Chicken, Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas with Greek Yogurt Sauce

Last night I tried a new variation to my chicken enchiladas.  We both liked the flavors.  I thought the filling was dry and not heated through enough, so I might increase the length of time in the oven and put some sauce inside the enchiladas as well.

Filling:
Cubed or shredded cooked chicken (2 cups - 3 lbs)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup chopped baby spinach
Black pepper to taste
3/4 cup cheese
10 tortillas

Sauce:
1/4 cup flour
2 T butter
1 can chicken broth (about 1-1/2 cups)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
2-4 T chili powder

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with vegetable oil.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine cut chicken, spinach, and pepper.  Gently stir in black beans.  For the sauce, whisk butter and flour to make a roux and add chicken broth, salt, pepper and chili powder.  Stir while thickening, on medium high heat.  When bubbling, stir in Greek yogurt or sour cream.  Ensemble the enchiladas by warming up tortillas, adding 1/3 cup of filling and 2 tsp shredded cheese.  Once the tortillas are laid in the baking dish, pour remaining cheese and filling and cover with sauce.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Adapted from: Goodman, Katie. Good Life Eats. "Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas". 13. Jan 2010.

octopus hot dog-with-spaghetti lunch

In the last couple of months I've found all my cooking ideas from Pinterest.  Yesterday I found a link for some cute recipes to make with preschoolers.  Julia enjoyed trying to stick the spaghetti through the hot dogs; she equally enjoyed throwing them into the pot of boiling water.  She did eat them, being the sausage fanatic that she is, but not without some prodding from her mom. :)

 Break several uncooked spaghetti in half.  Insert spaghetti through hot dog pieces, cut sausage, or the like...

 Boil in a pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes.

They look pretty silly in this picture, and they are, but they're fun to make anyhow!

Source: Quirky Momma Kids' Activities Blog.  "Octopus Hot Dogs".  Cooking With Preschoolers - 5 Cool Things!  23. April 2012.

No-Bake Energy Bites

These have been all over Pinterest... so time to give them a try!  Well, I did attempt to make these last month, or so, without coconut and with almond butter.  It really didn't turn out well, and I didn't even try rolling them.  This time, I followed the recipe closely and I was able to *tediously* make 22 energy bite balls.  I didn't find it easy to smash the ingredients together in order to make them into balls.  They are like granola bars and very hearty.

1 cup oats
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together all the ingredients.  Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  Roll into balls, should make 20-25.  Will keep refrigerated for a week.

Wow!  They actually look decent!

And this is why it's annoying... all this that can't be molded into balls

Sources:  I have found this recipe on Gimme Some Oven, Smashed Peas and Carrots and Food Doodles.

Mashed pototates with Greek yogurt

I'm starting to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  I recently found a link (yes, through Pinterest!) for Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Greek Yogurt and Chives.  It makes a lot and we ate the leftovers all weekend long.  By Sunday, I was used to the Greek Yogurt and could taste the similarities between sour cream and Greek yogurt. 

3-4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup warmed milk
2 T butter
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or light sour cream
4 T chopped fresh chives, divided
black pepper

Wash, (peel), and chop potatoes.  Bring a pot to a boil and cook until tender.  Drain.  Return to pot and mix in warm milk, butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer mashed potatoes into a serving bowl, spooning the yogurt into the top layer.  Sprinkle chives on top with more black pepper.

Source: Natural Health.  "Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Greek Yogurt and Chives."  2012.

Frog Eye Salad

This salad is a family favorite.  I think we've enjoyed it all year round, spring, summer and even at Thanksgiving.  I talked to Grandma Bonnie about it back in February and she commented how much she likes it.  The recipe might be from her, my mom, or from the acini de pepe pasta box.  Who knows, but I wanted to make it for our Easter dinner.  Both Mom and Dad said that it's perfect and tastes like I've been making it for years. :-)

1 package (8 oz.) acini di pepe
3 cans mandarin oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans crushed pineapple
1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple {reserve the juices from the cans}
9 oz. Cool Whip
coconut to taste
2-1/2 cups marshmallows
1-3/4 cups pineapple juice
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
1 T. lemon juice.

1.  Cook acini di pepe for 7-8 minutes in 3 quarts water with 2 tsp. salt and 1 T. oil.  Drain and let cool.
2.  In a saucepan mix pineapple juice, flour, salt, sugar and eggs.  Cook, stirring until thickened.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
3.  Cool sauce and mix with pasta
4.  Refrigerate several hours or over night
5.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients (pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows and Cool Whip)

This salad can keep for one week in the fridge.

Carrot treats (and egg craft) for Easter

Here are two more ideas from Pinterest:

1. frosting bag, green ribbon, Goldfish (or other orange looking) crackers:: idea link

 2. (baby) carrots and pickle slices:: idea link

Bonus~ "Magic eggs"~ I cut out egg shapes (traced an egg cutter with a marker), drew a picture or design with a white crayon, and sent these with water colors to my cousin's daughter asking her to paint over the eggs to reveal the design... like magic!  Idea link:: including other magic tricks for toddlers

April Fool's Day "Chocolate Cream Pie"

Another inspiration from Pinterest.  In honor of April Fool's Day, I decided to make "dessert" for dinner.  I tried out a new (to me) recipe for meatloaf using ground turkey and Panko breadcrumbs.  Then I tried to spread mashed potatoes on top to look like whipped topping.

Turkey Meatloaf
2/3 cups panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
3 pounds lean (7 percent) ground turkey, preferably organic
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix Panko with milk and let stand for five minutes.  Add ground turkey, onion, eggs, (1/4 cup) ketchup, parsley, mustard, salt, sage and pepper.  Mix the turkey mixture well.  Place the meat into a loaf pan, brush on top the 2 Tablespoons of ketchup and bake for 90-105 minutes.  Inner temperature should be 165 degrees when done.  While baking, you may need to drain the extra grease.  I halved the recipe, and it was finished in 1 hour.  Next time, I'll just make the recipe as is.  It's a great tasting turkey loaf, flavorful and moist.  Thomas liked the ketchup incorporated inside (he didn't realize the ketchup on the outside because I piled mashed potatoes on top of it.) 

For the mashed potatoes, I washed, peeled, cut and boiled 5 yukon gold.  I added about 1/4 cup milk, 3 Tablespoons melted butter and garlic powder to taste.

Source for meatloaf: "Turkey Meatloaf".  The Martha Stewart Show, February Winter 2008.
Inspiration from: Huntley, Amy.  "April Fool's Day".  The Idea Room. 16. March 2010.