Mexican Pizza

This is a very simple recipe for those lazy evenings when you don't feel like making anything elaborate for dinner or don't have time. Plus, it just tastes awesome!

I used store bought whole wheat tortillas and topped them with quick sauteed onions, garlic, red bell peppers, olives and salsa. Let's not forget the cheese. It was habanero jack cheese! Overall, the pizzas were filling, yet light. Adding a little bit of homemade guacamole put them over the top. California pizza kitchen ain't got nothing on these babies!!

Ingredients:

Red onion - 1 medium, sliced
Red bell pepper - 1 medium, cut in half and sliced into strips
Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
Chipotle in adobo - 2, chopped finely
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Black olives without pits - 15-20, coarsely chopped
Salsa (I used store bought) - about 4 tbsp (enough to just coat each tortilla)
Whole wheat or flour tortillas - 4
Guacamole - optional
Pepper jack or habanero jack cheese - about 1/2 -1 cup, depending on your preference
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Drizzle a little bit of oil in a skillet. When hot, add the onions, bell peppers and garlic. Saute until the veggies are just barely crisp-tender. Add the chipotle, cumin powder, and salt and toss for another few seconds. Remove from the heat.

3. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray or lightly coat it with oil. Place the tortillas on the pan and bake for 2 minutes (makes a crispier crust). Then, coat the tortillas with salsa, cheese, sauteed veggies, and olives. Bake again for about 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

4. Serve hot garnished with guacamole and scallions, if desired. Enjoy!

Hot and Spicy!

We loved these so much that I'm sending them to sweet Dhivi for her AWED event with the theme of Mexican food!


Craving more Mexican??
Take a look at my Veggie Enchiladas and Veggie Quesadillas.

Vegetable Enchiladas

I don't know about you, but I love enchiladas. All types just make me plain happy! I made these on a night where I didn't feel like eating meat. Ok, ok. I know that totally contradicts with everything I said in my last post, but so what? Believe it or not, there really are days when I don't feel like eating meat. There, I admitted it. Hey, even carnivores need their veggies sometimes, right? :)

I had a bunch of random vegetables in the fridge and thought, "Why not make enchiladas with these?" The result was definitely a home run! Even my husband didn't mind eating his veggies that night. He's going to kill me for that one, but oh, well!

Back to actual food talk... You can really use just about any veggie you want here. I used bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. For flavor, I used Mexican chili powder, cumin powder and oregano as well as chipotle peppers. Chipotles are smoked jalapeno peppers. I buy them canned in adobo sauce, which is a red, somewhat tangy sauce. They keep in the fridge for months with no problem. If you've never tried them, they give your food a spicy (duh!), smoky bite which is really addictive.

I chose to make my own red sauce, but feel free to buy your own or use green sauce (made from tomatillos). You can even use store bought salsa (green or red) or enchilada sauce as your topping sauce. The recipe might look a little long, but it's really not complicated. I promise!



Ingredients:

Filling:

Bell pepper, any color - 2 medium, chopped
Eggplants - 4-5 small, chopped
Zucchini - 1 large, chopped
Onions - 1 medium, diced
Tomatoes - 2 medium, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, ground to paste
Mexican chili powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Dried oregano - 1 tsp, crushed
Chipotle in adobo - 3, chopped - increase if you want it more spicy
Salt to taste

Scallions - 1 small bunch, chopped
Pepper jack cheese - 2 cups, shredded
Tortillas - 10-12 flour or corn, softened per package directions

For sauce:

Garlic - 1 clove, grated or finely chopped
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Chipotle in adobo - 1, chopped (optional)
Tomato sauce - 1 28 oz can
Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions until softened. Then add the chopped veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, zucchini) and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are cooked. Add chili powder, cumin powder, oregano, salt, and chipotle. Toss for a minute until the raw smell is gone and everything has come together. Turn the heat off and let this cool.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients and allow to simmer until thickened and the flavors have melded. Takes about 10 minutes. Keep aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a 9x13 pan by sprinkling a few drops of oil and a spoonful of the sauce on top.

4. When ready to assemble, keep the filling, sauce, cheese and tortillas ready. Take a tortilla and place some cheese in the middle (say 1-2 tbsp). Then, put some of the filling on top of the cheese, being sure not to overfill. Fold the sides in (like you would for a wrap) and place in prepared pan, seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas. Note: You might not be able to fit all of the enchiladas in one pan. If so, just prepare another pan in the same manner and continue.

5. Once all of the enchiladas have been placed in the pan, pour the remaining sauce on top. Then sprinkle the rest of the cheese as well as the scallions. Sometimes, I do green chillies on top as well!

6. Now, bake the whole thing covered (use some aluminum foil to cover the pan) for about 15 minutes at 375 F. Then, broil the top, if desired for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned. Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve with sour cream, jalapenos, etc.


I'm sending this in to sweet Dhivi for her AWED - Mexican food event. Hope you all enjoyed this one! :)

Veggie Quesadilla and Avocado Salsa

I really, really didn't feel up to doing anything tonight. Not even cooking! So, I was thinking of something easy to make and then I had a flash of genius. Why not make quesadillas? They're basically Mexican grilled cheese "sandwiches" made with tortillas and various ingredients.

This is a very easy one that you can make with whatever vegetables you have on hand (onions, capsicum, eggplants, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, etc.) I used bell peppers and onions because that's what I had on hand. The whole thing can literally be thrown together in a matter of 15-20 minutes.

I have used chipotle chiles for spice in this dish. If you haven't heard of chipotle peppers, they are smoked jalapenos. I usually keep the canned ones on hand, which are in this wonderfully tangy adobo sauce. If you can't get these (or don't like the smoked flavor), just use regular jalapenos or even green chillies will work well. :)

Makes for great party food, too. Hope Mansi is happy to receive this one for her game night event!

Veggie Quesadillas:

Ingredients:

Tortillas (flour or corn, soft taco size) - 6
Onions - 2 medium, sliced
Bell peppers (capsicum) - 1 medium, sliced
Chipotle in adobo sauce - 2 peppers, chopped (can use jalapeno, if desired)
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Dried oregano - 1/4 tsp
Cheese (cheddar or pepper jack recommended) - 1 cup, grated
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Method:

1. Heat pan with olive oil until the pan is really, really hot. I mean smoking hot!

2. Now, add the bell peppers and onion and saute until browned, but still slightly crisp.

3. At this stage, lower the heat and add cumin, oregano, chipotle, garlic, and salt to taste.

4. Let it heat through, turn off the heat and cool slightly.

5. It's time to assemble! Get the tortillas, cheese, and the vegetable mixture (that we just made) ready.

6. Heat a tava/griddle/skillet to medium heat and put a few drops of oil on it.

7. Now, take 1 tortilla and top with cheese, then filling on top of that. Now, more cheese on top and cover with another tortilla.

8. Place on heated tava and heat until crispy and cheese is melted and goooey! Cut into large pieces for main course or smaller triangles for appetizer. This is best served warm (can keep warm in a 200 degrees F oven for a 15-20 minutes until ready to serve).


Note: I made this quesadilla "fajita style", meaning I pan sauteed everything on high heat like the fajita fillings you get in Mexican restaurants. In the summer, I'd grill the vegetables on the outside grill. You could also roast the vegetables in the oven, if desired.


Avocado Salsa:

Ingredients:

Avocado - 1 medium, chopped
Red onion - 1 small, chopped
Jalapeno - 2, or to taste, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, crushed
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons, chopped
Lime juice - juice of half a medium lime
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and allow to soak for 10-15 minutes before serving. Keep covered until serving to reduce the chance of the avocado changing color!

This would go really well with mango milkshakes or mango margaritas! :)