who doesn't love mexican food? (and a great dessert?)

happy new year, everyone!  i apologize for my lack of posting, but i was working almost constantly over my month-long winter break and didn't have time to post my latest culinary treats.  but fear not, i did remember to take pictures of them all :]

as a bit of a "last hurrah" before winter break, my first-year roommate came over for a casual dinner party i was throwing in the middle of exams.  i invited beth, of course, because the menu for the evening was mexican-inspired (her favorite!) and one of my roommates joined us as well.

we popped over to The Krog to pick just a few necessary ingredients knowing that we would be leaving for a month and didn't want to have leftover ingredients or food in the fridge.  being a total planner, i worked out the perfect menu that would make a delicious dinner for that night, and a "round-two recipe" (as Sandra Lee would call it, ugh) for lunch the next day.  i also planned a quick and delicious dessert that would use up the milk and bananas in the fridge.

Here's all you'll need for a complete dinner for 4 (plus enough for our round-two recipe!):
-A fresh rotisserie chicken
-Whole wheat tortillas
-A can of black beans
-A jar of good salsa (i like it medium or hot)
-1 box of mexican rice (here's my favorite kind!)
-1 bag of frozen sweet corn
-Shredded mexican cheese
-cilantro (optional, but delicious!)

Chicken and black bean wraps with Mexican rice and sweet corn:

whenever someone asks me what i like to whip up in a pinch, this is the quickest, most delicious weeknight meal i can think of.  the rotisserie chicken is a great time saver and pretty inexpensive.

start by getting the rice cooking on the stove according to the package directions.  this is the part that takes the longest when preparing this meal, so once the rice is fluffy, it's pretty much time to eat!   while that steams, drain the can of black beans and rinse them in a colander.

then, its time to "pick the chicken"!  take your rotisserie chicken and pick it apart, gently shredding it as you go.  i like to use the entire chicken for this meal (since i normally feed around 4, plus we need leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!) so i combine the white and dark meat together.

in a medium pot, add your chicken, rinsed black beans, and an entire jar of salsa.  stir them gently until they are combined.  turn the stove on to medium heat and heat until the whole mixture is warmed through.  in another small saucepan (or the microwave), steam the frozen corn until hot.

now its time to assemble!  take a tortilla and place a small handful of shredded mexican cheese down the middle.  take a nice scoop of the chicken, salsa, and black bean mixture and spread it right on top of the cheese.  top with a fresh sprig of cilantro for perfect mexican flavors, and roll it up into a wrap!  serve this with the steamed sweet corn and the fluffy fiesta rice.  voila!

now for a quick and easy dessert (that perfectly used up the last of my milk and bananas in the fridge!) you'll need just a few things:

-Cook & Serve chocolate pudding mix (make SURE you get cook & serve and not instant!!)

-2 cups of skim milk (or whatever you have on hand)

-fresh raspberries and bananas (again, whatever you have on hand)

this is really fool-proof.  follow the directions on the pudding box and cook the chocolate pudding on the stove until it is warm, bubbly, and thick.  keep and eye on it while it cooks and stir it so that it doesn't burn on the bottom!  while it cooks, wash and slice your fruit into bite sized pieces.  when the pudding is done, pour it into individual bowls, top with fruit, and enjoy!

* * * *

now, i promised you a great lunch idea for your leftovers.  this is super simple and doesn't require a SINGLE extra ingredient (okay, except some Pam).  get ready for a fiesta chicken quesadilla.

very easy to make.  start out with a large skillet and preheat it to medium.  take a large tortilla and cover it with a thin layer of mexican cheese.  then, use the rest of your filling from last night and spread it out right over the cheese layer.  

top the filling with another layer of mexican cheese (to make the layers stick to each other!) and close the quesadilla with another tortilla.  

take your skillet off the heat and spray it with a spritz of Pam spray.  carefully transfer your quesadilla to the pan and cook four or five minutes per side, or until the tortilla is brown and crispy, and the filling/cheese are hot and gooey.

take the quesadilla out of the pan, whack it into 4 big wedges, and share it with a friend for lunch!  serve alongside a salad or leftover rice and corn-- or just eat it as is!

i hope you enjoy this mexican-inspired meal as much as i did-- twice!