(They Can Be Spicy) Tuna Enchiladas

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was A Taste of Madness.  Canadian math nerd Cathleen is a huge fan of dessert, recipes that take 30 minutes or less to make, and, judging from her breakfast recipe list, oatmeal.  I will definitely be checking out some of her oatmeal variations, because I love a warm comforting bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter morning.  She and her boyfriend are also lovers of all things spicy, so I know I would love a lot of Cathleen's recipes - if only my husband could handle a bit more heat in his food.  I may have to try some of these recipes just for me...

I am most definitely trying this Tabasco Popcorn!  Oh, yum.  Some of the other not quite so spicy recipes that caught my eye were:

• Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Chicken, Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole
• Chickpea Salad Wrap 

They all look incredible, but these tuna enchiladas just had to be made.

This is one of those super simple and quick meals Cathleen loves - and really, who doesn't love fast and easy?  And really tasty.  (Even though I didn't use as much jalapeno)

(They Can Be Spicy) Tuna Enchiladas
from A Taste of Madness

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup prepared salsa, divided
• 1/2 a jalapeno, diced (use the whole pepper if you like it spicy)
• 6 soft corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a skillet, mix together the tuna, 1 cup mozzarella, 2/3 cups salsa, and the jalapeno. Heat on medium until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly.
3. Spoon the tuna mixture into the tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish.
4. Top with the remaining salsa and cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.
5. Alternate Directions: Place under a broiler for around 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I put these together a bit before I wanted to serve dinner, so I had them ready to pop into the oven when my husband came home from work.  If you're just putting them together and popping them straight into the oven, you can heat them under the broiler for a few minutes like Cathleen does, and they'll be just fine.  I liked the additional time of baking to warm everything back up again and also crisp the sides a bit. I love slightly crunchy corn tortillas.  It just depends on your preference and time available.

I only used a portion of the jalapeno, and I put more in mine than in my husband's - I just added about half of the diced jalapeno to the tuna mixture, then after I rolled his up, I added the rest of the chopped jalapeno before rolling mine, reserving some to throw on top so we could tell the difference.  They really weren't spicy at all, but they had a really great flavor.  I will definitely be making these again.  It should make us all happy, including the cats.  They always come begging when I open a can of tuna, because they love to drink the water I drain off.

The only problem with this recipe was that I ate too much.  We cleaned that dish out.

An InLinkz Link-up

Lentil Garlic Soup

I thought for sure I had posted this recipe already, but when I started looking for it so I could make this soup, I realized it wasn't here.  Thankfully I printed the recipe in 2001, so I was still able to make soup.  Yes, I've been making this soup for a few years now.

Lentil Garlic Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 T olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 4 to 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 to 4 cups water, to bring total liquid to 8 cups
• 16 oz. bag lentils, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Heat oil in 5-quart pan.  Add onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft, stirring frequently.  Add salt and cumin and cook until fragrant.
2. Add broth, water, and lentils; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.  Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more.
3. Serve with lemon wedges and crackers.

I really like this soup.  It's simple and tasty.  I especially like it after it's been cooled and then reheated.  It gets thicker and better each time.

Definitely do not forget the lemon wedges.  They add the perfect finishing touch to the soup.  Just squeeze the juice over your soup and drop the wedge in.  So good!

Tuscan Chicken Soup

When I saw the recipe for Tuscan Chicken Stew on South Your Mouth, I knew I had to try it.  It just looked so good.   Of course, I didn't quite follow the original recipe, but I did use basically the same ingredients, and I kept all the seasonings the same.  I think it turned out great.

This soup is sure to become a favorite around here. I will definitely be making it again. It's super flavorful and easy to make.

Tuscan Chicken Soup
adapted from South Your Mouth

 Ingredients:

• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 carrots, diced
• 5 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (6 quart); add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, and celery; cook until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are soft, stirring frequently.  Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.  Stir in carrots, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes and then add broth, water and bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes with lid slightly cracked, stirring occasionally.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Cook a few minutes longer if needed, until carrots and potatoes are done.

I made this soup one day and then reheated it the next.  I think all soups get better when you reheat them, and some absolutely have to be made a day before you want to eat it.  I think this one would be good either way.   I made fresh cornbread to go with the soup, which was really good.  It would also be good with some nice crusty bread.

I used the1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, and the soup had a nice kick to it.  My husband, who does not like his food very spicy at all, didn't complain and really liked the soup, but if you don't like a lot of spice you'll probably want to cut the measurement down to 1/4 tsp. - at least the first time.

Black Beans and Rice

I made this a while back to go with some crockpot chicken fajitas (not the exact recipe, but similar).  Normally I just make some cilantro lime rice, but I didn't have any cilantro so I figured I'd try something different.  The fajitas definitely need some kind of rice because they always turn out so juicy.  I just put some rice on my plate and then hold over the rice while I eat, and all the juices go into the rice and make it even more yummy. (and keep me from having to just lick all those juices off the plate, because they definitely should not be wasted)

Black Beans and Rice
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• water

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion; cook and stir until tender.
2. Add oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and rice; cook for a few minutes, until fragrant.
3. Drain liquid from tomatoes into measuring cup; add water to equal 2 cups.  Stir tomatoes and beans into saucepan; then add water.
4. Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This rice had a really nice flavor on its own and was especially good with the juices from the chicken.  I really love the addition of the beans.  Cilantro stirred in would have been excellent, but since I didn't have any we just had to do without.

I ended up mixing the leftover chicken fajita mix with the leftover rice and adding a can of tomatoes or so - it's been a while; I can't remember exactly - and we had soup.  It made really good soup, too.