Cilantro lime Mexican Lasagna

So I tried a new dish last night.... Mexican Lasagna and my version is the Cilantro Lime Mexican Lasagna. I tweaked a few things here and there to make this a little more healthy. The original recipe calls for ground pork and I used lean white turkey, I also used black beans in place of hominy, and I used Flatout Healthy Grain flatbread wraps instead of the traditional tortilla. This took some of the fat out(turkey), added more protein(black beans), and cut down on calories and unhealthy carbs( multi grain flatbread).

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
• 2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, chopped- 3 or 4 for a little more heat
  
• 12 large tomatillos (14 to 16 if small), peeled (the leafy peel) and coarsely chopped
• A handful cilantro leaves- parsley leaves can be used if you are not a fan of cilantro
  
• 3 avocados
• 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 package large tortillas
• 1 pound pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour cream, to pass at table

Directions

Place rack in oven in middle of oven and heat broiler or place oven on 400 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and crumble up as it browns. While turkey browns, season the meat with cumin, coriander and salt and pepper. Once browned evenly, stir in black beans and reduce heat to simmer.

While meat cooks heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauce pot, add onions, garlic and peppers, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened 5 to 6 minutes. Place tomatillos and cilantro or parsley in food processor and process until almost smooth. Pour into onion and garlic mixture and simmer to mellow, 5 to 6 minutes more. Replace the processor bowl. Pit and scoop the avocado flesh into the processor, add the lime zest and juice- careful it can get strong. Add the honey, puree until smooth and season with a little salt. Stir the avocado mixture into the green sauce and remove from heat.

Char all of the tortillas over an open flame or in dry hot skillet.This is important!!! If you don't do this the tortillas will get a little more soggy!

In a baking dish layer sauce, tortilla, meat, cheese, sauce, tortilla, meat, cheese, sauce, etc. End with a layer of tortilla, sauce and finally cheese. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is brown. Pass sour cream at the table.

I really loved this dish! I am a huge fan of lime and cilantro. NOTE: add avocado and honey and let the tomatillos cook longer to mellow out the tartness of the tomatillos! For a thicker and dryer lasagna use more meat and beans!!

A third great LOVE

#1- my personal hottie (britt)
#2- dancing
and drum roll please........

#3 cooking!!!!!!!

I REALLY REALLY love to cook. I mean REALLY! I started doing my own cooking pretty young. When I got married, I started cooking ALL the time...like tons! I would come home from work and start cooking not ever realizing just how relaxing it is for me. I love to create things and this is just one more avenue for me to do that. I like to get ideas from other recipes and then create my own versions or just give it a total makeover altogether! I also enjoy doing things for people...ok more like pleasing people, so I feel like I can do that by cooking. Since I now have DVR, I have started watching a ton of food network...which I love and is even more amazing on my 42" HDTV. The other day I was watching it and I caught myself thinking..." I could really do this for a living and really love it!" Of course having my own show would be ultimate cause I could still be an entertainment personality and a cook, but I think it would be SOOO fun to even just do catering or go to culinary school and become a top chef. If I had lots of time and money I would do just that...I would spend half of my day learning to cook and cooking and the other half training for dance and dancing....WHAT A BLAST that would be! So be looking for my recipe and experiment postings and updates!!

The adventures of Britt

So Britt has started a new hobby...rock climbing or as he sometimes refers to it....poling...don't ask. He was inspired to start this new hobby by his sister, Amber, who picked up the hobby in DC. Britt thought it would be a great thing he could do with his lil' sis' and fun for himself as well. He's gotten pretty good now, climbing 5.10's and 5.11's....that's the difficulty measurement. You have to be able to climb a 5.12 before you can do what they call lead climb. Lead climbing is where you are the first one up...that means there's no rope from the top that you are connected to...you start climbing and hook in as you go. I get woozy just thinking of it!! So anyhow it has been quite amusing for the past few months. Each time he comes home from a climb we have show and tell...hehehe. First he "tells" me how he conquered the next level or how he "flashed" the wall that was hard last time ( flashed is where you climb right up to the top fairly quickly without hesitation) ; I also get to hear all the weird stories about the "interesting" people at the rock climbing gym. Then it's "show" time as he will proceed to show me his veiny arms and rock hard forarms. It kinda makes me chuckle cause it reminds me of my little brother a bit when he first started lifting weights and stuff(the excitement that is...not the size of the muscles of course) but I'm SOO excited and proud of his progress. AND he's started taking the yoga and abs classes that they offer at the climbing gym. Now I swear by yoga as a GREAT stress reliever!!! He is taking his first climbing trip into the "wild" the first weekend of April. He, one of his climbing buddies here, Amber, and some of her climbing friends and instructors are all going to Red River Gorge which is apparently one of the best places to climb in the States. I'm a little nervous to be honest...but at least I don't have to climb those walls....just a TAD high for me!! I'll keep you posted on his progress and the trips...hope to get some pics up soon!!