Monthly Archives: May 2014

Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with , , , ,
Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a fun food to eat.  Cut into small wedges, they can become an appetizer, or serve them for a lunch, or a light supper.  These were made using the remains of my Country Style Pork Ribs.  The meat was so easy to shred because it just fell apart.  I also had a little rice left from that meal, so I included it as part of the filling in the quesadillas.

Basically you can fill these with any variety of foods, just make sure to include the pork, and cheese is an essential ingredient also.  In addition to the pulled pork and rice, mine included refried beans, green onions, 4-cheese Mexican Blend grated cheese, and a small amount of BBQ sauce to help hold it all together.  Flour tortillas provided the top and bottom to this filling.  Brown lightly in a skillet until the cheese melts, cut into wedges and serve warm.

Makes a thickly filled quesadilla for a light lunch or supper.

Makes a thickly filled quesadilla for a light lunch or supper.

One thing to keep in mind is the size of tortilla you use.  Most people use a 6-inch tortilla for tacos, but they can be used for tortillas as well.  If you upsize to an 8-inch tortilla, you nearly double the surface area, meaning it will take twice as much filling.  Suddenly your light lunch or snack becomes a real heavy-weight.  If you use the smaller size tortilla, you can pile on lean meats, veggies and cheese.  Crisp it in a hot skillet with cooking spray instead of butter or oil, and save even more calories from fat.

Here’s the real deal on these quesadillas…..

PULLED PORK QUESADILLAS

Yield:  Makes 2 (6-inch) quesadillas

Ingredients:

Spread refried beans over flour tortilla.

Spread refried beans over flour tortilla.

  • 1 – 1  1/2 cups pulled pork
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/2 cup refried beans
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (I like the 4-cheese Mexican Blend)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 4  6-inch flour tortillas
  • cooking spray

Directions:

1.  On a flat surface lay out 2 of the tortillas.  With an off-set spatulas or knife, spread 1/4 cup refried beans on each one.

2.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the pork, rice, green onions, cheese and BBQ sauce.  Divide this mixture between the two tortillas, and spread out evenly.   Top with the remaining two tortillas.

Layer on the filling mixture.

Layer on the filling mixture.

3.  Lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray.  Bring to medium heat and place tortillas in the skillet. ( You may need to cook them separately.)   Cook on one side until nicely browned, then flip over and brown the second side.  Keep the heat on low to medium so the filling will get heated and the cheese will melt while the outside browns, but doesn’t burn.

4.  Cut into wedges and serve warm with sour cream, guacamole, sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce if desired.

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SOURCE:   Carolyn’s Originals

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Nobody really needs an excuse to drink margaritas and eat enchiladas.  But if you did, Cinco de Mayo would be it.    The fifth of May is a holiday that celebrates Mexico’s defeat of French colonists who were trying to expand into Mexico.  It has its importance in Mexico, yes, but is widely celebrated here in the U.S. where drinking margaritas and eating Tex-Mex foods is the center of most activities.

Other popular Mexican foods include guacamole, tacos, tortillas,  burittos, and churros.  I enjoy eating any or all of them, but recipes for those can be found in abundance at many food-related sites, and often include (non)healthy doses of fat and calories.   I wanted to prepare an entree that would be healthy, colorful and speak Mexican, while keeping the fat in check.   So stuffed peppers it is, with a nod to Cinco de Mayo.   They are  muy Mexican and delicioso!!

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MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Yield:   Makes 4 servings:

Ingredients:IMG_7136

  • 4  (medium sized) bell peppers in assorted colors
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 package Spanish Rice mix, such as Rice-a-Roni
  • 2 cups Colby-Jack cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 cup salsa, choose your level of “heat”
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  •  2 tablespoon minced cilantro, or parsley

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.  Clean and prepare the peppers.  Slice in half vertically, removing all ribs and seeds.  Set aside.  Note:  You may wish to leave the peppers whole for stuffing.  I like to cut mine in half so I get more stuffing–for me, it’s all about the stuffing and not so much the pepper.

Peppers halved and prepared for stuffing.

Peppers halved and prepared for stuffing.

2.  Cook the beef:  In a large skillet heated to medium-high, crumble the beef and cook until no longer pink.  Near the end of its cooking time add the onions and sauté a bit longer till they soften.  Drain any drippings.

Browning the beef and onions.

Browning the beef and onions.

3.  Stir in the package of rice mix and its seasonings, 1  1/2 cup cheese, salsa and hot sauce.  (I added about 1/2 cup water, to be sure there was enough liquid to cook the rice.)

4.  Fill the pepper halves so the filling is slightly mounded at the top.  Place in a baking dish close together so they support each other.  Pour the 1/2 cup water around them.

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Cover with foil and bake until they are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  If you like to use cooking bags, place the peppers in a bag and bake for about the same length of time.

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5.  When the peppers are tender, remove any covering, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and return to oven to melt cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

 

SOURCE:  majorly adapted from a recipe from Taste of Home