Baked Chicken Flautas with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, and Cilantro Cream Sauce

Yesterday, I got a serious craving for some Mexican food.  I'd pinned a yummy looking recipe for Baked Chicken Flautas some time ago...and decided to make them last night for dinner. 

Wow...these were really good.  Baked...not fried!  Which means they are healthier...but not short on flavor at all.  I did make a few changes from the original.  I added some canned, diced green chiles instead of jalapeno...less heat for my kiddos.  I used half a package of taco seasoning for 8 chicken thighs because every time I leave the spice cabinet open, my little wee one runs off with a (gasp!) glass jar of something.  I decided to play it safe!  And I used fajita sized tortillas instead of burrito sized ones cut in half...just because I though it would be less prep time. 

There's plenty of meat leftover to make more, or you can freeze it to make something else later.  We are definitely going to make these again sometime!

Baked Chicken Flautas with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, and Cilantro Cream Sauce

FOR THE FLAUTAS:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (use chicken breasts if you prefer)

1 bottle of beer

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups fresh spinach
Fajita sized tortillas
1/2 to one whole package of taco seasoning mix (I usually go light on it)
8 ounces (1 large can, or 2 smaller cans) diced green chiles 
Queso quesadilla (found right in the shredded cheese section)

Bring the beer and chicken broth to a boil over high heat.  Add the chicken.  When the liquid comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Let cool and shred meat with your fingers.  Mix in the taco seasoning and green chiles.  Reserve 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the cooking broth.  Bring it back to a simmer, add the spinach and stir for a couple of minutes or until bright green and wilted.  Remove from the pot, drain excess liquid, and roughly chop.  Set aside.

Oil a large baking sheet, and preheat the oven to 450.  Spread out one flour tortilla and put 1 tablespoon of chicken in the middle.  Add 2 tablespoons of queso quesadilla and a bit of spinach (you can leave it out for all the spinach haters in your house).  Roll up very tightly, and place seam side down on the baking sheet.  Repeat until you've made enough for your crew...I made 12, and it was just enough.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, turn the flautas over, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until light golden brown and crispy.  Mine only needed 15 minutes of baking.

Serve warm with salsa, guacamole, or this awesome Cilantro Cream Sauce.  It's our favorite! 

FOR THE SPANISH RICE:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced small

1 cup long-grain white rice (substitute brown rice if you prefer, but add and additional 1/4 cup broth and at least 30 minutes to the cooking time)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 envelope Sazon seasoning mix (optional--I really like the flavor and color it adds to the rice.  You can find it in the international/mexican aisle)

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over moderate heat.  Add the onion and carrot and let it saute for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and rice, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Carefully pour in the chicken broth, the tomato paste, salt and pepper, and Sazon if desired.  Stir once or twice, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender, and all the broth is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and serve. 

FOR THE REFRIED BEANS:

Open a can of premade refried beans.   Or make some from scratch.  Either way, there's no judgement here.  :-) 

Four out of my 5 kids gobbled these flautas up.  Rebecca ate nearly 3, with rice and beans...I only ate 2!  Goodness gracious.  Didn't someone invent a way to stop kids from growing yet? ;-).

Okay...I hope you satisfy your own craving for some tasty...and healty...Mexican food.  God bless your table tonight!

Coconut Rice and Beans

 I've made this several times...it's really tasty, and perfect for Fridays during Lent.  I usually make this version of rice and beans (minus the sausage), but as it's 82 degrees today, and the forecast is expected to be the same tomorrow, it just seems too heavy for my liking.  This tropical version is lighter, and may be perfect for people with certain food allergies, as it contains coconut milk instead of cow's milk.  

I love anything with coconut and mango, and I don't feel guilty having 2 bowls of this lovely concoction.  However, I will try to limit myself to one.  I've been lazy over the past 2 weeks, but I'm going to force myself to get back on my exercise regimen. ;-)

Coconut Rice and Beans

1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

34 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 1/4 cups basmati rice (uncooked)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, diced

1 green or red pepper, diced

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

1 (15 ounces) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed*

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 lime

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced 

1 ripe mango, diced for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spread the coconut out in a single layer.  Toast for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.  Watch it carefully, it can burn on you in half a second!  

In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth, water, coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper to a boil.  Stir in the rice, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan.  Toss in the onions and peppers, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender. 

Add the black beans, black eyed peas*, (for whatever reason, my grocery store doesn't carry canned black eyed peas, but they were in the frozen vegetable aisle) chili powder, cumin, and 3/4 cup of water.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  I got sidetracked and forgot to take a picture of the finished beans...sorry.  Just use your imagination. :-)

Zest the lime and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl.  

When the rice is done, stir in the toasted coconut, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and green onions.  And I forgot to take a picture of the finished rice too...sorry again!

To serve, mound the rice on a plate, and top with a portion of the beans.  Garnish with diced mango, and additional chopped cilantro and green onions if desired.  I like to reserve a bit of the toasted coconut and sprinkle that on too.  

It's not summer here yet, heck...it's not even spring, but this is a taste of the tropics.  Take a bite, close your eyes, and imagine yourself on a beach in the Caribbean..  Okay, maybe that's a bit much, but I think you may agree once you try it!  

Happy Lent, and God bless your table tonight!  

Red Beans and Rice (and a note about Thanksgiving).

Hi everyone!  It's been a busy one over here...for the past few weeks anyway.  I've already done 99% of my Christmas shopping.  Yes...I know...please don't hate me.  We travel every year for Thanksgiving, and I like to deliver all the presents to David's side of the family while we're there.  Then I don't have to pay for shipping to anywhere except one nephew in Massachusetts. 

I would love to cook the 19 pound turkey that's in my deep freezer...and it's been there since (gasp) last Thanksgiving.  I know I need to cook it...and I will...as soon as it's cool enough here to thaw it...and then brine it outside in a cooler in the garage.  No way am I going to do that inside.  I can only imagine what 4 curious kids might do with a big, raw, turkey (turkey bowling anyone?). 

So...I don't cook for Thanksgiving, which I explained in this post.  And I'm okay with that.  Last year, I did whip up the mashed potatoes and made gravy while all the other women in the family worked on other dishes.  My sister-in-law roasts the turkey and makes the stuffing.  My father-in-law makes the cranberry sauce and cranberry relish (I like the sauce).  My other sister-in-law usually brings cookies for the kids, and my mother-in-law brings homemade rolls and a layered Jello salad.  Needless to say, there is plenty of food to feed 12+ adults and 15 kids. 

But the real reason for this post is a recipe for red beans and rice.  I first had them at Treebeards, a well-known establishment here in Houston.  David took me there when he used to work downtown, and after one bowl, I was hooked.  Later, I found a copycat recipe on the internet, and I've been stirring my pot of beans ever since. 

I have a friend who says she makes the best red beans and rice.  She's from Louisiana, so I'll bet they're pretty darn good.  But...if she ever follows through with her plan of hosting a little red beans and rice throwdown...well, you might find me there ;-). 

To make this dish properly, you need to cover the beans with water and let them soak overnight.  You can cheat by covering the beans with water, boiling for 5 minutes, and then let 'em sit 1 hour before continuing.  The beans will have a different texture if you do it this way. 

Also, I doubled this recipe, because we need more than one batch for our family.  I'd say one batch serves 4-6, if you go back for seconds, which I guarantee you will! 

Treebeards Red Beans and Rice

1 pound light red kidney beans

2 quarts water
1/2 of a medium green pepper, diced
2 medium onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 bay leaves
2  1/2 teaspoons salt
1  1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1  1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1  1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1/2 thick
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Chopped green onions (optional)

Sort your beans to make sure there are no tiny pebbles or bits of dirt.  Spreading them out on a clean towel or white paper towels makes it easier to see anything that shouldn't be there. 

In a large dutch oven or pot, combine the water and beans.  Let sit overnight. 

Drain, refill with 2 quarts of water, and add the green peppers, onions, and celery.  I chop up all the veggies the day before or in the morning to save time. 

I had some color peppers in the fridge that needed to be used up before we left town for the holiday weekend, so just threw 'em in.  Hope Treebeard doesn't mind...whoever he is ;-). 

Since I made a double batch, 1/2 went into my dutch oven, and 1/2 went into the crockpot.
 

Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and let it cook for 1 1/2 hours.  (If you use a crockpot, about 4 hours on "high" ought to do it.  Once you add the rest of the ingredients, cook for another hour on "high"). 

After 1 1/2 hours, the beans will be very soft, but should be mostly intact.  So don't stir too much during the process. 

Combine all the spices in a small bowl. 

Stir the spices gently into the pot...we're not making refried beans here...so easy does it.  We want the beans to remain as whole as possible.  Add the sausage, and give the pot one gentle stir to combine. 

Simmer for another half an hour or until the beans are completely soft, and the sausage is heated through.

During the last 1/2 hour of cooking, make some white, long-grain rice according to the package directions.  I never make the ready rice or rice-in-a-bag...it just tastes fake to me.  But...I know some people like it...so feel free to make whatever your family will eat. 

If your like green onions, chop up about 4.  These are from our garden.  (We have some gorgeous broccoli right now, along with peppers and lettuce...so much lettuce in fact, we should start breeding rabbits :-). 

To serve, place about 1/2 cup rice into a bowl.  Top with a serving of the red beans...adding some of the liquid as necessary...it goes great with the rice. 

Treebeards serves their red beans and rice with cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.  I don't know if that's authenic or not...but my kids will eat anything if there's cheese on top.  So bring on the cheese!

Oh, and a little Tabasco or hot sauce is great too :-). 

Aww...what could be better on a cold night than a bowl of this?  It's also a nice change from Thanksgiving leftovers if you've got family visiting for the holiday weekend.  And if you make this in a crockpot, you can throw it together around noon and have it ready it time for dinner with little effort.

I  hope everyone has a wonderful turkey day with plenty of good food, friends, and family!  I plan to eat well and have seconds...especially at dessert time ;-).

God bless your table tonight!

Lebanese-Style Lentils and Rice with Spinach

Another week of Lent means another meat-free Friday, and a new recipe from me to you :-).

I got this recipe from the local paper years ago, and usually make it once or twice during Lent. I have some lovely, elderly neighbors at the end of my street (they're from China, so sadly I haven't been able to converse with them at all), but they're out walking all the time. Yesterday, they brought me a big bag of home-grown spinach! I couldn't think of a better way to use it all up (since spinach wilts down to practically nothing).

Lentils and brown rice are also dirt cheap, healthy, and easy to prepare...all you need is a pot and a spoon...and a little patience, since brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice. Pics will be posted over the weekend.

One final note, to all my fellow Catholics, it is permissible to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth on Fridays of Lent. I alreay had all the ingredients, so I didn't have to run to the store just for vegetable broth.

Lebanese-Style Lentils and Rice with Spinach

1/2 cup lentils (I just buy the generic brand at Kroger or Walmart)

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice (not the instant or quick-cooking)

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (2 14.5 ounce cans)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced fine

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

6 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

In an medium stock pot, combine the lentils, rice, broth bay leaf, and salt, bring to a simmer.

You don't need a hard boil here at all, just a gentle boil...you want this to cook slowly. (If your rice and lentils are not done and all the liquid is gone, add an additional 1/2 cup of stock.) Cook, partially covered for 40-45 minute or until all the broth has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf, cover, and set aside.

While the lentils and rice are cooking, heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and saute, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and golden brown.

This will take about 30-40 minutes, and it makes the onions very sweet. If your onions are starting to burn, turn down your heat (and yes, your entire house will smell like onions, which we don't mind, but you might want to check on your supply of air-freshening spray). Here's pics I took about every 8-10 minutes.

Add the caramelized onions to the lentils and rice, along with the allspice, and stir gently to combine. It should have a nice creamy texture--the rice should be tender, not mushy.

Put the lid back on, and set the pot aside.

Here's the spinach from my neighbor. Isn't it gorgeous? I've never seen spinach leaves so big in my entire life...I cut the bunch into thirds so it would fit better into the pan.

Heat the same skillet you used for the onions over medium-high heat, and add the spinach. You will probably need to do this in batches as the spinach wilts down--it should take just a few minutes. Personally, I like to add one clove of minced garlic, but this is entirely optional.

Remove the spinach to a serving bowl, and drain off any excess liquid. The spinach should be bright green and limp, but not mushy.

To serve, scoop some of the lentils and rice in a bowl. Top with a serving of spinach, and a dollop of yogurt.

My kids are okay with this...they don't love it...but they all did when they were babies and still being spoon-fed. Ignorance is bliss :-).

God bless your table tonight!