Tortilla & Black Bean Casserole

I have been wanting to make this recipe ever since I first saw the picture and read the ingredient list.  I took THIS Martha Stewart recipe and made a healthier version for dinner tonight. 

Tortilla & Black Bean Casserole

** Make it VEGAN by using Veggie Shredds Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese.

Ingredients

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas ~ I used Low-Fat Salsa tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water – I used 1 Pacifico Mexican Beer
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2-3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 
2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) low-fat shredded Mexican cheese

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Spray a 9 inch round casserole dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

2.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.  Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of your baking dish; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions, cilantro and any other toppings you desire. To serve, slice into wedges.

Makes 6, 7 Weight Watcher Point wedges

Here is a photo recap of the process.  Start out by sautéing your veggies and spices.

 

Add your beans and beer.  Cook until the beer is almost evaportated.

Add your corn, cilantro and scallions.

 

Stir to combine and you get this beautiful mixture that smells amazing!

Start out by layering one tortilla and topping it with 1/3 of the bean mixture.

 

Top with 1/3 cup of cheese.  Repeat 3 times.

Bake for 20 minutes or until your lowfat cheese doesn’t really melt :)

 

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and slice into 6 wedges.  Top with your scallions and green onions.

And the Salsa of your choice.

Tonight we picked “Smoke On The Mountain” from Big S Farms.  I LOVE the ingredient listing and the chunkiness of their salsa.  This medium salsa has a slightly sweeter taste than the Fire on The Mountain, but, in a good way.  It added fantastic flavor to this dish.

 

I also couldn’t resist adding AVOCADO.  I just really think you shouldn’t eat Mexican food without it!

This is served up on a salad plate so visually it looks like you get ALOT.  It is definitely a nice size serving for only 7 Weight Watcher Points.  I LOVED the flavor of the beans, but, I really think there needed to be more “spice” to this dish.  Maybe adding a can of diced green chili’s or putting the SALSA IN THE BEANS would have made it fantastic.  I LOVED the cheesy layers…….

The Husband was not a fan….in fact, he doesn’t even want the leftovers.  I guess I’ll be adding to the freezer since I cannot eat 4 servings in one week of this! Lunch tomorrow maybe…. LOL.

I also had dessert tonight BEFORE dinner (while it was cooking actually) but I cannot share it yet until I submit it.  I promise to share ASAP because it was AWESOME!

We received the CUTEST invitation for my nephews birthday party today.  I am not sure if my mom or sis made it, but, I had to show you all – so cute!

Oh and at the “ripe” age of 2, my “nephew” emailed us to tell us what he would like for his birthday….they must start them young on computers now a days :D LOL……

Alright all ~ I am off to type up recipes, maybe finish my interview too that I will share one day, I promise LOL, read and get to bed early.  Oh….guess that would be now since it’s almost 9 *sigh*  I have an early wake up call……

See you all in the morning!

The Big S Farms Salsa Giveaway Winners!

Happy Tuesday all! It’s back to the daily grind today, but, I am soooo excited that this is a short week! We have a fun July 4th kickoff BBQ for work on Thursday (I am planning the games and fun with my other co-worker – yeah!) then, they send us off for another LONG weekend after that. Whew ~ I cannot wait for sure! I seriously think whoever created the work schedule created it backwards – doesn’t it seem like we should have MORE balance as in work 4 days, have 3 days off – EACH WEEK? :D Ok…..*sigh* done dreaming.

I didn’t make it to the store last night so today’s breakfast pickings were slim. I DID have a few things I could pick from but I decided to go with exactly what I was craving.

A startbuck’s iced, decaf, nonfat latte – it’s a healthy dairy serving!

With some amazingly doughy, cheesiness ~ A toasted Asiago Bagel. I could have picked oatmeal (too hot) or a protein plate (my usual) but I wasn’t feeling either.

I definitely think I NEED to get out to the market and get stocked up on some fresh fruits and veggies – maybe today, maybe Thursday. It’s a toss up between Thai Food for lunch or going to the market and picking up sushi ~ Which would you pick? :)

Ok ~ I’ve made you all wait long enough – it’s time to get down to the Big S Farms Salsa Winners!!!! Thanks again to everyone for playing along. No worries if you didn’t win, they are having some amazing specials on their site that you can order up.

The GRAND PRIZE winner is:

#4 Janetha!!! said ”haha, i want the grand prize. then i dont have to pick just one i would most like to try!” Guess what – you DID!!!!

The THREE Runner-Ups get to pick ONE Salsa or ONE Sauce of their choice. The winners are:

#15 cglich0630 said...”I would like to try the Smoke on the Mountain. I love salsa, but don't think I could handle it too hot!!”

#22 Missy said...”I follow your blog already!” & “I would love to try the Fire on the Mountain Medium Salsa!”

#28 Rikki said...”The Tennessee Thunder piqued my interest with the carrots!”

* Please send me your snail mail addresses and I will get your Big S Farms Salsas sent out ASAP!

Have a fantastic day all! I received more fun mail while I was on Vacation that I will be sharing with you all PLUS another FABULOUS giveaway announcement coming soon!

Big S Salsa Giveaway!!!!

You all have watched me thoroughly enjoy my jar of FIRE in several different ways.  I am definitely planning on digging into ALL the flavors you all saw yesterday with FULL reviews.  In the meantime, I am sure you all WANT to try some Big S Salsa!!!  The fantastic folks at Big S are allowing my to host this super cool giveaway with FOUR WINNERS!!!!

ONE WINNER WILL WIN THE GRAND PRIZE OF ALL 3 FLAVORS OF SALSA PLUS ALL 3 HOT SAUCES PICTURED BELOW!

* Smoke on The Mountain – Medium Salsa

* Fire on The Mountain – Hot Salsa

* Fire on The Mountain – Extra Hot Salsa

* Tennessee Lightning Hot Sauce

* Tennessee Mountain Green Hot Sauce

* Tennessee Thunder Hot Sauce

PLUS RECIPESS!!!

THREE RUNNER-UPS WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF ONE SALSA OR HOT SAUCE!

   

TO ENTER:

1.  Go to the Big S Farms website and leave your FIRST COMMENT telling me which product you want to try most.

2.  Post a link back to this contest on our blog and leave a SECOND COMMENT with your link letting me know you did.

3.  Tweet this contest and leave a THIRD COMMENT letting me know you did.

4.  Subscribe to my blog and leave a FOURTH COMMENT letting me know you did.  If you already subscribe or have me in your reader, then, leave a comment letting me know that.

That’s all - 4 PRIZES TO WIN WITH 4 CHANCES TO WIN!  Good luck everyone! 

This contest will end Monday, June 29, 2009 at Midnight (PST).  The winners will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

More fun Salsa Mail……..

I received another COOL or should I say HOT package this afternoon from Big S Farms! Since my first taste of this awesome salsa, I have been wanting to try more. The fabulous Peeps at Big hooked me up with some HOT Stuff.

3 types of salsa:

* Smoke on the Mountain ~ Medium

* Fire on the Mountain ~ Hot

* Fire on the Mountain ~ Extra HOT!

Plus some fantastic sounding HOT SAUCES:

All together with MORE Recipes ~ woohoo!

I cannot WAIT to try this all out. I LOVED the original Fire on the Mountain that I had. You can Click HERE to check out some of the ways I’ve used it so far.

I WISH I had not eaten my lunch/dinner before this arrived. But, that’s ok, it was still cheesy good. I think I eat like a little kid when I am sick. Today I was craving a cheesy quesadilla so that is what I had.

CHEESE!!!!!

2 Mission Life Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas

3 lowfat Sargento Cheese Slices

Cooked in nonstick spray over medium heat until both sides were browned – YUM! This definitely hit the spot along with the Orange Juice The Husband brought home for me.

I did end up snack on a few FoodShouldTasteGood Multi-Grain Chips while this cooked. I LOVE these crunchy, nutty chips with the perfect balance of salt! The BEST part was I could finally almost taste it all.

I still have to pack but that should go pretty quick. When we headed out to the bank The Husband made a special stop for me to get a low fat ice cream cone ~ ahhhh, it’s the little things that make you happy. I realize my nutrition may not be at it’s highest today, but, I think it’s ok to give yourself a break when you don’t feel good. I’ll have to make up for it with a Jamba Juice tomorrow :D

I am off to pack, relax and get to bed early for our trip to VEGAS tomorrow! The Guest Posts I have for you all begin tomorrow – yeah!!! So exciting!!!

TWO GIVEAWAYS TO CHECK OUT:

* Erica is having a fantastic Naturally More & Peeled Fruit Giveaway - Click HERE to check it out.

* Amanda is having a Amazing Super Foods Giveaway, click HERE to check it out.

PLUS STAY TUNED FOR A GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW AT NOON!

Have a fantastic night all ~ I am not sure when I’ll check back in, but, I plan on popping in to say hi here and there! Enjoy all the fun posts I have set up for you and be sure to leave everyone LOTS of comments :)

A Quick & Colorful Taco Salad

Before I hop into my dinner post, I have to share with you all this crazy article I read on WomensHealth.com today. I have ALWAYS wondered the secret of those who can take one bite of things and be satisfied? I am NOT one of those people at all and usually only resist stuff by not even having a bite. 1 bite is never enough and 1,000 is too many! Well, guess what? I found out today that there is a REASON behind not being able to have just one. Restaraunts play on our "BLISS" factor and know just how to make us want more and more and more....Check out the article HERE and find some great recipe substitutions too!

I typically LOVE marinating my own meats, but, there are a few exceptions of pre-marinated versions that I like. I like Jennie-O Turkey Loins because you can recognize all their ingredients and you get 4 LEAN ounces for only 110 calories/2 Weight Watcher Points - that's less than chicken!

The flavor we used tonight is not pictured on their website for some reason ~ it was Southwestern - perfect for Taco Salad.





Each pack includes 2 loins in it - one for tonight and one for tomorrow. While the turkey grilled up, I prepped the salad.



Organic Romaine Lettuce
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
Big handful cherry tomatoes
3 Sargetino lowfat colby cheese squares, chopped
1/2 can olives, sliced

All mixed up and ready to go!



I also prepped all the sides. AVOCADO!



TJ's Fire Roasted Corn ~ The Husband won't eat corn in his salad - he's wierd!



Basic Black Beans



Big S Farms Fire On The Mountain Salsa for me & sissy lala sauce for The Husband :D



We also broke out a bag of the Organic White Corn Miki's Chips for crunch!





The Husband was crunching away on some chips with leftover Spicy Bean Dip ~ so I had to give it a try. I had two chips with dip ~ Yum! I LOVE how crunchy these chips are - they are thicker than other versions so you have a good corn, crunch factor.



Since I sort of spoiled my appetite with the Cupcake, I made up a much smaller version of my Quick & Colorful Taco Salad than planned.



Grilled Turkey Goodness! It has sooo much flavor and it's completely juicy and just plain good!



And a dallop of Big S Farms Fire On The Mountain Salsa!



I LOVED this salad and cannot wait to use the leftovers tomorrow. I am thinking of making a Southwestern Turkey BBQ Avocado Wrap maybe......MMMMM!

I am off to hang out with The Husband and possibly watch our NetFlix ~ Juno or a movie we own ~ Pineapple Express!

OHHHH and because I am cool like that ~ Click HERE to download a FREE RECIPE BOOK from Jennie-O! Yeah for feeding my recipe addiction even more!

Check you my Holey Donut Giveaway - just one day left!

A fun day of eats & treats!

You all are absolutely amazing ~ seriously! I am LOVING all your creative in why you want to score some lowfat donuts ~ from being in love, to health reasons to the super cool poems! Keep those reasons coming - you have ALL week! Click HERE to enter my giveaway if you have no clue what I am talking about :) LOL

This morning's snack I have been waiting for ever since I received my Secret Bloggie Gift! Akmak + Laughing Cow + Apricot Preserves = a FANTASTIC 3 Weight Watcher Point snack!



The first taste was topped with a smear of Light Laughing Cow Original ~ An entire LC Wedge is only ONE Weight Watcher Point!



Then, I tested out the apricot preserves only version.



And finally ~ Laughing Cow plus Apricot Preserves ~ OMG - this was the best. It was like having fancy Brie Cheese with fruit - you know like the kind they have at parties - so good!



This snack did a fantastic job fueling me for Spin Class ~ Today I really got into the music and it was "fun"! I came back to a leftovers made over Salad ~ A Veggie Fajita Salad!



I took everything leftover from last night and put it on top of a bed of fresh spinach.



Veggie Fajita Mix
Basic Black Beans
Guacamole
Salsa Mexicana
a big Dallop of Big S Farms Fire On The Mountain Salsa

It was a tasty lunch full of flavor and spice. But, I really, really wanted dessert and had another "treat" on my mind that came as part of my Secret Bloggie Package ~ Erin's Organic Brownie Bites! One bite is TWO Weight Watchers Points.





It's really cute when you take it out of the package.



It's dense like a brownie with hints of chocolate pieces and walnuts. It was pretty tasty and the perfect finish to my lunch.



This afternoon the Bunnies got to me - I HAD to have some.....I scooped out 53 for a 3 WWP serving (yup I counted!) of Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies.



I also sort of had a little "chocolate" problem this afternoon ~ The bag of Dove Dark Chocolates appeared again and I kept getting the message saying - "indulge in dark". So, of course that means you have to have another.....I stopped myself at 4 *sigh*

I came home to some of the coolest "Fun Mail" ever! First up ~ Remember my post about having a "Fling for Free"! Yup.... my coupons arrived - yahoo!



And My Goddess Prize Package! I am SO PUMPED to learn how to Belly Dance. I "almost" took a class once with one of my friends but when I found out I had to show my stomach to strangers I chickened out. NOW I can DO it in my OWN house ~ Woohoo!



Not just ONE, but THREE DVD's!



Thanks, C.G. Foodie ~ so fun!!!

Today was seriously like my birthday. My Co-Worker's Family owns this really cool shop that makes specialty Gourmet Foods. Today she brought in some samples for me to review for you all and it looks like I might just need to host another Giveaway to share!!!! Pictures and all the details coming up tomorrow since I already made this into a HUGE post.

Coming up next ~ Are you ready for it?! My Mystery Ingredient Recipe Submission!