Nacho Bread Pizzas

I love this recipe because it is meat-less! I am always looking for some alternative recipes that are a little healthier and CHEAP! This meal is made with black beans which are pakced full of protein (plus their cheap), has lots of veggies which are healthy, and is so quick. It is full of flavor so you don't miss the meat.





1 loaf french or Italian bread
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 cans black beans
2 tsp. hot sauce (less if you don't like it spicy)
2 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 cup prepared salsa
2-3 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper jack
1 heart romaine or 1/2 iceberg head, shredded
1/2 cup olives, green or black
1/4 cup red onion or scallions
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
sour cream, if desired

Split bread lengthwise and then in half, across, making 4 boats. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Heat small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add EVOO, garlic and hot pepper. Drain beans. Add beans to the pan. Smash beans slightly in pan just using back of heavy cooking spoon. Season beans with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. When the beans are heated through, spread them evenly across all the bread. Top with salsa and liberally sprinkle with cheese. Melt cheese in oven until it begins to brown.

Top Nacho Bread Pizzas with lettuce, olives, onions and tomatoes and serve. You can pick it up with your hands or use a fork.

Chili's Bar and Grill Southwest Egg Rolls
This recipe is the recipe for the Southwest Egg Rolls that you can get from Chili's on the appetizer menu. I usually get them for dinner because they are so filling especially if you eat them with a dinner salad. The recipe seems a little long but it is totally worth it!

4 chicken breast fillet
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
8 tablespoons minced green onion
1 1/3 cup frozen corn
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed and drained
8 tablespoons diced, canned jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 dashes cayenne pepper
6 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
20 egg roll wrappers
Avocado-ranch dipping sauce
1 cup smashed, fresh avocado (about 2 avocados)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons buttermilk
6 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 dashes dried dill weed
4 dashes garlic powder
4 dashes pepper
Preheat barbecue grill to high heat. Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks. Set chicken aside until it cools.
Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and saute for a couple minutes until tender. Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot. Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture. Roll the tortilla very tight, and then pierce with a toothpick to hold together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have five egg rolls. Arrange the egg rolls on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
While the egg rolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry the egg rolls in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove to paper towels or a rack to drain. Garnish with the dipping sauce, chopped tomato and onion.

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken Skillet
(courtesy of BHG.com)


Ingredients
1 1- to 1.5-ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix (I used taco seasoning because I already had it on hand)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Nonstick spray coating
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, bias-sliced (I actually didn't use any because I didn't have any)
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
1. For marinade, in a medium mixing bowl combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken to marinade. Stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Spray a large skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet pepper, zucchini, and onion; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet.

3. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet. (If necessary, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil during cooking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains. Return vegetables to skillet. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve with warm tortillas and cheese, if desired. (To heat tortillas, wrap in microwave-safe paper towels; micro-cook on high power for 30 seconds). Makes 4 servings

I have had other recipes similar to this one but this was still good.

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

I made a new crockpot recipe last night that was probably a 7 on a scale of 1-10. The best part about it was that it was sooo easy. I love crockpot recipes for this reason. I made it after I gave the kids lunch and came back at dinner time. Perfect! Plus the recipe made so much that it fed us for two meals. If you don't like "left-overs" you can freeze them and use them later. We served the first meal with rice and the second in tortillas. Both good! Here is the recipe (courtesy of Kraft Foods).



Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 8 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 Tbsp. (1/2 of 1-1/4-oz. pkg.) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 Tbsp. flour
1 each: green and red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
(I also added a half of onion)
1 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups Salsa
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese (any will do)
(I added a can of black beans, rinsed, and some Hot Sauce)

TOSS chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese; cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).
(I found the cooking time to be too long so you can probably shorten it to Low for 4-6 hours or High for 2-3 hours)

STIR just before serving. Top with the shredded cheese and green onions.