chili powder | Mommie Cooks!

Navajo Fry Bread

February 28, 2011 By Julie 32 Comments

The time comes when all birds must leave the nest and fly on their own. When I graduated college and started looking for a job, I decided that the farther I could soar from my hometown the better. Sound familiar? Be it a need for actual physical distance or merely emotional distance, I’m willing to bet that at one point in our lives we could all relate to that new found feeling of independence pulling us as far away as possible from where it all began. As for myself, I wanted nothing more than to show all those around me that I had what it took to make it on my own.

That ever growing need for independence eventually landed me in Phoenix, AZ. It was far from my childhood stomping grounds, completely different in every possible way from Wisconsin, and I had a cushion in the fact that my grandparents were living there in case I ever needed a familiar hand.
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The “Quick, I Need a Healthy Dinner Now!” Quesadilla

May 10, 2010 By Julie 9 Comments

I don’t know about all of you other mother’s out there, but I’m still coming down from my fabulous Mother’s Day weekend high. I like to refer to it as the Mother’s Day hangover. You get me, right? You’ve been pampered all weekend; cooked for, picked up for, massaged. Basically you’ve been treated like the queen you are and you’re not quite ready to get back to the realities of resuming your full time mom job.

Ok, who am I kidding, I still had to cook a meal or two and pick up for myself. I don’t think I remember a massage in there either. I also had to deal with my oldest son drawing me a lovely work of art on his bedroom ceiling (ahhh, no my love, we don’t color on walls, just paper please.) but I did get a really nice dinner paid for by my parents on Friday and an amazing brunch served by one of our top local eateries on Sunday (I had a spinach, artichoke and goat cheese omelette – OH YEA it was good.), so all in all, it was another successful Hallmark Holiday.

That being said, I just don’t feel quite ready to jump into the swing of full on, messy kitchen, dinner just yet. And THAT’s where the quick and healthy quesadilla comes into play. I love quesadillas. They are easy, they’re tasty, and they can be made any infinite number of ways to accommodate the specific taste a person may be craving.

The quesadilla I will be showing you today is vegetarian, healthy, and very tasty! The idea was given to me by my sister-in law who always serves up the most amazing vegetarian dishes. I never turn down an invitation for a meal at her house (love ya Connie!) The fillings we use are sweet potato, cheese, and spinach. I also love to throw some black beans in there for protein, although I didn’t put them in the one below. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

8 Flour Tortillas
2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 to 3 Handfuls of Spinach, Chopped
1 Large Sweet Potato, Cooked
Chili Powder and Cumin to Taste

If you’re thinking this recipe is pretty self explanatory, you’d be right. We’ll go through it regardless so I can shamelessly post pictures (yes, I’m almost as addicted to my camera as I am to my kitchen; almost.).

First up, grab your cooked sweet potato (I usually cook mine up in the microwave. It’s just faster that way, but feel free to bake it as well), cut off a quarter of it, scoop it out and slather it onto one of your tortillas.

Now, go ahead and sprinkle on your chili powder and cumin. I don’t really have a measurement for this. I just kind of like to get good coverage across the entire tortilla like this:

Feel free to sprinkle some cayenne as well if you like things a little bit spicier. Finally sprinkle on your chopped spinach and cheese (and beans if you’re adding them).

Put the top onto your quesadilla and throw it in a large skillet with the temperature set to medium high. The skillet should have a tsp or so of melted butter swirled around in it. Let your quesadilla cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip it over letting the other side cook for 2-3 minutes as well. Pull it out, cut it into triangles and serve it up. I like to serve it with guacamole and carrot sticks.

And that’s all there is to it! I simple, quick, and healthy post Mothers Day meal that won’t have you drowning in the kitchen but will still make your family smile. Because mom’s deserve more than one day a year of being honored right? I hope all you moms had an amazing Mothers Day weekend!

"The Quick I Need a Healthy Dinner Now!" Quesadilla

Total Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

8 Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 to 3 Handfuls Spinach, Chopped
1 Large Sweet Potato, Cooked
Chili Powder and Cumin to Taste

Directions:

Grab your cooked sweet potato, cut off a quarter of it, scoop it out and slather it onto one of your tortillas.

Sprinkle on a little chili powder and cumin. Feel free to sprinkle some cayenne as well if you like things a little bit spicier.

Add on your chopped spinach and cheese (and beans if you're adding them).

Put the top onto your quesadilla and throw it in a large skillet with the temperature set to medium high. The skillet should have a tsp or so of melted butter swirled around in it.

Let your quesadilla cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip it over letting the other side cook for 2-3 minutes as well. Pull it out, cut it into triangles and serve it up.

Quickie Guacamole

March 22, 2010 By Julie 11 Comments

Well, the weekend’s over and it’s back to the bump and grind of every day life. I’m feeling pretty fortunate that we were blessed with beautiful weather here in North Carolina for the first weekend of spring considering my friends back in Texas were given yet another snowstorm with multiple inches of snow. It inspired me to cook up all kinds of goodies to share this week including a pizza using the guacamole recipe below that was amazing (who would have thought you could use guacamole on a pizza?) and a pound cake that was worth every tablespoon of butter I put into it.

Ok, so let’s get to the guacamole. This is my quickie version of guacamole. It’s the recipe you go to when you want yummy guacamole without all the dicing and chopping. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a batch of high effort guaco as much as the next girl, but most nights during the witching hour (and if you have kids you know what I mean), I feel lucky just to get food on the table, let alone gourmet guacamole. This guaco serves up a mean batch of delicious and takes about half the time to make. So here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

2 Large Avocados
The Juice from 1 Lime
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
Sea Salt to taste

Now I know I mentioned this in an earlier recipe, but I just want to throw out again what a wonderful thing Dorot herbs are. No garlic mincing, no cilantro chopping, and best of all, because it’s a freezer item, it stays good for so much longer than fresh herbs. Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh herbs as well as the next gal and use them often, but for a quick backup, that really does the job, these are awesome.

Ok, the recipe. Mash up your two avocados in a bowl with a fork. Add in the juice, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and cilantro. Mix well and then add your sea salt to taste. And let me tell ya, don’t be afraid with the salt. I find it takes a bit to really get the flavor where I want it. And that’s it! I told you it was a quickie.

I want to add one more note about the salt. For this recipe if you have access to it, try to use sea salt vs. regular salt. I don’t know why it is, but for some reason, sea salt makes guacamole that is really good! A friend once told me that sea salt was the secret to great restaurant guaco and after trying it, I’m a believer.

So here it is; the finished product. Try not to drool too much on your computer screen.

Quickie Guacamole

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

2 Large Avocados
1 Lime, Juiced
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
Sea Salt to Taste

Directions:

Mash up your two avocados in a bowl with a fork.

Add in the juice, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and cilantro.

Mix well and then add your sea salt to taste.

French Quarter Nachos

March 19, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.

In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.

Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!

French Quarter Nachos

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.

Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.

While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.

Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.

Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.

Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.

Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.