Mexican Tortilla Lasagna

It has been a long time since I have found a recipe that my family enjoyed so much that I need to add it to my "favorites" recipe binder. I have a lot of recipes torn out of magazines, marked in books, bookmarked in my favorites on the computer that I know I will never get around to trying all of them! I am glad I did get around to trying this recipe for Mexican Tortilla Lasagna. I've seen a number of recipes similar to this, but for some reason this particular recipe turned out great! A bonus is that it can be made ahead of time and either put in the freezer or refrigerator to bake when you are ready (in fact, the recipe makes two pans of lasagna...one for now and one for later)!!

Mexican Tortilla Lasagna (Woman's Day magazine-October 2010)
Makes 2, 6 servings each
2 lb lean ground beef
2 large poblanochili peppers, seeded and diced (2 cups)*
3 Tbls chili powder
2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic*
1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce
1 cup chopped cilantro**
8 burrito-size flour tortillas
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat two 8 to 9-in square or round baking dishes with cooking spray. Put beef and peppers in a deep 12-in nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, 9 minutes or until beef is browned and peppers are crisp-tender. Stir in chili powder, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, corn and enchilada sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

To assemble each lasagna: Line bottom of each baking dish with 1 tortilla (it may come up the sides of the dish a bit). Top each with a rounded cup of meat mixture, then 1/4 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers 3 times. Cover lasagna you are baking now with nonstick foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover lasagna and bake 10 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Meanwhile, cover second lasagna with plastic wrap, then wrap tightly with nonstick foil. Freeze up to 2 months. (When ready to reheat: One to two days before serving, place frozen lasagna in refrigerator so it has time to thaw. Remove plastic wrap; re-cover with the foil. Bake 50 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes more until heated through.)

*I substituted the poblano peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes with can of Rotel.
**I omitted the cilantro.

Mascarpone-Pesto Chicken Rolls

What's not to like about pesto, cheese (very creamy cheese at that!!), and chicken?!?

Mascarpone-Pesto Chicken Rolls
4 boneless skinless chicken halves
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 Mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 egg
2 tsp water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
8 tsp butter, melted, divided
8 oz uncooked fettuccine
fresh basil leaves, optional

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in thickness; sprinkle with garlic salt. Combine cheese and pesto; spread over chicken. Roll up each from a short side and secure with toothpicks. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and water. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with crumbs. Place seam side down in a greased 11x7-in baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tsp butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Discard toothpicks.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain fettuccine; toss with remaining butter. Serve with chicken. Garnish with basil if desired. Serves 4.

Perfect for the last hot days of summer....

This is one of the creamiest home-made ice creams I have ever tasted....probably due to the addition of vanilla instant pudding. This is probably my favorite home-made vanilla ice cream to date!

Country-Style Vanilla Ice Cream (ToH Aug/Sept 2008)
6 cups milk, divided
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk to 175 degrees; stir in the sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Place remaining milk in a bowl; whisk in pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir into egg mixture. Stir in whipped topping. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

I was looking for a recipe that would taste similar to Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce....Allrecipes claimed that this was a similar version...but I would have to disagree :(. Until I find another recipe to try, I will continue purchasing the real Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce in the glass jar :).

Hot Fudge Sauce (allrecipes.com)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/3 cup butter
5 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar and cocoa in small saucepan. Stir in corn syrup and evaporated milk; continuously stir over medium heat on stove until mixture comes to a boil; boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter until butter is melted. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

fabulous fruit salad

Summer is here, fruit is in abundance at the grocery stores, and my family LOVES it! We had friends over for dinner this past week and when choosing what to make as a side I wanted something that was going to be fresh and in season, along with a dish that could be made ahead of time so I could actually enjoy the company versus being in the kitchen the whole time. This fruit salad does require a little last minute preparation, but it took all of 5 minutes at the most (and with the help of friends pitching in to finish the salad, it worked out perfectly!).

Fabulous Fruit Salad (ToH June/July '09)
1 medium honeydew, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
2 medium nectarines, sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 cup halved fresh strawberries
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
2 medium kiwifruit, peeled, halved and sliced
2 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 large Granny Smith apple, cubed
1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the bananas and apple. Combine lemonade and pudding mix; pour over fruit and toss to coat. Serves 20 (3/4 cup each).

Homemade Tortillas and Pork Tacos

I've been going through all my foodie magazines recently (which have stacked up ridiculously high!) to pick out recipes that I see myself trying within the next two months. If it doesn't look like something that's going to be tried within the next couple of months the recipe gets looked over and eventually tossed in the recycling bin. Pre-Ally, I would save recipes for the "right" occasion; I've since learned a new recipe will pop up between now and then and I will have forgotten all about the once saved recipe. I've also decided that I am going to be a lot more choosy in the recipes I save in my personal recipe collection...it needs to be REALLY good and something that I will look forward to making again. Well, this evening I found one of those recipes....Homemade Tortillas! I'm not sure what took me so long to make tortilla shells, other than it's easy just to pick them up at the store and pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before filling with taco fixings. Now that I've made HOMEMADE tortilla shells, I don't know that I can go back to the store bought version (unless I'm really in a rush to get dinner done quickly!). These homemade shells are thicker than the store-bought variety, but they taste SO much better....they are light and fluffy and not chewy....and they are also great with a little melted butter brushed on top with some cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the butter...mmmm....do the work once and end up with dinner and dessert! Okay, enough "talk" on to the recipe.....

Homemade Tortillas (ToH June/July 2010)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbls olive oil

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in water and olive oil. (You will end up with an extremely sticky batter.) Turn onto a floured surface; knead 5-6 times. Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in circle. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Makes 8 tortillas - 3WWpts.

We used a version of the following recipe as the meat filling for the tortillas...and it was good as well!

Pork Tacos (Women's Day)
2 tsp oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-in cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (which we omitted....not cilantro fans)
8 tortilla shells
1 cup shredded lettuce
Garnish: diced tomatoes and avocado (optional)

Heat oil in 12-in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cumin; cook until golden brown on all sides about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir salsa into skillet; cook 1 minute or until heated through. Stir in cilantro. Using two forks, pierce and shred cubes of pork. Fill warm tortillas with pork mixture, then add lettuce. Serves 4 - 4WWpts (w/out tortilla shell).

Just like Mom's...

As I've mentioned on here before, I did not enjoy fresh green beans when I was growing up. Yes, thankfully my taste buds have changed over the years, and just the other night I made a dish that my mom made each summer. I found the recipe on the Food Network website, but it looked, smelled, and tasted just like I remember my mom's! Yum!!

Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Potatoes (adapted from Food Network-Emeril Lagasse)

4 slices bacon, cut into thirds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 large baking potatoes, quartered into large chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan or medium Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until it has rendered most of its fat and has begun to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans and potatoes and enough water to just cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then cover the pan and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep the beans covered. As the beans get close to being done they will become quite fragile, so take care when stirring. Serves 4.

Barefoot Bloggers: Outrageous Brownies

Oh my goodness! I don't know why I have been putting off trying this recipe for so long! Although a bit time consuming and expensive, these brownies are AMAZING! I typically make brownies from a box...triple chunk has been my "go to" for a while, however I'm not sure I can go back to a box mix after Ina's brownies! These brownies are so intense, that my house smelled like chocolate for two days after baking them.


Outrageous Brownies (Barefoot Contessa)
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature. Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

My gratitude goes out to Eva for choosing this recipe for the BB group this month! I'm sure I would have eventually gotten around to trying these, but I'm so glad it was now rather than later.

Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

I thought for sure I had already posted this recipe, as it's one that my husband and I have been enjoying for some time. Upon checking, I realized I hadn't posted it...and will need to get a picture next time. We just savored this dish this past week so it probably won't come around in the recipe line-up for some time, but it is one of our favorite fish recipes!


Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce (found on Allrecipes)
1 cup flaked coconut, finely chopped
2 Tbls flour
1 Tbls Creole seasoning
4 (4 oz) fillets tilapia
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 (4 oz) carton egg substitute
1/2 cup canola oil


Apricot Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp prepared horseradish


Toss together the coconut, flour and Creole seasoning in a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the tilapia with cornstarch, and shake off the excess. Pour the egg substitute into a separate bowl, and dip the fillets in the egg. Press fillets in the coconut mixture coating all sides. Heat canola oil in frying pan to a temperature of about 350 degrees. Fry fillets one or two at a time on both sides until golden brown. Remove to drain on a paper towel. Prepare the apricot dipping sauce by stirring together the jam, mustard, and horseradish in a small bowl. Serve the tilapia accompanied by the dipping sauce. Serves 4.

Fall favorites

We were invited to a friend's house for dinner this past Tuesday evening, and I asked if I could bring anything and she suggested bread or a dessert. I happened to have everything on hand for Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip cookies....I had been waiting for a few weeks to make these, but didn't want them just sitting around my house! My friend, Sarah, made these cookies for our Bible study when we both lived in Montana (she now lives in Pennsylvania). I LOVED them and immediately asked for the recipe, and after a bit I decided to 'invest' in the cookbook in which she found them, "Best-Loved Cookies." They ended up being the perfect after dinner treat as Gina had prepared a Thanksgiving feast (just a couple months early)! Pumpkin White Chocolate Drops

2 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin

2 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 bag (12 oz) vanilla baking chips

1 container (16 oz) ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets (or use silpat mat). Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda; beat just until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop dough be teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake about 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove from cookie sheets to wire rack to cool. Combine frosting and brown sugar in small bowl. Spread on warm cookies. Makes 6 dozen.

Thanks Gina for the wonderful dinner Tuesday night, and Sarah for the original recipe!!

TWD: Chocolate Chunkers

This cookie is amazing! I halved the recipe and used chopped pecans versus peanuts and dried cranberries rather than raisins. I love how it turned out and it tastes like Fall with the cranberries, definitely a "make-again" cookie! Can you see in the picture how the inside is a little darker than the outer crust? It's like fudge! I further tweaked the recipe a bit to adjust for baking at a high altitude and was excited that I didn't have a flat cookie this time, actually this cookie hardly spread at all. Thanks to Claudia at Fool for Food (she is from Germany, and so is her blog) for this great pick!