Chicken, Black Bean and Tortilla Casserole

This new recipe came out of The Big Book of Casseroles, and is quick to prepare if you buy ready-cooked, diced chicken. It's less expensive if you poach your own chicken before-hand, but takes an extra 20-30 minutes to prepare, poach and cool/chop the chicken pieces. Your choice! It was a big hit with D, who had 2nd helpings.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.5 oz/425g) chopped tomatoes, including juices,

lightly pureed with a hand blender or in a food processor

1/2 cup jarred tomato salsa

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts

(I used 3 full breast pieces)

8 corn tortillas

3-4 cups (375-500g) grated Monterey Jack cheese

(I usually find grated Jack cheese at larger Sainsbury's)

Optional toppings:

Sour cream

Avocado slices

Sliced green onions

Chopped olives

Salsa & hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add yellow onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well. Stir in beans and chicken pieces.

2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, spread 1/3 of the chicken & bean mixture over the bottom. Top with 4 tortillas and sprinkle with 1 cup (250 ml) cheese.

3. Add another 1/3 of the bean & chicken mixture, 4 more tortillas and 1 cup cheese. Finish with remaining bean and chicken mixture, and 1/2 to 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake, 40 minutes. Remove lid, add remaining cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly brown, about 10 more minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with toppings as desired.

Open Faced Tostadas

Since we are guaranteed to have lots of roast meals over the next few days, I decided to bring a little Mexican food from California into the mix for lunch!

Ingredients: Serves 2

4 small corn tortillas or 2 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed

1/2 cup cooked Mexican rice or brown rice

6 ounces jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 head of lettuce, chopped or 1 cup salad greens

1/4 cup tomato salsa

2 Tbsp. chopped scallions (spring onions)

Handful chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Sour cream and guacamole to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Place tortillas in an oven-proof dish or baking tray. Mix corn, beans and rice together then spread to cover the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese.

Put tostada into the oven until the cheese melts and the beans bubble around the edges, about 7 minutes.

Take the dish out of the oven and top each 'tostada' with chopped lettuce, tomato salsa, chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Cut into 4 portions and serve immediately.

Mom's Hearty Minestrone Soup

My mom used to make this hearty soup every Halloween and we kids weren't allowed to go out trick-or-treating until we'd finished a big, warm bowlful of it. Depending on how much stock you add, it can be really thick (almost like a stew) or thinned out. Great with garlic bread!

Ingredients: (makes 8-10 servings)

3 Tbsp (40g) butter

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup peeled, diced potato

1 small jar spaghetti bolognese sauce (vegetarian)

1 can pinto or kidney beans

1/2 lb. (250g) dry spaghetti, broken into thirds

1 chopped white onion

1 cup chopped carrots

4 cans (1500ml) beef broth/stock

1 lb. (500g) ground (mince) turkey or beef

1/2 head shredded cabbage

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot, add celery, carrots and onions. Cook until tender but not brown.

2. Cook meat in a separate pan until browned and drain (if desired).

3. Add meat, potatoes, bolognese sauce, and broth to vegetable pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add dry spaghetti, undrained beans, and cabbage. Cook covered for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Flavors get even better the next day.

Quick Italian-Style Chopped Salad

This recipe started out as 'Quick Chickpea Salad' from Easy Summer Food, but I wanted it to be more substantial, so I added chopped salami and baby bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) from Trader Joe's to the salad, and it was great. You could also add any of the following: partially sundried (sun-blush) tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, cooked chorizo, tuna, other vegetables, lettuces or herbs. You can also partially prepare the salad ahead of time by combining just the dressing and the chickpeas, allowing the chickpeas to absorb some of the dressing flavors, and adding the fresh ingredients just before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained

4 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

8oz./250g very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

8 scallions (spring onions), sliced diagonally into 1/2" pieces

a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

a small bunch of fresh chives, snipped

leaves from 4 springs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 oz. (55g) fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp black pepper, cracked with a mortar & pestle

hard italian salami, chopped

mini mozzarella balls, or mozzarella cut into bite size pieces

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, crushed

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1. Put the dressing ingredients in a bowl and beat with a fork. Add the chickpeas, artichoke hearts and salami (if using), and toss in the dressing. Cover & chill for up to 4 hours.

2. When ready to serve, add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, scallions, basil, chives and parsley. Stir gently, sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, salt and pepper, then serve.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pitas with Spicy Squash Dip

I made this Spicy Squash Dip with some leftover chickpeas (garbanzo beans) about 3 weeks ago and it kept really well in the fridge, so I decided to make some Mediterranean pita bread sandwiches with the remaining dip. The dip is great served warm on pita breads or flat-breads alone for an appetizer, but it really added a special flavor to the sandwiches.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pitas

Ingredients:

whole wheat pita breads

Spicy Squash Dip (see recipe below)

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

Equal amounts: cherry tomatoes (quartered), cucumber (thinly sliced and quartered), and red onion (thinly sliced and quartered)

feta cheese (low-fat OK)

In a bowl or small container, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and flat-leaf parsley with a little olive oil and vinegar, then crumble some feta cheese into the mix, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. The mixture is to taste, so add more cheese, oil, vinegar or seasonings as desired. The mixture is even better if left to chill overnight in the fridge before serving, as the veggies will marinate in the dressing.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast pita bread in the toaster oven until warmed and slightly browned. Cut an opening along 1/2 of the pita edge (not on the flat face). Heat 3-4 tablespoons of Spicy Squash Dip per pita in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warm. Spoon dip into each pita bread opening and spread over bottom half of pita. Spoon in chilled vegetable & feta mixture until pita feels almost full, and enjoy warm!

The dip recipe came from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Spicy Squash Dip

1 15 oz. (425g) can pumpkin puree

1 15 oz (425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted

1 tsp whole mustard seeds, toasted

1 tsp whole coriander seeds, toasted

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

To toast seeds, place them in a heavy skillet over medium high heat and shake pan back and forth until seeds are aromatic and start to take on color. Transfer toasted seeds to a spice grinder or mortar and grind into a fine powder. Set aside.

Combine the pumpkin, the mixed ground spices, olive oil, chickpeas, salt, pepper, lemon juice and thyme leaves in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately, or let cool and refrigerate.

Lamb Kabobs with Warm Chickpea Salad

I made this one a few months ago, but am thinking about trying it again as it would be good during this cold weather. This recipe came from one of my cookbooks, Easy Summer Food:

Lamb kabobs with warm chickpea salad (serves 4)

1 1/2 lb. (750g) lamb tenderloin

1 recipe Minted Yogurt Marinade (see below)

Warm chickpea salad

1 c. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight in cold water, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

1/2 onion

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

handful fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

a pinch of paprika

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 metal skewers

Using a sharp knife, cut the lamb into bite-size pieces and put into a shallow dish. Add the marinade and stir well to coat the lamb. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. Thread onto the skewers.

Prepare the chickpea salad about 1 hour before cooking the lamb. Put the soaked chickpeas, bay leaf and onion in a heavy saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender, skimming off the foam from time to time.

Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a bowl. Remove and discard the onion and bay leaf. Mash coarsely with a fork. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill, then cook the kabobs over hot coals (or a hot grill) for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender. Serve the kabobs on a bed of chickpea salad, sprinkled with a little extra olive oil. Excellent served with warm pita or flatbreads.

Minted Yogurt

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup plain yogurt

2 Tbsp heavy cream (double cream in UK)

freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp e.v.o.o. (extra virgin olive oil)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 tsp ground chili flakes

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and aromatic, then let cool. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar bowl (or clean coffee grinder) and crush to a coarse powder. Put the spices in a bowl, add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside to steep until ready to use.

Homemade Chili Con Carne

Tonight's dinner was fish & chips from the Fairfax Fish Shop in Kings's Norton, but while D was out I made Chili Con Carne to have for dinner tomorrow night--it taste's great! I got the recipe from the BBC Food website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chilliconcarne_67875.shtml

Chilli con carne

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg/2¼lb lean minced beef
250ml/9fl oz red wine
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 stick cinnamon
good shake of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
wedges of lime, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
2. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
4. Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further ten minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice (or in a baked potato), sour cream and a big green salad.

Tips:
The chilli is much tastier a day or two after it's cooked because the flavours develop and the texture becomes richer. Simply leave to cool, stick in the fridge and gently heat before serving. If you're eating the chilli on the day you prepared it, any leftovers can be frozen in individual portions in well-sealed sandwich bags, then reheated by boiling from frozen in a saucepan of water for about 15-20 minutes until steaming hot.