Chicken and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Quite honestly one of the best casseroles I have ever had.  Healthy, filling and incredibly delicious. Made for dinner one night and literally ate it 3 days straight for lunch.  Amazing!  

In an attempt to keep this fairly clean, I made my own enchilada sauce.  You might think you don't have time for that.  You are WRONG! :) This is the quickest, easiest homemade sauce ever.  And so much better for you than store bought.

You can skip the chicken if you want to keep this meatless.  I liked the added protein and thought it made for a more substantial dish.  A rotisserie chicken would keep this super simple - just shred and add!

A great meal to make for company because it really makes a lot.  Does NOT taste healthy or lack in flavor at ALL.  Unfortunately, my kids would not eat it - or maybe that was a good thing?  More for me and lunches for the week done!

Serves 6 

Chicken and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

1 cup quinoa

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken

1 1/4 cup Homemade Enchilada Sauce (or 1 (10 oz) can store bought sauce)

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned)

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 Roma tomato

In a large saucepan, cook quinoa in 2 cups of water and according to package directions.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.  

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chicken, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in 1/2 of the shredded cheese.  Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake until bubbly and cheese has all melted, about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately, topped with diced tomato and more cilantro, if desired. 

(Source: adapted from Damn Delicious)

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I made this as a side for dinner one night and ended up eating it for lunch for the next 2 days.  It's hands-down my absolute favorite way to prepare quinoa right now!  The flavors are still very summery, but hey, when it's 80 degrees and October then I think it's all right.  

Everything about it tastes so fresh - and it keeps perfectly in the fridge!  It made a perfect quick lunch for me that week.  I've also made this with diced Roma tomatoes and I actually do prefer it that way.  I'm not a huge cherry tomato fan but they looked good in the store and I knew they would look pretty in the salad (great reason, right?).  And they do give that added burst of sweetness that goes really well with this salad.

I always seem to come back to my all time favorite flavor combinations - lime, cumin and cilantro.  If your lime is really juicy then you may want to add a little less than called for.  But if you add too much, another splash of olive oil should tone it down.  Just add to your taste.  

 Serves 6

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.  Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin and 1 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.  Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans and red onion together in a separate bowl.  Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat.  Stir in cilantro, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Asian Pasta Salad

I love pasta salads and am constantly on the search for new and different ones.  I am in love with this recipe!  Since making it the first time, I've made it quite a few other times.  Great to take to a summer picnic or as lunch on the beach. 

It's so light.  No mayo or other heavy ingredients.  And the flavors just blend so well together.  I used a rotisserie chicken to make it even easier!  I also used frozen, but thawed, spinach leaves.  You can use fresh spinach and it won't appear so wilted.

 

The original recipe also called for shredded carrots, but I didn't have any on hand.  I may add them another time for an added crunch - or a bell pepper.  Either way, it's just an all around tasty and good lookin' pasta salad!    

Serves 4

Asian Pasta Salad

8 oz whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons diced green onion (green and white parts)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breasts
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

Make pasta as directed on box and set aside.  Mix olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, green onion, ginger, salt and pepper with a whisk until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine pasta, chicken, spinach and cilantro.  Pour dressing mixture over ingredients in bowl and toss until everything is coated evenly.  Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.  Serve and keep leftovers in fridge.

(Source: adapted from Lil' Luna)

Chicken Burrito Bowls

This is a very quick and easy, healthy meal that is great for a weeknight when you don't have much time.  The ingredients are simple and fresh and it's so good!  

You can make this according to your tastes - omit certain veggies or add new ones (peppers, avocado?).  I just used what we had on hand at the time.  I've also become a HUGE fan of red onion and don't mind it raw, which is so weird because I generally don't like any onions raw - or cooked for that matter (unless they are really hidden in a dish).  

We did nothing but a little squeeze of lime mixed in.  The ingredients are so flavorful together that it didn't really need anything else in my opinion.  You could top yours with sour cream, salsa, guacamole; whatever you like!  

Serves 2-3

Chicken Burrito Bowls

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons salt-free seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Southwestern blend)
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned corn (or thawed if frozen)
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime
2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.  Add diced chicken and toss in seasoning.  Cook chicken until done throughout, about 7-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, dice and drain all the veggies and beans and cut the lime in half.

Place about a cup of rice each in 2 bowls and top with equal portions of the chicken and veggies/beans to taste.  Squeeze about 1/2 of a lime over each bowl and stir together.  Top with sour cream, salsa or guacamole if desired.    

Oven Toasted "Fried" Ravioli

I love this meal...it's simple, tasty and the whole family loves it.  Almost like eating fried cheese, but better!  I use a three cheese ravioli (and I always have these in the freezer - I get the huge bag at Sam's and it lasts forever) which has ricotta, Romano and Parmesan cheese.  And, these are toasted, not fried, which is healthier and less mess for you!

This serves 2, but can be easily doubled to feed your whole family.  They will love it! 

Serves 2

Oven Toasted Ravioli 

12 large frozen ravioli, thawed

2 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

cooking spray

Marinara sauce for dipping 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.  In another shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan.  Dip each ravioli in the egg mixture, then the bread crumb mixture, then place on a baking sheet.  Spray the ravioli with cooking spray.  Bake until golden brown 10-12 minutes.  Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.