Pesto Pizza and Pesto Grilled Cheese

Mark bought a huge jar of pesto from Costco.  We have made pizza with it a couple of times with our garden basil and tomatoes.  I use the freezer pizza dough recipe that I already posted from this blog because it always turns out and it's easy. I just replace the pizza sauce for pesto, add shredded mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and chopped basil.  It's a favorite around here.

We have also been loving pesto tomato basil grilled cheese sandwiches around here.

Berry Sauce

http://laylita.com/recipes/2013/02/06/strawberry-sauce/

This was so fun to try.  I used it to top off baked French toast as well as used it for our crepe insides along with sour cream.  So good!

Strawberry sauce

Yield: ~ 2 cups of strawberry sauce

Easy recipe for homemade strawberry sauce prepared with fresh (or frozen) strawberries, sugar and lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. strawberries, washed, hulled & sliced (beth used the berry mix from Costco)
• ¼ cup sugar or grated panela/piloncillo - adjust more or less to your preference
• ¼ cup water
• ½ lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and cook over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes.
3. Serve warm or cold.

Thai Chicken Wraps

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/thai-chicken-crunch-wraps/

I am always enticed by wrap recipes since I don't like sandwiches.  These were pretty simple which was nice and the taste was refreshing for a wrap.

Thai Chicken Crunch Wraps

Yield: Makes 2-3 wraps (can be increased as needed)

The cucumbers (i.e. quick pickles) can be made several days in advance. All the other ingredients can be prepped ahead of time, too, making this a super easy throw-together lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 english cucumber, halved and cut into thin ribbons
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2-3 burrito-sized tortillas (white, wheat, spinach, or whatever you prefer)
• 4 leaves romaine or green lettuce
• 1-2 cups cooked, sliced chicken or turkey (beth used a can of Costco chicken)
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced or julienned carrots (1-2 large carrots)
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a pie plate or other shallow dish, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the cucumbers, tossing to cover with the liquid. Let them stand for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients (they can be made several days in advance and covered in the refrigerator).
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili sauce. Spread a couple tablespoons evenly on the tortillas. Top with lettuce, chicken, cucumbers (lightly patting dry, if needed), carrots and cilantro (just eyeball the amounts for each tortilla depending on how many wraps you are making). Roll the tortilla up tightly like a burrito so the ends are enclosed. Serve immediately.

2.5

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/thai-chicken-crunch-wraps/

Printed from Mel\'s Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine at Home Issue 103 (used a different type of chili garlic sauce – sweet Thai – adjusted ingredient amounts, reduced mayonnaise, etc.)

Grilled Pepper Meatless Burger

Last weekend, I needed a quick meal and this is what I came up with after looking in the fridge.  It turned out to be a great meal that I would love to make again.  Mark got a new cast iron grill so he threw this all on the grill.

melt cheese on hamburger buns  (we did mozzarella)

Grill together:
minced garlic
sliced onions
sliced mushrooms
sliced bell peppers (I used an orange and a red)

Assemble on warm buns and enjoy!

Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese

The basil in our garden has been growing wild and free this year.  It has been so fun!  This morning I had just been in the garden and saw a ripe tomato along with lots of basil.  Then I remembered I had just finished making wheat bread. My lunch was a no brainer.  I used mozzarella for the cheese.

Creamy Tex Mex Quiona Dippers

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/creamy-tex-mex-quinoa-dippers/

I was so excited to see this recipe that was a crockpot recipe and it used quinoa! It was easy and pretty good.  Landon loved it too since I could just throw chunks of it on his tray and it was soft enough for him to chew.  Mark used this for burrito filling the next day.  I did love that don't think about how you are eating quinoa.

Creamy Tex-Mex Quinoa Dippers

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced or petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4-8 ounces light or regular cream cheese, cubed (depending on how creamy you like it)
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice
• Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, toss the chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes and quinoa together.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker and give it all a good stir (scrape down any quinoa that may be stuck to the sides of the slow cooker above the liquid).
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Toss in the cubed cream cheese and cover the slow cooker for 5-10 minutes to let it soften.
5. Stir all the ingredients together until the cream cheese is mixed in well.
6. Add the lime juice and cilantro and give it another quick stir.
7. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired from a recipe my sister Em sent me that was more of a Ranch-style quinoa slow cooker meal; altered it to be Tex-Mex without any prepackaged seasonings)

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/red-chile-sauce-chicken-enchiladas/

I was pleasantly surprised on this one.  I didn't think I was going to like this one much when the sauce was cooking but they really were good!  I loved that they were really saucy.  Lucy loved them too.   She asked for seconds which is unusual with her lately.  We topped them with lime juice, cilantro, and sour cream.

 I don't like eating just chicken and cheese for the filling so I added a little corn and rinsed black beans from a can mixed in with two chicken breasts instead of three.  I also didn't want to take the time to strain the sauce like it says in the instructions.  Instead I just put a little sauce in the bottom of the pan, put a little sauce in each tortilla with the chicken/corn/bean/cheese mixture and then poured it all over the top at the end.  I also only used cheddar cheese. We had a anaheim chile pepper growing in our garden so I substituted that for the jalepeno.  I just noticed she says you can freeze these so I am going to try to remember that.

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

YIELD: MAKES 12 ENCHILADAS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (fajita-size for flour tortillas)
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the leftover onion mixture from the strainer to a large bowl and set aside.
4. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture in the large bowl. Also stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
5. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
6. Heat oven to 400 F. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.
7. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, if desired.

NOTES

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the sauce, onions and chicken come to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas. Finish following the recipe instructions and instead of baking, cover the pan with a layer of tin foil and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Alternately, the assembled enchiladas can be covered with a double layer of tin foil and put inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the pan are sealed well with tin foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, baking for 1 1/2 hours covered at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake an additional hour until hot and bubbly.

Buttermilk Syrup

This syrup is a great option when I am out of my other homemade syrup, or when we are in the mood for a change. It's oh, so yummy, and oh, so unhealthy. BUT it doesn't have HFCS so that's good, eh? This is also a great one for kids, cuz when you put the baking soda in, it fizzes up a bit. (like a volcano I tell them) I think somewhere it was said that this is what they use at Magelby's.

Buttermilk Syrup
Melt:
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
Add:
½ cup buttermilk
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and stir in:
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Loaded Veggie and Black Bean Quesadillas

http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2012/09/loaded-veggie-black-bean-quesadillas.html?m=1

Got this recipe from Beth. These are very good and I have used this recipe to take dinner a couple of times. I grill them on my little frying pan that makes grill marks so it looks kinda fancy. I also use the uncooked tortillas. Also, I use the garlic quinoa/brown rice mix from costco instead of the rice. That make this dinner pretty darn quick to whip up.
 
Another tip to keep in mind, is not to over load with the mix/black beans and to make sure there's plenty of cheese. :) Just my opinion. 

Vegan (with dairy-free cheese)
Gluten-free (with gluten-free tortillas)
Makes 2 large quesadillas

Ingredients
15 oz. can black beans
Tomato
Corn, about 1/2 cup (I used frozen and thawed it)
2 cloves garlic
2-3 green onions
Cooked brown rice
Shredded cheese
Cumin
4 large tortillas

Directions
Rinse and drain black beans. Chop tomatoes and green onion. Mince garlic.
Place a tortilla on a skillet. (I leave the stove turned off until assembly is complete.)
Add a layer of cheese, followed by the beans, veggies, and rice.
Add another layer of cheese to "glue" both sides together.
Sprinkle on a bit of cumin and then place the other tortilla on top.
Heat over medium for a few minutes on each side or until heated through.

Quinoa Black Bean Tacos

http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/19/quinoa-black-bean-tacos/

I was pleasantly surprised on this one.  Mark and I both really liked these and it was a great meatless quinoa filled meal!

Quinoa Black Bean Tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Quick, easy, healthy and full of flavor - even meat eaters will love this!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

• Heat quinoa and 1 cup water in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes; uncover and fluff with a fork.
• Stir in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in beans and corn until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
• To serve, spoon quinoa mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps/

This was an easy quick one for me.  I had leftover rice in my freezer that I pulled out for this and just used a can of Costco canned chicken.  I skipped the cilantro because we didn't have any.  I loved the sour cream cooked into the burrito. 

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Yield: Makes 6 wraps

Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.