Steak and Bean Quesadillas with Tomatillos!!!

So tonight's post doesn't have any pictures, but I think I am doing good to post anything at all with the rate I've been at lately...

We had these last night and a friend asked for the recipe, so I figured I might as well share it... These were delicious and, like most of my recipes, are VERY easily customized or adapted... Have at it! And like always, if you make them yourself, I would love to know any adjustments you make, or ideas you have!


You need:

1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed (the husks are the little green wrapper looking thing... gently peel it off and then scrub the sticky residue off of the tomatillo)
generous spoonful of minced garlic
1/2 c shredded carrot
2 tsp cumin
olive oil

2-3 london broil steaks (I don't know the exact term for them... but they are the big flat thin cuts of meat... great for salads and whatnot... if you have trouble finding them, just ask the meat guy at your grocery store for help!)

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn (rinsed and drained)

cilantro

a pack of tortillas... I used the 8 inch kind.. but the huge burrito kind would have been good for folding over... i did mine sandwich style with two tortillas.

1 - 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded

salsa (homemade if you can help it ;) of course )


shred the carrot and chop the tomatillos... saute garlic in a good glug of oil over medium high heat until fragrant... add the veggies and the cumin and stir well. cook until the veggies are tender, taking care to not burn the garlic.

add the beans and corn and heat until heated through, then transfer to a bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.

while the veggies are cooking, salt and pepper the steaks and set on a broiler pan... broil on high for about 2 minutes on each side or until brown but not over cooked.. i like mine to be the tiniest bit of pink in the middle, but that is hard to achieve with a cut this thin, so cook it to your preference. let set for a few minutes, then slice at an angle into very thin strips and set aside.

wipe out the pan you cooked the filling in and heat over medium high heat. spray a tortilla with cooking spray and lay spray side down on the hot pan... heat until browned and then spray the up side with cooking spray and flip over. top with a handful of cheese, some steak strips, a big scoop of the bean mixture, some cilantro if you have it, and some salsa. top with another tortilla (or fold over if you are using the huge ones), and spray the upside with cooking spray. once the bottom tortilla is browned, carefully flip the quesadilla and brown the other side...

remove to a cookie sheet and place in the oven to keep warm... i ended up wrapping ours up in foil first and then passed the foil wrapped quesadillas out to each individual.. it worked out well... serve cut into triangles and with salsa and lime (if you want to be fancy)...

these were delicious! I hope you enjoy them!

Oh pooh... I am alone... and a casserole!

So my darling lovely husband (puke now if you will) left today for two weeks..

Two weeks is not that long, but it is long enough for me to go a little crazy missing him...

Okay who am I kidding, two weeks is going to drag out like you wouldn't believe.

I know I went through months and months, but it doesn't make being away from him at all any easier.

But there is a little bit of liberation when he is gone...

I GET TO MAKE WHATEVER I WANT FOR DINNER!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!!

You know what I am going to make with my new found freedom and liberation?!?!!

Leftovers...

Yup. Leftovers.

I made two casseroles tonight for dinner to take to my friends' who just had babies. I used a recipe I found on another blog and tweaked it, and called it "Fiesta Chicken Casserole". In hindsight, I would have tweaked it even more.

Here is a link to the original, below is what I would change.

To make Fiesta Chicken Casserole:

Chop an onion and sauté until tender. Add 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, a drained can of black beans, and a cup of frozen corn. Stir in a can of Rotel, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a can of another cream of (chicken, celery, or mushroom) soup... you choose.

Turn off the heat and mix these things together well. Then stir in some chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 inch casserole dish, or if you are like me and making this to freeze or for a friend, grease two 8x8 foil casseroles. Tear some corn tortillas into quarters and layer the bottom with them. Spread a bit of the mixture on top of the tortillas and top with a good smothering of cheese. I used the "four cheese mexican blend"... But use whatever you have: monterey jack and cheddar would be fabulous! Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is gone and top with plenty of cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

If you want to freeze this casserole, wrap tightly with foil and then freeze. When you want to have it for dinner simply throw in the fridge to thaw the night before, then bake according to the original instructions.

Enjoy! But seriously, read the original recipe for a different take on it (it was her recipe in the fist place) and a good laugh about how much her husband loves this casserole!!!