Tequila-Lime White Enchilada Bake

Yup.  You read that right.  This is a mish-mash of two of my favorite “Mexican-inspired” recipes: a layered enchilada “pie” (similar to a lasagna) that I decided to make once a long time ago because it is genetically impossible for Flores women and their progeny to roll enchiladas without the tortillas cracking all over the place, and my tequila-lime shrimp recipe. 

Hubby and I were feeling a little bit creative and wanted to use up some leftover chicken I’d made earlier that week, so I whipped up a bunch of the veggies from the tequila-lime shrimp, added shredded chicken (and some ground turkey I had in the freezer) and half a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (since hubby said he didn’t want enchilada sauce).

I started with a layer of corn tortillas, put half a can of fat-free refried beans on that layer, topped it with a small amount of cheddar cheese, and more tortillas.   Then I added the chicken and veggies mixture and a little more cheese.  I repeated the pattern and topped the whole thing off with a touch of cheese (I didn’t even use a whole small package of the shredded stuff, and this served eight – yay for leftovers! – so it’s not as deadly as it sounds!).  I baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes, until the cheese got all bubbly and golden.

It was so pretty, and unexpectedly light.  The flavors were bright and it was SO good, even after the third day in the fridge.

I know I'm not great at taking these photos... and the color is all off. but you have to admit it still looks yummy! And it tasted even better!

Mexican Quiche

Now, first of all, I have to preface this by saying that we don’t typically eat this richly; eggs and cheese are not usually this much a part of our daily diets.  That said, I’d been looking forward all week to using up the leftover sauteed veggies from Tuesday night’s Mexican dinner, and I had just the idea for them.  And for some reason this was the cooking weekend – we just couldn’t stop!

Sauteed bell and anaheim chile peppers, onions, garlic, tomatillos, and tomatoes

Mexican Quiche

Now, I started off with about a cup full of leftover sauteed veggies, drained, and added the last of the mushrooms I had left over from making the lasagna, and just sort of threw this together.  The idea is to use up what you already have.  So if you just happen to make extra veggies with your Mexican food…

• Approx. 1 cup sauteed Mexican vegetables (drained; mine included onions, garlic, bell and anaheim chile peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, and a little sauteed mushroom; I’d imagine that sliced olives would be killer in here, and I almost put in some canned black beans but decided against it at the last minute…  the idea is to use up whatever you have that sounds good to you)
• A few tablespoons of fresh corn kernels (I’d bought a few ears and couldn’t resist throwing some of the kernels in – we love the unexpected crunch)
• 3 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 medium eggs (probably 4-5 large eggs would do fine; medium was what we had in the house)
• 1/4 cup half-and-half, cream, or milk (I used nonfat half-and-half because I love the texture)
• 1 pastry crust, parbaked

Okay, now I have to make a confession: for all my bread- and cake- and pasta-making abilities, crustmaking is just not my forte.  In fact, every time I’ve made a homemade pie crust, it’s come out either salty, lumpy, sticky, or cardboardy.  I can’t seem to get the delicate texture or flavor down, no matter what recipe I use.  So I like to buy the pre-made pie crusts that come in a little tube.  All I have to do is roll them out and go.  So the first part of this recipe is to bake a pie crust (homemade or pre-made) for about 3/4 of the time in the recipe (or on the box).  Be sure to poke holes in the thing, or to put foil with beans in the bottom so it doesn’t get a giant air bubble in the middle.

Then, mix all the other ingredients together and pour them in the crust.  That’s it.

The filled quiche waiting for the oven

Then your quiche should take a quick (30-35 minute) trip in a 350 degree oven.  Like any quiche (or lasagna for that matter), let it set up for 5-10 minutes before eating it.  But like any quiche, you can refrigerate and reheat this baby for a week – and it’s really excellent, even after days of being in the fridge.

 

The whole enchilada - I mean, quiche

YUMMY!

I do have to point out that the serving size on this is between 1/8 and 1/6 of the pie (we had 1/8 of the pie slices), so you’re really getting less than 1 egg and less than 1/2 oz of cheese per person – so it’s not nearly the decadent artery-killing breakfast that quiche has a reputation for being!  I didn’t actually eat quiche until last year, and now I love the stuff – and how versatile it is for leftover usage!

Tequlia-Lime Shrimp

I had a follow up doctor’s appointment today (and another one next week – don’t ask) and I just have to report that I am SUPER pleased.  My blood pressure was a perfect 120/80, even though I felt like I was probably too stressed for it to be anywhere near normal.  Now, I admit that I usually drink coffee and didn’t today, and that I got to the doctor’s office as early as possible to avoid getting road rage…  But, considering my first score, this was a relief.

I also took the rest of the day off – I needed to just relax a little bit and try to let my body recouperate.  I was really afraid that if I had to rush to work I would not be able to keep my blood pressure low (especially since my doctor’s office seems to specialize in long wait times).  So I got to do a little thrift store and Avenue clearance shopping (yay!) and see my darling Shera at her first wedding dress fitting.  And best of all, I got to cook dinner.  I love cooking – I just really haven’t had time/felt up to it lately.  So this was one of the hilights of my day!

I realized that this is a really easy, quick, versatile, and tasty recipe that is also awfully healthy (lots of colorful veggies, which I love to sort of disguise in dishes… practice for when we have kids, I guess…) – so I thought I’d share!  By the way, any recipe I have on here is my own creation unless I credit it to someone else.

Tequila-Lime Shrimp!

Tequila-Lime Shrimp

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion (about 1 cup chopped)
• 1 medium sweet bell pepper (red, yellow, orange, or whatever color combination you prefer; about 3/4 cup chopped)
• 1 regular Anaheim chile, diced (they’re the long green ones and they’re about as not-hot as they come; but please be careful when you’re dicing the chile up – even though they’re not hot, they still contain capcaisin and I can attest to the fact that it sticks to the skin on your fingers for hours…  and doesn’t feel very good in your eye)
• 6-8 large cloves garlic (diced, crushed, or minced)
• 1 large tomatillo
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (defrost frozen shrimp using cold water and drain; you can use frozen shrimp but it only ends up taking longer and being watery)
• juice of 1/2 large lime (1-2 tbsp)
• generous splash of tequila (I used about 2 tbsp)
• dash black pepper (to taste)

In a large sautee pan, heat oil on medium until it begins to shimmer.  Add onion and both peppers and cook until just softened (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic and tomatillo and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add tomato and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add shrimp all at once and cook until the shrimp begin to change color (do not cook through yet), about 3 minutes.  Add lime, black pepper, and tequila (they always say to turn off the stove when you do this, so you don’t get a flare up) and finish cooking the shrimp (they will be completely opaque and pink and curl up), another 3-5 minutes.

Serve in a burrito or a taco, or over rice.  Serves 4 (we like the leftovers for lunch the next day!).  You can add more nutrition and flavor by serving with beans and avocado!  I also like using the same treatment for chicken.