Mashed Black Bean Fajitas with Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Cabbage

Black bean, vegetarian fajitas packed with veggies. Easily made gluten free using corn tortillas. Cooks up in under 30 minutes!

Last week I shared a method for cooking your own dry beans. It takes a while, but the effort is minimal. Once the beans are cooked they are as effortless to use as canned beans. I generally store mine in Ziploc bags in the freezer. Just thaw and use! If you store cooked beans in the refrigerator then there’s one less step (just remember that your beans will last longer in the freezer, so use them up before they go bad if you store them in the fridge!). With no prep required, beans make an excellent last minute meal!

Which is exactly how these fajitas started. I had meat in the house, but none that wasn’t frozen. There was a bunch of random stuff in the refrigerator, which I’m sure everyone reading this who is also a human being understands. Why is it that despite my best intentions, there are always odds and ends left in the refrigerator? I do my best to combat it. I look in the refrigerator and freezer before making a meal plan or grocery list. I open it when going to eat a snack. I try to utilize everything in there, but inevitably, there are still odds and ends.

So, I gathered all my odds and ends from the refrigerator and prepared them while I sauteed some onions and black beans. The bean and onion mixture seemed bland so I added some lime juice and fajita seasoning. I used one of my new found favorite spices, Penzey’s Fajita Seasoning. I only found and had the chance to visit my first Penzey’s a few months ago and I am already a convert. Their spices make all my food taste amazing! What I love is that there is so much flavor in their spice blends. I can use less to get a great taste, and many don’t even have salt in them (although, I do love the 4S Smoky Salt). Of course, there are other fajita seasonings on the market, so just sub in whatever variety you can find and/or enjoy. In a pinch, taco seasoning will work!

Even though there is some dicing and chopping required, this is easily a 30 minute dinner. A healthy 30 minute dinner, at that! To make things even quicker you could use frozen or canned corn – also a great option for when you don’t want to grill in the winter! If you totally love cooking, there’s a variation for you, too! Try making your own tortillas. When I want something quick and convenient I use store bought corn tortillas, but there’s nothing quite like Mexican food with homemade tortillas. There’s a link in the recipe below with directions on how to make your own tortilla.

Save this recipe, and next time you’re in a pinch and need a quick, healthy, dinner, give these fajitas a try! I know that to some of you no gluten and no meat may sound like a drag, but I bet by the end of the meal you won’t be missing either!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil (or any oil that you regularly use)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 can rinsed and drained, or 2 c cooked black beans
• 2 tsp fajita seasoning (I use Penzey’s)
• 1 1/2 Tbs lime juice (or juice from 1 lime)
• 1 ear corn
• 1/2 c diced red cabbage
• 1/2 avocado, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 corn tortillas (here’s a recipe to make your own corn tortillas)

Directions

1. Preheat the grill. Husk the corn, and lay it on the grill in direct heat. Turn it every 2 to 3 minutes, until charred on all sides.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. When the oil is warm, add the onions. Stir frequently, until the onions are softened.
4. Stir in the beans.
5. Add the lime juice and fajita seasoning. Stir to combine. Using a fork, gently mash the beans.
6. Serve hot with the cabbage, avocado, and cheese. If using store bought corn tortillas, microwave a small stack (3 – 5) of tortillas for about 30 seconds to soften them.

 Serve this with

• Cilantro Lime Rice (shown in pictures)

This post is linked to Gluten Free Wednesdays hosted by Gluten Free Easily, Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures, and Gluten Free Homemaker. Check it out! Tons of recipes there!

PGF: Grilled Fajitas

Guys, it is officially grilling season! One of my first grilled meals of the year were these fajitas.

I know lots of people around the US are just getting used to the sun light again after an endless winter, but not the case in the south. Actually, if you ask a native of this area they will tell you the horrors of the temperature getting into the 30s! And snow, yes snow, and THREE WHOLE TIMES! I guess after spending most of my life in the northeast winter doesn’t phase me.

Here’s what does get to me though: when the temperature is in the 100s. You mean I’ll be too hot in pants? And sweating no matter what I wear? It’s May and I have to have the air conditioning on? We have air conditioning?!?! People who have lived in the south for a while though, this is nothing to them. They are really happy it’s finally warming up!

To each his own, I suppose.

And, truthfully, I do hope to adapt to the higher temperatures. It’s no fun to feel nauseous every time I step outside.

So, summer and high temperatures means that the grill is my primary cooking tool. No sense in heating up the house with the oven when the air conditioner is on full blast. I’m sure these grilled fajitas are just the first in a long line of grill recipes coming your way this summer.

These 6 ingredients fajitas are really yummy and very simple thanks to a very special ingredient, Wegman’s Fajita Marinade. For those of you who don’t know, Wegmans is not a product, but it is the best grocery store on earth! You think I’m exaggerating, but I am not. This place has been supporting GF products and labeling for at least 10 years – that’s far before most other chain stores jumped on the bandwagon. Their store brand products are usually better quality, and cheaper, than the name brand! If you want something in your pantry, Wegmans has it. When you get to the check out there are at least 20 lines, so it’s unlikely you’ll have to wait long. Unlike my local Harris Teeter, those lines are actually open. Imagine that. Anyway, if you are lucky enough to live somewhere with a Wegmans (sadly, I do not) then you know exactly what I’m talking about (and probably have your own raving reviews to share).  The rest of you are probably quite confused about my strong allegiance to a grocery store.

All that to say that Wegman’s has a line of marinades including a fajita marinade. It turns making a really flavorful meal very simple. I cut  the chicken into small cubes (actually Steve did it, because of my finger injury), dumped some marinade on it and refrigerated overnight. Viola! The next day we skewered the chicken with some onions and green peppers, put it on the grill for a few minutes, and had a delicious, healthy dinner without turning on a single kitchen appliance! Pretty cool when it’s 90° F. Pun intended.

We ate a few fajitas each at dinner time. Steve had never had the magic Wegman’s Fajita Marinade before, and he was loving the flavor. I think he was eating fajitas and plain meat/onions/peppers.

This is how a professional geek eats a fajita.

We snacked on the fajitas for the rest of the evening, and it turns out they were pretty good cold, too! If you’re wanting to make Grilled Fajitas but don’t have a Wegmans nearby here’s my suggestion: just use any brand fajita marinade. Really, anything with a Mexican-ish flavor scheme will work with fajitas. It may not be quite as delicious, but almost anything marinaded overnight has a wonderfully strong flavor the next day!

Now, this post is getting really long so I’m just going to get on with the recipe. I hope I didn’t talk your ear off!

Grilled Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 green pepper
• 1 onion
• 1/2 c Wegmans Fajita Marinade
• corn tortillas (you can easily make this recipe PGF by letting anyone with a gluten intolerance use flour tortillas)
• shredded mexican blend cheese (or use any cheese variety you like)
• Any other topping you would enjoy – tomato, avocado, etc.

Directions

1. Cut the chicken into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Put the cubed chicken in a bowl and stir in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, cut the onion and green pepper into pieces about the same size as you made the chicken cubes.
3. Get the chicken out of the refrigerator and make your skewers, alternating chicken, vegetable, chicken, vegetable, etc. Discard any extra marinade.
4. Grill the skewers for 4 to 5 minutes on each size, over medium-high direct heat. Before removing from the grill make sure that the chicken has reached a temperature of 165° F.
5. Slide the meat off of the skewers and spread a few pieces of each meat/vegetable onto the center of a corn tortilla. Top with cheese. Repeat with any flour tortillas. Be sure to keep the corn and flour tortillas separate!

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

A fun, naturally GF dinner with a Mexican flare. Easily made to suit your tastes with any salsa flavor you like!

My introduction to chilaquiles was when we were in Mexico on our honeymoon. We were at one of those all inclusive resorts so there was food everywhere. Everywhere! You could go up to a bar while in the pool and order food or drink.

Yeah, there was also alcohol everywhere. And we are not really into drinking much. Actually, we don’t drink at all. Neither of us really likes the taste of alcohol in the first place, and being celiac my options are limited. I may have a glass of wine here or there. Sounds so weird, but it’s true. Two adults who legitimately dislike alcoholic beverages.

We tried a variety of drinks in Mexico, wanting to have fun and make the most of all you can eat and drink atmosphere, but we just didn’t like anything. So, we had to make up for our lack of drinking alcohol with eating food. Some nights we had two dinners. I was getting fancy coffees a few times a day. It was great.

There was a huge room service menu, and one of the breakfast options was “chilaquiles”. I had no idea what it was. We ordered it, along with a bunch of other things (after all, it was all already paid for), and the next morning this plate that looked kind of like nachos arrived with our breakfast. The chilaquiles were good! Lots of flavors, some crunch, and a bit of spice. Honestly, I’m not sure why it is a breakfast dish, but I was a fan.

So, when a Chicken Chilaquiles Recipe and a Homemade Tortilla Chip recipe appeared within days of each other, I just had to try it all out! Savoring the last “cool” (if 80s counts as cool) days before summer hits, I turned this into a casserole to get in some final uses of my oven before it’s too hot to even think of turning on. Gotta love casseroles!

Rather than using store bought, fried tortillas chips I made my own using this guide from the Kitchn. It was so simple. I got out a few tortillas, sprayed them with olive oil (using a misto), sprinkled with salt, cut into wedges, and baked at 350° F for 15 minutes. My chips took a little longer than the guide said. Just check yours frequently so you can take them out when the reach that perfect level of crispness, and not when they are burnt! The tortillas chips turned out great and it took a lot of willpower to not eat them all before they went into the casserole.

I always tend to have some leftover shredded chicken around, so this was a great way to use that up. Any other meat or bean would be good in this casserole. If you’d put it on a taco or burrito, then you can throw it in this casserole! I’d honestly meant to throw in some additional diced tomatoes and then totally forgot! It was good anyway. Just have fun with this – make it to suit your tastes!

Recipe Inspiration from The Mother Huddle and the Kitchn.

Serves 3 -4 (and the leftovers are good, too!)

 

Ingredients

• 8 corn tortillas, made into chips (or total of 64 GF corn tortillas chips)
• 10 oz shredded chicken (from about 2 small or 1 large chicken breast, approximate amount is fine)
• 12 oz black beans
• 1 c salsa
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 3 Tbs plain greek yogurt
• 3/4 c shredded cheese (I used colby jack, choose any variety you like).

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the salsa and chicken broth.
3. Add the chicken and black beans and bring to simmer. Add the greek yogurt and stir to combine.
4. Prepare a baking dish (I used a 10 x 6 glass baking dish) by spraying it with cooking spray (I use misto). Put a layer of chips on the bottom of the pan, then spread half of the chicken mixture on top of it.
5. Repeat the layers, leaving a handful of chips remaining.
6. Top with cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
7. Serve with remaining chips, or place them on the top of the baked casserole for an extra crunch.

Black Bean Burrito Bowls

I posted a picture of these burrito bowls in one of my Daniel Fast updates. Last week I shared my personal favorite version of Cilantro Lime Rice. Now, here’s an entire-meal application for that rice!

These burrito bowls are healthy and delicious. I’m thinking as I’m typing this that I rarely believe it when other bloggers say that same thing. A bunch of vegetables usually tastes like a bunch of vegetables. The pictures always look nice but that doesn’t mean I’m actually going to want to go chow down on a big bowl of vegetables. The difference (for me at least) between these burritos and other health foods is that they are seasoned very well. I usually love to put taco sauce and cheese on anything Mexican-ish but I wasn’t missing either of those in this bowl. The seasoned black beans and the cilantro lime rice together in one mouthful was plenty of flavor! And thinking about it, that’s why I add all the cheese and taco sauce to a regular burrito – because I’m trying to pack in more flavor.

As is, this dinner is gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free (I think – PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong!!), nut free, vegetarian, and vegan (again, I think – If I’m wrong let me know)! Everything in this recipe is a whole food or spice. Don’t you love knowing that you are putting real food into your body? I know I do.

My half-eaten bowl.

Of course, depending on your preferences you could add any number of things to these bowls. Tomatoes or green onions, broken up tortillas chips for some crunch, shredded cheese, hot sauce, etc. You could even add lettuce for a taco salad. The options are endless!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 c frozen corn, defrosted
• 1 avocado, cut into cubes
• 1 recipe Cilantro Lime Rice

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot add the onion and cook until softened.
2. While the onion is cooking, mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, and salt.
3. Add the black beans into the skillet. Stir in the seasoning mix and water. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans are heated through.
4. To serve, fill bowls with rice. Top with some of the black bean/onion mixture, corn, and avocado.

Cilantro Lime Rice

This version of Cilantro Lime Rice promises more flavor per bite than your average rice dish!

I love Chipotle. Apparently a lot of other people do, too, because I keep seeing copycat Chipotle recipes all over the internet.

I feel in love with Chipotle the first time I ate there. It’s a decent option for anyone eating GF, but what I really love most are the bold flavors. The spicy salsa is truly spicy! When I took a few bites of my first Chiptole taco and then had to drink some water because of the heat/spice I was a happy girl.

Maybe not everyone loves the hot salsa at Chipotle, but it seems that everyone loves the cilantro lime rice. After making my first copycat cilantro lime rice recipe a while ago (it must have been at least a year ago, but I can’t say for sure) I’ve been making it as a side for almost every Mexican-ish meal we have.

Since I can hardly stick to a written out recipe my version of cilantro lime rice has morphed from those copycat recipes. I no longer add oil to the rice – it seems unnecessary for having a good end result. I’ve also increased the lime juice and cilantro. I’m all about eating foods full of flavor and this rice is no exception.

As a side dish, cilantro lime rice is so much more interesting than plain rice. As a filling for burritos and tacos (or in taco bowls that I posted a picture of on Monday) this will add a whole new flavor into the mix!

Ingredients

• 1 c rice (white or brown)
• 2 c water
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbs lime juice
• 1/4 c fresh, chopped cilantro
• salt (optional)

Directions

1. Put the rice and water in a medium sauce. Set the bay leaves gently on top of the water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. About 20-30 minutes for white rice, and about 45 minutes for brown rice.
3. For best results, turn the burner off and let the pan sit on the burner, covered, for an additional 30 min.
4. Stir the lime juice and cilantro into the rice. Seasoning with salt, if desired.
5. Serve as a side dish or for a burrito or taco filling.

Black Bean Quesadillas with Spicy Yogurt Sauce

These tasty quesadillas are easy to transport, very filling, and totally appetizing hot or cold. They are perfect for an on-the-go snack or lunch, and a quick vegetarian dinner option, too!

This is a really busy time of year for everyone. It seems to be parties, church events, and travel keeping me busy this year. A couple years ago I was on the road for work every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is not so simple for people on a gluten free diet to stop by the drive thru for lunch in the midst of shopping for Christmas gifts or eat your fills worth at a holiday party. There is more planning required.

I love these quesadillas for busy days. Once you’ve made the black bean mixture and the sauce it takes just a couple of minutes to cook them. Since they are self contained, kind of like a tortilla sandwich, they travel so easily. You don’t need to remember to bring a fork with you, or even need to heat these up in the microwave. Sometimes I cook the whole batch of these all at one time and keep them on hand in the fridge for a really quick and easy meal to bring with me when I will be out all day. Other times, I make the bean mixture ahead of time and then cook 3 or 4 tortillas worth of quesadillas at a time.

Have I mentioned how filling these are? Something about black beans always fills me up really quickly – anyone else experience that? I find that feeling full is GREAT when I am at a party or somewhere else with tons of food that I cannot eat. It helps me not feel so bad about missing out on all of that great food!

The quesadillas are good on their own, but even more excellent with this spicy dipping sauce. As a former Taco Bell employee I am very familiar with the different sauce. The Baja sauce is my favorite, but their quesadilla sauce is a close second. When I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it. I made a few modifications (mainly swapping out the sour cream for greek yogurt), and ended up with a healthier version of that yummy Taco Bell Quesadilla sauce. Yum!

Next time you need to bring a meal with you give this a try! A few of these quesadillas packed up with a dollop of this spicy sauce will keep you full and satisfied!

P.S. My eBook is now available on Kindle! You can also purchase it for $1 off the Kindle price here. Check it out for your holiday baking!

Black Bean Quesadilla with Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients (makes 12 quesadillas and 1/2 c of sauce)

 

For the Spicy Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
• 1 Tbs jalapeno, roughly chopped (more or less, to taste)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 4 shakes cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Quesadillas

• 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onions, finely chopped (about 1/2 c)
• 1/3 c cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbs lime juice
• 1/2 c shredded mexican cheese blend
• 12 corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• salt

 

1. In a blender or food processor combine all of the sauce ingredients and mix until smooth and well combined.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix the first eight quesadilla ingredients.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When it is warm, spray with cooking spray and place a tortilla flat in the pan. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Flip the tortillas over using a spatula. Scoop about two tablespoons of the bean mixture onto on half of the tortilla. The amount of mixture you use for each tortilla may be more or less, depending on how large your tortillas are. Using the spatula, fold the tortilla in half over top of the bean mixture and preww the top down with a spatula.
4. Let the quesadilla cook for a minute or two, until the bottom is brown (just light the edge up a little bit with a spatula to check), then flip and let the other side brown.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining tortillas.
6. Serve with the spicy yogurt sauce.

PGF: Green Chili Enchiladas

Mmmmmmmm, these enchiladas are sooooo good!

Ingredients wise, they are so full of flavor. Coming from green chilis and spices, the flavor is totally guilt-free. The rest of the creamy filling is made up of shredded chicken and greek yogurt. Much healthier than the usual cream cheese or sour cream enchilada filling. I promise, you will not notice the difference! I think you’ll find the green chili flavor will fit a wide variety of palates, too. It’s not overly spicy or strong, but still delicious!

This is an easy dinner to prepare, and really doesn’t take too much hands on cooking time. It also takes almost no extra effort to make one pan with GF corn tortillas and another pan with flour tortillas. I think you’ll find that even if you make the recipe entirely with corn tortillas, even non-GF eaters will totally enjoy this meal. The GF corn tortilla version will work with homemade corn tortillas or store bought!

GF corn enchiladas on the left, flour enchiladas on the right.

Another thing I love about these enchiladas (and really, all enchiladas!) is that they can be prepared ahead of time and then baked when you’re ready to eat. I’ll often make these earlier in the day, store them in the refrigerator, and then bake them when it is dinner time. It makes for a very stress free dinner time, especially at the end of a long day. Although I haven’t done it, I’m sure these would freeze well, too!

By the way, I’ve been using a canned green chili sauce. It’s very good, but I always prefer to make things from scratch, if possible! Does anyone have a good recipe for green chili sauce? I’d love to try it if you are willing to share 🙂

 

Green Chili Enchiladas

 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 4 oz. can of diced green chilis
• 1/2c plain greek yogurt
• 2 1/2 Tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4c shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend)
• 2 14 oz. cans green chili sauce
• corn and/or flour tortillas (I used 6 small corn tortillas, and 4 burrito sized flour tortillas)
• olive oil spray or cooking spray
• coarse sea salt
• cilantro, for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl combine shredded chicken, diced green chilis, yogurt, lime juice, galic powder, chili powder, cumin, and cheese.
3. Get out two glass baking dishes and spray each with your cooking spray.
4. Starting with the corn tortillas, put about 2 Tbs of the chicken mixture at one edge of the tortilla, roll it up, and place it in the baking dish. (Tip: microwave three corn tortillas at a time in between two pieces of damp paper towel for 25 seconds. This will soften them up so you can roll them up without getting any cracks in the tortilla).
5. Follow the same procedure with the flour tortillas. Depending on the size you are using you may need more chicken mixture per tortillas than from the corn tortillas.
6. Spray the tops of the enchiladas with olive oil/cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt.
7. Put both dishes in the oven, with the corn enchiladas on the top rack to prevent cross contaminator. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven temporarily to pour the green chili sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is heated.
8. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, if desired. Make sure you get out separate serving utensils for the corn and flour enchiladas!

Mexican Stroganoff (GF)

I grew up eating Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. It was probably one of the first things I ever cooked by myself. I love the warm, creaminess of stroganoff. It’s one of my comfort foods.

So, when I stumbled upon a recipe called “Taco Stroganoff” I needed to try it. In my typical style, I replaced half of the ingredients before even trying the original version and ended up with a very different meal, but still fitting in the themes of “Taco” and “Stroganoff”.

The result of my experimentation was creamy, taco-y, deliciousness. The Mexican flavors in the seasoning (Mexican, as best as I can figure out, anyway) are strong and tasty, but not spicy. The creaminess comes from greek yogurt, so it is guilt free. This was totally unique and totally yummy.

We ate this with homemade brazilian cheese bread. You know, that squishy stuff made with tapioca starch and cheese?  I used this recipe for the ones in the pictures. I have also used Chebe bread mixes many times and they are very, very similar. If you’re looking for a more normal or less labor intensive starch, this also goes great over top of rice!

Mexican “Stroganoff”

Main Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c water
• 1/2 can corn (with peppers and/or chilis)
• 1/2 can black beans
• 1 small container (about 1/2c) plain greek yogurt
• 1/2c shredded mexican cheese
• 1/4c green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs cilantro, chopped (optional)

Taco Seasoning Ingredients

• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp oregano

Cooking Directions:

1. Combine all taco seasoning ingredients and set aside. If you’d prefer you could also use a taco seasoning packet.
2. Add the ground turkey and onion to a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat, breaking up the turkey as it browns.
3. When turkey is browned drain any excess fat. If you used a very lean ground turkey, don’t be surprised if there isn’t enough liquid to easily drain it out. If that’s the case, your end result won’t be greatly different without draining, so don’t feel like you must drain the fat anyway. Add the water and taco seasoning mix. Stir well, until it is all combined.
4. Add the corn and black beans and cook a few more minutes, until everything is heated through.
5. Turn the heat off (but leave the pan on the burner) and add the yogurt and cheese. As your stir these in, the cheese will melt.
6. Top with green onions and cilantro.