blackened fish tacos

30 minutes

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 jalapeño, seeded and quartered
2/3 cup onion
1/2 cup slaw mix or shredded cabbage
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed or ground red pepper
2 6 ounce tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 corn tortillas
1 avocado sliced
cilantro for garnish
lime wedge for garnish
tapatio or other mexican hot sauce for garnish

heat tortillas in oven wrapped in foil or as directed on packaging. combine sour cream through jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth. mix with onions and slaw mix. set aside. combine paprika through red pepper in small bowl. heat oil in skillet over medium high. season both sides of tilapia with mixture. when skillet is hot, add tilapia and brown each side for 3 minutes on each side. remove from heat. divide fish evenly between tortillas. distribute slaw and onion mixture evenly. top with avocado, cilantro and tapatio if desired. garnish with a lime wedge per taco.

serves 2-3

spicy bean dip

5 minutes + time to chill

1 15 ounce can of refried beans (black or pinto)
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño juice
1/4 cup of pickled jalapeño slices (you might start with less and add to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

combine all ingredients in food processor and mix until creamy. chill and serve.

black bean tortilla casserole

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilis (rotel)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
9-12 corn tortillas
8 ounces of grated cheddar or mexican cheese
a couple of ounces of salsa
4 ounces black olives, sliced
sour cream, for garnish
cilantro, for garnish
salsa, for garnish
green onions, for garnish
jalapenos, chopped for garnish

preheat oven to 350. spray a large pan with oil and heat stove top to medium. add garlic, onions, tomatoes and spices to pan, cooking for 5 minutes. add beans, cilantro, salt and pepper and remove from heat. spray a 9 inch square pan with oil. add a splash of salsa. start by layering tortillas to fit, followed by filling, cheese, tortillas, filling....you get the picture! top with any extra cheese and bake covered for 20 minutes. uncover, top with olives and bake an additional 10 minutes.

serve with sour cream, green onions, cilantro, salsa, jalapenos or anything you desire~

also, feel free to add some corn kernels or bell pepper or any other yummy nutritious fillers that you desire and definitely substitute 1.5 pound of fresh diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chilis in place of the tomatoes when tomatoes are in season!

mango avocado salsa

10 minutes

1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 mango, flesh pitted and diced
2 serrano peppers with seeds in, diced
3/4 cups red onion diced
3t cilantro, chopped
2 t fresh orange juice
2 t fresh lime juice

mix together and serve. try on grilled fish or chicken or serve as a dip. if serving as a dip, you may want to chill for an hour.

avocado cashew enchiladas

45 minutes

1 cup cashews, lightly toasted
2 cloves garlic, cut in fourths
4 green onions, cut in fourths
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup cilantro
1 small jalapeño
1 lime, juice of
2 haas avocados
1/2 cup sour cream or tofutti sc
8 corn tortillas
1 15 ounce jar enchilada sauce (we like frontera's red chili sauce)
1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded or sliced (optional)
sour cream, cilantro and jalapeno slices for garnish.

preheat oven to 350. in a food processor, combine cashews, garlic, onions, parsley, cliantro and lime juice. pulse until chopped finely. add avocado and sour cream. pulse quickly until well combined. pour half the jar of enchilada sauce in to a 7 x 11 baking dish. heat tortillas slightly in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in a lightly greased skillet, until flexible enough to roll. place 1/2 cup of filling in each tortilla. roll and place seam side down in baking dish. repeat until all enchiladas are rolled. pour remaining sauce over enchilads. top with cheese. bake covered for 20 minutes. uncover and broil on 450 for 10 minutes or until it bubbles. let set for 4 or 5 minutes before serving. be very gentle removing the enchiladas, so that they do not break in half. if you have an exceptionally long spatula, use it! top with a dollop of sour cream, cliantro and a jalapeño slice and serve.

***note to make it vegan, use tofutti sour cream and leave off monterey jack cheese.***

adapted from enchanted broccoli forest by mollie katzen. this lady knows her stuff. this recipe is unique, full of healthy fats and super yummy.

taco soup

2 pounds ground turkey or 1 pound of tvp or veggie crumbles + extra beans
2 cups diced onions
2 15 ounce cans pinto beans (with juice)
1 15 ounce can kidney beans (with juice)
2 cups corn kernels
1 14 ounce can mexican stewed tomatoes
1 14 ounce can tomatoes with green chilies
2 4 1/2 ounce cans diced green chilies
1 4 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch seasoning
sour cream, grated mexican cheese, tortilla chips, jalapeños for garnish

brown the ground turkey or veggie crumbles and onion in a large skillet. transfer to a stock pot or crock pot. add remaining ingredients and let sit for as long as possible. if you need it in a hurry, simmer for 30 minutes. the longer you let it sit, the better it gets, so if you can make it in the morning or night before and throw it in the crock pot in the AM, it will be lovely by dinner time.

I adapted this from one of Paula Deans recipes. Although, I try to be a little healthier than most southern cooks, i still have roots in alabama and some of her recipes are hard to pass up!

spinach enchiladas

40 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms
1 cup corn (optional)
8 ounces low fat cream cheese/tofutti cc
8 ounces swiss cheese slices
16 ounces low fat sour cream/tofutti sc
4 ounce can green chilies, diced
jalapeños and paprika for garnish

preheat oven to 350. in a large saucepan, add oil and saute garlic and onions until translucent. add mushrooms, corn, and spinach. saute until mushrooms begin to brown. remove from heat and set aside. warm tortillas slightly. (i usually just throw the tortillas over the veggie mixture and let them steam for a minute before i add the filling so they become more pliable. lay out tortillas on counter. fill each with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of veggie filling and half a slice of swiss cheese. roll and place in glass baking dish. bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until slightly crunchy on top. when the enchiladas have only a couple of minutes left, using the same pan from the veggies, warm the pan over medium heat for a minute or so. add sour cream and chilies. stir and remove from heat. if you let the sour cream sauce get too hot, it will break and leave you with a funky texture, so just barely warm it. dish out the enchiladas, cover them with sauce and top with a dash of paprika (for some pretty color) and a few jalapeños. serve a side of black beans topped with cilantro.

*****vegan option: use tofutti sour cream and cream cheese, leave out swiss and add a little extra cream cheese to filling....perfect!

mexican lasagna

1 hour, 5 minutes

1 pound chicken*
1/3 packet of taco seasoning
12 ounces tomatillo sauce
12 ounces red enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded mexican cheese
12 ounces black beans, cooked or canned
8 ounces corn kernels, frozen
1 small can green chilies, diced
8 ounces white onion, chopped

garnish with any/all: green onion, sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa

* vegetarian option: leave out chicken all together or add seitan, green peppers or extra beans. I have even used the morningstar "chicken" strips before.

preheat oven to 350. cut chicken in to 1 inch pieces. cook in a lightly oiled sauce pan until just done. toss with the taco seasoning. chop onion. add to chicken, along with beans, corn and green chilies. set aside. in a casserole dish, pour just enough of each the green and red sauce to cover the bottom. add a layer of corn tortillas. (if you'd like, you can break the tortillas in half to eliminate so much overlap, which will create a thinner layer of tortillas.) add a layer of the chicken mixture, followed by a layer of cheese. repeat layers until you are about an inch from the top of the dish. add one more layer of tortillas, a layer of sauce and a layer of cheese. cover and bake for 30 minutes. remove lid and broil on high for 10 additional minutes. let rest 5-10 minutes. garnish and serve.

**can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until ready to cook. cooking time may be slightly longer.