Mexican Tortilla Pizza

Baked Mexican Tortilla Pizza, tastes just like Taco Bell's but even better!

Taco Bell is infamous for their Mexican pizzas. Growing up, I used to crave it. That is, until I realized how unhealthy it really is, one fried tortilla slathered with beans topped with another fried tortilla smothered with very little sauce and even less toppings. Heck, the green onions were even banned for a short while so what were you really paying for?!

I've made these before, trying to make them as healthy as possible. Once, I tried dry roasting the tortillas on the stovetop. Another time I tried spraying just a little bit of cooking spray on the tortillas. The end result was always the same. The tortillas never got crisp enough to the fried version and turned out soggy. This time the little bit of oil was just enough to give crispy tortillas that stood up to the toppings. I  made these in honor of Cinco de Mayo and will most definitely be making them again!

Mexican Tortilla Pizza 

Makes 2

4 flour tortillas (I used Costco brand tortillas which are a little thicker than most)

8 tsp oil

Prepared refried beans

Prepared sauce or salsa*

Onions, finely diced

Red jalapenos, diced

Black olives, diced

Cheddar cheese

Goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.. 

2. Prepared baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. I used a big round pizza pan so that I could bake all four tortillas at the same time. Prick holes with a fork on all four of the tortillas.

3. Spread about a tsp of oil on each side of each tortilla. Lay on prepared sheet or pan. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping all of the tortillas after 5 minutes.

4. Lay one baked tortilla on work surface. Spread as much or as little of the refried beans as desired. Place second baked tortilla on top. Spread sauce or salsa on the base. Layer the toppings next. Cover with very little cheese (as you will be garnishing the pizza with goat cheese).

5. Bake the pizzas for 12 minutes in the oven.

6. Remove the pizzas from the oven. Add a little bit of goat cheese while the pizzas are still hot out of the oven. Let cool, then cut into four wedges. Serve garnished with sour cream.yogurt and hot sauce.

*For sauce, I combined some leftover enchilada sauce with some leftover homemade pizza sauce. The enchilada sauce I normally use is the Old El Paso mild sauce. See below for my recipe for pizza sauce.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 onion, finely diced

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1. Heat oil in pot. Add the onions and saute on medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. 

2. Add the crushed tomatoes next along with the seasoning and salt. Bring to simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Southwestern Chili

I think everyone would agree that the ultimate comfort food is a hot bowl of Southwestern chili. With no other explanation required, below is the recipe for what's for dinner tonight.

1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1 cup multicolored peppers, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tsp garlic paste
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, pureed (I use Hunt's fire roasted)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chili powder
Brown sugar or regular sugar to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add the onions and sautee until soft. Then sautee the garlic paste for 30 seconds.
2. Next add the diced jalapenos and colored peppers and sautee for a few minutes.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes next and cook them for about 5 minutes. Also, add the red chili powder, cumin powder, salt, and black pepper.
4. Finally, add the corn, pinto beans, black beans and kidney beans and bring the chili to a boil. Add about 1/2 tsp of brown sugar. Reduce the heat to simmer and let chili slowly cook for about 30-45 minutes. Adjust the taste according to your preference.
5. Garnish chili with your choice of the following: chopped scallions, chopped black olives, chopped tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. My favorite is a generous sprinkle of corn chips. Serve hot with garlic toast or a slice of jalapeno foccacia bread.

Quinoa Khichadi

This recipe was given to me by my hip, young and health-conscious aunt from Cali! It's a very quick and easy recipe to make a lighter version of khichadi. A comfort food for sure, it is best enjoyed piping hot on a cold winter day. I would like to note that quinoa is not readily available at the regular grocery store, atleast not around here. I bought a big bag of quinoa from Costco, so I will definitely be making this quite often as our house begins another health kick in the coming year ..

1 cup quinoa

4 tbsp moong, soaked (1/4 cup)

2 tbsp moong dal (1/8 cup)

2 tbsp masoor dal (red kind) (1/8 cup)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 eggplant, chopped

1 handful frozen edamame, shelled (boiled for 5 minutes and then peeled)

1/4 cup frozen green peas

1/2 medium potato, peeled and chopped

1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup spinach, chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of hing

ginger paste, garlic paste, green chili paste to taste

Salt to taste

2 1/2-3 cups water (basically double the quantity of quinoa and dal)

1. I soaked the moong overnight but a few hours should be just fine.

2. Boil the frozen edamame in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Peel when it cools down.

3. Make vagar in pressure cooker with mustard seeds. When pops, add the hing. Sautee onions first.

4. Then add the veggies and dals. Mix together. Also add the salt, turmeric, green chili paste, garlic paste and ginger paste, and garam masala. Mix together.

5. Add the edamame and quinoa next followed by the water. Close lid of pressure cooker.

6. Khichadi is done after 4 whistles. Turn off heat. When all of the pressure is released, add the spinach and mix it in when it is piping hot.

7. Serve hot with chaas or khadhi and mango pickle, if desired.

On a side note, I tweaked the original recipe a little. Original recipe called for 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup moong beans, 1 tomato, zucchini in place of eggplant, and biryani masala in place of garam masala. Hope you try it either way because this meal is a definite go-to comfort food!

Potato & Black Bean Flautas

If you are like me and completely clueless about Mexican cuisine outside of the basic burritos, tacos and enchiladoes, then you probably do not know what a "flauta" is! I educated myself a little on this deep fried wonder and found out that it's quite simple. I discovered that it is similar to a "taquito" in that it is deep-fried, flute-shaped and stuffed with pretty much anything you like. The only difference is that a flauta is normally made with flour tortillas while the taquito is made with corn tortillas. This recipe was revised to fit a healthier lifestyle. I oven baked the flautas instead of deep frying. The whole idea for this recipe experiment came when I was watching Guy Fieri make his "Confetti Mashed Potato Flautas" on Food Network. I revised the recipe a little so here is my version ...

First, I made the mashed potato mixture. Boil one medium potato with 2 cloves of garlic for about 30 minutes. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potatoes. Also, add 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup green onions, 1/4 cup diced jalapenos, few dashes of hot sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Mix together and keep aside.

While the potato was boiling, I started to make the black bean mixture. Sautee 1/2 diced onion with 1 tsp garlic paste. Add 1/4 cup defrosted corn 1 can of drained black beans next. Mix well and add salt. Finally, add 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro. When cool, mash the mixture and keep aside.

Third, make the tomatilla salsa. Remove the husks of 3 tomatillas and chop them up. Sautee 1/4 cup green onions in oil. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Next, add salt and 2 jalapenos, deseeded and diced. Cook for a few minutes. Then, add the chopped tomatillas with 1/4 cup water and cook for 10 minutes. Add the 1 tsp lime juice as well as 2 tbsp chopped cilantro last. When cool, puree the salsa with a hand blender. Keep aside.

The fourth step requires fire roasting 2 red jalapeno peppers. I put a wire rack directly on the fire. Roast the peppers until charred on all sides. Remove from heat and let cool. Deseed the pepper and dice into thin strips. Keep aside.

Finally, assemble your flautas. You will need the above potato and black bean mixtures, roasted peppers, corn tortillas, and a few toothpicks by your side. Spray some cooking spray on a baking sheet and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave, three at a time, for about 30 seconds. On one end of the tortilla, layer a thin layer of the potato first, then the black beans topped with two strips of the roasted peppers. Roll up your flauta tightly and secure with a toothpick, Lay the flap side down on the baking sheet and roll up the remaining flautas. Bake in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and cut the flauta in half at a diagonal.

To serve, I assembled the flauta like so: Place 4 tbsp of the tomatilla salsa down on the plate. Place one half of the flauta down and the other half standing up at a diagonal, exposing the stuffing of the flauta. Sprinkle any cheese of your choice as well as a handful of chopped green onions.

Now, I must admit that this was more work that I thought it was going to be. It looked real easy to make on the television! The flavors were wonderful, though. The only thing I would change the next time around would be to use flour tortillas instead of corn. Otherwise, it was a nice change from the burrito and taco nights!

The Ultimate Black Bean Burger

We have been making burgers for a while now, and each time I am never satisfied. I follow most of the recipes that I have come across online to the T, and our burgers never keep their shape. The taste is good, but they are too soft and mushy. I figured maybe we need to add some texture so we added tofu. Then, I came across some leftover brown rice in the fridge so added that to the mix. We made polenta fries also as an appetizer to munch on while we make the burgers. Had some of the polenta ends leftover so added that to the burger mixture as well. Mixed it all together with some cooked black beans, refrigerated for a half hour, and they turned out wonderful.

1/2 can black beans, drained and cooked*
1/4 slab of extra firm tofu, pressed
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cooked polenta
1 cup breadcrumbs

* For cooked black beans, you will need:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
1/4 green bell pepper, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, minced
1 tsp garlic paste
1 chipotle pepper from adobo sauce
1 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Condiments for burgers: cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, spicy mayo, mustard, ketchup

1. Sautee the onions and peppers in some oil. Once they turn translucent, add in the garlic and cook for a minute. Finally, add in the cumin powder, taco seasoning, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and black beans and mix together. Cook for a few more minutes. Let cool.
2. Once the black bean mixture cools, process the mixture in a good processor along with the crumbled tofu and breadcrumbs.*
3. Remove into bowl. Mix in the cooked brown rice and polenta. Refrigerate for about a half hour to let the mixture firm up.
4. Divide the mixture into equal parts and form the patties with your hand. Cook the patties on a skillet with a little bit of oil for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and cook other side. While the bottom of the burgers are cooking, add some sliced cheese on top.
5. Assemble your burgers. Lather on the spicy mayo on both buns. On the bottom bun, stack on the lettuce, onions, tomatoes, burger and finish it off with the mustard and ketchup.

With the protein of the tofu and black beans, this is definitely serves as a satisfying meal. We both loved the way this one turned out, so it will be showing up on our dinner table quite a bit.

Black Bean Tostado Pizza

Like most vegetarians who eat at California Pizza Kitchen, I always order the tostado pizza. It's my all time favorite. This weekend B and I put our heads together and came up with the idea to make the tostado pizza at home. Here is our at-home healthy version of a CPK classic.

For the beans:
1 can of black beans
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced [save a few tsp for the pico de gallo]
1/4 onion, diced [save a few tsp for the pico de gallo]
1 tsp green chili paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp Taco Bell Thick and Chunky Salsa
Salt to taste
2 tsp chopped cilantro

2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 sprigs of green onions, diced
Dash of crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 packet of packaged Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 packet of Whole Wheat or Multi Grain Flatbread
Shredded cheese
1/2 packet of Fiesta Ranch dressing mix
8 oz yogurt/sour cream
Tostitos chips or tortilla strips

Step 1: Make the beans.
a. Heat olive oil in pan. Sautee the garlic, green chili paste and onions for a few minutes.
b. Add the diced jalapenos and cook for a few more minutes.
c. Finally, add the drained beans, salt, chunky salsa and cilantro and cook in medium to low heat for 5 minutes before removing from heat. Keep aside.

Step 2: Gather together the garnishments.
a. Shred the cheese.
b. Chop the lettuce.
c. Dice the tomatoes and green onions. Mix them with the saved jalapenos and onions. Season with salt, black pepper and cilantro. [aka pico de gallo]
d. Mix the yogurt with the fiesta ranch dressing mix thoroughly.

Step 3: Get the pizzas in the oven.
a. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Place 2 whole wheat/multi grain flatbreads and bake for about 2 minutes.
b. Remove from the oven. Spread the bean mixture on the base and then top with cheese.
c. Place the flatbreads back in the over to melt the cheese. It took about 5-7 minutes.
d. While the pizzas were hot, we went ahead and cut them into 4 pieces before garnishing.

Step 4: Garnish any way you like [lettuce, pico de gallo, ranch dressing, and tortilla strips]. We added an extra kick to our tostado pizza by dropping a few shots of Taco Bell sauce and my Southwest Dip. It was absolutely delicious and tasted way better than the one at CPK. I think we got us a good thing!

Southwest Dip

This recipe was one given to me by my sister. She made it once and it was a hit with our family. I tried it out for myself this weekend, and it turned out pretty good. The measurements are tweeked a little bit from her recipe because I was working with what was in our cupboard. It's perfect for entertaining- especially during NFL season!! Here you go ...

8 oz tub of cream cheese
1 can of black beans
1 small jar of roasted red bell pepper
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste

1. Drop the can of black beans in colander and rinse under water. Drain completely.
2. Drain the oil out of the jar of roasted red bell pepper as well and keep aside.
3. Grind up the black beans first in food processor. Then add the roasted red bell pepper and process both together.
4. Next, add the salt, red chili powder, taco seasoning, lemon juice and cilantro and process again.
5. Finally, add the cream cheese and process for the last time.
6. Remove into serving bowl and serve immediately or refrigerate until game time. [If you do refrigerate, remember to take out of fridge atleast 30 minutes before serving.]

See, it's quick and easy. Tastes great with chips so enjoy!!

Chimichangas Cha Cha Cha!

By popular demand, here is the recipe for the chimichangas that I made recently, give or take some ingredients. I made them with the exception of garlic and onions and they still turned out tasting good. To be perfectly honest, though, they taste better with!

For the homemade tomato sauce, you will need:
1 can of Rotel sauce
½ can of Hunts tomato sauce/puree
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp green chili paste
½ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp crushed black pepper
Salt per taste
Sugar per taste
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Azteca medium sized flour tortillas
Homemade beans
Shredded cheese
Toothpicks
Garnishments i.e. chopped onions; chopped lettuce ; sour cream; homemade guacamole; etc.
Oil for deep frying

Step 1: Make your sauce.

• Puree the Rotel sauce with the Hunts sauce and a few splashes of water. The Rotel sauce tends to be too chunky.
• Heat up the sauce on medium heat. Add in the garlic paste, green chili paste, black pepper, red chili powder, salt and sugar. Adjust per taste.
• Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro towards the end. Keep aside. (Reheat sauce before serving.)

Step 2: Assemble the chimichangas.

• Heat up 3 tortillas at a time in the microwave for about 30 seconds. (This allows you to be able to fold them better. Keep the plate of heated tortillas covered while you work on assembling one at a time to prevent them from drying out.)
• Place about 2 tbsp of the beans at center of the tortilla. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top. (The KEY is to not overstuff the chimichangas because if you do, they will break open when you deep fry them. Less is better.)
• Fold the left flap over. Then right flap. Hold in place. {looks like a burrito}
• Now fold down the top flap. While holding in place with one hand, gently insert one toothpick into the tortilla with your other hand.
• Repeat above step for bottom flap. {should look like a square burrito now}
• Voila, you just made yourself a chimichanga! Now make the remaining chimichangas. Keep aside.

Step 3: Heat up oil in deep pan. When oil is just right for frying, deep fry the chimichangas right before serving.

Step: Serve and enjoy!

• Place one chimichanga on plate. Pour 1-2 ladlefuls of the sauce on top of the chimichanga.
  
• Garnish with the following toppings (in no particular order): lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese, guacemole, and sour cream.
• Serve with Spanish rice and any leftover homemade beans on the side.

I remember the first time we made these back home for some family friends, they loved them and were dying for the recipe. For entertaining, you can't go wrong because this dish is guaranteed to be a hit! Everyone is always impressed with how to make them, but you do not have to tell them how easy it was! That's our little secret. ;)

Do You Want Some Of This Dip?

I started making this recipe several years ago when I saw it on a Dannon yogurt container. It turned out pretty good, and then eventually the dip became a household favorite of all of my sisters. In fact, each time I go back home, they always have a special request for me to make this dip for them. I’ve given them the recipe many times, but they say it still does not turn out the same. Here’s it for the last time. Good luck, girls!

2 cups Plain Dannon yogurt
Homemade beans
2 tbsp jalapeno peppers, diced
3 tbsp unpitted black olives,diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Few shots of TB sauce (mild or hot) OR 3 tbsp salsa of choice
Lots of shredded cheese
Extras: chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, olives

Step 1: Make the first layer of beans. Let the beans cool before managing. Keep aside.

Step 2: Make the second layer by mixing the yogurt together with the chopped cilantro, jalapenos and olives. Keep aside.

Step 3: Assemble your dip.

• Layer the beans on the bottom of the tray.
• Spread salsa of your choice or few shots of hot sauce on top of the beans.
• Then spread the yogurt on top.
• Spread another layer of beans followed by a liberal layer of shredded cheese.
• Finally, garnish with toppings of your choice: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, olives, etc.
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy your dip with tortilla chips.

NOTE: This is the basic version. For advanced chefs, you could add a layer of guacamole and/or Spanish rice as one of the middle layers to give it an extra kick.

Homemade Guacemole

This recipe was given to me by one of my sister's relatives, who also happens to be a male doctor. It was kind of weird to say the least because the men in our house do not normally volunteer themselves to cook in the kitchen. He whipped the guacemole right in front of us, and I must say it tasted pretty darn good! Here's the recipe to go along with all of your Mexican faves ...

2 avocados
1 packet of Guacemole mix
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced (optional)
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp green chili paste
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt per taste

• Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Spoon the good stuff in the insides into a bowl.
• With a fork, mash the avocado until smooth and no lumps remain.
  
• To the bowl, add the salt, green chili paste, garlic paste, onions, bell peppers, freshly diced jalapenos (if using), guacemole mix and chopped cilantro and mix well.
• Add the lemon juice at the end to help the guacemole retain its fresh green color.
• Refrigerate atleast 30 minutes before serving.

For entertaining, this guacemole would work well served as a dip with salsa and chips, too!

Homemade Mexican Style Beans

For all of my Mexican needs, here is how I normally make homemade beans. In India, I used the dry kidney beans alot because I did not have any other option. I have also used the Santiago dry beans. The kidney beans, I would say are the toughest because there is so much prep work when you have to soak and then cook them. The dry beans are relatively easy. Now that I am back home, though I am glad to be able to just open up a can of Taco Bell or Old El Paso refried vegetarian beans. It 's a pretty simple and straightforward recipe after that.

1 BIG can of TB refried beans (or any brand you like)
1 tbsp taco seasoning
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeno peppers, diced (optional)
1 tsp garlic paste (or per taste)
1 tsp green chili paste (or per taste)
Few shots of hot sauce or Taco Bell sauce (optional)
2 tbsp of salsa of choice (optional but I use Pace Picante sauce if I have on hand)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt per taste
2 tbsp oil

• Heat oil in pan. Add the diced onions, bell peppers and diced jalapeno peppers (if using) and sautee until veggies become translucent.
• Add the garlic paste, green chili paste and taco seasoning and mix well for few minutes on medium heat.
• Next, add salt and the contents of the can of refried beans and mix again.
  
• Finally, add the hot sauce and salsa, if using and chopped cilantro. Mix for the last time and let simmer for about 5 minutes on low before shutting stove off.

Quick Sizzlin' Vegetable Fa-JEE-tas

I had THE best vegetable fajitas over Thanksgiving at Bhavnesh's sister's house. She even gave me the recipe, which I still have, but half of the ingredients are not available here so I will have to compromise. The recipe requires you to marinate the vegetables. Since I do not have much time, I am skipping that part. Here's my shortcut version of Anjanaben's to-die-for fajitas.

The Sizzlin Part:
1 onion, chopped lengthwise
1/2 green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped lengthwise
1/2 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and chopped lengthwise
3-4 green and red jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped lengthwise
1 carrot, peeled and chopped lengthwise
6 small white mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Enchilado/Taco seasoning
Black pepper and salt to taste

For Fajita Garnishing:
4 flour tortillas
Prepared Beans
Prepared Salsa
Cheese for garnish
Chopped black olives for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Guacemole for garnish*
Spanish rice for side item

1. Heat olive oil in pot. Add the garlic and onions first. Sautee for few minutes. Then add the carrots and cook them for about 5 minutes.
2. Next, sautee the bell peppers, mushrooms, corn and jalapeno peppers. Also, add the salt, red chili powder and taco seasoning. Mix well.
3. Cook the veggies until soft and tender.

To serve, heat the tortillas on griddle just enough to warm them up. You can also microwave the tortillas for a few seconds. Place the heated tortillas on plate. Place the bowls of salsa, guacemole, chopped black olives, sour cream, beans, cheese, Spanish rice and sizzlin' vegetable fajita mixture and let everyone serve themselves.

***** These fajeetas are getting FIVE stars! The only part of the above that we did not have was the guacemole. No worries, though, because they tasted just fine without it. I'm loving Mexican nights. So quick, So easy, So delicious and Less dishes! All perfect combinations. I made so much that I guess I will be eating this for the next few days while B is out of town! =p

Salsa Quesadillas

This recipe is quick and easy for times when you want to whip something up in a matter of minutes. It requires little effort, but tastes delicious!

2 flour tortillas
1/2 onion, chopped finely*
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely*
1 small Roma tomato, chopped finely*
2 tbsp marinated jalapeno peppers, chopped finely*
Mounds of cheeeeessee
Few tbsp of Salsa

1. Drizzle 1 tsp of oil around in griddle. Lay one tortilla down on griddle. Lather it with salsa.
2. Then layer with cheese, freshly chopped veggies, a few dollops more of salsa, and finally a little bit more cheese.
3. Lay the other tortilla on top. When the bottom side is golden brown, turn over to cook other side.

Serve hot with sides of Spanish rice, sour cream, salsa and even guacemole. Enjoy!
* Alternatively, you could sautee the chopped veggies in a little bit of oil and then add to quesadilla.

Mexican Pizza Revisited

Last night we were out all day and got back pretty late. After putting much thought into what we could eat for finner, I finally decided to use up the tortillas and beans before we head back to the States. We had just enough to make two healthy and homemade Mexican pizzas, all in30 minutes time! I remembered to take a picture before eating the last slice. (Will post up soon.)

4 large flour tortillas
1.5 cups dry Santiago beans
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Taco Bell Taco seasoning
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped (Use green onions is possible)
10-15 packets of mild Taco Bell sauce
2 tbsp yogurt
Cheese, shredded

1. Make the beans. Heat up oil in pot. Add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes. Next add to pot the dry beans along with about 1.5 cups water and let come to boil. Continue to stir so that beans do not stick to bottom of pot. Also add in the salt, taco bell seasoning, and red chili powder. Beans are done once they thicken up and cooked.
2. Chop the tomatoes and onions and keep aside. Shred cheese and keep aside.
3. Make sour cream. I used to add lemon juice to yogurt and called it "sour cream". We did without the lemon juice this time and simply mixed yogurt with a pinch of salt.
4. Next, dry toast the tortillas in griddle. We used the large tortillas, and they kind of shrunk when baked. They were still huge. Bake both sides until golden brown and crisp. Bake all 4 tortillas like so.
5. Assemble mexican pizza as follows:
a.) Take one tortilla and slather it with a thin layer of beans.
b.) Place second tortilla on top. Open Taco Bell packets and spread out the 6-7 packets into a thin layer.
You can always add more sauce later. Top with the tomatoes, cheese and onions.
6. Broil for a few minutes in microwave or oven, enough to melt cheese.
7. Finally, enjoy your mexican pizza topped with a few dollops of "sour cream" and Taco Bell sauce.

It tasted pretty good.

Desi Burritoes

For tonight's dinner, I wanted to use up everything I had in the fridge since we are going out of town for a few days. It was just our luck that the veggies we had in our fridge were just enough to make Mexican for dinner. I used the Santiago's dry refried beans, and whipped up the beans (heat water; when comes to boil, add the beans; also add the crushed garlic, salt, taco seasoning, a few packets of TB sauce. Finally, I added a little but of the green cilantro chutney I had sitting in the fridge.)

Then, I made the homemade salsa using the 2 small tomatoes, 5 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 2 green chilies, 2 small bell peppers, 1/2 lemon juiced, red chili powder, salt, black pepper, and remaining 1 tbsp green chutney.

Third, made my homemade version of sour cream by adding lemon juice to plain yogurt. Bhavnesh added Taco Bell sauce to his, and loved it for some reason.

The only thing I did not have was tortillas so I made homemade rotis (See recipe under "The Perfect Roti").

All in all, the burritoes tasted delicious, and it was healthy to top it off. You could not even really taste the difference between the store bought tortillas and homemade. Awesome! I wanted to post up a picture of the meal, but we were too busy digging in, and I only remembered at almost the last bite. Next time, I will try not to forget.

Taco Bell Craving Satisifed!

I'm sure you will not have a problem figuring out a way to use up that leftover beans, but in case you do not, here's one ... We made burritos!

Leftover beans
4 Azteca tortillas
Shredded cheese
1/2 bell pepper, chopped lengthwise
1/2 onion, chopped lengthwise

Easy ..Just take the tortillas and spread the beans first, then the cheese, and then veggies. Roll both sides up and heat it up on a griddle. Cook one side, then turn it over and your burrito is ready.

For sides, I made Mexican Rice, homemade salsa, and homemade sour cream. It was so filling that my stomach was hurting even the next morning.

For the Mexican rice:
1/2 cup rice
2 small tomatoes
1/2 bell pepper, chopped lengthwise
1/2 onion, chopped lengthwise
5-6 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp Taco Bell taco seasoning

1. Wash and soak the rice for a few minutes.
2. Heat up oil in nonstick pan. Add the garlic and onions and sautee until onions are soft. Then add in the bell peppers and cook for a few minutes.
3. Next add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, red chili powder, black pepper, and Taco Bell seasoning. Then, I added 1/2 cup of water and closed lid for about 5-7 minutes to allow tomatoes to cook.
5. Open lid and when tomatoes have reduced down, add the rice along with 2 cups water.
6. Let the rice come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat down to medium low, mix everything together. Be sure to check after 7 minutes to see if the rice needs more water.Your rice should be ready in 10 minutes or so.

For homemade salsa:
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 green chilies, chopped
Few jalapenos
1 tbsp of vinegar from jalapenos
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp red chili powder
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper powder
1/2 lemon, juiced

Mix all the above ingredients together in a blender. Adjust seasoning per taste. Mine came out a little too sour, so I added a little sugar. I will cut out the jalapeno vinegar next time. Keep refrigerated until dinner time.

Homemade Sour Cream:
3 tbsp yogurt
Pinch of salt
1/4 lemon, juiced

Mix the lemon juice with the yogurt and salt and keep refrigerated until dinner time!

Healthy Mexican Pizza

Occasionally, we get those cravings for mexican food. Since there is no Taco Bell, we come up with different alternatives for homemade substitutes. This one is definitely a keeper.

4 Azteca flour tortillas (an even healthier option is to replace with homemade whole wheat rotis)
1 cup Santiago dry refried beans
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt per taste
1 tsp Taco Bell taco seasoning
12 packets of Taco Bell sauce (6 hot;6 mild)
A few jalapenos, chopped lengthwise
1/2 bell pepper, chopped lengthwise
1/2 onion, chopped lengthwise
Shredded cheese per taste

1. First, boil some water. When boiling temperature, add the dry beans into the boiling water. Keep stirring or the beans will stick to bottom of pan.
2. To the beans, add the crushed garlic, salt, taco seasoning, and 4 packets of the sauce.
3. Keep stirring the beans. After a few minutes, reduce heat and let the beans simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. Next, heat up a griddle and bake the flour tortillas separately.
5. Assemble mexican pizza as follows: Take one baked tortilla and spread the beans; then stack the second baked tortilla on top. Spread 4 packets of the sauce on it, followed by the chopped veggies. Then, top with the the shredded cheese.
6. Finally, broil the mexican pizza in the oven or microwave for just a few minutes (enough to melt the cheese). The lights happened to go out after the first pizza, so we broiled the second on the stovetop.

Besides the use of cheese, this mexican pizza is the healthier option to fried tortillas. Consider the cheese as your daily dairy intake. This dish is easy and it tastes great.

Homemade Spanish Rice

For last night's dinner, we cooked up some quesadillas with the leftover rajma beans. I made some Spanish rice to eat on the side. It turned out good, except easy on the salt next time.

• 1/2 cup of basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tomatoes, chopped or pureed
  
• 1 onion, chopped lengthwise
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped lengthwise
• 1 green chilli, ground into paste
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, ground into paste
• 1" piece of ginger, ground into paste
• 1 tsp red chili pepper
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• cilantro for garnish

1. Heat up oil in pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, green chili, garlic and ginger paste. Sautee for 1-2 minutes. Then add in the washed rice. Cook the rice without water for a few minutes.
2. Then add in the tomatoes, salt, chili pepper, taco seasoning, black pepper, and water and let cook (lid open) on med heat.
3. Check rice after 5-7 minutes. Close lid when rice is close to being done and reduce heat to low. Garnish with cilantro and serve as side with Mexican dishes.
   

The Chilli Cheese Toast

• Leftover beans
• 4 slices of bread
• shredded cheese or sliced
• tomatoes
• bell peppers
• 1/2 onion
• butter

1. Nothing to this one. I just mixed the cheese with the tomatoes, bell peppers and onions.
2. Then, fill the beans and mixture inbetween two slices of bread.
3. Spread butter on the outside of the breads
4. Finally, toast on a griddle or toaster oven.
5. Serve hot with ketchup.
   * BTW, the rajma beans turned out pretty good!

Mexican Rajma Burritoes

Here in India, they don't have the canned Taco Bell beans. No, they use the traditional rajma (Red kidney beans) for their Mexican cuisine. So, I decided that while we are in India, we might as well cook like the locals. Today, I am going to make some mexican burritoes. Like I said earlier, you can't buy the canned beans so you buy the dry beans, which you have to soak overnight. I didn't soak them overnight, but I'm hoping they will cook if I let them sit longer in the pressure cooker. First, I will wash and drain the rajma beans and cook them in the pressure cooker. Ideally, in order to save time, you would want to use the canned kidney beans. Here's the recipe for the beans that I am going to try out tonight.

• 2 green chillis ground into paste
• 3 cloves garlic ground into paste
• 2" piece of ginger ground into paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small onion
• 1 tomato
• 1 small bell pepper (they call them capsicum here)
• cilantro
• red kidney beans (a.k.a. rajma)
• 1 tsp. Taco Bell Taco seasoning
• Taco Bell mild and/or hot sauce (a few of the small packets)
  1. Cook the rajma beans in pressure cooker for a few whistles. Add a little salt to cook faster. When cool, mash the beans.
  2. Heat oil in skillet and add the chopped onions and chili, garlic and ginger paste. When onions are translucent, add the bell pepper, tomatoes, and cooked kidney beans.
  3. Finally, add a few packets of the Taco Bell sauce and Taco Bell taco seasoning. Garnish with cilantro. (I think their version would insert ketchup in the place of the TB sauce)
  For salsa, they have this Chatpat sauce that came with the ketchup. I will probably just add some cilantro chtuney to the chatpat sauce.
  Sour cream is not available here, so you have to use yogurt. I think they add in lime juice, salt and red pepper flakes here to add a little kick. I haven't decided yet whether to make the Spanish rice, but to prepare the burrito, you know the rest ...
  Tomorrow's Menu:
  Breakfast: Chilli Cheese Toast (using leftover rajma beans)
  Dinner: Soya with Masala Roti