Cumin Corn Salad

This is one of the salads that I made to take with us on our vacation.  I am a big fan of the smoky sweet flavor of cumin so wanted to play it up here.

This is similar to the corn and corn chip salad that has been around.  I just put ingredients that I like together.  I prefer to eat this with crushed corn chips added, but I do not like to add them to the entire salad in case there is some leftover.  The corn chips become soft when the salad is stored in the fridge. I serve the corn chips on the side, and let each person add as many or as few as they like.

The salad will keep two or three days well chilled in the fridge.

Cumin Corn Salad

2 (16 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, well drained or 4 cups fresh or frozen corn, cooked and drained
1/2 c. red onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/3 c. red pepper, chopped
1/4 c. black olives, chopped
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. picante sauce
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. garlic pepper
corn chips

Place well-drained corn in a medium mixing bowl.  Add onion, celery, red pepper, black olives and mix well.  In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, picante sauce, cumin and garlic pepper.  Stir mayonnaise mixture into corn mixture until vegetables are thoroughly coated with dressing.  Chill at least a few hours to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with corn chips to crush over the top.  Makes 4 servings.

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Quick, Creamy Chicken Chilaquiles

I am not overly fond of spicy Mexican type dishes, especially those that use salsa.  However, every-once-in-awhile, I find one that I want to try.  This recipe came from the back of a Kraft Mexican Style Queso Quesadilla Cheese package.

Two things made me want to try this recipe.   I had some cooked chicken on hand and also some bits and pieces of tortilla chips leftover from making nachos for hubby for lunch.  The dish  takes less than 20 minutes to prepare which makes it a great weeknight dinner.

I added onions, red peppers and frozen corn to make the recipe more of a one-dish meal.  Since I am a wimp when it comes to heat and did not have any mild salsa on hand (hubby is the salsa eater, and he likes medium), I used half medium salsa and half mild Picante Sauce.

The original recipe called for 3 c. of crushed tortilla chips.  I had only 2 c. on hand, and that amount worked fine.

To save money and calories, in the future I will use only 1 c. to 1 1/2 c. of cheese.  The full 2 cups was a bit of overkill to me.  If you cannot find the Queso Quesadilla cheese, I am sure that Mexican Blend Cheese or Cheddar cheese would work instead.  If I was making this for a potluck or just for me, I would add some sliced ripe olives (hubby doesn't like olives).

All in all, we both liked this dish, and it will go into my regular lunch/dinner rotation.

I wonder, am I the only one who still makes recipes found on food packages?

Quick, Creamy Chilaquiles
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped red peppers
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. salsa (I used half medium salsa and half mild Picante)
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
2-3 c. coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1-2 c. shredded Queso Quesadilla Cheese, Mexican Cheese, or Cheddar cheese

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium high.  Add onion, red pepper and frozen corn.  Cook until onions are tender, about 5  to 10 minutes.  Add salsa and chicken.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add crushed tortilla chips and mix well.  Top with cheese.  Cover, cook on medium-low heat 3 minutes until cheese is melted.  Serve topped with sour cream, green onions, and more salsa if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

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