Oven Baked Chimichangas

Oven Baked Chimichangas

• 1-½ cup Cooked Chicken, Chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, Crushed
• ½ teaspoons Chili Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoonsSalt
• ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 5 Scallions, Finely Chopped
• ½ cups Drained And Rinsed Black Beans
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
• ¾ cups Salsa
• 8 ounces, weight Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
• 7 Taco-size Flour Tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, scallions, black beans, and cilantro. Add the salsa and cheese. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Add 1/3 cup of the filling to the center of a tortilla. Wrap the chimichanga like you would a burrito. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla up over the filling then roll it starting from the bottom to completely enclose the filling.

Place the chimi seam-side down on a Silpat that is on a perforated baking sheet. Repeat with the other tortillas. Bake for 23 to 26 minutes or until the chimis are golden and crispy. Serve with diced avocado, sour cream and cilantro.

Enchilada Bake

I got this recipe from a friend. I altered it a smidge and loved it! In fact, my whole family loved it.

Start with a Demarle Mold. Use one with 2 1/2 qt. capacity like the Sunflower or Fluted Square Mold.

In a bowl combine:

1 can black beans, drained

1 C salsa

2 C cheddar, shredded

4 C chicken

2 C cooked rice

1 can olives

Dump in about 1/4 can of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the mold. Layer in corn tortillas (cut a few in half and quarters if necessary). Dump half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas.

Add another layer of tortillas and sauce, then layer with the rest of the chicken mixture. Finally, add one more layer of tortillas and the remaining sauce.

If you're like me and forgot to add the olives in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, you can sprinkle them on, then top with about 1 1/2 C cheddar cheese and 3/4 C Monterey Jack.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

To make this off the charts serve it with avocado, sour cream and cilantro!

What do you think? Worth a try?

Blackberry and Blueberry Pie

We have overgrown blackberry bushes in our backyard. That coupled with my husband's desire for pie and a large bag of frozen blueberries in my freezer made for an easy choice. Enter Blackberry and Blueberry Pie.

Who says that you have to use a pie plate to make pie? Not me! I opted for to use the flower mold, which worked perfectly. The thing I love about this mold is that you can cut an X and have 4 heart-shaped pieces. Berry cute!

In a bowl combine:

3/4 C sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

5 1/2 C of berries

(I used about 4 cups of blackberries and 1 1/2 of blue, some frozen, some not)

Place berry mixture into your favorite pie crust, add the top crust or lattice work.

Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 35-45 minutes

(depending on if you used frozen berries)

Cool before serving

The only thing that would have made this pie better....vanilla ice cream! So much for thinking ahead.
Of course, clean-up was a cinch! No scrubbing berry baked goodness or letting a pie plate soak in my sink.

Zucchini (Chocolate Chip) Bread

What should you do with all the zucchini you have growing in your garden? What about the oversized zucchini your aunt handed you when you stopped in for a quick visit? Well, I decided to make zucchini bread with mine. If you have one, or two, or three laying around do yourself a favor and indulge in this moist cake full of flavor and bites filled with chocolate.

Zucchini (chocolate chip) Bread

1 1/2 C flour

3/4 C sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/4 C milk

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 C zucchini, shredded

1/3 C chocolate chips

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Add egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well and fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 until golden brown (about 30 minutes).

The awesome thing about baking in a Demarle mold is that whatever you make comes right out!

And...it turns out beautifully!

And....there is virtually no clean-up. At all!

Once the bread has cooled, cut yourself a slice.

Enjoy!