tortillas – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Beans, Couscous, Main Dishes, Recipes, Reviews, Sides

#HotSummerEats: Sun-Dried Lentil and Couscous Salad, Barbecue Black Bean Quesadillas, and Some Reviews!

June 8, 2015June 7, 2015 Sarah

Today is the last day of #HotSummerEats! And because Ben and I spent the day painting our kitchen instead of blogging, I didn’t get part of this post up for Sunday like I planned. So to celebrate Monday, I have not just one but TWO recipes for you, plus reviews of other products from our wonderful #HotSummerEats sponsors. Ready? Let’s go!

Inside door number one we have this fabulous lentil and couscous salad! I love having recipes like this on hand to make that I can grab out of the fridge for lunches at work all week long. It’s truthfully been awhile since I’ve cooked couscous and when I first tasted this salad yesterday I wondered why the hiatus? Israeli couscous is so good!! It’s almost pasta, but not quite, so it pairs so well with lentils and any other veggies you want to throw in. This time, I used red and yellow bell peppers and some sun-dried tomatoes. Normally when I make salads like this, I make a vinaigrette as the sauce, but this time I took the easy way out and used this Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette from Out of the Weeds. You can WIN this in our #HotSummerEats giveaway, but you gotta act fast since it ends today! I don’t usually buy salad dressings because vinaigrettes are super easy to make, but sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the work for you… especially when they use normal ingredients that you’d find in your pantry too! This vinaigrette is so fresh and adds a fun, light tomato flair to my lentil and couscous salad. If you can’t get this vinaigrette locally [or can’t wait until your online order arrives], you can use your favorite vinaigrette instead. 🙂 I’m so glad I got to try this Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette! It’s flavorful, fresh, and perfect for anything from salads to meat marinades. Amazing!

The next recipe I have to share with you involves black beans, barbecue sauce, and cheese. Now, that combo might seem a little weird. I mean… black beans and cheese I get, but barbecue sauce and black beans? Barbecue sauce and cheese? Just try it! It’s so good! But first the back story. Whenever I get home late from work or Bible study or anywhere really and need some dinner, quesadillas are my go-to… one of two kinds. Banana, peanut butter, and chocolate [arguably NOT the healthiest choice, I know… but delicious!] or black beans and cheese. I always have those ingredients on hand so it’s easy, filling, and delicious. Usually to season my bean and cheese quesadilla, I turn to salsa or taco seasoning. But since I live in Nashville and see people put barbecue sauce on anything and everything, I wondered how it would taste on beans. Like baked beans, kinda. Even though I don’t like baked beans…

I received Southern Gold Barbecue Sauce from Voodoo Chef for #HotSummerEats and decided to try it out on a recent weeknight. Man! The barbecue sauce/black bean combo is great! It’s just like chicken, except not. Haha, I’m so eloquent right now. But really, this barbecue sauce is wonderful. It’s mustard based–sweet and tangy, with just a pinch of heat. I could eat that stuff by the spoonful, it’s that good. Just like I said with the vinaigrette, you SHOULD get it [or win it I hope!] but if you can’t feel free to sub regular barbecue sauce + mustard to make this quesadilla. This combo is where it’s at! 🙂

Man, I’ve already shared two great recipes. But now I have a few product reviews for you so keep on reading. 🙂 I got to try Caribeque‘s Island Thyme spice rub. Ben was cooking the night we tried it, and he rubbed it on a pork tenderloin, then added some olive oil and panko bread crumbs and baked it until it was cooked through. WOW was this good! Seriously the best pork I’ve ever had. If it wasn’t raining I would have gotten some better pictures.

The Island Thyme was tangy and full of lots of herbs. It had a little kick but not too much… made me feel like I was at a Caribbean restaurant instead of my own kitchen. 🙂 I think it would also be wonderful on some roasted veggies. 🙂 We enjoyed some dill and butter green beans and some sweet potato fries with the pork. I dipped my sweet potato fries in my new favorite ketchup… Chai Curry Chup by Intensity Academy. I know chai seasoning + ketchup + curry sounds weird, but it’s a totally addictive blend of sweet and hot and normal ketchup. It’s very hard to describe but it’s the best thing ever. Seriously the best product I tried as part of #HotSummerEats. Everything was good but this was phenomenal! On burger night a few weeks ago, I mixed the Chai Curry Chup with mayo as a burger topping and that was great too.

Last but not least I want to tell you about the unique line of salad dressings from T.Lish. So far I have only sampled one of the three I was sent, and I want to eat salad for every meal just to enjoy the sweet garlic dressing!

This dressing tastes like something I’d make in my own kitchen–no preservatives, nothing fake. It’s just a really good salad dressing made with quality ingredients. Some of the other #HotSummerEats bloggers have used these dressings for pasta salad or marinades–find all the recipes here! I have plans to use the Asian Sesame in stir fry but it just hasn’t happened yet. Will report back when it does! 🙂 My only complaint with this salad dressing is that it makes a mess when pouring it. Maybe we just got a bad bottle, but it did spill down the side quite a bit. That happens with my own dressings too, so no worries!

If you made it this far, you deserve a reward… so here are the recipes! 🙂 🙂 Ha! Enjoy! Thanks for reading along with #HotSummerEats and thanks to Camilla for organizing and hosting this great event. Most of all, thank you to all our sponsors! You have helped make the event spicy, flavorful, and fun! I always LOVE getting to try new foods and finding new companies to support [and enjoy]. Hope you enjoyed it as well and be sure to enter the giveaway now!

Sun-Dried Lentil and Couscous Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted
1/2 cup Israeli couscous
1/2 cup bell peppers, diced small
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced small [drained if water/oil packed]
1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped [I used dill, rosemary, and lemon thyme]
1/3 cup Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette from Out of the Weeds [or another salad dressing of choice, or a mixture of pureed tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and herbs]
freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, then add lentils and cook for 10 minutes. Add couscous and cook another 10 minutes or so, until lentils are cooked through–soft but not mushy, and couscous is cooked to al dente. Drain lentils and couscous and place in a medium bowl. Toss with peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Drizzle vinaigrette over top, tossing until combined. Season with pepper and serve with Parmesan.

Barbecue Black Bean Quesadillas

Servings: 2
Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 flour tortillas
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup bell peppers, diced small
1/4 cup Southern Gold Barbecue Sauce from Voodoo Chef [or 2 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce + 1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard]

Directions:

Heat a large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or grease with butter, then place one tortilla on the pan. Add half the cheese and allow to melt.

In a small bowl, stir together black beans, bell peppers, and barbecue sauce. Heat until warm in the microwave, about 45 seconds. Add half of mixture on top of cheese–just one side of the tortilla for easy folding.

When cheese has melted and tortilla is crispy to your liking, fold and transfer to plate. Repeat with additional ingredients, then serve, sliced, with additional barbecue sauce for dipping.

Check out other #HotSummerEats recipes at the link below:

Disclaimer: Thank you to Caribeque, Intensity Academy, Out of the Weeds, T.Lish, and Voodoo Chef for providing samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats recipes without additional compensation. I was not asked to provide positive feedback. All opinions are my own. Please check out Caribeque on Facebook here or here, Twitter, and Instagram here and here to learn more. Please check out Intensity Academy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to learn more. Please check out Out of the Weeds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to learn more. Please check out T.Lish on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to learn more. Please check out Voodoo Chef on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.

Appetizers, Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads

#HotSummerEats: Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa

June 3, 2015June 2, 2015 Sarah

Inspired by your favorite summer drink, this tangy sweet ‘n savory Cherry Lime Salsa is phenomenal with tortilla chips or atop a crunchy chicken salad. Salads in summer just taste better. Fresh ingredients, lots of textures, veggies, fruit… what’s not to love? This is a new favorite!

Cherry Limeade is the quintessential summer drink, isn’t it? Whether you have a Sonic nearby or not, it just sounds like summer! Cherries, limes, sugar… mmm. This fantastic summer salad/salsa combo is inspired by the refreshing beverage and I’m sure you’re going to love it! Before I tell you all about it, can I let you in on a little secret? I don’t think I’ve ever had a whole Cherry Limeade of my own! Seriously. I think I just steal sips from Ben’s. 🙂 But that’s okay, this salsa MORE than makes up for it. The salsa is incredibly simple–only three ingredients. Cherries, a lime, and some Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. “No’chup” as Ben calls it is fantastic. I’ve been able to try a few flavors, and this one is amazing. It’s sweet and smoky with a hint of spice. Thanks, Erika, for your sponsorship! The salsa is sweet, smoky, and tangy all at once. I was sampling it with tortilla chips when I had a flashback to this BBQ chicken salad I made every other week last summer and decided to shake it up with some cherry chipotle flavors.

The combination of crisp romaine, crunchy corn, and sweet tomatoes is awesome on its own. But add in that Cherry Lime Salsa and some chicken tossed in more of the Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup and you have a masterpiece! Admittedly, this salad is simple but it is very tasty and looks fancy to impress your friends and family. You can purchase Not Ketchup online or in select stores in CA, MI, and a few other states, but in a pinch I think you could get some of the same flavors with cherry jam and chipotle peppers. [Not Ketchup is awesome and I’d purchase it on my own for sure but I always like to give people options, ya know?!] This salad is full of all things delicious and I’m excited to eat the leftovers for lunch today!

By the way, making this salsa was made a zillion times easier with the help of a cherry pitter. I received one as part of #HotSummerEats from Casabella and it’s quite easy to use. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to use it to make my first cherry pie later this summer. Thanks for the gift! 🙂 You can win one and some great other prizes as part of #HotSummerEats this week. Go here for the giveaway! Good luck!

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons
two years ago: Blueberry Burgers

Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa

Servings: 4
Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients:

for salsa

1/2 pound cherries [approximately 1 1/2 cups]
1 lime, zested and juiced
3-4 tablespoons Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup

for salad

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3/4 cup Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup
1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn
1 cup corn [frozen or sliced off the cob]
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
crushed tortilla chips, for topping

Directions:

Wash and pit cherries, then slice into quarters and place in a bowl. Stir in zest and juice from 1 lime, then add 3 tablespoons Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. Taste and add another tablespoon or so if desired. Set aside while preparing salad.

In a small bowl, stir together cooked, shredded chicken and Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm. Divide lettuce, corn, and tomatoes between four plates or large bowls. Top with chicken, cherry lime salsa, and crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

For more delicious #HotSummerEats recipes, check out the link below!

Disclaimer: Thank you to Not Ketchup and Casabella for providing samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats recipes without additional compensation. I was not asked to provide positive feedback. All opinions are my own. Please check Not Ketchup out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest for more information on their products. You can also find Casabella on Twitter and Facebook to learn more.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

February 23, 2015February 21, 2015 Sarah

These make-ahead freezer breakfast burritos are the key to Ben’s heart! They’re full of potatoes, sausage, and cheesy eggs and taste great!

Ben’s always excited when eggs go on sale because he knows that means it’s time for me to make another batch of freezer breakfast burritos for him! He absolutely loves these things, and I have to admit–I do too. 🙂 They’re great to keep in the freezer for busy mornings. Since Ben has started teaching, we’re on a slightly different [read: early] schedule. I love sending him off to work with a good breakfast, even though that sounds so 1950s housewife. 🙂 But what I don’t love is waking up at 5:20 to make him that breakfast. Enter freezer breakfast burritos! There when you need ’em!

I have to admit that I’ve been making these burritos off and on for years. When we lived in Indiana, Ben worked 10 minutes from home and he’d often take his breakfast to work so he could use as much of his morning for other things, like sleeping in and working out. Now he usually eats them at home before I get up. Works for me either way!

One of the greatest things about these burritos is that they are super customizable. I’ve made them with bacon instead of sausage, and occasionally I’ll sneak some veggies in there with the eggs like peppers, onion, or spinach. Spinach was not his fave addition to these burritos but I liked it! 🙂 I’ve even done a Mexican version, with black beans and salsa instead of sausage, and taco seasoning instead of fresh herbs. No matter how you make ’em, these are a great addition to your freezer. Ben’s even been known to take them for lunch occasionally.

The recipe below reflects the amounts I usually use when making these burritos–1 egg per tortilla, 1/2 pound sausage and 1 cup cheese per 10 tortillas. Though you can buy large burrito-size tortillas, I make mine with fajita size tortillas because that’s a better serving size for us. I think there’s about 1/2 cup filling in each burrito but you could certainly adjust the recipe to make bigger burritos if you have more of an appetite. 🙂 These are a great breakfast alone, or can also be served with a piece of fruit or some yogurt. Enjoy!

one year ago: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
two years ago: Asian Peanut Veggie Dip
three years ago: Avocado Egg Salad
four years ago: African Peanut Pineapple Stew

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Servings: 10
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1/2 pound breakfast sausage
1 cup potatoes, shredded [from 1 large or 2 small russet potatoes]
10 eggs
1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh herbs, of choice – parsley, cilantro, dill, oregano, etc. – I usually use a combination or about 1 tablespoon [total] dried herbs
freshly ground pepper, to taste
10 flour tortillas – I usually use fajita size but burrito size would work too–you may just need more filling
4-6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Sriracha sauce, optional

Directions:

In a skillet set over medium heat, brown sausage and discard almost all the grease. Return sausage to pan. Add potatoes and cook on low heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent, then set aside.

Crack all the eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in herbs and pepper. Add to another skillet set over medium-low heat, cooking until just set. It’s okay if the eggs are a little runnier than you might normally eat them since they will be cooked again in the microwave later.

Assemble the burritos by dividing the sausage and potato mixture between the tortillas, then topping with eggs and a little cheese. This should be about 1/2 cup filling per burrito. Drizzle some Sriracha over the cheese if desired, then roll burritos. Wrap in a piece of foil or Saran wrap, then place in a freezer safe gallon size ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 2 months, if they last that long! When ready to eat, remove wrapping and heat in a paper towel for 90 seconds-2 minutes. Eat immediately.

Appetizers, Recipes

Italian Tortilla Rollups, and a Bridal Shower

May 23, 2014May 18, 2014 Sarah

Did I tell you guys that I catered a bridal shower about a month ago? Well, I did. 🙂 And it was super fun. The shower was for the niece of one of my coworkers, and I was SO honored to be asked to cater!!

The bride is a healthy foodie like me so we decided to have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies at this shower! It was quite the colorful shower. 🙂 I made three tried and true recipes, and three new ones that I am thrilled to share with y’all! So, what did I make?

Here’s the menu, with amounts for 20-25 guests:

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad: made with strawberries, navel oranges, kiwifruit, and cantaloupe. I made the dressing with my immersion blender so that the mint leaves were chopped VERY fine…and it turned out perfectly! I tripled the recipe.

Asian Peanut Veggie Dip, served in little cups with red, yellow, and green bell peppers, baby carrots, and celery. I tripled the recipe but should have made even more. I purchased 8 bell peppers, 3 pounds of baby carrots, and 2 bunches of celery.

Deviled Eggs: I didn’t take great photos, so I wasn’t going to share the recipe separately. However, I make the filling for my deviled eggs with the following measurements for every six hard boiled eggs: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1.5 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard, 1.5 teaspoons yellow mustard, 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Obviously mix those ingredients with the mashed yolks! I put the filling into a ziploc bag, cut the tip off, and pipe it into the whites. I topped half with paprika as usual and the other half with chopped bacon crumbles and scallions. I made two dozen eggs [48 deviled egg halves].

Kale Quinoa Salad: will be sharing the recipe soon!

Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons: will be sharing the recipe soon!

Italian Tortilla Rollups: last, but certainly not least… and the recipe of the day! I made one batch as reflected below.

I chose to share this recipe first because I heard it was the star of the shower… especially with the kiddos. And I tried one that fell apart and let me tell you, the flavors were AWESOME! Pesto and sun-dried tomatoes are meant to be BFFs, and when paired with cream cheese in a tortilla you have a super addictive ‘lil snack bite.

Since the bride is a healthy foodie, I decided to try the Greek yogurt cream cheese and was pleasantly surprised to find that the cost was the same as for regular cream cheese. Score! I couldn’t tell a difference in flavor between the two, but the Greek yogurt cream cheese was definitely healthier and just as creamy as the original stuff is. So use that if you can, but no worries if you decide to use normal cream cheese. These little bites had so much flavor, but really. Can you go wrong with cheese, basil, and tomatoes? I think not. I’ll definitely be bringing these bites parties in the future and hope you will too.

And while we’re on the subject of weddings… I just wanted to make a shoutout to Ben. We’ve been married for FIVE YEARS today! We’re going to spend the day celebrating [so glad I could get the day off work]. I’m so thankful for Ben and love him more now than the day we got married. I wouldn’t have wanted to move to Nashville with anyone else. 🙂 Excited to see what the future holds. I love you!

one year ago: Taco Pizza
two years ago: Triple Chip Coconut Cookies

Italian Tortilla Rollups
click to print

Ingredients:

8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped [I used the ones that are just dried, but oil/water packed works too–just drain and pat dry]
8 ounces prepared pesto
fresh chopped basil, optional
chopped olives, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional
8 ounces whipped cream cheese [I used the Greek yogurt kind]
freshly ground black pepper
10 burrito-size tortillas

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and any of the optional toppings and set aside.

Microwave tortilla for a minute to soften, then spread a tortilla evenly with cream cheese, leaving an inch border around the edges, and top with a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato mixture. Top with a little bit of black pepper, then roll tightly. Cut in half, then cut off tortilla ends [where there’s no filling]. Cut each half into thirds [making six pieces total, not including the ends that were cut off]. Place seam side down on a plate or baking dish.

Repeat with remaining ingredients, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving.

Time: 30 minutes active + refrigeration time.
Yield: 60 slices.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Spicy Chicken, Spinach, and Corn Enchiladas

February 28, 2014February 27, 2014 Sarah

This month for Mystery Dish, Christine from I Dig Pinterest and I Did it Too was the head honcho. She gave us the following ingredients to work with: fresh mushrooms, pork, spinach, cream cheese, pineapple, butterscotch chips, macadamia nuts, Sriracha, Ritz crackers, and tortillas. When I first saw the list, I had dreams of a fabulous dessert. But things just didn’t work out due to family and work things… so dinner it was! But shhhh! Don’t tell these enchiladas they were a second choice because they’d be oh so sad. They were SO tasty and SO spicy and SO worth it.

The two ingredients I used from Christine’s list were spinach and tortillas. I thought about also using Sriracha in the spicy enchilada sauce, but after a quick test taste, I realized there was no way I’d be able to handle the heat if I added that. 🙂 So two ingredients it was! Obviously tortillas are an essential part of enchiladas–but spinach? Sounds a little weird. But I’m never one to shy away from adding veggies where they are unexpected. The combination of chicken, spinach, and corn made for a delightful enchilada filling, and when we had a little leftover, I saved it for quesadillas later in the week. Also an excellent choice for this filling! If a super spicy sauce isn’t your thing, feel free to buy some or try my [old old old] recipe for a classic enchilada sauce.

We loved how flavorful, fast, and unique these enchiladas were, and I bet you will too! Be sure to check out some of the other creations made by my Mystery Dish pals. 🙂

one year ago: Italian Sausage and Red Rice
two years ago: Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole
three years ago: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Spicy Chicken, Spinach, and Corn Enchiladas
click to print

Ingredients:

4 ounces tomato paste
1 cup tomato juice or water
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
6 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
2 handful spinach, torn
1 cup corn
1/2 cup salsa
8 flour tortillas
1 cup white cheddar cheese [pepperjack or a Mexican blend would also be good]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine tomato paste, tomato juice, onion, green pepper, garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Process until smooth. Spread 1/3 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together chicken, spinach, corn, and salsa. Divide mixture between the tortillas, then place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 4 servings.

1. Grilled Pineapple with Nutella and Macadamia Nuts by Joyful Healthy Eats
2. Hummingbird Cake by Baking a Moment
3. Three-Cheese Spinach Squares by The Well Floured Kitchen
4. Easy Pesto Pita Bread Pizzas by Yummy Healthy Easy
5. Minty Pea Prosciutto Toast by Chez CateyLou
6. Pina Colada Cheesecake by Blahnik Baker
7. Chocolate Banana Cheesecake Chimichangas by Culinary Couture
8. Pork with Pineapple Fried Rice by I Want Crazy
9. Tropical Green Smoothie by The Dessert Chronicles
10. Spicy Chicken, Spinach and Corn Enchiladas by The Pajama Chef
11. Pineapple Drop Cookies by I Dig Pinterest