Chipotle Chicken Burrito or Rice Bowl

When we head south on holidays one of our favourite places to have lunch out is Chipotle. This is my copycat recipe of their Chicken Burrito. You can omit the wrap and serve it as a rice bowl. 

Spice Rub:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Rice:

• 1 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 3 cups water
• juice of one lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1. Combine rice, water, lime juice and salt in a pot. Cook according to directions on rice package.
2. Once rice is cooked, stir in butter and cilantro.
3. Set aside to keep warm.

Option: You can replace brown rice for the white or do some of both. 

Chicken:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp oil 
• spice rub (above)

1. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. 
2. Cut into bit size pieces.
3. Rub meat with oil and then coat with above spice rub.
4. Heat a non stick pan and lightly coat with olive oil. Cook meat, stirring every few minutes until cooked through. This will only take about 6-8 minutes. 
5. Set aside where it will keep warm.

Black Beans:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

1. Drain and rinse beans. Stir in olive oil which will keep the beans from sticking when heating.
2. Stir in spices and heat over low heat in a small pot, or heat in microwave. 
3. Set aside to keep warm.

Pico de Galo:

• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped fine
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced fine
• 1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt

1. Mix together all ingredients in a small serving bowl.

Extra fillings:

• avocado slices or guacamole
• canned corn
• black olives
• shredded lettuce
• jalapeno peppers
• cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend cheese
• salsa or other hot sauce
• chipotle pepper ....for those who like some real heat!
• sour cream
• flour tortilla shells, (the largest ones you can find work best to roll up all the filling)

To serve, let everyone fill their warmed flour tortilla with the fillings they like...and enjoy!

Avocado Mango Salsa

This fresh salsa made from mangoes and avocado will help bring a little sunshine to a dreary winter day. Full of fresh ingredients that taste delicious with tortilla chips. I made this for our family this weekend and was in a hurry to put it on the game table for the kids that I forgot to take some extra photos with the chips.

Ingredients:
2 avocados peeled, pitted and chopped into bite size pieces
1 ripe mango peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
2 tablespoons red onion minced
1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Gently mix all ingredients together and enjoy with tortilla chips. This served 6 people as an appetizer.

Cream of Leek Soup with Baked Croutons

My husband was away on a business trip and I had nothing planned for supper 

so I opened the fridge to look for inspiration.  

I found some leeks that needed to be used and suddenly had a craving for a nice creamy soup. 

 It turned out so good I thought I'd share it with you.

 It is smooth, and flavourful and warmed me up on a cold winter night.

For the Soup:

• 2 medium sized leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter
•  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 10 oz. can chicken broth
• 1 can water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• salt and seasoned pepper (like Montreal Steak Spice)
• grated cheddar cheese ( for garnish)

1. Wash leeks and cut lengthwise into slices.  Then turn and cut into slices again.  Cut across slices to form a fine dice.
2. Place in a frying pan with chopped onion, butter and olive oil.
3. Saute' over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until leeks and onions are soft but not browned.
4. In pot, cover cubed potatoes with chicken broth and water, and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer potatoes until tender.
6. Add leeks and onions and stir well.
7. Using an immersion blender or beater, puree' leek potato mixture until fairly smooth.
8. Whisk in cream and sour cream and season with seasoned pepper and salt if needed.
9. Heat gently, stirring well until heated through.  Watch carefully that it doesn't boil hard or burn on the bottom.
10. Spoon into soup bowls.
11. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and oven baked croutons and serve.

for the Croutons:

• 2 or 3 day-old buns or slices of french bread, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Seasoned salt 

1. Melt butter in a frying pan.
2. Add bead cubes and toss or stir over medium high heat until bread begins to brown.
3. Add a sprinkle of seasoned salt and toss.
4. Spread out bread cubes on parchment paper on a small baking sheet 
5. Bake at 350º for about 15 minutes or until crisp and browned.

Serves 4

Soft Cornmeal Taco Shells

These shells are quick and simple to make. We enjoy them with leftover chili (in this case it was chicken chili and re-fried beans) along with all the regular taco toppings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups cold water

Method:

1. Mix dry ingredients, stir in 1 cup water, then stir in the egg well before adding the rest of the water. Let sit for a few minutes.
2. Pour batter from a medium size ladle (about 1/4 cup) onto preheated 8-9 inch non-stick pan, holding pan up at an angle and rotating to cover bottom.
3. Cook on medium heat and flip over to cook other side. Stack on serving plate. Makes 8 - 10 depending on how thin you make them. (water can be added as mixture thickens a bit)
4. Serve with taco hamburger, sloppy joe sauce or chili, grated cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and taco sauce.

Strawberry Shortcut Layer Cake

It's still some time before those ripe juicy strawberries will be ripe for the picking.  In the meantime, if you need a quick and delicious layer cake I think you will agree that this one is a winner.

It uses a cake mix which is perfect when you are pinched for time in the kitchen.

• 1 15.25 ounce (432 g) boxed Strawberry cake mix (with pudding in the mix)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (not fat reduced)
• 1/2 cup melted butter

1. Line two 9 inch pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream and then drizzle in melted butter and beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Batter will be thick.  Spread evenly into the two pans and bake 25 minutes and then test by sticking a toothpick in the centre.  It should come out clean.
3. Remove the pans to a wire rack.  Allow to sit a few minutes until cool enough to handle.  Carefully turn the cake out onto your hand and then put parchment paper side down on a wire rack to cool.

Creamy Pudding Strawberry Frosting

• 1 package instant vanilla pudding 
• 1 1/2 cup cold milk
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 heaping tablespoons strawberry jam

1. Beat together instant pudding and cold mix in a medium mixing bowl for two minutes.
2. Add whipping cream and beat until fluffy.  Beat in the strawberry jam and then refrigerate until set.
3. Cut each layer into two layers to make a 4 layer cake.  Spread a thin layer of frosting between each layer and then a thin layer on sides and the remaining on top.  Garnish with sliced strawberries.

For an easy way to serve smaller and average appetites and to get 16 slices out of a 9 inch layer cake, cut cake into four even pieces and then split that four to make eight pieces and then cut a V-shape at the top of each piece.  You can make even more small pieces by cutting each of the edge pieces in half. That's the way my Mom did it!

Haiti

I was recently privileged to be part of a team of women from our church who went to Haiti on an exposure tour with Compassion Canada.  It was a trip that took me right out of my comfort zone.
 Like many others, I don't like to see extreme poverty and Haiti is the poorest country in the western world.  I don't like to see devastation. There was a lot of devastation remaining from the 2010 earthquake that cost 250,000 people their lives.
 However I and the other women that signed on saw God's definite leading as He made it possible for us to go.  So we went, with fear and trepidation, with hope and a willingness to be used of God in the lives of the children and families we would meet.



One of  the scenes from our bus window as we drove through Port au Prince

We expected to be challenged and changed by our experience however we did not anticipate the resilience and faith of the Haitian people.  What an example they were to us! Although they live with physical poverty, they have a wealth we do not possess in grateful hearts, generous spirits and strong faith.
 Our Compassion Haitian guide, Jeannot, told us that when the earthquake happened, people thought it was the end of the world and many turned their lives over to God.
 Church attendance has increased and among those we worshiped with on the 4th anniversary of the earthquake we saw nothing but thankfulness and praise.

Worship service on the 4th anniversary of the earthquake.

 Instead of defeat and despair, we saw people at work doing what  they could to address the physical and spiritual poverty  around them. We met the all-Haitian staff at the Main Compassion offices and at the various projects. They share a passionate dedication to the children and families they serve.

 We met talented, brilliant young people who have qualified for university studies and are supported by the Leadership Development program. They are the hope and future of this country as they set their goals to be teachers, business, church and government leaders.

We were warmly welcomed as we visited a number of the projects that Compassion supports through their Child Sponsorship Program. The children were a delight - full of self confidence, joy and  eager to sing and recite for their Canadian visitors.

Children from Project HA 802

 
The moms and children from the Child Survival Program in Project HA 152 at the women's conference.

We were also blessed to be part of a women's conference with the moms and babies of one of the Child Survival programs and were able to hear their stories and share ours with them.
 Despite the differences in our economic circumstances, we have so much in common. We accompanied several of them into their homes and were able to help with the things all moms do, laundry, cooking, bathing children. We share the same concerns, joys, and hopes for our families.  And when asked what their dreams were, most often we heard them tell us how they desired a life of faith for their children.

One of the many colourful "tap-taps" which provide public transit in Haiti

Street vendors line every road.

A hillside section of Port au Prince - many of these buildings are built of inferior concrete and without any rebar.  There are no seismic building codes in Haiti which is why there was so much destruction and loss of life  during the 2010 earthquake.

One of the neighbourhoods where we did a home visit

We saw first hand how the little bit  of money we send monthly to support our sponsored children, makes a huge difference in their lives and in the lives of their families, providing education, food, housing and jobs in this country where none of those things come easily
.

Yes, there was poverty - it is impossible to describe the extent of it; yes, we saw the devastation -  piles and piles of rubble and still so many people who are living in shacks cobbled together from bits of wood, tarps and galvanized tin. And yes, there are many still traumatized and living with despair.

But God is at work here - through those who are willing to share what they have and through  people like the dedicated staff of Compassion - who live and worship among those they serve.

I was thrilled to able to meet Francia, the child we sponsor and spend a day with her.

Christ calls us to help those in need.  By doing so we are showing the love of God to them. There are so many ways to share our physical and spiritual wealth with those less fortunate, whether they are next door, in our own communities or across the globe.  God equips each of us to help others.  May we be sensitive to His direction as we share His love with a hurting world.

 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:17 and 18 

Amy's Frozen Mock Cheesecake (Vegan, Soy and Gluten Free)

My daughter Amy's favorite dessert is cheesecake. She asked for cheesecake for every birthday for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately she has developed dairy intolerances and she longs for this beloved dessert. For this birthday she found a recipe and developed it according to her taste and needs. Wow was it ever good, but it needs to be eaten semi frozen to keep its best shape. Whether you have allergies or not, this cake is a keeper and worth a try.

Crust:

• 8 medjool dates, pitted
• 3/4 cups pecans
• 3/4 cups almonds (or any other mix of nuts equalling 1 ½ cups)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 unsweetened shredded coconut
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Filling:

• 2 ½ cups raw cashews
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, in liquid state
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 6 Tbsp coconut milk
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla

*DO AHEAD* - Soak the cashews in water overnight. Soak the dates in water for approx. 1 hour.

Directions

Crust:

1. Line the bottom of a round 9” spring form pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, process the nuts, salt, coconut, lemon zest and spices until everything is chopped finely.
3. Drain the dates and add them to the food processor. Pulse until mixed into a sticky mixture. This will not look smooth; you should see small pieces of nuts and dates.
4. Press mixture into spring form pan.

Filling:

1. Drain the soaked cashews and rinse them.
2. Place all filling ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into spring form pan.
4. Place pan in the freezer and freeze overnight or until solid.
5. When ready to serve remove from freezer and allow the cake to thaw for approx. 15 minutes.
6. Serve topped with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, chocolate sauce or any other topping you can think of. My favourite has always been raspberries!   

Raspberry Sauce:

• 2 cups of frozen Raspberry
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (it brings out more of the natural taste of the berries).
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch (dissolved in the water)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1. Mix the Raspberries with the sugar in medium size pan. Let sit for a while until the natural juices are released. 
2. Bring to a boil. 
3. Dissolve cornstarch in the water. 
4. Add to the raspberries and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is thick and clear, stirring constantly.
5. Cool, add fresh lemon juice before serving.