Tex-Mex Chicken Lasagna

I was trying to use up a lot of leftovers and came up with this. :D

Tex-Mex Chicken Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onions
Two large boneless chicken breasts, cut (or shredded) into small pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
Approximately 32oz (4cups) salsa
3.5 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, or other Mexican blends work well)
1 pint sour cream

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.*

• Sauté garlic and onions in a saucepan on medium heat until it garlic becomes fragrant and onions become translucent.

• Add chicken and spices and heat mixture until chicken is thoroughly cooked, stirring often.

• Stir in salsa and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.**

• Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375.

• Mix 2 cups of the shredded cheese with the sour cream in a mixing bowl. Set the remaining cheese aside for topping.

• Lay lasagna noodles in the baking dish so that the bottom is completely covered. Spread cheese mixture on the noodles, topped with salsa mixture. Repeat layers once more and top with noodles. Cover with the remaining salsa, then top with the 1.5 cups of cheese set aside previously.

• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble.

• Allow time for cooling and enjoy!



*To save time, cut up/shred chicken, dice onions, and mince garlic while the water is heating and noodles are cooking.

**This is a good time to shred your cheeses, if you didn't buy it already shredded.

Spinach Quiche

I threw this together last night, and it turned out pretty good! I thought I'd share the recipe here - well, as best as I can, since I do a lot of eyeballing without actually measuring.



For the crust, you can buy a frozen or pre-made crust, or you can use this recipe:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening*
4-5 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour and salt. Add shortening and mix until crumbly. Add water by the tablespoon and toss with a fork until a ball forms. Roll out until the dough is the proper size for your pie dish.

*I have also used unsalted sweet cream butter in place of the shortening. It made for a very yummy, buttery crust. Butter flavored shortening would probably have the same effect.

Quiche Filling (set oven to 400* F)

6 large eggs
1 small package frozen spinach
1/2 an 8oz block of cheddar cheese, shredded (you can add or subtract according to your taste, or use a blend of cheeses)
1/2 a lb of cooked ground beef or sausage (I actually cooked up several frozen meatballs, then crumbled them up - they had a sausage-esque flavor to them)
1/4 cup chopped onion
Spices*
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon basil
a pinch of rosemary and thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

*The spices are approximate. I'm a pinch of this, little of that kind of cook when it comes to spices. I have a blend that I pre-mix and use on a lot of things, so I did my best to figure the measurements of what goes in it.

Crumble and cook the ground beef or sausage in a frying pan. While it's browning, beat eggs, then add cheese, onion, spinach, and spices. After meat is thoroughly cooked, drain grease and allow meat to cool slightly. Then add meat and mix thoroughly. Pour and spread mixture into the crust. Bake at 400* F for 45 minutes or until crust starts to brown lightly.

Homemade Pizza

I thought I'd give this a try, and we all really enjoyed it! I hadn't made homemade pizza since I was a kid. I made a really simple, yeast-free dough, and pretty much improvised from there. I think we'll make this a weekly thing. It was good.

Here's the olive oil and mozzarella pizza:



I made a broccoli and tomato pizza:



The crust was simple:

1.5 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup + 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons olive oil + some for the base

Mix dry ingredients, then add water and oil. Knead until soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. Divide into two halves if you like thinner crust, or one if you like it thick. I like mine fairly thin. Brush with olive oil, then add your favorite toppings. Bake at 425* until the cheese is slightly brown and bubbly (about 15 minutes for me).