Burritos

Super Easy Burritos
(I made this for 2 adults and a toddler, it probably serves 3-4 adults, double it for more servings) Note: I freeze leftover rice, that is what I used in this recipe. It always comes in handy. I always make extra rice so that I can keep some in my freezer. :)

Ingredients:
-8 ounces (1/2 pound) Lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
-1 cup brown (or white) rice, cooked
-1/2 of 15 ounce can of pinto beans, rinsed well
-10 ounce can of enchilada sauce
-dash of salt and pepper if desired
-8 ounces Shredded cheddar cheese (I used about half of a package total)
-5 or more tortillas

1. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium heat. Drain fat, if any.
2. Add rice, beans and half of the enchilada sauce. Stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
3. Soften tortillas according to package directions, or use a tortilla warmer if you have one.  (Something like this.)
4. Add a small amount of cheese to the tortilla, followed by the filling. See picture below. The orange rectangle is where I put the cheese and filling. Then I folded the ends in, and rolled the tortilla away from me. 

5. Place the rolled tortillas in a casserole dish. I recommend greasing it beforehand, I didn't and had to scrape to get them out. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and a sprinkling of cheese if desired. Cover pan with foil. 
6. Store in fridge until ready to bake. Keep foil on pan (make sure the cheese isn't touching the foil!) and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to crisp up the burritos. 

Serve with sour cream and salsa. Diced avocado is a plus! :)

Taco Soup

A week or two ago I was looking for a recipe for taco soup. A friend had made some a few months ago and it was so delicious I wanted to try myself. I could have asked her for the recipe, but it was the night I wanted to make it, so I decided to just google it. I have tweaked a recipes.com recipe... enjoy!

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 onion, chopped (I never add the onion)

1 (1 ounce) package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (I was so surprised at this one, but it makes the soup)

1 package taco seasoning mix (1 ounce)

1 can of pinto beans

1 can kidney or chili beans

1 can corn (or frozen corn)

1- 2 cans diced tomatoes ( can use Mexican-style or regular)

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced green chiles

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef and onions until browned. Then drain.

2. Add ranch dressing and taco seasoning to the beef.

3. Transfer to a large pot and then add all other ingredients. Add a small amount of water to stretch the soup.

4. Simmer for one hour.

It is a pretty simple recipe. You can add or substitute ingredients as desired. A must is to have sour cream and grated cheese (and/or olives) to put on when serving it. Tortilla chips or fritos can also be added. It makes about 8-10 adult servings. Freeze half and then you've got a meal to pull out later. Tonight I have taken out our leftovers to enjoy!

Pictures to come later.

Turkey Chili

Hey Gang! So two things I wanted to share. One, three weeks ago I signed up for a meal-planning tool called Emeals. So far, it's been pretty good. I like that it challenges me to try new things, but without having to come up with all the ideas and the shopping lists! Downside: we don't 'love' ALL the meals. Some are just so-so. Let me know if you have more questions about it. For me, it's always been a HUGE challenge planning our meals, so this was a good bet. Already I have tried a few new dishes and they are ones I would make again, even for company! (Or sick people. The old-fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup was a hit with us)

My second thing is actually to share a recipe that I made separate from Emeals. I actually got the idea from All Recipe. I am going to just copy and paste the main recipe, but then I will tell you how I altered it because I did and it turned out really good. So good, in fact, that I actually got 3rd place in our Chili Cook-Off at church! Not bad, considering it was THE FIRST time I've every made chili! Ha; go figure.

Anyway, the turkey meat was a big hit, but also using the taco seasoning. If you like taco seasoning, it's perfect, if you don't want that overwhelming taste I would recommend using about half the package instead of all of it.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (7 ounce) can salsa
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or coarsely chopped tomatoes packed in puree
• 1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix, coriander, oregano, chili flakes, and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
2. Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, and green chilies, and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
3. While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.
4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili, reduce heat, and continue cooking 15 minutes more. Again, adjust the consistency with water as needed.
5. Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and serve.

Ok, so here are my modifications:

-since I am not a huge cooked tomato fan (well, I like them, just not a ton of it) I only used half the can of crushed tomatoes. 

-I left out the tomato paste entirely (even though it's only a little bit) I did not want my chili to be dominated by tomato taste. 

-added a bigger more salsa, and I always use the refrigerated salsa in a tub from the store. It's much fresher and better. (I know I just said I didn't like too much tomato - but something about the flavor of the salsa was different and yummier than just straight tomatoes)

-Don't skimp on the toppings: sour cream, green onions, and cheddar cheese really make it great!

Well, don't be mad, but I am going to have to break my own rule and not post a picture of my meal. In my defense, I made this two Sunday's ago and didn't think to post it on here until now! :) You still love me, right??

Chicken Chow Mein in the crockpot

Here is another Betty Crocker special that you can make in the crock pot.

Chicken Chow Mein
Prep: 10 min Cook: 8 hr 15 min 4 servings

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup) * I always omit onion since I don't like it.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I put just a teaspoon of minced garlic)
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespooons cold water
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted these)
1 cup snow pea pods
Chow mein noodles if desired

1. Remove fat from the chicken. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. In 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown.
2. In a 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker, place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and water chestnuts. Add chicken. In small bowl, mix broth, soy sauce and gingerroot; pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
4. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Stir in mushrooms and pea pods. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

1 serving: 255 calories.

Eggplant Parmigiana

For my first post, here is the recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana courtesy of Betty Crocker and a few of my changes. Eggplant Parmigiana was inspired by extra eggplant from my father-in-law. It is actually really delicious!

Prep: 1hr 5 min Cook: 10 min Bake: 25 min 6 servings (or 4 if you have a husband who eats a serving and a half at each sitting).
2 cups Italian tomato sauce
2 small unpeeled eggplant (I peeled mine and liked them that way)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I used the stuff from the can, or you can use grated)
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

1. Make tomato sauce or get your jar of sauce out.
2. Heat oven to 350.
3. Peel eggplant if desired. Cut eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. In shallow dish, mix egg and water. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
4. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook half of the eggplant at a time in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons oil if necessary (I found it sucked up the oil fast).
5. In ungreased 11 x 7 inch glass baking dish, place half o fthe eggplant, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon half of the sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese.
6. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown.

Calories: 410 per serving


Enjoy!