Taco Casserole

Mmmm so delicious! I love this recipe from Six Sisters! I changed a bit from the original. This blog is very good and I get lots of my recipes from it so you should check it out if you haven't already!

1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lbs ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey
3 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (Try my homemade taco seasoning)
1 cup salsa (I like pineapple salsa)
2 cups shredded cheddar 
Shredded lettuce or spinach (I prefer spinach actually)
1 diced tomato 

Tortilla chips
Black beans (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Throw in the 1 diced onion and saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the 2 tsp (or 2 cloves) minced garlic and saute for another 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the 1 lbs meat to the onions & garlic

Break it up and sprinkle the 3 Tbsp taco seasoning over it as evenly as possible. 

Sprinkling with taco seasoning in small increments until the meat is completely browned. Remember, if you're using ground turkey or chicken it will cook faster and be more dry than cooking with beef. You may need to add small splash of olive oil to keep it from sticking.

Add salsa (this is peach & pineapple salsa, yum!) and beans (if using). I've had extra corn and used that which tastes good too.  

Mix well until thickened

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and pour the meat into the dish.

Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheddar. Top with jalapenos (if using). 

Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes (or until cheese is melted).

Yum! Put chips on a plate and spoon a small portion onto the chips. Top with tomatoes, lettuce/spinach, sour cream (if using) or jalapenos. Best if eaten with chips (extra ones are recommended!).   

Best if tried with:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Bacon Guacamole

Veggie Fried Rice

It's been a while since I've written a post but we've had such a busy summer I couldn't find the time! But now that it's getting cooler, I'll be spending more time indoors and around my computer. I love this Fried Rice recipe, it comes from Life in the Loft House. I change very little when I make it, mostly I just add a few more veggies and leave out the eggs. If you want scrambled eggs, feel free to add them. When you're cooking just push your veggies over and cook the eggs in the same pan while your frying the rice. Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cup uncooked rice (or 3 cups cooked rice)
3 cups water
3 Tbsp sesame oil
1 to 2 cups frozen veggies (I prefer the mixed veggies with carrots, corn, peas and green beans)
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
3-4 Tbsp soy sauce

If your rice is cooked, great! Skip to the cooking part but make sure your veggies are thawed/thawing!

Start by taking your veggies out of the freezer and let them start to thaw. Than wash the 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, it helps get all the impurities off and makes it cook better (so I'm told).

Put into a rice cooker

Add the 3 cups of water to the rice cooker. Close the lid and start it up. Don't lift the lid to check it while it's cooking, it will let the steam out and not cook the rice properly. It should take about 20 minutes.

You can dice the onion if you haven't already and cook the main dish while the rice is cooking. It will only take a few minutes once the rice is done. 

Once the rice is done, heat the 2 Tbsp in a wok or a large sauce pan. Once warm, add the 1 diced onion, 2 tsp garlic, 1 to 2 cups frozen veggies. Stir fry until tender (should be 3 to 5 minutes). That's about 2 cups of veggies. I like veggies.

Once tender, add the rice to the wok or skillet.

Blend and add in the 3 to 4 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix until the rice is heated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Goes great with:

Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

Sweet and Savory Korean Chicken Legs

Hawaiian Kabobs - Hawaiian Chicken, Shrimp and Pineapple

I love grilling (or letting my hubby grill ha ha). I can't say for sure that the shrimp tastes good because I can't eat shrimp however my hubby and 19 month old daughter gobbled them up super fast so I take it that they liked them. I can say the chicken and the pineapple tasted delicious. I adapted these recipes from two different sights, the chicken and pineapple were from grocerybudget101 and the shrimp was from The Chew (I love that show). Warm up your grills because this is one recipe where you don't want to miss out!

For the Chicken:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar or sherry

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the Pineapple:

1 Fresh Pineapple

3 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar or sherry

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the Shrimp:

1 lbs Shrimp, cleaned, deveined

Salt and pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (or olive oil or coconut oil in liquid state)

Skewers 

This is real simple. Cut the chicken into 1" cubes. Try to make them all the same size so they cook at the same rate. Place in a ziplock bag. Mix the 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or sherry, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp ground ginger & 1/4 tsp garlic powder in a bowl then pour into the bag with the chicken.

Shake the bag so the chicken is coated. Let it marinade for about 2 hours in the fridge. The longer it marinates the better the flavors! Turn it or shake it a few times while it marinates.

For the pineapple, it's best to use fresh. I know it can be intimidating but it's quite simple to cut. First cut off the top and bottom.

Then just cut the sides off until you get a weird shaped octagon

Slice that into about 6 circle/octagon slices, cut out the core (the non-juicy part in the center) and slice the juicy part into 1" cubes. Try to make them close to the same size so they all cook at the same rate. Put into a zip-lock bag.

Combine 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or sherry, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp garlic powder in a bowl (can use the same bowl as the chicken marinade) and pour into the zip-lock bag with the pineapple. 

Shake the bag so it coats the pineapple. Let it marinate for about 2 hours. Shake or turn it every few hours to make sure it all gets coated. 

When ready to cook, heat up the grill. 

Put the shrimp in a bowl, pour the 2 Tbsp oil over the shrimp. Add the salt, pepper, 2 tsp ground coriander and 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Add to a skewer.

Add the pineapple and chicken to skewers. I know that it looks better to have them all on one skewer but 1) I have a problem with raw chicken touching my other food 2) it doesn't cook evenly and your fruit will over cook or your chicken will be under cooked.

Add them to the grill and let the food cook until it's cooked all the way through. The shrimp will take about 2 to 3 minutes or until opaque. Chicken will take about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how big your chunks are. Pineapple will take about 5 minutes, you want just a slight black char.

Yum!

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

This delicious sauce is one I use a lot in my Asian recipes. I use to buy it at the store but after reading the ingredients, I thought I'd make my own. I slightly adapted this recipe from CDKitchen. 

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sesame oil (can use olive oil)

1/8 tsp black pepper

0 to 10 drops of Chinese hot sauce, habenero or jalepeno

Quick and simple. Throw it all in a bowl and stir until fully combine!

Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Homemade Poppyseed Dressing

This is a tasty salad that can be customized to your liking. It's all about the delicious poppy seed dressing. I got inspired from Lauren's Latest and made it a bit more healthy. It's light, it's great for summer and it's so delicious but you won't feel guilty!

Salad:

6-8 cups baby spinach

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1-2 cup grapes 

1/2 cup almonds (optional)

6 slices of bacon or turkey bacon (optional)

Dressing

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (for healthy Greek yogurt, read the label and make sure no sugar is added. Target brand, Simply Balanced, is what I use) OR condensed coconut milk for Paleo diet

1/4 cup white vinegar

4 Tbsp honey

1 to 1 1/2 tsp poppy seed

You won't need too many directions because it's simple. Put all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and toss. Put all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.

If you're going to have leftovers, don't mix the salad and dressing. Put the salad in individual bowls. 

Pour the dressing over the salad and enjoy without guilt!

Tomatoes Stuffed With Grilled Corn Salad

These can look pretty fancy, but they are simple to make. I love making them and the best thing, they taste delicious! I slightly adapted this recipe from Ms. Martha Stewart. And it's perfect for summer!

Serves 4

3 ears of corn OR 1 can of corn

4 beefsteak tomatoes

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup cheese (Original recipe called for goat cheese but I much prefer aged cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend. You can use any cheese you want) 

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

3 slices cooked bacon or turkey bacon, crumbled (optional)

You can of course fire up your outside grill and roast the corn on the stalks. To do that, pull back husks (don't remove) and take out the silk and soak corn & husks in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, put husks back over the corn. Place corn husks on high heat on the grill for about 15 to 20 minutes. When done, cut kernels off corn and set aside in a bowl.  

I like to cook it inside on a George Foreman grill. To do that, put on the flat panel grill plate. Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil on to the grill and turn to high heat.

I cut the corn off the stalks OR if using canned corn (which I have many times), drain the water and place the corn kernels directly on the grill plate in the oil. I sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and grill for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash your beefsteak tomatoes. And if using bacon, start cooking that now too.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes

Very gently, squeeze the seeds out of the tomato and discard (or eat them if you're like me).Take a small knife (paring knife works best) and cut around the inside of the tomato, remove the innards of the tomato. Give them a rough chop and throw them into a bowl.

Once the corn is done, throw it into the bowl with the tomato innards, and top with crumbled bacon, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup cheese (reserving just a little to top each tomato if you wish), 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar and salt & pepper.

Give it a good stir, and spoon it into your tomatoes and Voila! 

Super yummy and great for summer!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Don't waste your money on taco seasoning packets any more! This recipe is quick, simple and cheap! I usually make a big batch and just stick it in my spice cabinet so I always have it on hand. Recipe is from One Hundred Dollars A Month.

4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt

Real simple directions, throw everything in a small bowl, give it a stir and season away!