Skinny Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving  size: 1 Quesadilla

Ingredients:
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1/2 cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
1 cup tomato salsa, divided
4-9" La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb, High Fiver Tortillas
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

*Optional toppings
jalapenos
lime wedges
tomatoes, diced

Instructions:

1. Combine beans, corn, cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1/4 cup salsa in bowl
2. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet or platter
3. Spread filling on half of each tortilla (a little more than 1/3 cup on each).
4. Fold tortillas in half, pressing to flatten
5. Add oil to large frying pan and brown tortillas on medium-low heat until cheese is melted, flipping once, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
6. Or grill on T-fal OptiGrill o the sandwich setting
7. Repeat until all tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted
8. Slice in halves and top with remaining fresh salsa, cilantro, avocado, and any other toppings of your choice.

I

Superfood Salad

1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 orange, peeled and segments chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
seasonally either: 1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth) or 1 mango, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice)
2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced
dash of sweetener (agave nectar, honey, or sugar)
salt & pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

For the Lemon Vinaigrette: add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.

Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils and/or mango, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Chicken Enchilada

29 ounces tomato puree
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 packets of taco seasoning
1 chopped onion
4  chicken breasts cut into strips
grated cheese
queso
Put into crockpot on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. When done, mix a con of refried beans with queso and smear on tortillas with a spoonful of crockpot chicken mix (use slotted spoon to limit juice). Sprinkle grated cheese on top and wrap. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is melted.
leftovers can be used as taco soup. add a dollop of sour cream and serve over Fritos.

Mango Salsa Soup

1 48 ounce container of the Mango Salsa from Costco.  (Winco has Mango Salsa too.  Just get two 24 oz containers.  I just like Costco's better.)

2 cups regular salsa

2 quarts of chicken broth

2-3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into small pieces (equal to 4 cans chicken)

1-2 teaspoon cumin

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

Just dump it all in a pot, stir, and let it heat through.  It's especially good if it can simmer on low for an hour or more.  But it doesn't have to. 

Feeds A LOT of people and is so easy!

 

You can also serve it with chips and sour cream.  Yummy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 6-8

Poached Chicken:  ***(This will make the chicken more tender)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

***My side note:  A quick trick would be to a store bought rotisserie chicken from the deli section and just shred or chop it up (without skin) and add it to the soup base towards the end of cooking just to heat through

Soup Base:​
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 -2 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup chunky salsa ***(I use a high quality fresh salsa – not bottled salsa)
1 can of diced tomatoes
***Optional:  You may also add a can of rinsed black beans and/or cooked rice

Condiments/Toppings:
Chopped Cilantro
Sour Cream
Tortilla chips
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Diced Avocado

DIRECTIONS:
Poaching Chicken Breasts:
Place chicken breasts in bottom of a small, heavy-bottomed pot. They should fit in a single layer but fit quite snugly. Pour in just enough water or broth to cover the chicken. Add seasonings.

Bring to a boil, and then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Partly cover with a lid and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat completely, and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Remove from water/broth and allow to cool slightly before shredding or chopping it for desired recipe.

Making the Soup Base:
In a large pot over medium heat, add all listed soup base ingredients.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.  After this is completed, add the precooked chicken.  Stir and serve with the optional toppings.  Enjoy – Freeze any left overs (without the toppings) for future meals.

Black Beans & Kielbasa Soup

1/2 pound dried black beans
5 cups chicken broth
5 carrots cut into large chunks
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 small onion chopped

-Soak black beans overnight in water.  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and simmer on low for 8-10 hours.  If you use canned black beans use 3 cans of drained black beans simmer until onions are translucent and carrots are cooked through.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Serves 8-10.

3 cups chicken stock

2 skinless, chicken breasts

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

4-6 jalapeno peppers, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup tomato paste

8 ounce Pepper Jack cheese, divided

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Tortilla chips

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add half of the pepperjack cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook about 20 more minutes until desired consistency.

Add cilantro, reserving some to top individual bowls if desired. Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, reserved pepperjack cheese and cilantro if desired.

Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 package (1 oz) taco spices and seasonings

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar (7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained

12 ounces light cream cheese

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 to 2 teaspoons lime juice

Garnishes: chopped tomato and fresh cilantro

in food processor combine all ingredients except garnishes; mix thoroughly. serve with tortilla chips and/or raw vegetables

Black Beans and Rice

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion

2 tomatoes

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups cooked rice

Saute onion and tomato until tender, add black beans and salsa. Serve on top of rice.

Serves about 4.

Texas Caviar

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 avocado

1 package Zesty Italian Dressing mix

Rinse and drain beans, chop onion and pepper. (Could also use/add any hard veggie i.e. celery) Cut up avocado. Combine. Make dresing per package instructions and add to mixture. enjoy.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup Cilantro, if desired

1. Mix salad dressing and BBQ sauce in bowl.
2. In large bowl add chopped lettuce, chicken, corn and beans. Add dressing and toss.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 14 oz cans corn, drained
2 14 oz cans pinto beans, drained
2 14 oz cans black beans, drained
1-4 chicken breasts
About 1 cup of your favorite salsa

Put in crock pot. Add 1/2 cup water if you want. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Serve with: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, green onions, whatever you like.

Southwest Chicken Burrito Filling

1 bag frozen corn
4 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained
1 jar salsa, any kind
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Cheese
Lettuce
Tortillas

Throw corn, chicken, beans and salsa all in the crock pot in that order and cook for 8 hours on low. Shred the chicken and mix together. You may need to take out some excess liquid. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in tortillas with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, etc. Makes a lot.

Good for feeding a lot of people. If you want to make more, just increase how much of everything you put in. It doesn’t have to be exact.