Goat cheese apple spinach quesadilla

This is a simple recipe I made for baby. I was trying to get her to eat more vegetables especially spinach and she seems to like it incorporated in things with seasoning rather than in a puréed baby food format ( I agree with her , I don’t like bland puréed spinach either !) so I made up this recipe to get her to eat spinach 

Ingredients 

Small flour tortilla - 1

Plain goat cheese - 2 tbsp 

Frozen spinach- thawed and throughly dried -1 tbsp

Baked apples - 3 to 4 slices 

Taco seasoning - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste 

Butter or oil - 1 tsp

Instructions 

1. Take a small tortilla and smear the goat cheese on one half 

2. Place the baked apples ( I used baked since it is softer and is not a choke hazard for little kids) on the goat cheese 

3. Add the spinach over the apples 

4. Sprinkle evenly the taco seasoning and salt 

5. Now fold over the tortilla and seal it 

6. Place a pan on the stove on medium heat 

7. Drizzle with oil or place a pat of butter and let it melt 

8. Place the folded tortilla on the pan and heat it up on one side for 30 sec ( pushing down gently with the spatula like you would a grilled cheese ) and then flip over for another 30 second or until golden brown

9. Cut into 4 wedges 

10. Quesadilla is ready to serve 

Chipotle bowl in a crunchy tortilla shell

Rich loves the veggie Chipotle bowl. I found a recipe on Facebook on an Indian air fryer group. It was made by this kid chef and it was really good . Rich thought it tasted exactly like chipotle ! I made some changes , I did roasted fajita veggies instead of pickled ones and I did not use any chilies or hot sauce since I do not like spicy food!  I also used store bought tortilla and didn’t make it from scratch to make the bowls 

Ingredients 

Flour Tortilla - large - 1 

Shredded Mexican cheese - 1 cup 

Sour cream - 2 tbsp 

Black beans - 1 can drained 

Guacamole 

Avocado - 1 

Onion ( medium ) - 1/2 chopped finely 

Garlic - 1 clove minced 

Cilantro - a handful of leaves chopped 

Tomato - 1 chopped 

Lime juice - to taste 

Salt 

Pepper 

I made  guacamole per my recipe and set aside ( covered with plastic wrap not prevent browning )

Basically you mash all the ingredients together as shown below ! 

Pico de Gallo 

Onion - 1 

Tomato - 2

Cilantro - handful chopped 

Salt 

Pepper

Rice vinegar - 1/4 tsp ( surprising ingredient but adds to taste )

Lemon juice - splash 

1. Use a chopper ( device) to finely chop the onions and then the add in the  tomatoes to chop them finely as well 

2. Add chopped cilantro , lime juice , rice vinegar and mix well

3. Add salt and pepper to taste 

Pico de Gallo is ready - set aside 

Chipotle cilantro lime rice 

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 1  tablespoon 

Salt - to taste 

Cilantro - chopped -1 cup ( packed )

Lime- 1 small juiced 

1.Wash the rice well until water is clear 

2. Then add the rice to the instant pot 

3. Add a tablespoon of oil and mix the rice so every kernel is coated ( to prevent sticky rice ) 

4. Then add two cups of water 

5. Add 1.5 tsp of salt 

6. Close the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is sealed ( not venting) 

7. This is the cool part ! Before I used to cook the rice for 30 Minutes.  This kid chef taught me differently and his rice turned out amazingly fluffy !!! 

8. Place on pressure setting and place timer for 3 minutes !!!!!! ( not a typo )

9. Once the instant pot has warmed and cooked for 3 minutes on pressure setting, Turn it off.

10. Let the rice sit in the instant pot under pressure and  let cook for 10 minutes ( turned off)

11. Now vent the instant pot

12. Amazingly fluff rice is ready 

13. Add the cilantro , lime juice and salt to taste and mix / fluff with a fork so that it doesn’t get gooey 

Cilantro lime rice is ready !!!! 

Fajita veggies 

Bell peppers - any and all colors - julienned 

Onion - 1- thinly sliced 

Taco seasoning - 2 to 3 tbsp ( depending upon the amount of vegetables)

Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp 

Salt - to taste 

1. Place a saucepan on medium heat 

2. Add 1-2 tbsp oil and let it heat up for about 30s ( but not smoking)

3. Add the onions first and sauté wel for a few Minutes 

4. Now add in thee peppers and the taco seasoning and another tbsp oil and sauté for a few minutes until roasted 

5. Add salt to taste and mix well on the pan

Fajita veggies are now ready ! 

Finally to the air fryer part 

Air fryer tortilla bowl 

1. Use a tortilla bowl mold ( or any air fryer safe bowl)

2. Place the tortilla in the mold

3. Add some cilantro lime rice 

4. Add some black beans 

5. Add some of the fajita veggies 

6. Add the Pico de Gallo 

7. Add the shredded cheese on top 

8. Air fry the tortilla bowl at 350 F for 4 minutes 

9. Take out the tortilla bowl and let cool for a few minutes and then take the tortilla bowl out of the mold  and place on plate making sure not to break the bowl! 

10. Top with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and shredded lettuce 

11. Chipotle rice bowl in a crunchy tortilla shell is ready to serve 

Chile Relleno

My dad made me my first Chile relleno when I was a kid. He had learned about this dish when he was a college student at New Mexico. I have had this dish in various restaurants and have had various issues with them including - too many seeds left in / too spicy , too soggy , the sauce being sour , the batter tasting too eggy etc . I looked for recipes and used two different recipes ( recipe 1 , recipe 2 ) and improvisation to make this dish at home and it turned out to be one of the best chile rellenos I have ever tasted 

Ingredients: 

Poblano peppers - 2 

Filling : 

Shredded Cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup 

Shredded Mexican cheese blend - 1/2 cup

Cream cheese ( softened ) - 1/2 cup 

String cheese mozzarella - 1 split into two vertically 

Mix all the cheeses except for the string cheese and set aside 

Egg- 1 

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp 

Separate whites and yellow in different bowls 

Beat the white into stiff peaks ( used electric hand mixer)

Beat the yellow with the baking powder 

Fold the yellow into the whites and set aside in a shallow bowl ( easy for dipping) 

All purpose flour- 1/4 cup 

Panko bread crumbs- 1/2 cup  ( mix in 1 tsp of cumin powder and 1 tsp taco seasoning to give it some flavour ) 

Place these in shallow bowls or plates 

Assemble a dipping station - with flour first , then egg, then bread crumbs 

Oil - 2 cups for shallow frying 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven’s broiler ( high setting). Take the poblano peppers and place them on a foil lined baking sheet and broil them for 8-10 min until the skin is blistered and blackened 
   
   
   
   
2. Take the peppers out and place in a bowl and cover with a lid. This traps the steam /moisture in there and softens the skin more for about 10 min 
3.  Now peel off the skin and slit the peppers vertically and remove the seeds. 
   
   
   
   
4. Fill the inside with cheese mixture and place some string cheese in the middle to get a nice gooey center . Close the peppers up with toothpicks. Make sure to count the number of toothpicks you placed so you can ensure all of them come out later!!! 
5. 
   
   
   
6. Now dip the stuffed pepper in the flour first and dust off excess flour.
7. Then dip in the egg mixture
8. Finally dip into the seasoned breadcrumbs
9. Heat up oil in a pan to shallow fry the peppers ( start this prior to assembling the peppers so it’s ready to go )
10. Once hot ( 350F) turn down the heat to medium and let cool a little , gently place the peppers in the oil taking care not to splash hot oil on your hands . Fry each side until golden brown. 
    
    
    
11. Take the pepper out with a slotted spoon and let the oil drip out and then place on a paper towel lined plate to blot excess oil . Once slightly cool pull out the tooth picks.
12. Chile relleno is now ready to serve with a red sauce.

Sauce 

Can of tomatoes ( Rotel or similar with stewed tomatoes )- 1 ( can use fresh tomatoes or paste as well) 

Onion - 1/2 chopped 

Garlic - 2 cloves minced

Vegetable broth - 2 cups 

Dried oregano - 1 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp

Pepper - 1/2 tsp 

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste 

Cayenne pepper - small pinch ( optional) 

Taco seasoning - 1 tbsp 

Brown sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp ( enough to make the sauce not sour ! ) 

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp 

1. Grind the tomatoes in a blender to a purée ( if using paste dilute with water to make a purée )
2. In a sauce on medium heat add oil and sauté the onions until translucent and then sauté the garlic 
   
   
3. Now add all the spices ( except brown sugar ) and sauté for 30 seconds 
4. Then add in the tomato purée and stir well. Add the broth and mix it to desired thickness ( can add more broth or water )
5. Taste it and add salt to taste 
6. Taste it and add brown sugar one spoon at a time mixing it in and tasting to get to desired taste ( I like my sauce slightly sweet and not sour ) 
   

Now chile relleno is ready to serve 

On a plate place some sauce 

Then place the Chile relleno on top of the sauce ( instead of pouring the sauce on top I do this to prevent it from become too soggy ) 

Garnish with some sour cream 

Cheese quesadilla

Ingredients

Flour tortilla - 2 

Shredded Mexican cheese - 1/2 cup

Taco seasoning - 1 tbsp

Cream cheese softened  - 2 tbsp 

Green onion/cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped  

Oil- 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Spritz some oil on a griddle on medium heat and toast the tortilla slightly 

1. Place the shredded Mexican cheese on one tortilla and sprinkle the taco seasoning on it 
2. On the other tortilla spread the cream cheese and now add the chopped green onions/cilantro and place the tortillas together with these cheese on the inside
3. On a griddle on medium heat spritz some oil and place the quesadilla and toast it until it is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted on the inside 
4. Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole and lettuce / tomato /onions or a side salad
   
   

5 cheese enchilada

I love cheese enchiladas and usually get it whenever I go to the Mexican restaurants . So I decided to make some at home from scratch. Everything including the sauce was made from scratch. I used this recipe for the enchilada and this one for the sauce  as a starting off point and modified it to make it my own. The end result was the tastiest enchilada I’ve ever had !! The few people who  ate it loved it. 

Ingredients 

Enchiladas 

Cheese filling: 

Cottage cheese - 1 cup 

Shredded Sharp cheddar cheese - 1.5 cups 

Shredded Pepper Jack/ Monterey Jack cheese - 1.5 cups 

Shredded Mexican cheese blend -1.5 cups 

Softened Cream cheese - 0.5 cups 

Sour cream - 0.5 cups 

To sauté :

Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp 

Onion -1 large chopped 

Green onion - 3 or four bunches chopped green portion 

Jalapeño ( optional ) tamed - 1/8-1/4 cup chopped 

Taco seasoning - 3 to 4 tbsp 

Salt to taste 

Black pepper to taste 

Optional - fajita veggies , mushrooms ( if you love mushroom), tofu or morning star meat substitute crumbles 

Oil - for toasting the tortilla

Corn tortillas - 1 large package

Topping :

Cilantro - chopped 1/2 cup 

Separate 8oz package of shredded Mexican blend cheese for topping the enchiladas 

Sauce : 

Tomato paste - 6 oz 

Vegetable stock - 2.5-3 cups 

Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp 

All purpose flour - 1.5 tbsp 

Brown sugar - 1-2 tbsp ( or enough to make sauce less sour) 

Dried oregano - 2 tsp 

Cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Chili powder - pinch 

Garlic powder - 1 tsp

Onion powder - 1 tsp 

Taco seasoning - 2 tbsp 

Salt- 1/2 tsp 

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp 

Instructions ( make sauce ahead of time )

Sauce : 

1. In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and heat it up 
2. Once oil is hot add the all purpose flour to it and mix it in for at least a minute to make a thick mixture and bring to a boil. Keep whisking it so it doesn’t burn or stick to the pot. Add a pinch of chili powder to it and keep mixing until the chili powder is roasted ( 1 min)
3. Now add the tomato paste, vegetable stock, and all the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix them in well and let it come to a boil 
4. You can taste it and adjust the salt , sugar , seasoning to taste . I added more sugar since the sauce was too sour for me . I also added more broth to thin the sauce a little. Turn down the stove to low heat and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes 
5. Take it off the stove and let it cool 

Cheese enchilada :

1. In a large bowl mix all the cheese mixture ingredients together and make a cheese mixture 
   
   
   
2. Now place a pan on medium heat, add the vegetable oil and sauté the onions, spices listed above in with the onions until translucent and then sauté the jalapeños. ( you can sauté optional ingredients in here and if using those please  double or triple the spices to ensure these are seasoned ) add the green onions at the end and sauté them in.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add this sautéed seasoned onions to the cheese mixture and mix in. If you are using fajita vegetable or tofu or meat alternatives do NOT mix them in with the cheese , keep them aside separately to use as filling ( to be layered on top of the cheese mixture)
4. Now place a skillet on medium heat and spritz a little oil each time and toast the corn tortillas one at a time on both sides until warm and set aside in a stack 
5. Preheat oven to 350 F
6. Take a large  baking pan 11x14 inches and spoon in at least 1/2 cup of  the enchilada sauce to the bottom and spread it evenly and set aside 
7. Now you can assemble the enchiladas. Spoon the cheese mixture on to the middle of the tortilla and roll it and place seam side down in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
8. Assemble them the same way each time and place in the pan side by side until the pan is filled with one layer of cheese enchiladas 
9. Now spoon sauce on top generously to coat and cover the enchiladas
   
10. Place the rest of the cheese mixture on top evenly spreads out across and then cover the enchilada with the shredded Mexican cheese mixture ( 8 oz)
    
11. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 25-35 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Before taking the enchiladas out of the oven add chopped cilantro on top and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted 
12. Now cut off a portion of enchilada and serve with a side of guacamole , sour cream , lettuce , onion , tomatoes. 

Chipotle inspired vegetarian burrito bowl

Chipotle is a fast food chain that is pretty popular in the US . My sister loves their burrito bowl and she often makes it at home for a filling and nutritious meal. She shared her recipe and pictures with me for my blog. 

Ingredients: 

Rice- 1 cup cooked ( can use cauliflower rice for a lower carb alternative)

Cilantro - chopped -1/2 cup 

Lime - 1 

Black beans ( can) - 1 cup drained ( can use mushroom or tofu sautéed in oil , cumin powder, salt and pepper for a lower carb alternative) 

Fajita veggies- 1 onion cut length wise into strips,1bell pepper cut lengthwise into strips.

Dried mexican Oregano - 1 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1 tbsp

Garlic powder - 1/2 tbsp

Paprika - 1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste 

Olive oil - 3 to 4 tbsp

Taco seasoning - 1 tbsp 

Guacamole- 2 tbsp 

Red Onion- 1 chopped into small cubes 

Tomato - deseeded- 2 chopped into small cubes 

Sour cream ( low fat) - 2 tbsp 

Shredded Mexican cheese - 1/4 cup

Instructions 

1. Cook rice according to these instructions and set aside to cool. Once cool, add chopped cilantro and lime juice and fluff and mix with a fork making sure not to make the rice mushy.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Take desired quantity of the cilantro lime rice and add to your bowl 
3. Add desired amount of black beans on top of the rice
   
   
4. Fajita veggies ( made ahead of time ): on a sauce pan on medium heat add 3 tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion strips until translucent and then add the bell pepper strips and then add the oregano, paprika , garlic powder ,cumin powder, taco seasoning and sauté well until onions are caramelized and peppers are cooked 
   
5. Add desired amount of fajita veggies to the bowl 
   
6. Now add the chopped red onions, tomato, fresh cilantro on top 
   
7. Add the shredded cheese and top with guacamole ( recipe) and sour cream
   
   
8. Burrito bowl is ready to serve