something new from something old

Tonight's meal plan was supposed to be my beloved coconut curry lentil soup.  The fridge, however, is filled wiht leftovers.  This has been an ongoing issue, with me on a special diet, but still making meals for a family of 5.  Leftovers have been piling up.

Last week, I made an enchilada lasagna type casserole thing...and all three children were less than impressed.  The hubby liked it, but it was a lot leftover for one person to eat.  So I decided to serve it tonight.

But wait!  I decided to play with it so that it didn't look just like the meal they had rejected the week before.  Lightbulb!

I took the leftover meal, and diced it up.  Added a drained can of black beans.  Mixed in a pan.  Then topped with mixed shredded mozza and cheddar cheese.  Baked. Voila!  They all ate it.

Go figure.

So, what are your tips for creating something new out of something old?  I can't be the only mom who has used this trick before ;)

Taco Bake

I'm wondering how I never posted this before.

Anyhow, this is one of my easy, fast, go-to recipes...and it's not even a real recipe! Part tex-mex, part lasagna, part "use what you got", it's a snap to put together.

Here is the basic format.
-tortilla wraps
-cheese
-filling

I layer a tortilla in a pie pan, and top with filling. Add another tortilla, a bit of cheese with the filling, then top with a third tortilla, and then add grated cheese on top of that. Bake at 350 until the whole thing is hot, and the cheese on top is melty and gooey. So simple!

The creative part comes in the filling. I've done ground beef with taco seasoning, with or without beans added in. I've used up a tex-mex bean and veggie combo. I've done my favorite lentils and rice. You can do just about any combo of tex-mex type fillings with this, you are only limited by your imagination! Tonight, I cooked up a cup of red lentils, and added a can of navy beans and a generous shake or 6 of taco seasoning. Yum! Serve with some fresh sliced veggies, and you are good to go!

Mexican Chicken soup

This recipe was rather a MacGyver-type creation I came up with tonight. As my 6 year old called it the "Best soup ever, well, at least since the last soup", I decided to write it down while it's still fresh in my brain.

I boiled the two chicken carcasses from the other night for a while, and stripped the meat off. Then I strained the grease off the broth. I had quite a bit of liquid - probably 10 or 12 cups. It's tastier than commercial chicken broth, but next time, I would probably use less liquid and save the rest for another tasty recipe.

With about 10 cups of broth, and 2 to 3 cups of chopped chicken meat, I had my soup base, and needed some inspiration. Mexican style!

Here's what I added to the base
- one chopped green pepper
- 2 tbsps of tomato paste
- 3/4 cup of "instant" lentils (I'd use regular red ones next time)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup salsa - we have mild
- one jar of homemade green tomato relish (ask me if you want a jar, or just double the salsa)
- a cup or so of frozen corn
- can of black beans

Add everything, simmer about 20 minutes and serve. I topped the soup bowls with some shredded cheddar, and had sliced up tortillas on the side for dipping. Yum!

The hubby thought it could have used more spice, and I agree. However, the meal was milder with the younger members of the family in mind.

Cornmeal Wraps

A friend passed along this recipe, as I was complaining one day about the rising cost of taco shells, especially considering that my six year old will eat anywhere from two to six of them at any given sitting of a taco dinner. These cook up much like crepes, but are deliciously tasty, and wrap really well, too!

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted margarine

Mix eggs and milk. Stir flour and salt together, add to milk mixture. Stir in cornmeal and margarine. Spoon thinly into skillet, cooking like a crepe/pancake. Makes 12.

Enjoy!

one pot chili and cornbread

I spent the day working my yard sale, and am now definitely sick with some nasty head cold. Regardless of how I feel, the kids still want to eat. Time to pull out some comfort food that is also easy food. Ahh, yes. One pot chili and cornbread!

Start with a basic chili. I like to do a vegetarian one, to keep it cheap and easy. Just saute up some diced peppers in my cast iron pot, add in some taco seasoning, a can of tomatoes, some tomato paste (about 3 tbsp) and some water and let it mellow on the stove. After about 5-10 minutes, toss in some beans. I like chickpeas and red kidney beans, myself. Both are cheap and easy, with a quick rinse and add in to the chili.

Meanwhile, I make my cornbread topping. This is adapted from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, adapted because we like dairy here.

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil

Preheat your oven to 400, mix vinegar and milk, let sit.
Mix dry ingredients. When milk has soured (5 minutes or so), stir in your oil, then add to your dry ingredients. Mix just until all is wet. Then spoon on to your chili and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can toss your chili into a big dish, then add the topping. But why wouldn't you want a cast iron pan? Oh, that's right, you might like to use your shoulders for more than heavy lifting. ;)

If you want, toss some grated cheese on top of the cornbread before serving. Yum!