November 27, 2011: Quick and Easy Southwestern Pizza Calzones Recipe

Have you tried any of the Kraft Cooking Crème? The basis is cream cheese, which is whipped up with various herbs and spices. So far I’ve tried the Garlic one and the Southwestern one. While they’re handy to use with pasta, I’ll warn you right now that a little can go a long way. I had a real dinner disaster one night when I decided to use the garlic crème, straight, to stuff enchiladas. They were so bad I had to throw most of the dish away.

But I persevered and tried using the crème again. This time I got the proportion right.

Southwestern Pizza Calzones

1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough

1 6-ounce package pepperoni (or half pound cooked, crumbled pork sausage)

2 t. olive oil

½ bell pepper, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. diced green chiles (either freshly roasted or from a can)

½ container Kraft Cooking Crème, Southwestern flavor

4 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded

2 t. butter

Garlic salt or powder (optional)

Open the package of crescent rolls and carefully separate at perforations so you have four rectangles. On a floured surface, roll out the rectangles to a 6 inch square, pressing the diagonal seam together so the square doesn’t have any separations. Divide the pepperoni into fourths and place on half of each dough square.

Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium low. Add peppers and sauté for two minutes; add mushrooms and garlic and sauté for two more minutes, until vegetables are soft. Turn off heat and add green chile and cooking crème. Mix together.

Spoon one quarter of the crème mixture on top of the pepperoni. Top each with a quarter of the shredded cheese. Fold opposite side of dough over the filling to form a turnover. Press edges together. Place on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt butter and brush over the tops of each calzone. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt, if desired.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown and completely cooked through.

Serves 4

November 19, 2011: Chili Mac Recipe

Here’s an old standby that was the perfect recipe for some leftovers I had hanging around in my fridge. While the dish is reminiscent of the goopy casserole I remember being served from the school cafeteria, this recipe tastes a whole lot better!

Tip: If you don’t have leftovers available, just go ahead and double the amounts listed in the recipe; use a full can of corn and chili. I used homemade chili and corn that I had canned myself over the summer.

Chili Mac

½ lb. macaroni noodles

4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

½ t. dry mustard

2/3 cup nonfat or low fat Greek yogurt or sour cream

¾ cup shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, divided.

1/3 cup cooked corn

1 cup chili with beans

Dash Tabasco sauce

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and return to cooking pot. Add cheese and stir until melted. To the pot, add mustard, yogurt or sour cream, ¼ cup shredded cheese, corn, chili and Tabasco. Pour into greased casserole cheese. Top with remaining cheese and cover with foil.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until bubbly hot. Remove foil and bake an additional five minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Serves 4

November 15, 2011: Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

This is a recipe I found online some many years ago and used one Thanksgiving as a spicy, Southwestern stuffing that was perfect to show my New Mexican heritage. If you want something a lot on the different side to stuff in your Thanksgiving turkey this year, this recipe fits the bill!

This is the chorizo I buy in my grocery store; don't get the dry, Spanish type chorizo for use in this recipe.

Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing

6 cups cornbread, crumbled

½ lb. chorizo sausage

½ cup white or yellow onion, minced

1 can cream style corn

½ cup chopped mild green chiles (freshly roasted or canned)

1 T. fresh cilantro, torn or cut into small pieces

¾ cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cornbread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a skillet, cook chorizo until done, breaking up into small chunks. Drain. In the same skillet, cook the onion just until soft.

In a large bowl, toss together chorizo, cornbread and remaining ingredients. Use mixture to stuff a 10-12 pound turkey or bake in a covered casserole dish for about an hour at 325 degrees (or next to turkey).

Tip: Make the cornbread several days before Thanksgiving, if desired.

September 11, 2011: Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since the tragic events of 9/11. Do you remember where you were that day the twin towers in New York City burned? I had just started working for the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa hotel less than a month before and as I walked in to work, I noticed everyone’s somber countenances and the fact that all the TVs in the lobby were turned on to the news. My coworkers and I sat and watched the coverage for some time; our boss never asked us to get back to work. It was unbelievable – I remember thinking the images were surreal, like something from a movie.

I give thanks to all those brave men and women who were tasked with rescuing victims and then cleaning up the mess afterward. Did you know it took over half a year to find some of the victims?

Well… let’s move on to today’s recipe. I’ve got yet another version of enchiladas to share with you. I hope this doesn’t offend anybody, but this is the “gringo” version which uses a can of cream of chicken soup rather than a sauce made from scratch. This is the type of casserole my husband really enjoys because he doesn’t like the hotter, more authentic version.

Beef enchilada casserole served with a salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, avocados and green onions.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup onion (white or yellow), minced

1 T. dehydrated or fresh, chopped cilantro

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small can mild, diced green chiles (or substitute 2 T. minced fresh jalapenos)

1/3 cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

1 t. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

9 corn (or corn/flour) tortillas

Nonstick cooking spray (such as Pam)

1 ½ cups shredded cheese (such as Colby Jack)

Brown the ground beef in skillet over medium heat. Drain most of the grease. Add in the garlic, onion and cilantro and cook a few more minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

Add remaining ingredients, through salt and pepper, to make the sauce.

Spray a 9” square baking pan with Pam. Place three tortillas in the bottom of the pan (you may have to cut one tortilla in half to make them fit across the bottom of the pan). Spread one third of the sauce mixture on top, followed by one third of the shredded cheese. Repeat twice more.

Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 – 40 minutes, until bubbly hot. Remove foil and cook five more minutes, until cheese is completely melted and a bit browned.

Serves 3 - 4

August 5, 2011: Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe

I just got back from spending a weekend in my hometown of Silver City, New Mexico. While I was there I had to eat my favorite Mexican food. In my opinion, Silver City is home to THE best Mexican food found anywhere on the planet. I have fond memories of eating at each of the restaurants while growing up, including El Paisano, the Silver Café, Jalisco, and Tillie’s. I was in town for my 30th high school reunion and many of us reminisced about the wonderful food we had in our town while growing up.

These days as we all get older and – how shall I say it – bigger, we can’t eat the same food we used to without gaining pounds instantly. This recipe is my version of chicken enchiladas that is much lighter than the traditional (but the still most mouth-watering) enchiladas I enjoyed in Silver City.

Lite green chile chicken enchiladas served with a salad of green leaf lettuce, tomatoes and avocado slices.

Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

1 T. olive oil
½ cup minced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped green chiles
½ cup chicken broth
1 t. cumin
1 t. dehydrated cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 corn-wheat tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas, large size)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Heat the olive oil to medium in a saucepan. Add onions and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, until slightly translucent. Add chicken, tomatoes, chiles, broth and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from the broth mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. When cooled enough to handle, shred chicken and add back to broth mixture. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt and salsa. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

To assemble enchiladas: place two tortillas in the bottom of the greased pan. Spray with cooking spray. Pour half the shredded chicken mixture over the top. Dot with dollops of the sour cream mixture; sprinkle with half the black olives. Top with half the shredded cheese. Place two more tortillas on top and spray with cooking spray. Top with remaining ingredients.

Fresh out of the oven and bubbling hot.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. It will look soupy but the tortillas will absorb any extra moisture as it sits, so let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4

May 31, 2011: Mexican Pizza with Jalapeno Cornbread Crust Recipe

Here we are on the last day of the month… already! The summer season has officially begun and 22 years ago today I gave birth to my awesome, wonderful, handsome, intelligent, funny, responsible, hard-working, most precious son. Happy Birthday, Neal!

Now, for the last recipe of the month.

I made this one up the other day. I wanted something Mexican and I was craving pizza and this is what I came up with. Although I always make my refried beans from scratch (I actually don’t refry them but just mash them with the cooking liquid to save on calories) feel free to use a can of good quality beans instead.

Mexican Pizza

Jalapeno Cornbread Crust:
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ t. dry yeast
1 T. honey
1 T. finely chopped jalapenos
1 T. butter, softened
1 t. salt
¼ cup cornmeal
2 – 2 ½ cups flour

In the warmed bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes, until it starts to froth. Add remaining ingredients, through cornmeal. Add one-and-a-half cups of the flour and process on Speed 2 for a couple minutes. Add remaining flour, half cup at a time, until mixture forms a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides, and cover. Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough.

Grease a pizza stone with olive oil. Evenly spread the dough across the pan, using your fingers to bring it to the edges; crimp the edges slightly.

For the Pizza:
2 cups refried beans
1 cup sliced black olives
½ onion, thinly sliced
1/8 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
1 lb. chorizo, cooked and drained of grease
4 slices pepper jack cheese
Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, optional
Taco sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack in lowest position.

Spread the prepared dough with refried beans. Top with olives, onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, and chorizo. Place the four slices of pepper jack cheese around the pizza in a diamond pattern.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and slice into eighths. Top with lettuce, tomato, and taco sauce, if desired.

Makes 8 slices.