Double-Post Monday - Mexican Recipes

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Tex-Mex Rice and Bean Casserole and Stuffed Piñata Cake. Enjoy!

APPLE-CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

This recipe begins, “You may be surprised at the idea of combining chicken and apples inside a crispy tortilla, but the taste will amaze you.”

This is from Diabetic Connect.

Click here to view this online.

Ingredients

2 medium tart apples, sliced

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 low-carb tortillas, fajita-sized, warmed

3/4 cup shredded lettuce

3/4 cup salsa

6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place about 3/4 cup on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling and secure with toothpicks.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Carefully turn quesadillas over; bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Discard toothpicks. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 12; Calories – 121; Total Fat – 5 g; Saturated Fat – 3 g; Sodium – 196 mg; Carbohydrates – 13 g; Fiber – 2 g; Sugars – 4 g; Protein – 7 g

TEX-MEX RICE AND BEAN CASSEROLE

This is from Weight Watchers. Total Time: 55 minutes; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes; Serves: 6; Difficulty: Easy; Points: 5

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 cup(s) canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels

1 Tbsp canned green chili peppers, chopped, mild or hot

15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup(s) long grain cooked brown rice, fresh or day old

7/8 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese

3/4 cup(s) fat free sour cream

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), chopped (dark green part only)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine corn, chilies, beans, rice, 3/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir in scallions.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and casserole is slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up before slicing into 6 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes

Change the beans or cheese to your liking: white or black beans, reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses all work well.If you want to brown the cheese more, place the dish (make sure it's broiler safe) under the broiler for a minute or two.

AVOCADO AND MANGO SALSA

Yield: 3 cups

Servings: 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=703

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/703.shtml

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped ripe mango

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped jicama

Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)

Salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, mango, jalapeno pepper, jicama, and lime juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix in the cilantro.

Let the salsa sit 20 minutes for flavors to meld before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 35; Protein: 0.5 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 0.5 mg; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

STUFFED PINATA CAKE

This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Your guests will certainly be delighted by the sight of this bright cake. But make sure they don't put their cameras away too soon: once you cut into it, a candy surprise comes spilling out!”

Total: 3 hours 15 minutes; Active: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/stuffed-pinata-cake.

Ingredients

Frosting:

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch fine salt

6 large egg whites

4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, at room temperature

5 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Filling and Decoration:

Blue, orange, yellow, purple and pink food coloring

2 cups of your favorite small and soft candies (none in wrappers), such as gummies or candy-covered chocolates

Cake:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

DirectionsFor the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk together in another medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy. Add about a third of the flour mixture and beat on medium low until incorporated. Now add a third of the egg-milk mixture and continue to beat on medium low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg-milk mixtures, finishing with the flour.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the cake pans on a rack.

For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer's bowl above the water.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.

Toss in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. After all the butter is added, continue beating on medium-high speed. The mixture will deflate and appear curdled. Continue beating until the frosting comes back together to a smooth and spreadable consistency. (If the frosting is very soft or begins to break, refrigerate until set but still spreadable, then beat until light before using.)

For the filling and decoration: Dye the coconut: Have ready 5 resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Put 1 1/2 cups of the coconut in one container with 6 to 8 drops of blue food coloring. Put 1 cup of coconut in the second container with 5 to 6 drops of orange food coloring, 1 cup of coconut in the third with 5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring and 1 cup of coconut in the fourth with 6 to 8 drops purple food coloring. Put the remaining 1/2 cup coconut in the fifth container with 4 to 5 drops pink food coloring. Seal each container and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly dyed. Add more food coloring 1 drop at a time as needed to get bright, vibrant colors.

Assemble the cake: Cut a 4-inch circle out of the center of each cake (reserve the small cut-out cake rounds). Put one of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and frost with about 1 cup of frosting. Put the other cake ring on top and push down slightly. Fill the hole with candy. Cut one of the reserved cake rounds in half horizontally to make 2 thinner rounds. Use one to fill the hole on top of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

Cut a strip of parchment about 30 inches long and 3 inches wide. Wrap this parchment around the cake like a collar, leaving 1 inch of frosting exposed around the bottom perimeter of the cake. Pack some of the blue coconut onto the exposed frosting to make your first strip of color. Lift the collar up another 1 inch and do the same with the orange coconut. Remove the collar and fill the remaining inch of frosting with the yellow coconut. For the top, make 1-inch-wide rings, starting on the outside and working your way in, with the purple, pink, blue and orange coconut until the top is completely covered. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

CHEESY CHICKEN AND SWEET POTATO ENCHILADAS

This comes from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “Get cheesy with Cheesy Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas! For hotter sweet potato enchiladas, add a minced fresh jalapeño pepper to the chicken mixture.” Prep Time: 30 min; Total Time: 50 min; Servings: 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 sweet potato (1/2 lb.), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

2 cans (10 oz. each) mild green enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

1 cup rinsed canned black beans

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

12 corn tortillas (6 inch), warmed

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Cook potatoes in boiling water 5 min. or just until tender; drain. Place in large bowl. Mix sour cream and enchilada sauce until blended.

Add 1 cup of the sour cream mixture to potatoes along with the chicken, beans, 1/2 cup cheese and 2 Tbsp. cilantro; mix lightly.

Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Place, seam sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining sour cream mixture and cheese. Cover.

Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

BAKING SHEET QUESADILLAS

This is from Pure Wow, and starts off, “Why make individual quesadillas when you can make one enormous one? Introducing baking sheet quesadillas, which are perfect for any gathering (or if you just want to get dinner on the table in a flash). It's the genius cooking trick you didn't even know you needed.” Makes 6 to 8 servings; start to finish: 20 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

12 rectangular tortillas or wraps (available in the deli section of most grocery stores)

1/2 cup salsa

12 ounces shredded cheddar or Jack cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons sliced green onions

Sour cream, as needed for serving

Salsa, as needed for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Arrange half of the tortillas in the prepared pan, overlapping them as needed to fully cover the base.

Spread the salsa in an even layer on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the salsa.

Arrange the remaining tortillas on top of the cheese, overlapping as needed to fully cover the pan. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter evenly over the tortillas.

Bake until the tortillas are golden and the cheese is fully melted, 9 to 12 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and green onions.

Serve immediately, warm, with sour cream and salsa on the side.