Oven Baked Chimichangas

These are from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and are so good!  I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I adjusted the recipe slightly...

Ingredients:
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used closer to 2 cups)
1-2 tsp. minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I didn't have these, so I used chipotle chili pepper that I had in my spices and it turned out delicious)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a combination)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas (I only had the tortillas that you buy and cook yourself, so I used those...they are smaller and I had enough filling for 10)

Directions:
Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  While the oven is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 Tblsp. of the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering.  Cook the onion until it is just softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the beans, rice, chicken, and chipotle chiles and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the cheese and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used a few grinds of each).

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel.  Microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable, about 1 minute.  Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border at the bottom of the tortilla.  Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly.  Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam side down on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven.  Bake until the chimis are golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Serve.

Baked Ziti

This is a quick and easy dish that we have had a few times, and everyone loves it!

1 Tblsp. olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (original recipe calls for 1/4 tsp.)
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 oz.) cans crushed tomato
3 cups water
12 oz. ziti (3 3/4 cup) or your favorite short pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (1/3 of that if using dried)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (more if you like it really cheesy)

Place oven rack in middle position.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. salt in 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cover cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.

Add cheese and bake.   Stir in cream, parmesan, and basil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti.  Transfer skillet to oven (or a 2 quart glass dish if your skillet isn't oven safe) and bake until cheese has melted and browned.  About 10 minutes.