The Pajama Chef

Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce

August 9, 2013January 5, 2017 Sarah

We eat a lot of black beans around here–as a simple side with tacos, on salads, with rice. For some reason though, it’s rare that the black beans themselves are the star of the meal. And why not? They are so good and so filling! These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce are the perfect example of that.

I honestly wasn’t expecting much of this meal, but it was so phenomenal that I just had to share. Quinoa and black beans are a natural combination, and when flavored with garlic and taco seasoning, are pretty amazing. I also added some cheese because duh. Cheese. It’s all melty and wonderful. You could certainly add the cheese separately to the burrito, but I kinda liked the gooey factor when it was stirred in with everything else.

As good as the burrito filling is, adding some guacamole and a quick Southwest Sauce makes this burrito. For sure. The sauce’s intriguing ingredients–salsa, mayo, lime juice, maple syrup, and spices–sound a bit off, but trust me. It totally works! This sauce is tangy, sweet, and has a tiny kick–but no real heat. You could spice this up if you wanted though! These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos make a wonderfully easy vegetarian weeknight dinner, and the leftovers last for days. Serve it with a side salad and chips and salsa for a complete meal. My kind of recipe! You can bet this will be part of our regular rotation from now on. Enjoy!

a year ago… Summery Squash & Chicken Lasagna
two years ago… Watermelon Coolers
three years ago… OTT: Brown Sugar Bacon Twists

Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce

Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Print

adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed [I used 1/2 cup each red and white quinoa]
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups black beans [or a 15 ounce can], drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
flour tortillas
chopped avocados or guacamole [I made a simple guac–1 mashed avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, pepper]

for Southwest Sauce

1/2 cup salsa
1 tablespoon mayonnaise [I think sour cream or plain yogurt could be substituted too]
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Place quinoa and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer until all liquid has been absorbed–about 12 to 15 minutes. Then, add black beans, garlic, cheese, and taco seasoning and stir until cheese has melted. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, prepare Southwest Sauce. Whisk together salsa, mayonnaise, maple syrup, cumin, lime juice, and chili powder. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If salsa is chunky, you may want to smooth sauce by pureeing in a blender or food processor.

Serve by spooning quinoa black bean mixture in a large flour tortilla. Top with avocados or guacamole, then roll shut. Drizzle Southwest Sauce on top immediately before serving.

Linked up with Foodie Friday and Weekend Potluck.

Menu Plans, Musings

Menu Plan etc.

August 7, 2013 Sarah

Oh my goodness. Things have been super busy lately…so alas, a menu plan on WEDNESDAY. Better late than never, right? I came up with a few quick meals this morning and sent my dear husband a short grocery list so he can stop at the store after work. He is so great! And in other news, I chopped off all my hair yesterday!

Crazy. I still can’t believe it but I really like it…and running with short hair is fabulous! 🙂 If you’ve ever thought of getting a pixie or any short haircut, DO IT! And if you have one, any hair tips you wanna pass on to me? 🙂 Have a great Wednesday!

Week of August 5

Monday: Ben was on his own as I was visiting relatives with my sister for the day…so he enjoyed a frozen pizza
Tuesday: a really busy day so we had some super gourmet *sarcasm* Kraft mac & cheese with frozen veggies
Wednesday: waffles
Thursday: BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
Friday: Chipotle for a food pantry benefit
Saturday: black bean soup
Sunday: roast chicken

Bars, Cheesecakes, Desserts, Recipes

SRC: Churro Cheesecake Bars

August 5, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

I absolutely love being in the Secret Recipe Club! Getting to peruse another blogger’s favorite recipes and then pick one to make secretly is just so fun… and delicious! This month I was assigned to Lesa who writes the blog Edesia’s Notebook. Lesa has been blogging since 2007 and has literally hundreds of recipes to choose from on her site. It was kind of overwhelming… in the best way possible, of course! Lesa is a mom of two adorable little girls, and a variety of recipes that kids and adults will love, both sweet and savory. Perfect!

This month, I left the final decision to Ben. He had his choice of cookies, pancakes, and cheesecake bars. Apparently it was no contest. Cheesecake bars it was! But not just any cheesecake bars–Churro Cheesecake Bars! A layer of creamy vanilla cheesecake is sandwiched between a cinnamon sugar crust reminiscent of everyone’s favorite Mexican pastry. These bars are so utterly amazing that I could hardly believe how quick and easy they were to make!

The shortcut to these fabulous bars is using a seamless crescent roll dough sheet. You could totally make your own dough, but I certainly took advantage of this easy option. 🙂 And don’t worry if you accidentally rip your sheet trying to get it out of the tube… it’ll work juuust fine, even a little torn, haha. I swear, I almost always have issues with so called “convenience” foods. Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just me? These Churro Cheesecake Bars are sweet and rich. They come together in a snap and are great for a party because a little goes a long way. We loved them and hope you will too! Thanks, Lesa, for a great recipe!

Churro Cheesecake Bars [from Edesia’s Notebook]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 [8 ounce] cans refrigerated seamless crescent dough sheet
2 [8 ounce] packages cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir and sprinkle half evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Unroll one of the crescent dough sheets and lay it over the cinnamon sugar.

With a mixer, beat together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and egg until smooth [about 2-3 minutes]. Pour filling over dough, smoothing with a spatula if necessary. Unroll the other dough sheet and gently place over filling. Top with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting, then store in the refrigerator.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 24 servings.

Notes: If your dough sheet tears, even the top one, it’s not really a big deal. Patch it together as best you can and the cinnamon sugar will help cover up the mess. 🙂 These bars can be served warm or cold, but we liked them best warm.

Be sure to check out other recipes from other SRC members here today too! 🙂

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

August 2, 2013August 2, 2013 Sarah

Well, I wish I had a fun story to tell about these muffins, but I don’t. These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are pretty much out of this world, so that’s the story itself, I suppose. They are utterly chocolately, perfectly fluffy, and even a smidge on the healthy side. You should totally make them, stat. Need I say more?

Like any banana bread or baked treat, these are best made with ultra ripe, almost too disgusting to look at, much less touch bananas. These are nowhere near ready… they should be almost completely black. The darker the banana, the sweeter the flavor, I say. [Even though I basically have to have Ben deal with the grossness.]

These muffins get their amazing, rich flavor from not one, not two, but THREE kinds of chocolate. I know I called them Double Chocolate, but I may have lied a bit. Cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips are ALL necessary for success here, folks. In a cupcake, I’d pretty much never use all three things at once. But in these muffins? Totally works. Especially because these muffins are a bit on the healthy side thanks to the use of applesauce, flax seed, and whole wheat flour. What more could you ask for?

a year ago… Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
two years ago… Recipe Repeat: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
three years ago… Potato Soup

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins [from Amy’s Cooking Adventures]
click to print

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, flax seed, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

Fold dry ingredients into the wet, then add chocolate chips and gently mix until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 14-16 muffins.

Notes: Use or freeze within 3 days. These muffins freeze well!

LInked up with: Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck.

Recipes, Salads, Sides

Chopped Kale Salad with Bleu Cheese & Bacon

July 29, 2013August 21, 2013 Sarah

Kale. Seriously can’t get enough of it. Ben can’t either. No complaints here.

Normally, our kale is cooked–in pasta, fried rice, or as a base for chicken or pork. But this time, I decided to do something different and make a chopped kale salad. That’s right… raw kale, chopped into a billion teeny tiny bites and tossed with a fabulous array of toppings and the most spectacular dressing ever. Intrigued?

What makes this salad special and different is ALL the tastes and textures going on. Crisp carrots, sweet apples, salty bacon, pungent bleu cheese, tart cranberries, crunchy toasted almonds. And a sweet peanut butter-maple vinaigrette that is nothing short of amazing. I was literally eating it with a spoon, for goodness sake! It has a peanut butter base, so that’s totally legit, right?

By the way, if you aren’t the biggest fan of bleu cheese, don’t let this scare you. There’s only enough to give a hint of the flavor, but if you like it you can always substitute feta or parmesan. I don’t always include cheese in my salads but it really works in this one, to make it more substantial. Just FYI.

I threw this recipe together quickly on a busy night when we were headed to a small group dinner, and it was all but polished off. Fortunately, there was enough leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day, but the salad definitely got a little soggy on day 2 so I would recommend adding the dressing just before serving if at all possible. I only made this a couple weeks ago and am totally craving it now, as I write this at 10:27 pm. I have a feeling this salad is going to become a regular in our house and I hope it will in yours too! Enjoy!

So you tell me… have you ever had a kale salad before? What are your go-to [kale] salad mix-ins?

a year ago… Man Cupcakes
three years ago… Creamy Baked Spaghetti

Chopped Kale Salad with Bleu Cheese and Bacon [dressing adapted from Iowa Girl Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 1/2 bunches kale
1 1/3 cups red cabbage
1 large carrot
1 large Fuji apple
3 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
freshly ground black pepper

dressing

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

Directions:

Wash and dry kale, then tear into small bite-size pieces, discarding thick stems. Add to a large bowl and set aside.

Wash and dry cabbage, carrot, and apple, then shred. I used my food processor but a grater would also work. Add to kale, along with bleu cheese, bacon, almonds, and cranberries.

Whisk together balsamic, olive oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter until smooth to make dressing, then drizzle half over the salad. Toss to combine, and add more dressing as desired. I used about 3/4 of the total dressing made. Season with black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 10-12 side salads, 3-4 meal size salads.

Linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.