Spicy Mexican Lentils

Cinco de Mayo is coming soon - and if you'd rather celebrate at home by making your own Mexican food, this is a great recipe to try.

You can use these spicy Mexican lentils to make a vegetarian burrito bowl or as taco filling. OR you can just eat them all by themselves. This quick and easy recipe is so yummy!

Spicy Mexican Lentils

2 cups lentils, cooked according to package instructions and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes, not drained

1 10 oz. can Ro-Tel, not drained

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Optional for serving:

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

Rice

Taco shells

Lettuce

Salsa

1. Prepare lentils as instructed on package. Measure out two cups and set aside.
2. In a large pan, add chopped onions and olive oil and saute over medium heat until slightly browned, about 7-9 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add all of the spices and stir into the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes, Ro-Tel, and lentils. Stir to incorporate.
6. Place a lid on the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve hot and garnish as desired.

Notes:

You can increase the spicy factor in these lentils by:

• adding more red pepper flakes to the recipe 
• using the Hot variety of Ro-Tel

If you cook an entire bag of lentils, you will have more than the 2 cups needed for this recipe. You can either:

• increase the recipe (which is great for a large group)
• freeze the cooked lentils in a Ziploc bag to use the next time you make this recipe
• use canned lentils instead of fresh

Southwest Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

If you're looking for a quick and easy potato salad recipe that isn't your run of the mill recipe, then this recipe for you. There are two tricks to this recipe. First, it features sweet potatoes. So, every other potato salad at the summer cookout will be oh so jealous! Second, you roast the sweet sweet potatoes, so you don't spend a lot of time on the recipe and you also don't heat up your kitchen quite as much as standing over a pot of boiling potatoes! Easy peasy!

Perfect recipe to take to all your upcoming cookouts!

Southwest Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 c quinoa, prepared as per package instructions

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 c chopped cilantro

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cumin

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 c lime juice

2 tsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place prepared sweet potatoes on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
3. While sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare quinoa according to package directions.
4. In a large bowl, combine corn, black beans, green onions, and cilantro. Add quinoa and sweet  potatoes once they are finished cooking. Add salt, cumin, garlic, and mix to combine.
5. In a measuring cup, whisk together lime juice and honey. Pour dressing over mixture. Toss to combine.
6. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Notes:

To make the prep work for this salad even quicker, you can purchase pre-cut sweet potatoes in the produce section of your grocery store. 

This salad also makes a great filling for vegetarian burritos and can also be served with tortilla chips!

Crockpot Mexican Enchilada Orzo

This was a really tasty recipe and super easy to make. Love sitting down to dinner at the end of the day when the crock pot has done all of the work!

And, a bonus with this recipe is that the leftovers make a really tasty burrito filling. Just pile it into a tortilla with all the fixin's and it was equally as delicious served that way!

Crockpot Mexican Enchilada Orzo

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can corn, drained

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

12 oz enchilada sauce

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried cilantro

½ tsp cumin

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

salt and pepper, to taste

16 oz dried orzo pasta, uncooked

1. Place black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, green chiles, enchilada sauce, vegetable broth, and spices into a crockpot. 
2. Stir until well combined. Top with cubed cream cheese.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
4. Stir to combine cream cheese. Add orzo and stir to incorporate. 
5. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15-30 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as needed until the desired consistency is reached.

Hankering for other tried and true Mexican recipes? Give these Harris Sisters favorites a try:

• Mexican Street Corn Dip
• Best Ever Margaritas
• Black Bean and Salsa Soup
• Healthier Queso Dip
• Black Bean Enchiladas
• Super Simple Salsa
• Black Bean Salsa

Mexican Street Corn Dip

I recently made this dip for Super Bowl Sunday, and I'm just now getting around to posting it. It's a real winner. It's a spicy dip, but you have the ability to adjust the level of spiciness to your tastes by adjusting the amount of Sriracha and/or omitting the jalapeno.

Because it has mayo and sour cream as the base to calm down the spicy components, it's easy to customize this recipe to suit your family's tastes.  

Mexican Street Corn Dip

15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

15.25 oz can fiesta whole kernel corn (or Southwest corn), drained

4 oz can fire roasted green chiles

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

6 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp cilantro

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tsp cumin

2 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha 

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine corn, green chiles, mayonnaise, sour cream. Stir until combined.
2. Add feta cheese, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Mix well.
3. Add Sriracha and jalapeno to desired heat level. Mix well.
4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Super Simple Salsa

As our thoughts turn to Fall, we've got to come to terms with the fact that we're giving up on fresh garden tomatoes until next Summer rolls around. 

I know. What the heck kind of way is that to start a post, woman?!? ;-) We've got to make room for pumpkin-y and apple-y goodness somehow, people!

BUT! If you're not quite ready to give up on homemade salsa, you can use this recipe throughout Fall and Winter to get you over the hump until the fresh tomatoes are back. It's quick and simple, and you can add as much heat as you'd like. Give it a try!

Super Simple Salsa

14 oz. can diced tomatoes

10 oz. can original Rotel

1/2 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, seeded and minced

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried cilantro

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1. Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until desired consistency.
2. Serve with tortilla chips.
3. Store leftover salsa in refrigerator for up to one week.

Note: if you like super spicy salsa, remember to leave the seeds in your jalapeno before processing.

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The BEST Ever Homemade Margarita Recipe

Fridays around these parts are usually Fiesta Fridays, meaning we hit our favorite Mexican dive to start the weekend.  And now that we have found the perfect margarita recipe, weekends are suddenly even better!

The BEST Ever Homemade Margaritas

• 12 oz limeaid concentrate

• 3/4 can of tequila (fill the limeaid can 3/4 way with tequila)

• 3/4 can of triplesec (same measurement here)

• 2 cap fulls (not cup fulls) Rose's sweetened lime juice

1. Shake all ingredients together and serve over ice, or blend with ice for a frozen drink.

Notes:

You can play with the ingredients here, but this is a great base recipe.   We have added orange juice to this recipe, and it is equally fantastic.  

If you plan to drink these on the rocks, I would add some water to the recipe as well.  Frozen margaritas already get a little extra water because they are blended with ice.  

This one is definitely Harris Sisters approved!  And just in time for the weekend.  Enjoy!!

Healthier Queso Dip

I'm sure that everyone at some point has melted a wedge of Velveeta and mixed in a can of Rotel to make Kraft's Famous Queso Dip. This is a slightly healthier version - only because it doesn't involve the Velveeta and it includes black beans, which add protein to the original recipe. So, slightly healthier? Well - as healthy as a cheese dip can claim to be, I suppose. Just as tasty? Definitely!

Healthier Queso Dip

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*

8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded*

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1, 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp hot sauce

1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1, 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

1. In a medium sized saucepan, toss together shredded cheese and cornstarch until evenly coated. Stir in evaporated milk and hot sauce. 
2. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted, stirring often.
3. Once cheese is melted, add drained black beans and drained Rotel. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes:

I have made this recipe before with different types of cheeses, at it always impresses, so use what you have and get creative!

Store leftovers (if you have any) in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This dip will reheat well in the microwave.

Crockpot Black Beans

Not to be confused with our Crockpot Black Bean Soup, THIS recipe is a super-simple way to cook dry black beans. And they are seasoned to perfection if I do say so myself (and I do say so).

Crockpot Black Beans

1 16 oz. bag dry black beans

3 cups water

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

 

1. Wash the dry beans. Place them into a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let them soak 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain water and place the drained beans in a crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Notes: Serve topped with salsa, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or truthfully ALL BY THEMSELVES (they are that good).

Southwest Pasta Salad

If you're looking for a quick and easy pasta salad recipe that isn't your run of the mill recipe, then this is for you. We've made this for quite some time. I make it as written, but Ryan Barrett Walkush swears that it would also be tasty with jalapeno peppers in it, so give that a try if you're adventurous.

This is the perfect dish to take to all of those summer cookouts!

Southwest Pasta Salad

16 oz. rotini pasta

2/3 cups Ranch dressing

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Place in a large mixing bowl. Mix with Ranch dressing, beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and spices.
3. Chill salad in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes: 

Ryan Barrett Walkush LOVES this recipe (and he hates most pasta salads) BUT he is not a fan of onions in general. Therefore, you will notice that this recipe is written with a mere 1 teaspoon of onion powder. If you are a fan of onions, feel free to substitute this ingredient with some chopped green onions or a small diced white or red onion.

Make sure to check out some of these other Harris Sisters favorites for your next summer cookout:

• Roasted Corn Orzo Pasta Salad
• Rainbow Couscous Salad
• Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
• Easy Southern Cole Slaw
• Simple Greek Pasta Salad

Black Bean Enchiladas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I bring you this delicious recipe one day early. Now, if you are so inclined, you can whip this up for your family in no time flat (whilst drinking a margarita even)! 

Otherwise, I encourage you to head on down to the local Mexican restaurant and enjoy some good eats there. (I have it on good authority that there's an excellent one in Franklin, TN, but I digress.)

Black Bean Enchiladas

2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese, divided*

1 19 oz can enchilada sauce, divided

1 4 oz can chopped green chiles

1 cup sour cream, divided

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp cumin

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

10, 8" flour tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly spray one 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, 1/2 can of enchilada sauce, green chiles, 1/2 cup sour cream, beans, sugar, and cumin.
4. Spread each tortilla with heaping 1/3 cup of filling, roll, and place seam side down in dish. Repeat until all filling is used.
5. Spread remaining sauce over tortillas. Dot with remaining sour cream and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese
6. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Note:

The cheese I used was a package of 4 Cheese Mexican Blend that consisted of mixed Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero. You can also just use Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack - whatever strikes your fancy!

Black Bean & Salsa Soup

With the recent cold snap and "winter weather event" that has blown through, a nice tasty soup is in order. This one is perfect because it only has a few ingredients and they are ones you likely already have on hand. And bonus! If you wanted to try the Crock Pot Black Bean Soup, but just weren't up for the extended time frame associated with crock pottery-ism, this recipe is for you!

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

1 medium onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups salsa

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

sour cream

chopped green onions

1. In a stock pot, saute minced onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine two cans of beans, broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the bean mixture and third can of beans to the stock pot and heat over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with your favorite bread.

Notes: 

This recipe is perfect to use up partial jars of salsa that hibernate in your refrigerator. I don't know about you, but I prefer chunky salsa, and my husband prefers runny salsa (I believe this is called "restaurant style"). Anyhootle, this means that we are usually stuck with two half-empty jars at any given time because one person can only eat so much salsa.

Also, I am not adverse to substituting the beans in this recipe. You will note that there are a few lighter colored beans in the photo above. That is because I substituted one can of black-eyed peas. With all of the spices and salsa in the recipe, you can't even taste the difference.

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

These quesadillas are as healthy for you as they are quick and easy to make (not to mention delicious if I do say so myself, and I do say so):

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

8 oz. white mushrooms, diced

2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 10" flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Sour cream

Salsa

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and mushrooms and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add spinach and cover pan. Cook for 1 minute in covered pan and remove from heat. Stir to combine vegetables and season to taste. Set aside in covered pan.
3. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a clean saute pan over medium heat. Place one tortilla flat in the pan. To make the first quesadilla, spread a portion of the spinach/mushroom mixture over 1/2 of the tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold the uncovered half over to form the quesadilla.
4. Cook each side until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove from heat and cut into wedges to serve. Repeat with remaining tortillas, filling, and cheese. Enjoy with sour cream and salsa.

How to Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

This is the easiest recipe you'll ever see posted, so prepare yourself. Make this in a large batch and store in an airtight container (or if you prefer, in a fancy-pants yellow pepper shaped bowl, but I digress).

Taco Seasoning

1 part chili powder

1 part ground cumin

1 part onion powder

1 part garlic powder

crushed red pepper to taste

Mix together.

I generally use about 2 Tbsp for each taco night and prefer this to the little packages that are probably full of "extra" ingredients (preservatives and things you can't pronounce).

But THIS es muy bueno!