Hatch Chili and Sweet Potato : Chicken Enchiladas

This is a fun spin on chicken enchiladas and if you are looking to eliminate processed/GMO foods (like corn tortillas) you will love this. This is  ALMOST a dairy free version and can easily be dairy free with one tweak., don’t add the cheese 🙂  It’s also gluten free.

I’m in love with hatch chilies and I always look forward to August when they come out!

The sweet potato gives these enchiladas a nice texture and the slight sweetness goes great as a replacement for corn tortillas. Give it a try and let me know how it goes 🙂

Prep: 30 min

Cook Time: 15-30 min

Makes: 7 enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken breast, cooked and shredded. Get pasture raised chickens.
• 3 Hot Roasted Hatch Chilies and 3 Mild Roasted Hatch Chilies, remove the top.
• 1 Organic Purple Onion, small (about 1/4 Cup).
• 1 Organic White Onion, small (about 1/4 Cup).
• 2 Cloves of Wild Garlic
• 1/2 C. Organic Coconut Milk (you can use lite if you would like).
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Celtic Salt.
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 or 2* Organic Sweet Potato, sliced thinly long ways on mandolin.
• 1 Teaspoon of organic coconut oil for baking dish.
• OPTIONAL: Kerrygold Cheddar Cheese (Grass Fed Cow Cheese) for topping the enchiladas if you desire.

Instructions:

1. Blend up hatch chilies, onions, garlic, coconut milk, and spices in a blender until consistency of salsa.
2. Cook on med / low for 25 min.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add sliced sweet potatoes to boiling water and cook for 6 min. Drain and set aside.
4. Reserve 1/2 Cup of hatch chili salsa. Mix chicken into the remaining large portion of salsa.
5. In a large baking dish smear the coconut oil down and lay down 7 or the 14 sweet potato slices (I broke some while slicing so I just placed them back together).  *If you want them all to be “perfect” you may get 2 sweet potatoes to have reserves just in case…
6. Add chicken and salsa mixture to each potato and top with another slice of potato. Once you are done take the reserved salsa and put a little bit on the top of each potato enchilada then sprinkle with cheese.
7. Either reserve dish to bake later or bake NOW at 300 F for 15-20 min.
8. If you are waiting for later, heat oven to 375 F and bake for 30 min or until warm all the way through.

Happy Belated 2nd Birthday ZBD & Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Hello Friends! As the summer winds down, I hope to find some more time to blog. It’s been one crazy few months and I have not had a dull moment yet. I’ve missed blogging and reading your blogs so I’m very happy to get back to it. While I was away ZestyBeanDog turned 2 in July!  I missed it… does that make me a bad blog Mom? 🙂  Happy Belated Birthday ZestyBeanDog! 

These burgers are wonderful and great for a filling lunch or dinner. They are low in fat and calories and high in fiber and have a decent amount of protein. You can make these as is and they will be vegan, adding some low fat cheese  (as shown in picture above) will add some protein but will obviously not be vegan BUT tasty 😉 I will say these were awesome tasting but if you are expecting it to have the texture of meat, they will not quite (most freezer brands do not). I will be experimenting with that in the near future and see what happens. For now here is something not to be missed.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves: 2 large burgers or 2 medium and 1 small

Ingredients:

• 1 Can low sodium black beans, drained well
• 1/2 Cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 TBS Shallots, diced
• 1 tsp. Chia Seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. Flax Seeds, ground
• 1 Clove garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
• 1 green onion
• 2 TBS water

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Transfer mixture to food processor (I love the Ninja).
2. Blend all ingredients in a food processor, pulsing for about 20- 30 sec. It should not be liquidy or too dry. It will however be soft. Mold into patties and place on a plastic wrapped plate, cover and let set in fridge for at least 20 min.
3. Turn skillet on medium and spray with pam or you can use regular olive oil. Once hot cook burgers for about 6-7 min on each side until golden brown and hot all the way through.
4. Serve on your choice of bun with any toppings you like! It goes great with some sauteed kale!  I love Cabot 75% as a reduced fat cheese, it’s very good!
   

Nutrition Facts for Black Bean Burgers includes 1/4 of a medium avocado.

Without Avocado

Chicken, Spinach, and Arugula Cesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

Easy and delicious salad (that even dudes like).  I’m not a huge fan of romaine lettuce so I used baby spinach and arugula and it was great!

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10-15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken breasts, raw
• 2 C. Arugula
• 2 C. Spinach
• 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 Loaf of french bread, frozen or a few days old is best, so it’s hardened
• 2 TBS Olive oil
• 1/2 TBS Zestybeandog Fine Herb Blend
• Sea salt, pepper, and extra herb blend for chicken.
• Cesar dressing, I use Annie’s Naturals Cesar Dressing and add more lemon juice, pepper, salt, and parmesan to taste. Or you could make your own, I was going to BUT I’m fresh out of anchovies… 🙂

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut up bread into crouton sized chunks, take olive oil and “baste” on to bread, sprinkle with herb blend and salt. Bake until golden (5-8 min) watch them!
3. Season chicken breasts with herb blend, salt, and pepper. Cook in medium skillet on medium with olive oil or butter (not much about a TBS) until done.
4. Mix up arugula and spinach and separate into two bowls. Add cooked chicken, croutons, and dressing to top of salad. Sprinkle top of salad with parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper. Enjoy

Cheers!

Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with Serrano Peppers & Crispy Shallots Served with a Side of Roasted Baby Zucchini, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Purple Potatoes

I know it’s been awhile since my last post, sometimes life gets in the way of hobbies, I’m back now 🙂

You are going to love this delicious and healthy dish.  I’ve been trying to get more creative with my plating and take better photos of my food so let me know what you think!

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• 3/4 – 1lb Fresh Mahi Mahi, cut into 2 pieces
• 5 Baby zucchini or regular just sliced into small pieces
• 2 Small to medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 6-8 Purple potatoes, sliced very thin
• 1 Serrano pepper, sliced very thin
• 1 Green onion, sliced very thin
• 2-4 Shallots, sliced very thin
• 1-2 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Lemons, one for juice, one for garnish
• 1/2 TBS of butter
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Dried fine herb blend

Instructions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice up the produce as directed above
3. Place purple potato slices on a “Pamed” baking sheet, and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 25 min.
4. While potatoes are baking, heat up a grill skillet to medium high for your zucchini and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and place on heated skillet, grill on both sides until cooked.
5. Heat another medium non stick skillet to medium high for the fish, place a 1/2 TBS of butter in the skillet and cook the sliced shallots and garlic until crispy, remove and set aside.  Then add fish, meat side down, cooking for 4 min.  Flip and cook for 4 more. Transfer Zucchini, tomatoes, and fish into a casserole dish to finish in the 400 degree oven for about 8 more min, or until fish is cooked through.
6. Plate meal, put green onion on top of potatoes. Place shallots, serranos and garlic, on top of fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then drizzle with lemon juice.

Enjoy, Cheers!

Summer Squash and Bison Soup

Prep Time: 20 min

Serves: 6-8

Cook Time: 2-6 hours (can be done in the crock pot if need be).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Bison, from a reputable source
• 2 C. Tomatoes, diced (or canned will do).
• 2 Summer squash or zucchini from the farm, cubed
• 2 C. Mixed bells, sliced
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 1 Large can of black beans
• 1 Hot pepper of your choice, minced
• 2 C. Chicken broth
• 2 C. Beef broth
• 1/2 TBS. Cumin
• 3 TBS Chili powder blend
• 1/2 TBS Cumin
• 1 TBS Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 3 Limes, juiced

Instructions

1. Brown meat, onions, and garlic in a large skillet until meat is cooked.

2. Add squash and cook for an additional 3 min.

3. Empty canned goods into crock pot or regular large pot and then empty the skillet full of meat, onions, garlic, and squash into the tomato and bean mixture and stir.

4. Add the chicken and beef broth and seasonings, stir.

5. Cook for 4-5 hours on low in crock pot or 2 hours on low on the stove top. Add lime juice when done.

Serve with cheese, tortilla chips, and avocado if desired. Salt and pepper to taste.

Super Delicious Thai Beef Salad

Prep Time: 10

Marinate Time: 4hrs to overnight

Cook Time: 3 min (depending on thickness of meat).

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Flank steak or your choice of cut, 1/2 ” thick or so
• 1/2  Cucumber sliced, you can get fancy if you want or just plain ol’ slices
• 1 Carrot, sliced
• 4-5 Thin slices of yellow onion
• 1 Handful of cilantro
• Mixed greens, your choice on how much.
• 1 tsp Canola oil
• Marinade ingredients: 2 tsp chili paste (I use garlic chili paste), 1 TBS fresh minced ginger, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1/4 C soy sauce, 1 TBS fish sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 pinch of pepper.  Mix in bowl.

Instructions:

1. Mix marinade and place meat in a ziplock or bowl and pour marinade over meat.  Refrigerate for 4+ hours.
2. Cut up produce and arrange salad in bowl.
3. Heat large skillet on high, add canola oil. Remove meat from marinade DO NOT DISCARD MARINADE, take marinade and pour into small sauce pan, heat until boiling for 30 seconds then pour into a coffee cup and place into freezer while you cook your beef.
4. Once skillet is hot, add beef and cook for about 1.5-2 min of each side (or longer if you like it well done).
5. Slice meat and place on salad.
6. Pour remaining marinade on both salads. Add cilantro to top of salad.
7. Serve with soup if desired.

Enjoy