Chipotle Chicken Sausage Wraps

Wraps are a fresh change of pace from sandwiches and about as easy to make.  The tortilla is a flatbread made from corn or wheat.  The word “tortilla” comes from the Spanish word “torta” and translates “round cake.”  When Spanish explorers discovered the Aztecs making unleavened flatbread, they called it tortilla ~ little torta.

Tortillas have been made for centuries in Mexico and with the growing demand for Mexican food; they are especially enjoyed in North America, Europe and Eastern Asia.  Tortillas are generally prepared with meat for making burritos, tacos and enchiladas.  

And this is the way I decided to make ours after reading the recipe in a magazine ad for Johnsonville Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage. 

The sausage is smoked chicken laced with savory Jack cheese, having a full-bodied spicy chipotle pepper kick.  These wraps make for an easy quick meal that’s tasty with the sausage and fresh vegetables.  They’re just right wrapped tight and drizzled with lemon juice!

Chipotle Chicken Sausage Wraps             

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package Johnsonville Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 flour tortillas (8-inches), warmed

2/3 cup refried beans

1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Shredded lettuce

Method:

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, pepper and corn in oil until tender.

Stir in sausage and lemon juice, heat through.

Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans over each tortilla.

Spoon sausage mixture down the center of tortillas.

Sprinkle with cheese and lettuce.

Roll up tightly.

5 servings

If you like wraps, give this a try!

Be sure to visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Chiles Rellenos

Here’s a great Mexican dish that takes some time to make but is worth every minute of it. This is the first time I’ve made chiles rellenos and they turned out really tasty with a little heat so this recipe is a keeper for me.

Poblano chiles are used in the recipe but, Anaheim or ancho (dried poblano) could be used as well.  They are charred and then their skins are removed.  After being coated in a batter, they are stuffed with cheese, fried and then baked.  The chiles are pan-seared instead of deep fried.

While speaking of chile peppers, I came across an interesting and informative book about them:  The Great Chile Book by Mark Miller.  It describes the varieties, regions where they are grown, degrees of hotness (1-10) and includes photos of more than 90 fresh and dried chiles with many recipes.

Back to this recipe ~ it was in “Cooking Light” magazine and I made a couple of changes.  The recipe called for ¼ cup cilantro to be added to the tomato salsa; I don’t care for cilantro so omitted it.  It included reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, I used regular because I had that on hand.

Charred

Skinned, remove seeds

Fried, ready to bake

I really like the salsa in this dish!  With using medium salsa verde, there is a little heat; if you like more heat, use the hot.  It’s a great recipe and I hope you give it a try if you like chiles rellenos!

Chiles Rellenos
Adapted
Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1¼ cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomatoes
½ cup low-sodium salsa verde
¼ teaspoon salt
4 poblano chiles
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 tablespoons goat cheese, divided
3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
¼ cup canola oil

Method:

Preheat broiler to high.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium
high heat.
Add onion, sauté 4 minutes.
Stir in chopped tomatoes, salsa verde and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cook 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
Place tomato mixture in food processor and process until
smooth.  Set aside.
Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Broil 3 inches from heat for 8 minutes or until blackened and
charred, turning after 6 minutes.
Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly.
Let stand 15 minutes.

Peel and discard skins.

Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile; discard seeds, leaving
stems intact.
Spoon ¼ cup Jack cheese and 1½ teaspoons goat cheese in
cavity of each chile.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl.

Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high
speed until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg yolks into egg whites.
Combine flour and black pepper in a shallow dish.
Place cornmeal in another shallow dish.
Dredge poblanos in flour mixture, and dip into egg mixture.
Dredge in cornmeal.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot;

reduce to medium heat.
Add coated poblanos to oil.
Cook 6 minutes or until crisp, turning to cook on all sides.
Place chiles on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8
minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with salsa.

Buen apetito!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Breakfast Pizza

Years ago, a woman at work told me that her grade school daughter ate cold pizza for breakfast that morning.  I’m guessing she was waiting for me to be aghast but I told her that was probably better for her than some of the cereals, etc. out there. 

Cold pizza right out of the refrigerator sounds like a good thing to me early in the morning!  I doubt if my sons ever had pizza for breakfast when they were young as there probably was never any left over…

Last month, this pizza by the sugar queen got my attention and it is a true breakfast pizza.  I actually made it for dinner the other evening instead of breakfast.  It’s simple and good, a little rich with the crescent rolls.  Bill gave it rave reviews and so did I.  I used cooked crumbled bulk pork sausage and lots of Co-Jack.  Thanks Sugar Queen!  It was delicious!

Here’s Sugar Queen’s recipe:

Breakfast Pizza

1 (8-oz) container Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (10-oz) pkg sausage links, cooked according to pkg directions and sliced*
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or sliced
4 oz Cheddar or Colby (I used a whole 8-oz pkg of shredded Co-Jack cheese - original recipe calls for all Monterey Jack cheese. I  have always done half Monterey Jack and half Cheddar or Colby)

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Generously grease a 9 x 13" pan and lay the crescent rolls flat, pressing the seams together. Layer on the sausages, and then the cheese. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all and bake 425 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cooked through and cheese is melted and browned. Do not overbake.

*This would be good with a bulk Italian sausage, browned. You can use any sausage you want, really.

It would be perfect for breakfast/brunch over the holidays!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!

A CSN GIVEAWAY and a Zucchini Gratin

Gratins are a delicious way to prepare fresh summer vegetables to serve your family or guests as a side dish.  I can eat this as the entrée though, with a crisp salad and crusty bread.  There is no need to peel the vegetables.  Start by sautéing the mushrooms, onions and garlic.  Slice the vegetables, layer them in a dish, add the bread crumb and cheese topping; bake for a great dish.  Omit the bacon for savory vegetarian meal. 

Speaking of layering vegetables in a dish, the oval Le Creuset Stoneware Au Gratin dish Mom gave me years ago is perfect for this recipe.  It’s shallow, bakes the dish evenly and looks great going from the oven to the dinner table.  This is a wonderful thing which leads me to something wonderful for all of you good people out there ~~~~

We all love getting a package in the mail and I’m sure you’d love receiving a Le Creuset product of your own!  Sean at CSN Stores kindly offered me a $60 voucher for a Le Creuset giveaway.  How about that?  $60!  It excited me and I can’t even win it but, I am very excited about it for you! 

I’m sure most of you are like me and could really use this $60 voucher to get that special Le Creuset product you’ve always dreamed about.  Their products are of the best quality and style in gorgeous colors, making them a great durable product.  I know as I’ve had my Le Crueset Au Gratin dish for many years!

Here are the rules:

1.  This giveaway is open only to U.S. and Canadian readers.

2.  You must be a follower of this blog by using Google Friend Connect.

3.  Leave a comment on this post telling me you are a follower.

4.  Look at the Le Creuset site on the link above and tell me what you’d like to win and in what color.

Entries will be received through midnight, Wednesday, August 18, 2010.

The winner will be picked by a random number generator on Thursday, August 19, 2010.

Good luck and I hope you win!

Now, for the recipe:

Into the oven

Voila! Dinner time!

Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Red Bell Pepper Gratin

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon, fried crisp

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 zucchini, sliced

2 yellow summer squash, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

½ jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 tomato, sliced

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon McCormick’s seasoned pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Method:

Fry bacon.  Set aside. Drain drippings from skillet.

Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a skillet in olive oil, sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic until liquid is rendered.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, place zucchini, squash and bell pepper.

Add salt, pepper and thyme.

Mix well. 

Add mushroom, onion mixture and combine.

In the baking dish, assemble the vegetables in a single layer, almost standing up.

Add tomatoes throughout the dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs and cheeses.

Toss with remaining olive oil.

Remove baking dish from oven.

Scatter crumbled bacon over top.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over top.

Return to oven for 15 minutes or until golden on top.

ENJOY!!!