Chicken, Black Bean and Tortilla Pie and a Giveaway

The giveaway is now closed!  Thanks to all who entered!

Congratulations to kwinans!!!  
You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

This is similar to the Chicken Tortilla Bake I made back on Day 139 of the 365 Days of Baking and that one was pretty good.  This one today has a few different ingredients and earned a higher rating from the family.
It's also interesting to see how much prettier today's pictures are, no to mention the food.  LOL!

This is adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food - Great Food Fast, p. 236; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-307-35416-7.

Chicken, Black Bean & Tortilla Pie - Serves 6

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, cored, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 10 ounce package frozen corn
1-1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked, seasoned chicken breast (I used a chicken breast seasoned with Montreal Chicken Seasoning)
4 plum tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced plus additional for garnish
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil.
Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and cumin.  Add salt and pepper to season.

Cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the beans and water.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the water has practically evaporated, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the corn, chicken, and tomatoes and scallions.  Mix to combine and remove from heat.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan using the bottom of the pan as a guide.

Put springform pan back together and spray with cooking spray.  (I did this in the beginning before I chopped or did anything to prepare the meal and I swear the tortillas dried up and shrunk.)
Place one tortilla in the bottom of the pan.
Spread 1/4 of the bean mixture and cover with 3/4 cup of shredded cheese.

Repeat process 3 times.

Cover top layer of beans with 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until warm throughout and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with scallions and remove from pan, leaving bottom intact.
Cut into wedges and serve.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 and this Chicken, Black Bean and Tortilla Pie earned a unanimous 4 rolling pins from the family.
I have to admit I was surprised with their reaction.
I hadn't started eating yet and already they were chiming in with their votes.
Either they REALLY liked it or they were famished!  LOL!
No, I agree with them.
It was just that good.

And now for the...

 GIVEAWAY!!!!

It is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered.

It is from our wonderful friends at resource Natural Spring Water.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, resource natural spring water.

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Yes, you can drink water out of the tap, buy a filter for your faucet or buy the pitchers with the filters in them, but they aren't going to give you the same results as drinking water with natural electrolytes.
I drank the water after my run one day and I have to say that my recovery was quicker and I just felt better. Who doesn't want to feel that way after a work out?
My son and daughter are also runners, so I want to give them what I can to help them perform at their peak, especially when they're racing.

This water is from the makers of Nestle Waters, North America, Inc. and is available at your local grocery store or convenience stores throughout the United States.

And now for the giveaway!

It is a $25 gift card sent by e-mail to Spa Week!!

It's time to pamper yourselves!!

*because the gift card will be sent by e-mail, I will need to 
have a valid e-mail address*
Winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, another person will be chosen and notified.

Here's how to enter!!

Be sure to leave a comment telling me where you'd take your resource Natural Spring Water.
*Sorry, contest is open only to U.S. residents.*
You can receive additional entries by doing the following:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given two samples of resource Natural Spring Water and a $25 Spa Week gift card in exchange for my review.  All opinions however, are my own.

This has been shared at Thursday's Treasures at Joan's site, Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate and at Debi's, Recipes For My Boys!  Head on over to see what my fellow bloggers have cooked up this week!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Peanut Butter & Cucumber Sandwich from Horse Camp

Yeah, I know.
It's weird.
BUT, it's the latest craze that's sweeping the nation ~ Peanut Butter Cucumber Sandwiches!!!
It is, believe me!!
Or maybe it's a craze in another part of the world and it just hasn't made it's way completely over here yet.

Ok, well, I can dream, can't I?
Wouldn't that be neat though if I started a fad, trend, whatever-you-want-to-call-it-thinga-ma-jigger?
But I can't be credited with inventing the thing because it was introduced to me at horse camp when I was...good grief, I don't even remember how old I was ~ I must have been 12 or 13 or so.
So the story goes like this and it's one of my more interesting experiences, I must say.
One of my mother's best friends had three children and her oldest who was about 3 years younger than me rode horses, and took lessons through this woman.
This woman also had three children and at their home they raised rabbits and chickens, etc.
One summer my mother and her friend signed us up for horse camp, but really I'm thinking they were ponies.  Aaah, I don't remember.
What I do remember is that the dang white one, whatever the heck it was, started taking off on me as we were riding a trail through the woods and scared the living bejeezus out of me!  I couldn't stop the thing and I was screaming, brushing up against tree branches, being jostled in the saddle and terrified of being thrown from the gosh darn four legged creature!  My screaming, of course, must have really pleased the animal.  And I KNOW he sensed my fright because he just wouldn't stop trotting, cantering (ooh, see, I learned something that week that stuck with me!) or running full throttle.  Needless to say, I haven't been on a horse, pony, donkey, or otherwise, since.
Except for the ones that are stationary and move around in a circle to music.
You got it, a carousel.
Something else I remember about the camp was the food that was served.  The mother made some pretty darn good bars made out of chocolate chips, cheerios, white cake mix, and condensed milk, and now I can't remember the recipe.  We also went out to the backyard one night to pick out our dinner.  That didn't make me too happy and I REALLY didn't like seeing Peter Cottontail hopping around all footloose and fancy free in his cage just before...well, you know.  It was disturbing and I was afraid to eat that night, but it's true what they say,...
it's tastes a little like chicken.
One of the better memories of that week, or maybe it wasn't a whole week, but it sure felt like it, was the sandwiches we were served for lunch.  And yes, I turned my nose up at them, too, when I first heard the mother tell us what was on them...peanut butter and cucumber.
What?!
Peanut butter, ok.
And we all know that peanut butter goes with jelly.  JUST jelly!
Cucumbers???   
No, just peanut butter and cucumbers, no jelly.
Be real.  NOBODY puts cucumbers on their peanut butter sandwiches.  That's just plain gross!
(I never said that to her because I was NEVER one to mouth off to my elders.  Kick a boy in the shin with my hard toed saddle shoes, yes, but never disrespect an adult.
Mom would slap me across the face, she would.)
Anyway, I love cucumber and peanut butter, but separately, NOT together.
Good grief!
If I don't eat this, I'll be hungry, so I guess I'll try it.  I don't think it will kill me.
At least I hope it won't....
And I have to say,...that will be revealed after the recipe.  ;-)

Peanut Butter & Cucumber Sandwich - serves 1 because you won't want to share.  Trust me on this.

2 slices of bread (I used Potato, but you can use whatever suits your taste - go with what you're feeling)
peanut butter (creamy, crunchy, natural, almond butter would be good, too ~ whatever it is you want, you use!)
10 cucumber slices, unpeeled ~ you can use more or you can use less

Place both slices of bread on a plate.
Spread each slice with desired amount of desired peanut butter.

Strategically place cucumber slices on top of peanut butter to ensure a taste in each bite.

Put both slices of bread together with the peanut butter sides facing each other.
The great thing is that the peanut butter will hold the cucumber slices in place if you've used enough, so they won't be rolling off the counter to the floor.
EAT!

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 and this Peanut Butter & Cucumber Sandwich earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
While I realize this sandwich may not be for everyone, it may be for someone and that person may be YOU!
Heck, even my kids look at me like I have two heads whenever I put this sandwich together.
You'd think that since I'd been a kid when I first had it that my kids would have grown up on the stuff.
Not the case.
They think the combination is just plain old weird.
Kinda like their mother, I guess.
I like this sandwich because you get the great taste of peanut butter with the cool, crisp crunch of the cucumber.
And it's good for you!
It really is quite tasty and you KNOW I wouldn't post it if it weren't because...
I just ain't that a way!
PLEASE, just try it.  It could be your kids' new favorite sandwich in their lunch box.
And you could come out looking like a genius!
Can you imagine, "Mom, this is GREAT!!  How did you think of this??!!"
And then their friends at school will be begging to switch sandwiches and before you know it we have our Peanut Butter & Cucumber Sandwich taking over the nation.
It will happen.
And it all starts with a knife and two slices of bread.

If you try it, please let me know what you think and how far we've gotten with the taste that's sweeping the nation.  ;-)

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Blueberry Cherry Mini Crumb Pies

Talk.

Some people talk too much.

Some people don't talk enough.

I don't know why I'm telling you this.

I think I'm just trying to fill space because I actually have nothing to talk about.

Really.

I can't think of anything.

Ok, maybe this.

We're watching 'Chopped' and my kids see they're requesting applications for casting, so immediately they both say, "Mom, you should do that!"

Yeah, no.

I can put ingredients together and come up with something that might be tasty, but make it in 20 minutes.

Fuggedah 'bahd it!

Oh yeah, there's no way.

I know myself and when things get too stressful, I have a tendency to freeze.

And I'd freeze especially if Alex Guarnaschelli were a judge that day. 

Yeah, I love her.

Please tell her that.

I do think it'd be cool to see my fellow bloggers battling it out with surprise ingredients from a picnic basket though.

They have my total support.

Just like these Blueberry Cherry Mini Crumb Pies.

YUM!

Blueberry Cherry Mini Crumb Pies - makes 12

Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling
1 1/3 cups blueberries
1 1/3 cups fresh cherries, pitted, and quartered
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
(I used one lemon for both the zest and the juice.)

Crumb Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it with butter.
For crust, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.

With a pastry knife, cut butter into flour mixture.

Combine until it resembles coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together ice water and egg yolk.

Add water mixture to dough and mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a ball.

Divide dough in half and form into separate balls.
Wrap each in plastic wrap and gently pat down to form a rectangle or square. (It doesn't have to be perfect, it just makes it that much easier to roll out.)

Refrigerate dough for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare filling by combining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl.  Mix well.

Into a medium bowl, place blueberries and cherries.
Pour sugar mixture over the fruit and toss gently to completely cover; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, flour and salt.

Using a fork, cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove one package of dough from the refrigerator.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4-inch thick.
Using a 4-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut circles in the dough.
Place into a prepared muffin cup, gently molding it to the bottom and sides of the tin.
Gather the scraps of dough, re-roll and re-cut.
The great thing about this dough is that no matter how much you play with it and re-roll it, it won't toughen up like some do.
Repeat with the second batch of dough.
They don't have to be neat.  Mine weren't.   Yours will probably be prettier than mine.
Go for it!

Place about two tablespoons of fruit filling into each dough cup.

Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over each of the filled muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, when edges are a golden brown.

The end result sure is pretty though.

A tip, and you can take it or leave it, but I highly suggest that you place a baking sheet lined with tin foil on the baking rack below the muffin tin inside the oven.  This will prevent any juices that may runneth over the sides of your pies to collect on the bottom of the oven.  Which would consequently set off an alarm which in turn sends the dog into a tizzy, shaking like it's the end of the world.
Not like that happened or anything.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Blueberry Cherry Mini Crumb Pies earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
I could have eaten at least 4 in just one sitting, BUT...I was a good girl.
And only had one at two separate times.   ;-)
They really were the perfect size because they weren't too big or too small.  They were just right.
Kinda like Goldilocks.
We loved the blueberry and cherry combination with a hint of lemon and the crumb topping was the perfect finishing touch.
Oh, and the vanilla ice cream we ate it with was pretty good, too.
You need to eat it with some ice cream.
It's DA BOMB!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Tacoed Tilapia with Raspberry Mango Salsa

I have to be honest.
I was all excited to be creative and make this dinner tonight.
I've really been wanting to put some of that Homemade Taco Seasoning on some fish to see how it would taste and of course, really wanted to make a fruit salsa to go along with it, but after I made the salsa tonight I was SSOOOOOO ready to scratch the whole thing and not even post it.
BUT, here I am.

Something just wasn't right when I tasted it.
It was tart with the raspberries and I was wishing I'd bought some strawberries for it instead.
But the raspberries were on sale and I can't resist saving a buck or two.
So, I added the honey.
If you make it with strawberries, I'd suggest leaving the honey out.  I'm sure they'll be sweet enough on their own.

I served the fish and salsa for dinner and before I got to the table I heard my daughter say, "Mmmm, this is good!"
"What, the fish or the salsa?"
"All of it.  The salsa tastes really good on the fish!"
Fist pump from the mother and she's quietly doing the happy dance in the kitchen!
I have to say I was pleased with the family's reaction and even more excited when I tasted it myself.
I'll let you know what I rated it...after the recipe, of course!

Adapted from my Breaded Tilapia with Cilantro Citrus Sauce
Tacoed Tilapia with Raspberry Mango Salsa - serves 4

1 pound Tilapia fillets
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cups tortilla chips, crushed
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning
freshly ground black pepper

Salsa
1 Mango, peeled, cored and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
6 ounces raspberries, quartered
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I used one lime)
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 teaspoons honey
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, combine salsa ingredients, and stir well to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with tin foil.  Spray a wire rack with cooking oil and place it on the foil inside the baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine crushed tortilla chips, cornmeal, taco seasoning and ground pepper.  Mix well.

Place tilapia fillets into the beaten eggs, making sure to completely cover.
Allow excess egg to drip off and dredge through tortilla chip mixture, coating thoroughly on both sides.
Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fish flakes when pulled apart with a fork.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Tacoed Tilapia with Raspberry Mango Salsa earned 3 rolling pins.
I will definitely be making this again, but will make the salsa with strawberries to see how that is.
The tortilla chips combined with the cornmeal gave the fillets a nice crisp coating and the taco seasoning gave it some tasty flavor.
The salsa, I must say, was a perfect accompaniment to the fish.  I could still slightly taste a tartness, but the fish really balanced it out.
I was so psyched this dinner didn't end up in the garbage as I was afraid it might have.
PHEW!
I will be going to bed a happy girl tonight!!

I'd like to welcome all of our new readers!
There are a lot of new followers here on the blog, new subscribers to the 365 e-mail updates and the 365 Days of Baking page on Facebook has reached a whopping 3, 275!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!
I am amazed that this little blog I started to challenge myself has grown as it has.
I am so completely humbled and extremely blessed.
I cannot thank you all enough for your support, comments, e-mails, tweets, pins, shares, and above all,
LOVE!!
You all amaze me and I CANNOT thank you enough.
The support has been tremendous and has helped fuel my passion and love for what I'm doing.
I love that at the age of *ahem* 44 I have FINALLY found out what I want to be when I grow up!
Thank you!

I give you all BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Secret Recipe Club ~ Quinoa, Black Bean and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Yuppers.
It's the third Monday of the month which can only mean...(drumroll, please, maestro!)

It is reveal day for Group C of The Secret Recipe Club!!

I have absolutely loved being a part of this amazing group since I started participating in July of 2011 ~ it is SO much fun!  If you're interested in joining, please check it out.

It was started by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin' and is now run by April of Angel's Homestead.  Group C now has a new leader, too ~ Debbi, of Debbi Does Dinner...Healthy & Low Calorie.  She has taken over for Angela of The Big Bear's Wife.  These ladies do A LOT of work, so I'd like to thank them and tell you to please be sure to stop by their blogs and say hello!  Also, a BIG baking hug goes out to Debbi to welcome her as our fearless leader!

The club is based on Secret Santa:  everyone in the group is assigned a blog from which they have to pick a recipe to make and post about, BUT you can't let them know that you've been "stalking" them until reveal day.  It is wonderful "getting to know" your assigned blogger if they are new to you and making one (or more!) of their recipes.  I love secretly reading about them, why they started their blog, perusing their recipes and then leaving them a comment on reveal day letting them know I had them and what I chose to make.

It's also a lot of fun if the blog you're assigned is one you're very familiar with because it's kind of picking a recipe from an old friend.

Many times it can be extremely difficult to pick a recipe because there are SO very many and all of them sound and look delicious, as was the case with this month's assignment.

I was excited when I found out I was assigned Thrifty Veggie Mama because I already "knew" Jamie and her recipes.  She is quite a busy woman with three children all under the age of 5!  She is ME 15 years ago with the two little girls and infant son at those ages.  I feel for her!  Seeing the picture of Jamie with her beautiful children brought me right back to the way my life was then with our kids, I have NO idea how she even manages to find time to write and keep a fantastic blog.  There were so many days that I didn't take a shower and always felt like I was going in 8 different directions!  And now, looking at pictures when they were little, our house was a COMPLETE PIGSTY - toys are strewn all over the background. 

...But I do miss those days.

While we aren't vegetarians here at the 365 home, I really enjoy having meals at least a couple times a week without meat.  It's good for us and makes me feel good about what I'm doing for my family.

Cause you know it's always about ME!  ;-)

I know I say this every month, but I had a REALLY hard time deciding which recipe to make.  Needless to say, I have added quite a few to my to-do list: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce (perfect for tonight's dinner with the squash from the garden I have sitting on my counter), the Black Bean Burgers, Falafel (LOVE me some Falafel!), Tater Tot Casserole, and the Bang Bang Cauliflower.

See, what'd I tell you, Jamie is beyond impressive!

The recipe I chose to make was her Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers.  To see her vegetarian version, click on the link.

We LOVE stuffed peppers, but I've only ever made them with rice and ground beef, and since we've become addicted to quinoa lately, I knew this would be the perfect dish.

I did make a few changes to it.  I added some Old Bay Seasoning, and some ground turkey.  I wanted to include some extra protein in the dish because our son is training for his cross country team and our daughter is preparing to compete in her first triathlon this Saturday.

They were a hit and have definitely been added to our regular menu rotation.  Thanks, Jamie, for such an awesome recipe!   

Quinoa, Black Bean & Turkey Stuffed Peppers - serves 4

I did have some filling left over as Jamie did, so I'm thinking it could have served 6

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces ground turkey
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved

4 bell peppers ~ as Jamie suggested, I also used green, red, orange and yellow for color (SO pretty!)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Core, seed and cut the peppers in half, lengthwise.

Pour juice from the drained tomatoes into the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

Put the quinoa and 2 cups water into a small saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then simmer for about 15 minutes until water is absorbed, becomes translucent and separates.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and onion and sautee until translucent.

Add turkey and cook until done.

Mix in Old Bay Seasoning and pepper.

Place spinach in skillet and sautee until just wilted.

Add the diced tomatoes and beans.

Add the quinoa and mix until thoroughly combined.

Fill the peppers with stuffing and place into prepared baking dish.

WAIT!!!!  DON'T sprinkle with the cheese yet - it will stick to the foil.

Ask me how I know that.   :-/

Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and NOW sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Quinoa, Black Bean and Turkey Stuffed Peppers earned 3 1/2 rolling pins!

As I said, we LOVED them!

The quinoa was a great substitute for our typical rice, and all of the ingredients gave them so very much flavor!  

We very were excited that there were leftovers and my daughter was so happy that it was such a healthy dinner.

What, do I typically serve garbage for dinner?

It's not like I'm feeding you McDonald's for crying out loud.  

I also loved how this dish was so very colorful which makes it super duper extra healthy!

Right?!

I KNEW you'd agree with me.  Thanks so much for that!
The next time I make it I'll add the full 20 oz of turkey and halve the quinoa.  There was so much quinoa that we couldn't really tell I had even put turkey in.

Be sure to visit Jamie's blog and tell her I said hello!  She's made a lot of fantastic dishes that I'm sure you'll want to try.

Also, come back tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY!!  WOO HOO!

Stop by and visit all of the other wonderful blogs in Group C to see what they made and where they found their recipes!!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!