Foodie Time

This past week I have ventured out and tried two new recipes that are WONDERFUL. I just love when that happens. I had to share with you all. By the way, did I mention that both of these were found because of the amazingly addicting Pinterest? Yep, that just means all that time I spend on it is worth it.

First Recipe:

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

Chicken Marinade:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons lime juice, about 1 lime

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can (245 gr) black beans, drained
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated, about 1 cup
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated, about 1 cup
Juice of 1 lime
1⁄4 cup (60 ml) cilantro, chopped

8 whole wheat or gluten free tortillas

Place chicken in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper then toss until the chicken is well coated. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Grill or broil chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until a thermometer reads 160°F (70°C) when inserted into thickest part of the breast. Tent with foil.

 Shred the chicken when cool enough to handle. (Shredded chicken can be prepared a day or two in advance and kept in the refrigerator, or store the cooked and shredded breasts in a covered container in the freezer for up to 3 months.)

 Pour beans, lime juice, garlic powder and salt into the food processor then process until smooth. Toss cheeses, lime juice and cilantro in large bowl.

 Place 4 of the tortillas on a flat work surface. Spread a thin layer of beans on each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and top with shredded chicken. Make sure not to put the cheese too close to the outside of the tortillas to prevent it from oozing out. Complete the assembly by placing a tortilla on top of each quesadilla.

 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place 1 quesadilla in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip quesadilla and cook until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve alone or with some salsa or a generous dollop of guacamole.

So tasty! And Shane loved them :)

Second Recipe:

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp red food coloring

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature (I used fat-free Cream Cheese to try to cut a few calories/fat)

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

They are as good as they are pretty! This is a must-try!