6-layer dip with black beans

I like refried beans, but I like black beans more. Here is my take on the ever-famous layered dip...perfect for Cinco De Mayo coming up!

Ingredients

 (your amounts will vary for the crowd you are feeding .. this is for about an 8 inch round dish)

4 oz sour cream

4 oz cream cheese

1-2 cups? quacamole (you can't ever have enough of this)

Sharp cheddar cheese grated (about 1.5 cups)

4 green onions chopped

5 vine ripe tomatoes chopped

1/2 can of black beans drained & cooked according to can directions

lime juice (optional)

Here's the layer order:

1. Mix sour cream and cream cheese together and add it as your bottom layer

2. Next add a thick layer of guacamole

3. Next add your cheddar cheese

4. Then your black beans 

5. Next your tomatoes

6. Last your green onion.

Then I add another dab of guac on top and a sprinkle of lime juice for good luck.

Serve chilled with corn chips

Chicken Pillows

We learned this recipe from a roommate in college. My husband LOVES this meal. Not the healthiest but a fun one non-the-less.

Ingredients (feeds 4-6 people):

2 cans of crescent rolls

7-8 chicken tenders

4oz cream cheese

2 tb butter melted

3 tb milk

2 tb green onion

1/4 teas salt

1/8 teas pepper

Cook & chop/shred chicken
add softened cream cheese, green onion, butter, milk, salt and pepper into a bowl.
Add chicken to bowl and mix well.
stretch out dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet
add a spoon full of the chicken mixture to the fat part of each dough triangle and roll up.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve hot over rice.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

*Recipe from $5 Dinner Mom cookbook*

My 14-month old devours these, and they are so easy to make! Here is what you will need:

-2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 chicken tenderloins)
-1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
-1 green bell pepper, sliced (I use the frozen trio of peppers from Trader Joes)
-1/2 onion, sliced
-1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning (depending on how much you love that stuff)
-Tortillas
-Possible sides: brown rice and guacamole

First, marinate the chicken breast in the tomatoes with chilies for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.


















Meanwhile, place the onions and peppers in the crock pot.


















Once the chicken is done marinating, add it to the slow cooker. Then add the taco seasoning, and stir it all around.


















Cook on high for 6 hours*, and enjoy a delicious meal at the end of the day!

*My crockpot seems to run a little hot, and I used thin chicken strips, so I cook mine on low for about 7-8 hours.

spaghetti with whole wheat pasta

Have you tried whole wheat pasta? It is delish!

*I make this sauce to taste so the measurements are just approximations. Taste it as you go and add more of whatever it needs!

Spaghetti Sauce:
lots of good olive oil
1 med. onion
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
1 stalk celery and or 1 green pepper (or go without)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon sugar
1 can crushed/puree tomatoes
ground beef
Salt & Pepper

Pasta:
Whole Wheat Penne noodles
boiling water
salt

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to heated pan. Chop and add onion. Add minced garlic, salt and pepper. Let it sweat together for a couple minutes over medium heat. Chop and add carrots/green pepper/ (and or) celery. Add more olive oil. Stir and Cook until the veggies are soft and turn golden brown (10-20 minutes).  Next add tomatoes, italian seasoning, sugar and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile cook beef in separate pan. Add cooked beef to the sauce mixture.

Cook pasta according to directions and combine with sauce.  Top with parmesan and more olive oil (if you wish) and eat!

Coconut Chicken

This may sound like an odd combination, but it is favorite and tastes great - not to mention super easy.

The Goods

1 Cup flaked coconut

1/2 Cup flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 egg lightly beaten

To Do

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix coconut, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with coconut mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan. 

Bake 20-25 minutes turn chicken over and cook another 20-25 minutes

Serve with pesto sauce, or a simple baslamic.  Or alone is just great too.

Burrito Pie (adapted from familyfun.com recipe)

This recipe calls for a springform pan, but if you don't have one, any old pan will do and you could serve it more like a casserole then cut like a pie. Here is what you will need:

-1 medium chopped onion (for the ground beef if you would like)
-2 cloves garlic
-1 lb ground beef
-1 packet taco seasoning
-3/4 cup water
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals
-4 10 inch flour tortillas
-1 cup salsa
-8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (can also use monterey jack)
-sour cream

First, brown ground beef with the onion and garlic until no longer pink.

Next, add water and taco seasoning.

Then add the corn and black beans, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates. Once the liquid is gone, remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Now you can start to make the layers for the pie. Start by buttering the spring form pan (or use cooking spray). Place a flour tortilla at the bottom of the pan.

Now spread 1/4 of the salsa on the tortilla.

Next, add 1/4 of the beef mixture.

And then 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Keep stacking until all ingredients are used up. It will look like this when you are finished stacking.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Then let it cool for about ten minutes.

After it has cooled slightly, you can take off the rim of the springform pan and behold your beautiful burrito pie! Serve with the sour cream*.

I hope you like it:)

*you could also add sour cream to each of the layers--tortilla, sour cream, salsa, beef mixture, cheese, etc and bake it.

Parmesan Salmon (or Tilapia)

This recipe also works well with Tilapia. I got this recipe from a cooking blog
(I cannot remember which) and then I adapted it a little.

What you will need:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove (although I used two because I love garlic!)
1 tsp parsley
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (any bread crumbs will do)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste
3-4 salmon fillets


Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor (I used a magic bullet and it worked great) combine the garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Then place the mixture in a bowl or on a plate. It will look something like this:


Next, spread the remaining olive oil on both sides of salmon fillets (as you can see, I spilled some!).


Coat both sides with Parmesan/bread crumb mixture. (please ignore the weird looking hand!)


Place each salmon fillet on a piece of tin foil. You can sprinkle a little extra mixture on each piece if you would like. Then, loosely pinch the foil together.


Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or when it flakes easily. This is what it will look like when finished! It is very yummy. Hope you enjoy!