top the bread and cheese with the caramelized onions and chipotle black beans, the smell will start to drive you crazy.  The cheese will start to melt and get all ooey gooey and your mouth will start watering.  Just sayin'.

The jalapeno corn bread is awesome by itself but butter it and grill it and wow!  It just looks amazing, doesn't it?

The sandwich is awesome by itself but top it with some amazing Guacamole and it turns into a masterpiece.  

Ok, so it's not the a pick it up and eat it kind of sandwich.  Even though it requires a knife and fork, it is still the best sandwich ever. 

Jalapeno Cornbread Grilled Cheese with Chipotle Caramelized Onions, Black Beans and Guacamole Recipe
Adapted from Closet Cooking

1 loaf Jalapeno Cornbread
1 batch Chipotle Black Beans
1 batch Chipotle Caramelized Onions
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1 batch Guacamole

Heat a pan over medium heat.  Butter one side of each slice of cornbread. Put one (or two) of them butter side down in the pan.  Sprinkle on some cheese, followed by the onions, a dollop of black beans, more cheese and bread with buttered side up.
Grill until golden brown. Carefully flip and continue grilling until the other side is golden brown and cheese is melty.  I'll warn you, this is messy business.  I opted to just grill the other piece of bread and place it on top of the sandwich.  Therefore, no flipping necessary.  It's up to you.  I wanted a pretty sandwich.  :-)
Top with guacamole and cilantro.  


Awesome sandwiches!
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Grilled Cheese Onion Burgers
Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Red Onion Jam
Grilled Cheese and Apple Sandwiches
Crunchy Cabbage and Avocado Grilled Cheese
Hot Dog, Ham and Cheese Grilled Cheese


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Mexican Quinoa Salad

This is an awesome way to turn a leftovers from a side dish into a whole new meal.  We ate this Mexican Quinoa with tacos and it was delicious. The next day, I turned it into an awesome salad.  This was a very filling and healthy salad.  Lots of good protein with the black beans and quinoa. No need for dressing with the salsa and just a bit of sour cream.  It was so good that I will purposely make a larger batch so we can have leftovers. 

Mexican Quinoa Salad Recipe

Organic romaine lettuce, big bowl

1/4 cup black beans

3 tbsp. salsa

2 tbsp. sour cream

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 cup Mexican Quinoa

Combine everything and enjoy!

Other ideas to top salad with:
Creamy Avocado Chipotle Sauce
Chipotle Peach Salsa
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Avocado Ranch Black Bean Dip


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Fajita Pie with Tortilla Crust

The kids were happy when I said that we were having pie for dinner!  They weren't quite so thrilled however when they found out that black beans were in the pie.  Hahaha. 

We made 2 fajita pies.  One with whole wheat tortilla crust and one with corn tortillas to make it gluten free for me. The whole wheat crust got a little crispier. Corn tortillas tend to much a little when you put things on them and bake them. I am used to it, so I don't mind. 

After my husband had eaten like 3 pieces he asked, "Was there meat in there?"  He didn't even notice the lack of meat.  Ha, I think my way of cooking is growing on him. 

I loved this fajita pie and ended up eating way too much of it.  I'd love to eat pie more often for dinner. 

Fajita Pie with Tortilla Crust
Adapted from Finding Joy in my Kitchen

• 2 whole wheat flour tortillas or 4 - 5 corn tortillas
• 1 medium bell pepper, orange, red or yellow, chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, minced 
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 C black beans
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 C milk
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/4 C finely chopped spinach

Begin by lining the bottom of a lightly-greased 9-inch pie plate with your tortilla(s).  If you have smaller sized tortillas, just use 2-3, torn in half to fill the bottom of the pie plate and slightly up the sides. 

Finely chop 1 medium bell pepper (colored), 1/2 medium green bell pepper, and 1 medium tomato.

Toss with 1 T minced onion and some pepper. 

Add in 2 oz of cheddar cheese, shredded.  Stir well.

Spread the mixture on the bottom of the tortilla-covered pie plate. 

Arrange black beans over the top. 

Sprinkle with paprika and chili powder. 

In the same bowl, mix together 3/4 C white whole wheat flour with 1 tsp. baking powder.  Stir well.  Then, add in 1 C milk and 2 eggs.  Whisk well until blended.  Add salt and pepper, a few dashes of each. 

Add in finely chopped spinach.

Carefully pour the milk mixture over the veggies in the pie plate.

Top with remaining 2 oz of cheddar cheese, shredded.

Bake at 450 for 25-27 minutes until center is set and cheese is browned.

Allow the tortilla pie to sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

More recipes like this!
Mexican Lasagna
Fiesta Stuffed Peppers
Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Chilaquiles Casserole

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Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Picadillo Tacos

Have you ever heard of Picadillo?  Apparently it is a Latin American dish but varies from region to region. I read this on Kevin's blog Closet Cooking.  He has amazing recipes.  This vegetarian version looked positively delicious! What attracted me at first to this was the quinoa.  I loved the mixture of vegetables with the quinoa and black beans.  Very filling and healthy!

Despite the fact that I don't care for olives, I did enjoy them in these tacos.  The sweetness from the raisins were an awesome touch too.  I know that I will make these again!

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Picadillo Tacos Adapted from Closet Cooking 1 cup quinoa 1 3/4 cup water or broth 2 tsp. oil 1 onion, diced 1 green or red bell pepper, diced 1 jalapeno, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 cup pimento stuffed olives, cut into quarters 1/4 cup raisins (I used a small box) 1 cup corn salt, pepper and cayenne to taste 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1/4 cup cilantro Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the water is absorbed and the quinoa it tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and bell pepper and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add the jalapeno, garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, olives, raisins and capers, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste, mix in the vinegar and cilantro and remove from heat. Serve the picadillo on the quinoa or mix it all up. I put about half into the mixture and left half on the side.

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Bean & Pineapple Soft Tacos

Pineapple is probably my favorite fruit.  I love fresh pineapple. I love it grilled. It's awesome on pizzas.  So why not in tacos?  

Pair the sweet pineapple with the spicy green chiles and salsa and you have a pan full of deliciousness. 

I love having leftovers in the refrigerator.  If I have something nummy and cooked, it leads to less snacking on stuff that I shouldn't eat. I made a double batch of this so we'll have it for awhile.  It freezes nicely too. 

I ate these as tacos on corn tortillas. One night I put it over brown rice with a bit of avocado. 

I also put it on corn tortillas with some garlic refried beans as tostados.  

This is day 16 of 30 Days of Vegan Recipes. Seriously, with food like this, it is not tough at all. 

Bean & Pineapple Tacos

2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained
2 cups salsa or a 16 oz. jar
1 can chopped green chiles
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes and avocado

In a large pan, saute onion and red pepper in water until tender. Add the zucchini and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the pineapple, salsa, chiles and beans and heat through.  Stir in cilantro.  Place 1/3 cup filling on one corn tortilla.  Add toppings as desired.  




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Garlic Hummus Veggie Lettuce Wraps

I came home with this organic romaine lettuce and was excited to make these sandwiches or wraps.  I usually eat hummus just as a dip for veggies.  But there is something more satisfying about a sandwich. It seems more like a meal, rather than a snack.  

I topped mine with cucumber, tomato and red onion.  You can add other veggies or avocado as well.  Just enjoy!

This is day 14 of 30 Days of Vegan Recipes. 

Popular question:

Do I miss meat? 

Not. At. All. 

Garlic Hummus Veggie Lettuce Wraps

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves

¼ cup veggie broth (or water) to thin

 



• Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

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White Bean, Wild Rice & Almond Burgers

My husband refused to call these burgers. He said they aren't considered burgers unless they can go on a grill. Pffft!  So they may be a little flimsy for the grill, they tasted awesome and were the best bean veggie burgers I've made. 

If you have a food processor, these will be a snap.  I pureed everything but the rice and the texture was perfect. 

I was wondering if they would need an egg binder but they held together quite nicely.  The beans smushed everything together perfectly. 

They were a little dry so I did add some salsa to the burger.  They really tasted good though and I for sure will make them again. 

This is Day 13 of 30 Days of Vegan recipes.  Seriously, with burgers like this, I don't think I ever need to eat meat again.  

White Bean, Wild Rice & Almond Burgers Recipe

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
1 cup red onions, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup raw almonds, lightly toasted
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

Combine rice and 2 cups water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain any excess water. 

While rice is cooking, water saute onions, celery and garlic over low flame for about 10 minutes or until tender. I used my food processor for the veggies to get them really small. Stir often and let water steam off. Stir in basil, salt and pepper. 

Finely chop almonds in food processor.  Add beans and process until beans are pureed and mixture is well combined.  Place in a bowl and stir in wild rice and onion mixture. 

Form into burgers. If mixture is too wet, a small amount of whole grain bread crumbs or oats may be added.  I didn't need any.  Place burgers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning carefully after 20 minutes. 






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White Bean Italian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Did you know that an entire cauliflower is like 150 calories?  Full of potassium and fiber. So healthy and tasty. But for some reason I forget to buy them. I rarely eat them. 

I've been seeing a cauliflower crust pizza recipe floating around and I've been waiting to try it. So when cauliflower was on sale, I snatched one up right away.  

I've made a white bean pizza before and absolutely loved it. I knew it would be perfect on this cauliflower crust.  

I did have a problem getting all the moisture out of the cauliflower.   I needed to leave it in the oven longer and it didn't get super crispy.  It was more of a knife and fork kind of pizza.  However, it did taste fantastic!  

This was an incredible vegan meal for my 30 Days of Vegan recipes. 

White Bean Italian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Crust adapted from Nutrition Stripped

Cauliflower Crust

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 cups yield), after pureeing and squeezed dry
• 2 whole eggs or Vegan: 2 Tbs. ground flax seed + 6 Tbs. water.
• 1 Tbs. flour or gluten free flour
• 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 1 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp. dried basil and oregano (each)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To create the pureed cauliflower, simply chop all the cauliflower florets into small pieces, place into a blender and blend until pureed (it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth).
3. Place the pureed cauliflower mixture into some paper towels over a large bowl (to catch the liquid) and squeeze the excess water from the cauliflower. Or keep changing the paper towel until it's dryer. 
4. The end result will resemble a firm puree.
5. Combine the remaining ingredients into the large bowl and hand mix with a large spoon or whisk until thoroughly combined.
6. Spread the “dough” into either 1 large pizza shape or 2 small pizza rounds on parchment paper on a baking pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and firm to touch. You might have to leave it in for another 15 minutes or so if you are like me and can't get enough liquid out of it.
8. Take out of the oven and top with your favorite toppings.
9. Bake for another 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until everything on the top has warmed.

White Bean Puree

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. water

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Puree in blender until smooth. 

Pizza Assembly:

Spread White Bean Puree on top of crust.  Top with favorite toppings.  I used squash, onion, peppers and spinach.  Put pizza back in oven for 10 minutes to warm everything. 

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Butternut Squash Rancheros

This is one of my favorite meals.  So quick and easy and total comfort food.  The caramelized squash tastes fantastic with the beans.  A little heat but not too much.  

I posted this recipe a couple of years ago but thought it needed to be reposted for my 30 Days of Vegan recipes.  This is a favorite whether you're vegan or not!  

Butternut Squash Rancheros Recipe


1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1 in. rounds
Cooking spray
Salt

1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. honey
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
Cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray both sides of the squash with cooking spray.  Place the squash on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Flip and sprinkle with more salt.  Bake for another 15 minutes.  

While squash is cooking, begin sauteing the onions in cooking spray for about 5 - 6 minutes.  Throw in cumin, coriander, jalapeno and garlic and cook for anther 2 minutes.  Add tomato sauce, salt, honey and beans and cook for another 5 minutes or so.  

When the squash is done, turn on the broiler and broil for 5 minutes. Watch to make sure the squash caramelizes a bit but doesn't burn.  

Place half of the bean mixture on a plate or bowl and top with 1/2 the butternut squash.



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