FAMOUS TACO SALAD

This is a good recipe for a hot summer day when you just don't want to cook or just need something fast to make.

15 ounce can black beans    If you dont like black beans buy organic refired beans
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 lg onion chopped
1 cup red wine (or broth if you desire)
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
1 Pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons taco seasonings
3 C Romaine lettuce
2/3 Salsa
4 Tablespoons diced or shredded cheddar cheese
2 Dollips sour cream (your choice)
1 Avocado sliced ( or makd Guacamole dip by smashing up the avos and add salsa)
Tortilla Chips

Combine beans, brown sugar, onion, and wine (or broth) in small pot and cook till most of the liquid is gone. Salt and pepper to taste. Let them cool while you brown the meat mixed with taco seasonings.
Build your salad:
Half the beans on each plate
In order top beans with:
Half lettuce, one serving of ground beef, half salsa, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 dollip of sour cream, 1/2 avocado sliced.
You can substitute ground beef for any meat.
Hubby adds Salsa Verde to his salad.

ONE POT MEAT LOAF

I am always looking for ways to not cook in my toaster oven, since my real oven is awful and only for pan storage.
This time I took a meatloaf recipe and tried it out in my "One Pot Pan".
I use a 2" chicken fryer pan, because it is deep enough for meat loaf logs.
I suppose I should have taken pictures but didn't. I will next time.
Putting both oblong meat loafs in this pan is just right. Remember not to handle the loaf much when mixing. Just get it together and softly form two loafs.

ONE SKILLET MEAT LOAF

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped                 
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoon chili sauce
1/3 C chicken broth
3 tsp Worchester sauce
1/3 C chicken broth or left over tomato sauce
½ C dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2# 91% or higher ground beef ( you could subsitute 1/2 lb of lamb)
4 tablespoons ketchup

In large medium hot chicken fry skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion cook 2 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, chili sauce, broth, Worchester sauce. Cook 5 minutes. Take out of pan and set aside to cool.
In large bowl, combine ground beef, parmesan, bread crumbs, and eggs. Add onion mix. Be careful not to mix or pack meat.

Heat large chicken fry pan. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil. Make two large loafs and set side by side in pan.
Top with 2 tablespoons ketchup on each loaf. Cook on low for 1 hour. Add a little water in the beginning. Keep the lid on and cook until done.

Makes 6 servings

White Bean and Ham Hocks

Now that I have a permanent job, I have to be far more organized. Choosing one-pot meals and using the slow cooker will be essential. My hours are either 8am-2pm or 3pm-9pm.

One good thing about finally being employed means that we can shop exclusively at Whole Foods and farmers markets. Now my challenge will be buying food frugally. Yep, meals that take only a few ingredients. I looked up the "Five Ingredient" girl on FoodTV, but the ingredients are just something I would only use once in a while. I try to keep ingredients I will use often. I even refill my spice jars with bulk spices in small quanities. This way my dried spices stay fresh. Occasionally I buy fresh herbs like basil for Itallian meals.

Tonights meal is a slow cooker meal. I forgot to soak my white beans last night so I cooked them on the stove.

White Beans and Ham Hocks

3C dried White Beans

1 onion chopped

3 celery stocks including the tender leaves (optional)

Ham Hock (what ever size you like)

salt and pepper to taste

You can either soak the beans over night in water, 4" of water above the beans, or you can cook the beans on your stove with water at least 2 inches over the beans. Heat on the stove until it boils then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover for 2 hours.

Put Ham Hock in the slow cooker, add chopped onions, celery, and beans. Salt and Pepper to taste. Don't add much salt, because the ham hock is salty. Cook on high for 4 hours or until the beans are cooked. Test the beans and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with home made cornbread and honey.

Makes 4 servings.

Stuffed Turkey Rolls

Yes, another hot day. Can you believe it, THUNDER and no rain. I was told it had something to do with the heat today. I need to find out more about that.
And again, another one pot entree. Easy to clean when you use paper plates. Just the pan, utensils, and glasses.

Stuffed Turkey Rolls                        Serves 3

4 green onions diced
1/4 of a bell pepper cut in small pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 small mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 C fresh spinach
6 turkey fillets or tenders
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (divided for 6 fillets or a pinch of parmesan cheese per fillet)
6 teaspoons ricotta

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add green onions and bell peppers. Sautee for 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms. Cook until soft then add salt and pepper. Add spinach and cook till wilted.
Set aside in a bowl.
Pound turkey fillets thin sprinkling with salt and pepper to taste and fill 6 turkey fillets with vegetable mixture, 1 teaspoon ricotta, and a pinch of parmesan cheese. Roll up using tooth picks to close. It doesn't have to be pretty. If it takes 5 tooth picks its okay. You will take the tooth picks out when you are done. The turkey will stay in place after its cooked.
Add 1 tablespoon to pan and brown turkey rolls on each side. After they are browned add 1/8 C water and cover to steam. This won't take long. Probably 10 minutes, depending on how thin your fillets are.
TAKE TOOTH PICKS OUT and serve.

You can substitute chicken if you want. I don't eat chicken. It is not good for my type B blood
See my oher blog PreventionWithoutDrugs.

We had left over fresh steamed beets. I had brown rice and hubby had corn on the cob.

Skillet Lasagna

Like I told you before it gets hot in our Tin Can. You really do not want to cook inside and since we have not bought a new BBQ I need to be creative.
I have a propane oven but it heats the place up and does not cook well. I could use the toaster oven but that pulls a lot of electricity and REALLY heats the place up. Therefore, "One Pot Cooking" seems to be what I do most.

I bought all the ingredients to make Lasagna, but it is 104 today and our air conditioning is going strong. The interior temperature stays about 80 until the sun goes down. There is no wind here to cool us down at night like our home state of Nevada. I feel bad wishing for tropical storms that will bring rain here to cool us off. Just a bit of rain....maybe a slow half hour sprinkle?

Skillet Lasagna

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 lb hamburger
1/4 sweet onion cut up
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon: oregano, Tarragon, Basil or 1.5 teaspoons of Italian Seasonings
1-14.5 can tomatoes with Italian seasonings.
1 Tablespoon sugar (I use cane sugar because all my ingredients are organic or natural)
8 ounces noodles (use what you have)
4 ounces of Ricotta
6 ounces of Mozzarella
Handful of parmesan cheese

Cook noodles and drain.
In separate large pan add olive oil then add hamburger. Cook until there is no more pink. Drain and add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes and add spices, sugar and cook for 15 minutes.
Set aside half of meat mixture.
Spread half of the noodles over meat mixture top with half of the ricotta (put teaspoon drops all over the noodles). Top with half the mozzarella, Repeat ending with noodles. Top with parmesan cheese and put lid on pan. Cook on low until cheeses melts.

Serves 4

Serve with tossed green salad with Italian dressing along with crusty bread. Oh yea, and a good bottle of wine.



Easy Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie is like a goulash to me. Whatever meat I have left over I make this recipe.

For this recipe I used left over pulled pork from a recipe on Pioneer Woman on Food TV. The name of the recipe is Spicy Pop Pulled Pork. Of course, her recipes are for an army since she cooks for four children, husband, and some ranch hands. I cut this recipe in half and still put 1/3 of it in the freezer. Trying to cook for two always gives me something to put in the freezer.

Tamale Pie       Serves 4-6

3C water
1C corn meal
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 large onion minced
1/2 bell pepper sliced
1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
1 sm can sliced olives
21/2 Tablespoons chili powder
up to 2 C leftover meat

Heat large skillet (the chicken fry pan that is 3" deep), add olive oil. Sautee onions and peppers.
Meanwhile combine water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cornmeal and 1/2 tablespoon chili powder and cook stirring constantly until thick.
To onion  mix add tomatoes, corn, remaining salt, meat, and remaining chili powder. Cook enough to heat up then add a couple scoops of cornmeal to thicken sauce, add olives.
Spread half of the cornmeal in an 8" square glass-baking dish after spraying with oil. Add the meat mixture and top with the remaining cornmeal.
Cook at 375 for 40 minutes.

If you want to spice it up you can add jalapeno. I had left over corn/bean/homemade salsa relish left over and put that in.

Serve with a green salad and cottage cheese.

Stocking Up

This is the time of the year where you can get great fresh produce. Now is the time to stock up for those days you either just don't want to cook or because winter is to harsh for a garden and the stores are to expensive.

Here is a real good list of items you should always keep in your home. I can't do this because my frig is very small. I used to stock up when I had a house.
Both of these links are from my new found foodtv host, Ree Drummond.
Check out her kitchen. Wow cement for counter tops. Do you need an engineer for that? hehe

Stocking up
Stocking up printable list.

Like I said in my previous post. If you are making chili or spaghetti for dinner make enough for another meal and freeze it.
A good way to freeze veggie or fruit:
Clean the fresh produce
Chop them into sizes you want
Set fruit on a sheet pan in one layer in your freezer (this is flash freezing)
After it freezes put in air tight bags or use vacuume bags ( my choice is vacuume seal them)
LABLE the bags. Make sure you put a date on it too.