Taco Tuesday & More

Taco Tuesday
Wacky Wednesday
Fajita Friday

Any other suggestions?

Taco Tuesday:
Less about tacos, more about taco seasoning. My dear friend Liz shared this recipe for taco seasoning that I love! Make up a large batch & keep on hand for every Taco Tuesday.

1 T chile powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 T salt
1 T black pepper

Add more or less red pepper flakes depending on your tastes. Season up some ground turkey for some great tacos!



Fajita Seasoning:
Can't go wrong with fajitas. This recipe calls for more cumin for added smokey flavor. Try adding some fresh corn to your usual fajita mix.

3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. ground red pepper 

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. paprika

1 t. cumin

1 t. salt

Fajita Soup: 

Serves 4

This isn't quite a taco or tortilla soup, but equally delicious. The cooler weather today had me dreaming of soup & here we are. 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a stockpot. Add 2 chicken breast pieces, cut into cutlets. Season with salt & pepper & cook until browned & cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. 

Remove the chicken, set aside on a plate & cover. In the same stockpot, add 1 medium onion, chopped & add a pinch of salt.

Cook until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 can black beans, rinse & drained, & two ears worth of fresh corn (or about 1 cup frozen). Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pan begins to get hot again. 

Add a good teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin & 1 tablespoon cilantro. Slice or shred the chicken & add back to pan with about 3 cups of water. 

Let the soup come to a rolling boil, drop the heat to a medium-low & simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in a handful or two of reduced-fat cheddar-jack cheese & put the lid on. Give the cheese just a few minutes to melt. Serve immediately & enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

What wonderful weather we've been having! To celebrate the beginning of the fall season, we had pumpkin spice pancakes for breakfast this weekend. How delicious! This recipe was too good to hold onto any longer.

Serves 2 -- you can easily double the recipe to feed more

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats, ground -- use your coffee mill to grind into a flour or use whole oats

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

2/3 c. milk

1 egg

1 T. vegetable oil

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium. Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk egg into milk & vegetable oil & stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for a few minutes until your skillet is toasty. The batter can easily be adjusted for thicker or thinner pancakes. Just stir in a tablespoon at a time of milk or wheat flour. 

Cook up your delicious pancakes. Enjoy with maple sausage!

Chicken & Dark Chocolate

Chicken & Dark Chocolate.

No, not together. But delicious. And a two-fer. One whole chicken, one basic recipe & two completely different tasting dinners.

Ready? GO!

Start with a whole chicken, about 3-4 pounds. Bake or grill your chicken before hand -- rinse &  pat dry, then cut down the backbone & separate in your pan or roaster. Season with salt & pepper & bake at 400-425 degrees until the juices run clear, about an hour. Cover the chicken & let it rest for about 30 minutes before dividing in half and refrigerating until ready to use. It helps to do this maybe over a weekend & later in the evening when its not so awful to turn on your oven.

Want an even easier batch of recipes? Pick up a roasted chicken from your local deli.

First, we have a quinoa salad, then a stir fry over rice.

Quinoa Salad:

Serves 2 with excellent lunch leftovers

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen green beans

1/3 cup feta

salt & pepper

1/2 cooked chicken, deboned in bite-sized pieces without skin

Cook quinoa with a pinch of salt & pepper in a rice cooker. This takes about 20-25 minutes. When the quinoa have just begun to pop -- there is a little ring inside the grain that comes out when they are about done -- add in the peas, beans & chicken & allow to cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are done. Remove pot from rice cooker & stir in feta. Serve & enjoy!

Chicken-Broccoli Stir Fry:

Serves 2 with excellent lunch leftovers

1 cup rice

1/2 + pound fresh broccoli

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1/2 cooked chicken

salt & pepper

Cook rice according to directions. 

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook onions with a pinch of salt until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut & trim broccoli into bite-sized pieces and debone the chicken, removing the skin. You can almost ignore the onions, but don't let them burn. The longer they go, the better they taste. 

When the chicken & broccoli are ready, add into the pan & saute until the broccoli is bright green & just tender, seasoning with a pinch more salt & plenty of fresh ground pepper. Serve over the rice & enjoy!

Now for the chocolate! This is what you've really been waiting for!

Chocolate Mint Sandwiches:

Mmmmm. This is only the beginning. Since Katie is now in Central Standard Time, we decided to celebrate with some ridiculously chocolatey cookies. Martha delivered & we made these cookies. 

Friends, when the recipe calls for parchment paper, be sure to use it. As you are rolling the cookies out, be sure to taste test the dough & add a bit more powdered sugar to sweeten them up as necessary. Buy your favorite dark chocolate bars to use for the ganache & glaze. I happen to love Ghirardelli's Twilight Delight -- 72% cocoa & perfect for me. 

These little sandwiches were a bit of work, but lots of fun. It helps to have excellent company!

Delicious, I tell you!

Enjoy!

Chicken-Bean Soup & Other Good Things

Life is going back to "normal" -- if you know what "normal" is, please let me know. Here are a few recipes from the last week or so.

Shrimp with Farfalle and Spinach:
Serves 2

1 small onion, sliced or diced
20+ pieces of shrimp, or about 1/2 a pound, frozen
2 cups whole wheat farfalle or your favorite pasta
2+ cups spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a saute pan. Cook onion in oil until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, garlic, & oregano & cover, cooking until the shrimp is just pink & firm, about 4-5 minutes more.

Shred the spinach, bunching it together in large handfuls. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta & spinach to shrimp in pan and stir to combine, adding reserved water to reach preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes:
Mmmm. Pancakes.
Serves 2

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3+ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
dash vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients & wet ingredients separately. Slowly combine with a fork until just mixed, don't worry about any lumps. Set aside the batter while your skillet or griddle heat over medium.

When your skillet is hot, test the batter -- add more milk (regular or buttermilk) to reach your desired consistency. Pour large spoonfuls, about 1/3 cup or so, onto your skillet & do your pancake thing. Mom always used a tortilla warmer to keep prepared pancakes warm while the others cooked & it works marvelously.

If you don't have buttermilk, you can always use a buttermilk powder & water per the directions on the container or make buttermilk with regular milk & a good squeeze of lemon juice. These pancakes are great layered with Greek yogurt for extra protein with strawberries or whatever fresh fruit you like. And sausage. This all makes for a great Sunday breakfast.

Chicken-Bean Soup:
Today was an excellent day for soup -- not to mention I've been dreaming of fall & football for weeks now. This soup can even be made in one pot, even better!
Serves 2 with great lunch leftovers or 4

1 1/2 pound chicken thighs
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1 cup black beans, dried, rinsed & cooked
1 cup red kidney beans or navy beans, dried, rinsed & cooked
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
freshly ground pepper

In a large stock pan, heat about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook onions with salt until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken thighs, cumin, & oregano & cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan & set aside.

Add beans & corn to onions. Roughly slice or dice the chicken, removing any fat, & add back to pan with any juices. Bring soup to a boil & stir with wooden spoon to break down beans into stock. Crank on some freshly ground pepper. Add water 1/4 cup at at time to reach a soupier consistency if desired. Serve hot with saltines or a crusty bread.

If cooking dried beans isn't your thing, just use a can or two for each cup -- the more the merrier -- draining & rinsing them before adding to the soup.

Dessert:
Dessert?! Yes, I made dessert! If you are on any sort of a diet, stop reading now. I make the hubby eat most things like this.
Popcorn balls make me think of fall & I must really be dreaming. Look at all the chocolate in the corner there!

6 cups plain popcorn, popped (about 1/4 cup kernels)
large handful Hershey's kisses
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pretzel sticks, broken into smaller pieces
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Melt the butter over medium-low heat & add marshmallows, stirring until melted. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a medium-large bowl. When the mallows are melted, pour over popcorn mixture and stir to combine. Give the mallows a few moments to cool, but working quickly once you can handle the mixture, use your hands to form the mixture into balls. Set out on parchment paper to cool & enjoy!

A few tips on this quick sweet -- don't use a metal bowl, the heat transfer will melt your fingerprints & squirt a little spray cooking oil on your hands to keep the mixture from sticking. You can use any ingredients you like: almonds, pecans, M&Ms, mini Reese's, anything that sounds delicious to you.

Enjoy!!

Fooood

A backlog of recipes here. Lots of good food & even better company this summer.

Let's start at the beginning: Enchiladas!
Serves 8+

3 whole chicken breast
20 oz ground turkey
3 cans red enchilada sauce
2-3 larger cans green chiles
2-3 white or yellow onions, chopped
16 whole wheat tortillas
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons taco seasoning

In a large stock pan, heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add ground turkey & cook until browned. Drain if necessary. If using the 97% fat free, you can get away without draining the turkey. Season with taco seasoning and set aside.

In the same stock pan, heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Saute onions until softened, 4-5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, cut the chicken breast pieces into cutlets and layer on top of the onions, cooking 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cans of the enchilada sauce and all of the green chiles. Allow pot to boil and cook chicken until done, 4-5 minutes more.

Turn burner off and remove chicken from pan. Cut or shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Add chicken and turkey back to pan. Allow filling to cool a little before filling the tortillas.

Spray 2 13X9 pans with spray oil. Fill tortillas and layer in pans, about 8 per pan. Divide the last can of enchilada sauce between the pans and top with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Enchiladas should be browned & bubbly.

This recipe can easily be halved for a smaller batch. You can also make the filling ahead of time & refrigerate until you're ready to fill the tortillas & enjoy.

Fish Sticks!
Serves 2

2 tilapia filets, defrosted
2 pieces whole wheat bread
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
salt & pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine the bread, cheese, & spices to make a bread crumbs. Put bread crumb mixture in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Cut the tilapia filets into 3-4 pieces each on a diagonal to make your fish sticks.

Place a baking rack over a baking pan. Press each fish stick into the crumb mixture, coating on both sides. Lay each piece on the baking rack. Bake fish at 425 degrees until cooked through & browned, about 12-14 minutes.

Serve with couscous, brown rice, or quinoa and roasted vegetable.

Diablo Pasta
Serves 2

This meal is inspired by my favorite dish at Bela Luna -- their Diablo Pasta.

20 medium shrimp, raw & defrosted
2 cups whole wheat pasta like penne or rigatoni
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 medium-large green peppers, sliced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook pasta according to the directions. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a saute pan. Add onions & peppers & cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle half of the spices onto the vegetables & mix. Add shrimp & cook until just done, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining spices.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pan & add shrimp mixture. Stir in yogurt, adding reserved water a necessary to get a creamy consistency.
Enjoy!

Hummus

Tonight's recipe is less about the delicious grilled chicken & broccoli I made yesterday & much more about my favorite dip: hummus!

The basis for this recipe came from Joy Bauer's book Slim & Scrumptious. Love her book, there are a lot of great alternatives!

Healthier Hummus
Serves 2-4 (depending on how much you love hummus)

1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed & drained
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 + plain yogurt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/8 - 1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt & garbanzo beans to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula. Slowly pour in the olive oil while blending. Transfer to a bowl & enjoy with whole wheat pitas, carrot & celery sticks, or substitute for mayo on your sandwich.

Sometimes the yogurt takes a little more or less yogurt to get a good, smooth consistency. Add more as necessary. Use more or less olive oil depending on just how low-calorie you'd like your hummus.

The super but not so secret ingredient to hummus is tahini sauce -- a paste made from sesame seeds. It happens to be higher in calories, which prompts the yogurt substitute. It does, however, make a big difference on flavor. You can use it sparingly along with the yogurt if you like. Tahini is so good its hard to pass up!

Couscous & Lentil Salad

A little out of the box today -- I have been wanting to try some different salads with grains & this is what came from the depths of my mind. This is an easy recipe to adjust, just use what veggies sound good to you! Substitute beans, legumes, or edamame for the lentils or bulgur, rice, or quinoa for the couscous.

Couscous & Lentil Salad
Serves 2

1 cup couscous
1 cup lentils, rinsed & drained
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1/2 pound ground turkey, cooked
handful each fresh thyme & oregano
2-3 cups water

Cook the couscous according to the directions on the package. Some suggest adding butter & oil, but you can keep it simple by just adding a pinch of salt.

Heat about 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saute pan & add the lentils, stirring often, about 5 minutes until they begin to brown a little. Add onions & cook until they are tender, about 5 more minutes. Add carrots and 1 cup of the water. Slowly add the water, allowing the sauce to cook down, about 20 more minutes. Stir in the turkey and cook through, 2-3 minutes more.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, stirring in the thyme. Add oregano to lentils just before serving over the couscous. Mix it all up in your bowl & enjoy! Can be served hot, at room temp or chilled.

Cooling off & a little comfort food

So we all know that it is ridiculously hot outside. I'm sure the last thing you want to do is cook up a hot meal in a hot kitchen.

I love salmon salad sandwiches, but had a bit of a twist on Monday. Turn a sandwich into a salad & it makes for a cool & protein-packed summer dinner.

Salmon Salad
Serves 2

1 can boneless salmon
1/4 - 1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt & pepper
garlic & onion powder

Stir the salmon & yogurt together, breaking up the larger pieces of fish. Season with spices to taste. Serve with cool cucumber slices & a handful or two of spinach.

Ohh but its summer & BBQ sandwiches are so delicious. This meal definitely qualifies as comfort food in our house!

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Serves 2

2 chicken breast cutlets
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
garlic & onion powder
salt

Heat a little spray oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions & cook with a little salt until they begin to caramelize. Add chicken & cook until browned.

Stir in BBQ sauce (the hubby loves KC Masterpiece, but Curly's is my favorite) & sprinkle on a little garlic & onion powder to taste. Cook until the chicken is done, 10-12 minutes total. If your sauce gets a bit too think for your preference, you can always add a bit of water as it cooks.

Serve your sandwiches over toasted whole wheat buns with cheesy mac. Enjoy!

Jerk Chicken & More

Finally, some jerk chicken! Jerk is a spicy Jamaican spice mix with a great kick. No jerk pit here, but a fast way to enjoy different flavors.

Jerk Chicken
Serves 3-4

1 roasting chicken
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 lime
2-3 tablespoons Jerk seasoning
olive oil

You can grill or roast your Jerk chicken. To grill, just wrap the chicken in several layers of foil & secure tightly.

Rinse the chicken & pat dry. Using kitchen shears, cut down the back of the chicken and flatten, this will speed your cooking time. Tuck his wings back & lay on the foil or in a roasting pan or dutch oven. Drizzle a little olive oil over him & rub in the Jerk seasoning. Add onions around the chicken.

Roast at 400 degrees or over medium-high heat for about an hour or until juices run clear. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken & let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving & serving.

Such an easy & delicious dinner! Great over rice with roasted asparagus. For a little extra zing in your rice, stir in a little fresh cilantro.

The garden is coming right along & I was able to make my first pesto of the year. So delicious! It called for one of my favorite summertime sandwiches, basil & Swiss grilled chicken.

Grill up a couple of chicken breast pieces, seasoning with salt & pepper.

In a blender or food processor, add at least one good handful of fresh basil, about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese & a squeeze of lemon juice. While the machine is running, slowly add in enough olive oil to thicken, between 1/8 & 1/4 cup. If you've added too much oil, you can always toss in a bit of fresh spinach to get the right consistency.

Spread on toasted bread and top with the chicken & a piece of Swiss cheese.








Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Fourth!

Happy 4th of July everyone! Hope everyone is having a fun & safe holiday! You might be able to extend your celebration with some of these recipes.

Best Burgers:
Serves 3-4

2 pounds ground beef, 85-93% fat free
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 t. ground pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1/2 t. parsley

Stir spices together in a small bowl. With your hands, mix the beef & olive oil, add spices and mix. Form 7-8 patties with your hands, handling the beef a little as possible. Lay patties in a prepared 8x8 or larger pan lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until the grill is ready. Grill over a medium-hot heat until desired doneness. Remember to let the burgers rest at least 10 minutes after grilling to allow the juices to redistribute.

Roasted Vegetable and Pasta Salad:
Serves 3-4

2 fresh corn cobs, buttered & wrapped in foil
1-2 small-medium onions
1 bell pepper
3 cups whole wheat pasta
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium-large carrot, chopped or julienned
garlic powder
salt & pepper

This doesn't really look like pasta salad, but it the beginning. Roast corn cobs, onion & bell pepper until charred & aromatic.

Toss the pepper in a paper bag to sweat it out for a bit. Meanwhile, cook 3 cups whole wheat pasta according to directions. In a large bowl, juice the lemon & add salt, pepper & garlic powder. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make a vinaigrette. Toss in pasta & carrot.

When the veggies are done on the grill, give them a few minutes to let them cool before chopping. Roughly chop the onion & cut the kernels from the corn. Quick tip for the corn: using a small bowl overturned in a medium bowl, stand the cob up on the smaller bowl & cut down the cob to remove the kernels. Peel the skin away from the pepper & dice. Add to pasta mix & stir to combine. Pasta salad can be served at room temp fresh from the grill or chilled.

The best part of my barbeque-swiss burger was the sauce wasn't necessary to make the burger moist. So delicious!

Keep an eye out for a jerk chicken recipe later this week!