Today’s Step: Give your dining chairs the treatment – using a damp rag, clean all the crevices on each chair around your table, paying special attention the all the little hand prints. Make sure to do the same to your high chair, if you have one.
For this week’s 5-ingredient challenge, my ingredients were:
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| BLACK BEANS |
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| ARTICHOKES |
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| STRAWBERRIES |
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| TORTILLAS |
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| COTTAGE CHEESE |
I found a few great recipes that included all of these ingredients for a wonderful Mexican dinner. We started off with a Mexican Artichoke Dip, followed by Bean & Cheese Enchiladas with a Strawberry Margarita to drink. Each of the recipes were fairly easy and my family enjoyed it all!
For the enchiladas, I will say that they were a little bland, so while they may be perfect for the kids, we found that next time we would add a little more spice and possible even add some shredded chicken. I also followed the complete recipe and made the enchilada sauce, however I think that if you wanted to cut the prep time it would be just as good to buy a enchilada sauce instead.
And for the Strawberry Margaritas, if you want a virgin drink for yourself or the kids, you can just omit the tequila. For the virgin drinks I also rimmed the glass in sugar instead of salt.
MEXICAN ARTICHOKE DIP
Found at food.com
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can ARTICHOKE HEARTS
1 (4 ounce) can DICED GREEN CHILES
1 cup MAYONNAISE
2 cups MOZZARELLA CHEESE
1 cup PARMESAN CHEESE
2 teaspoons GARLIC POWDER
Directions
Chop artichoke hearts. Mix all ingredients. Pour into a baking dish and bake covered (I don’t have a baking dish with a lid so I used two layers of foil) at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
This recipe is linked to Sharing Sundays
This recipe is linked to Sharing Sundays
BEAN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS
Found in Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Everyday Food Magazine
Ingredients
2 cups low fat COTTAGE CHEESE
1 can (15.5 oz) BLACK BEANS, rinsed and drained
COARSE SALT and GROUND PEPPER
16 CORN TORTILLAS
3 Tablespoons EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
3 GARLIC CLOVES, roughly chopped
1 large WHITE ONION, diced small (1/2 cup reserved for serving)
4 teaspoons CHILI POWDER
2 Tablespoons WHITE VINEGAR
1 can (15.5 oz) TOMATO PUREE
2 cups VEGETABLE BROTH
CILANTRO
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, process cottage cheese until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in black beans. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap stacked corn tortillas in a damp dish towel and microwave until softened, 2 minutes. Working with one tortilla at a time, lightly spray both sides with cooking spray, place 2 rounded Tablespoons cottage cheese mixture down the center of each, then roll tortilla around filling. Place, seam side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake tortillas until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium high. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion softens, 5 minutes. Add chili powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in vinegar, tomato puree, and broth; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a blender and carefully puree until smooth. To serve, divide enchiladas among 8 plates, top with 1/3 cup of sauce, and sprinkle with onion and cilantro.
Ingredients
2 pints ripe STRAWBERRIES
4 LIMES juiced, plus 1 lime wedged for rimming and garnish
8 Tablespoons SUGAR
1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
ICE CUBES, about 2 trays
12 fluid ounces TEQUILA (optional)
COARSE SALT (or SUGAR), to rim the glasses
Directions
Reserve 4 strawberries with tops for garnish and split them. Clean, dry, and trim remaining strawberries. Add 1/4 of the strawberries to the blender. To that, add the juice of 1 ripe lime, 2 rounded tablespoons sugar, a splash of orange juice, 1/2 a tray of ice cubes and 2 shots of tequila. Blend on high speed until the drink is icy but smooth. Rim a cocktail glass with lime juice and dip rim in salt and pour in the frozen strawberry lime drink. Garnish glass with a wedge of lime and a split strawberry. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients. ENJOY!
This recipe is linked to Eat at Home Cooks, This Week’s Cravings – Mom’s Crazy Cooking
This recipe is linked to Eat at Home Cooks, This Week’s Cravings – Mom’s Crazy Cooking
NOW… Don’t forget to comment on this post with your ideas for next week’s challenge! Remember that each person that contributes to this challenge is entered to win a new cookbook
that we happen to love called, 
Our Best Bites! The more you participate the more times you are entered to win! So look through your pantry and see what you have and let us do the work by finding you a fantastic recipe!
that we happen to love called, Our Best Bites! The more you participate the more times you are entered to win! So look through your pantry and see what you have and let us do the work by finding you a fantastic recipe!
Now that spring is here what about all those hot choclate packets on the shelf? Is there anything you can make with them so that they are not sitting there for the next 9 months?
Cream cheese…so versatile – it’s one of my favorite things!
I have also made this Mexican artichoke dip with Monterrey Jack cheese instead of mozzarella and added a teaspoon of cumin. Everyone always loves it!