Eggs Barbacoa, kindof

I don't like meat. I don't like to cook it or eat it, so we rarely have it on our dinner table. Of course, if my kids want meatballs or chicken strips/tenders, I take the time to make them, but we usually eat vegetarian meals and lots of fish/seafood.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I saw a recipe that I really wanted to try in Cooking Light Magazine. And it called for beef. It was weird for me because usually meat/chicken dishes do not appeal to me at all.

Then, at the Farmer's Market, a nice farmer/professor had a booth about his grass-fed beef and so I went to talk to him. I asked him lots of questions, even specific ones about how his cows were processed. I took his business card. I thought about it for a couple of weeks.
I decided that if we were going to only eat beef once a year, then it was perfectly okay to pay a higher price for it.

My neighbor happened to buy some grass-fed beef from the same man and she said it was the best beef she had ever tasted.

Now, I kinda did my own thing on putting this together. I cooked the beef according to the Beef Barbacoa recipe but made all sorts of changes when it came to the complete dish. I don't really remember what I did actually, so that is why the picture here and the picture featured over at Cooking Light look entirely different.

The beef was good, but I still just don't care for it. My family on the other hand was really excited about the meat.


Recipe for Eggs Barbacoa

Recipe for Beef Barbacoa

Egg Vegetable Salad Wrap

This past Easter we hard-boiled a ton of eggs. We wanted to make sure that everyone had enough to dye and I wasn't too worried about using the extra eggs because we were making potato salad right around that time and my kids like to eat them for breakfast or snacks.

My son always requests egg salad sandwiches whenever we have hard-boiled eggs and the reason why is because he wants to turn them into Egg Salad Open Face Sandwiches.
We did that one night for dinner, but still had quite a few eggs, so I figured we would need another recipe to use some of them up.

I found this recipe in a little flyer from Publix and I wanted to try this spin on egg salad. A few more vegetables, dijon mustard and whole wheat tortillas made this a nice twist on egg salad.
My family still prefers the egg salad faces, but I really enjoyed this version.

Egg-Vegetable Salad Wraps adapted from a Publix publication
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped radishes
1/4 cup fat free mayo
2 Tbls dijon mustard
1/4 tsp crushed dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
6 lettuce leaves
6 6-7 inch whole wheat tortillas
2 plum tomatoes, chopped

In a large bowl combine eggs, cucumber, zucchini, carrot, and radishes.
Add the mayo, dijon mustard, basil, salt, paprika, and pepper.
Mix gently.
For each wrap, place a lettuce leaf on a tortilla. Divide chopped tomatoes evenly on top of the lettuce. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture on top of the tomatoes. Roll up tortilla and secure with toothpick, if necessary.
Cut tortilla wraps in half and serve.

Pork and Squash Burritos

Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great 2009 and that 2010 brings more happiness and joy to your lives.
I am excited about a new year and a chance for a new start in some ways.

I have had a crazy couple of weeks and decided to take the past couple days off from updating this blog, even though I have lots of things to post about.

I made these at least a month ago, if not more because I had leftover pork and squash from this dish, (which I must ask- have you made it yet? because if you haven't, you really should, not only because it is incredibly delicious, but also because you can make THESE with the leftover pork as well)

I remember seeing a couple recipes for Pork and Squash Burritos and I knew that they would be really great with this leftover pork and squash, which was already wonderfully spiced and cooked.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, mainly because my squash and pork were already cooked, but most of the spices are the same.
I filled my burritos with spinach and cooked quinoa.
Yummy.

If one of your goals for 2010 is trying new foods or new combinations of foods, this would be a good one to start with.

Come back tomorrow for details on how I am going to make 2010 a really healthy year!
Enjoy your first day of 2010!

Recipe for Pork and Squash Burritos

Homemade Tortillas and Turkey Fajitas

On a Saturday night, while my hubby was watching football, I needed to throw a meal together. I had been planning to make fajitas, but didn't realize we were out of tortillas.
I decided to make some from scratch.
I remember making them when I was growing up with oil, flour, salt and water.
I just couldn't remember the exact porportions.
I had some turkey breast fillets in the fridge, so I threw together the fajita marinade I usually use and let the meat marinate for awhile. Not as long as it should have, but I didn't have a ton of time.
I sliced up an onion and some bell peppers and made the tortilla dough.
While the dough was resting, I cooked up my turkey/onion/pepper mixture and then covered that, to keep it warm, while I made the tortillas.

My kids loved the tortillas. I thought they were pretty good, but next time I will probably use melted butter or olive oil for a little bit more flavor.

Flour Tortillas
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbls canola oil or melted butter
3/4-1 cup water

mix together flour and salt. Stir in oil. Add water bit by bit, stirring until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Divide dough in half, then in half again, and one more time, so that you have 8 dough balls. Cover the dough and let it rest.
When ready to make tortillas, sprinkle a little flour on a clean surface. Roll out dough as thinly as you can.
Warm a saute pan over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the hot pan and when bubble form, turn it over to the other side. It only takes about 1-2 minutes per side, or less.
Continue with other dough balls until all tortillas are formed.

One Year Ago-Raspberry Cream Sandwiches and Graham PB Bon Bons

CEiMB-Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

I picked my mom up at the airport yesterday and we are so excited that she is going to stay with us for a whole week! It has been fun already and having an extra pair of hands all day is wonderful! I have to apologize about my lack of commenting on other blogs while she is here. Last thing I want to do is sit at the computer when there are so many fun things to do. I will get to all of you, as soon as I can.

There are a few foods I don't like. Not very many, but mushrooms are one of the things that I am not especially fond of. I will eat them if they are mixed into something or on top of pizza, but I will not eat them plain, on their own. ( This little tidbit of information relates to the post- just hold on a second.)

This weeks Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe, Easy Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas, was chosen by Marthe over at Culinary Delights. You can find the recipe on her blog or by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.

These quesadillas were very easy to throw together. Good thing, since easy is in the recipe title.
You saute onion and mushrooms, add garlic, chicken, oregano, cumin, chili powder and spinach.
I already had some cooked chicken in the fridge, so I just shredded that and used it. I also added matchstick carrots, since they were in the fridge.

After the filling was cooked and warm, I melted the cheese and finished off our quesadillas in the microwave. That is how make quesadillas for my kids most of the time. My husband requires that his quesadillas be cooked in butter, so they are nice and golden on the outside (since he is an adult, he can get away with unhealthy demands sometimes) and he doesn't like whole wheat anything, so we used normal flour tortillas.
Hubs said " it's pretty and seems fancy and healthy. Doesn't taste bad either." (He really isn't that demanding, he puts up with a lot of wierd food, when he would rather be eating McDonalds.)

We dipped ours in the best jarred salsa out there- Herdez, it is the only jarred salsa I like. We used greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

We liked these. A nice way to get some vegetables into something that usually is just full of cheese and chicken. Plus, there were enough other things inside of these that I wasn't too bothered by the mushrooms.

Go see what the other Ellie's thought by checking out the CEiMB Blogroll!



Recipe for Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

One Year Ago-Weekly Lunchbox

CEiMB-Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza

The recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly this week was Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza. This recipe was chosen by Joanne and you can find the recipe over at her blog- Apple Crumbles or by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. Joanne amazes me every week because she cooks so many variations of each recipe to satisfy the people in her family. Make sure you check out her blog.
I was excited to try this recipe because the black bean dip that you use as the spread for this pizza sounded really tasty. I made these for dinner last night and luckily, Kayte made them for lunch, so she tweeted about how good they were, just the way the recipe was written. Since she raved about them as is, I didn't change anything about these when I made my first batch.

I even got out my little cookie cut and made tiny little tortilla circles and I think this would make a great appetizer or party dish. Very delicious.
I could not keep my fingers out of this black bean dip. It was good. Plus the whole thing took maybe 20 minutes to make- blending up the dip, throw the pizzas together, cook and clean-up. I can handle that.

For my hubby and kids, I added some shredded chicken before I put the cabbage (I used angel hair coleslaw from the bag, which is just cabbage, but already thinly sliced) on top and then melted a little cheese on top. No complaints from any of my family members. They actually really liked this dinner too.
I will be making the dip again and hope that maybe there will be some left to make another pizza. I am not making any promises about that. Go to the CEiMB Blogroll to see what everyone else thought about these Mexican Pizzas!

Recipe for Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza


One Year Ago-Lunchbox #3

Stacked Burrito Pie

I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Family Fun Magazine and it look liked an easy quick dinner. I changed up the ingredients quite a bit, to make it more of a meal that my family would enjoy. The original recipe called for ground beef and I subbed in a bunch of veggies instead. I also subbed in plain yogurt for the sour cream, which is something that I usually do and added some extra beans for fiber. I had already packed my springform pans when I made this, so I just put it together in a cake pan, which worked just fine.
We all liked this dinner and it was very filling. The great thing about this recipe is that it is very versatile and you can switch up the ingredients anyway you want.

Stacked Burrito Pie adapted from Family Fun Magazine

1 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, cut in quarters lenthwise and sliced

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cups frozen corn kernel
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1 cup refried beans

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup salsa
8 ounces Cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated

Step 1 In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Step 2 Increase the heat to medium, then add the bell peppers, zucchini, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the salt, water, black beans, and corn, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.

Step 3 Heat the oven to 350°. Using the rim of a 9-inch springform pan as a template, trim 3 of the tortillas to the size of the pan. Leave the fourth tortilla untrimmed. Note: You can also bake this dish in a 9-inch round cake pan and serve it like a lasagna.

Step 4 Spray the bottom and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. Press the untrimmed tortilla evenly into the pan's bottom. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the refried beans over the tortilla, followed by 2 Tbls of plain yogurt and 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spoon and spread a quarter of the veggie mixture over the salsa, then sprinkle a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the top.

Step 5 Place one of the trimmed tortillas on top of the cheese, then repeat the layering of the refried beans, plain yogurt, salsa, vegetables and cheese. Continue this way until the ingredients and tortillas are used up. You should end up with four layers, topped with the final sprinkling of cheese.

Step 6 Bake the pie until heated through, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the rim from the springform pan, if you used one. Slice the pie into wedges using a sharp knife.

Coming Next- Craving Ellie- White Gazpacho

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce and my Mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Certain things are just really hard to photograph, like little kids and dinner. I don't like taking pictures of casseroles or certain types of foods because the photo just doesn't do justice to how good the dish tastes. At least you know these 2 taste better than they look. Plus the darkness is really coming too early.

Anyway, on to the food. I saw the recipe for Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce on Clara's blog, I heart food 4 thought. I thought they sounded interesting and I am always looking for ways to use pumpkin besides dessert. Don't get me wrong, I love pumpkin desserts, but I think pumpkin is really versatile.

My mom has a really quick chicken enchilada recipe that everyone in our family loves and I had a ton of cooked chicken in the fridge, not to mention pumpkin, so I made these both on the same night. I knew I would like the pumpkin sauce, but wanted to give some of the pickier eaters a little variety, plus they both rewarm well, so more leftovers for everybody.

I added some shredded zucchini and black beans to the enchiladas with pumpkin sauce to up the veggie value because I love beans and shredded zucchini pretty much melts into anything (I always use it is spaghetti sauce, etc). I was a little bit skeptical of the pumpkin sauce because it was a little thin, but it cooked up beautifully. So, ignore the pics and make some enchiladas!

Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from Everyday Food: Good Food Fast, found on I heart food 4 thought

1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded

1 small zucchini, shredded

1 1 /2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1-15oz can pumpkin puree

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 jalapeno chile (remove ribs and seeds for less heat if desired)

1 tsp chili powder

8 corn tortillas

1-1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 425F
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, zucchini, black beans, and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper, set aside.
In a blender, puree the pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2-1/2 cups water, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth. Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square or other baking dish.
Lay the tortillas on a work surface; mound the chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up each tortilla into a tight log; place seam side down in the baking dish.

Pour the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

my Mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cups cooked, shredded or cubed

1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup

1 small can evaporated milk

1 or 2 4.5-oz cans, chopped green chiles (depending on how hot you want it)

salt and pepper

corn tortillas ( I also make these with flour tortillas, which my hubby prefers)

shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk, and green chiles. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer corn tortillas on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Continue layering sauce, tortillas, and cheese, until the casserole dish is full. I usually end with tortillas on top and then sprinkle a little cheese on the very top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and warmed through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Coming up next- Artsy-Foodie's Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake

Barefoot Bloggers- Wild Mushroom Soup and Red Lentil and Portobello Wraps with Feta and Tomatillo Salsa

This week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe was chosen by Chelle of Brown-eyed Baker
Check out her blog for the recipe or click HERE for the original, creamy recipe.

I hate mushrooms. There, I said it. They are the one food that I do not like. I will eat them mixed in with other foods, but when they are the star of the show, hmmm, I seriously have a hard time.
But, I wanted to be a good sport, so I thought to myself, I will make this soup and surely someone will like it. I will pair it with something I know I will like on the side and it will be fine. I was shocked to find Portobello, Crimini, and Shitake mushrooms all at my grocery store. I had my half and half and milk ready to go.
But, when I saw the part about straining out the carrots, stems and onion, I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to waste those yummy vegetables.
So then I saw the stick of butter to cook the leeks in- nope, couldn't do it. If I am going to use a stick of butter and a cup of cream, I better be looking some sort of dessert in the face.
That is when this simply became Wild Mushroom soup- broth based. Maybe this one turned out to be a little more Mary Ann, and a little less Barefoot Contessa. Sorry, really I am.
Forgive me my fellow Barefoot bloggers, please. I ate a bowl of it, and it wasn't half bad. I got the mushrooms down and saved my calories for something later this week.

Now, on to the wraps. Absolutely fabulous. I love red lentils, so I was excited about these and they were wonderful. The salsa alone was great. That is how I like mushrooms, mixed into the filling, so you can't really tell. But, hey I attempted it and didn't just give up after seeing the title of the recipe. That has got to count for something!

Wild Mushroom Soup heavily aapted from the Barefoot Contessa
5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh oregano plus 1 teaspoon minced oregano leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
To make the stock, heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat 1 Tbls olive oil and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown, adding water if necessary to keep from burning. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender.
Add the vegetable stock and transfer leek/mushroom mixture to the mushroom stock pot.
Bring back to a boil and then simmer until ready to serve. Serve with fresh oregano leaves

Red Lentil and Portobello Wraps with Feta and Tomatillo Salsa adapted from Fitness Magazine
Salsa:
1/4 habanero pepper, stemmed and minced
1/2 scallion, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 tomatillos, chopped
1 Tbls chopped fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup cooked, cubed zucchini
1/2 cup toasted fresh corn
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Wraps:
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced red potatoes
1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup red lentils
3 cups fresh spinach
2 Tbls chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup feta cheese, cubed
whole wheat or multigrain tortillas
cilantro and radishes, for garnish

Place first 8 salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Add remaining salsa ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbls oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onion for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes, adding a little bit of vegetable stock to keep from getting too brown. Add lentils and rest of vegetable stock. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, oregano, and chili powder. Add feta.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spoon 2-3 Tbls lentil mixture (you might have to do this with a slotted spoon, if too juicy) in the middle of a tortilla. Fold sides into middle and then other sides. Place seam down on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Spray wraps with cooking spray and cook for 20 minutes, until crispy. Serve with salsa. Garnish with cilantro and radishes.

Jenny's Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas- Casserole Style

I am sure all of you are familiar with Picky Palate. Jenny comes up with so many scrumptious, crowd pleasing meals and snacks, that it is hard to choose which one to make first! Her pictures are beautiful and she is just about the kindest person out there. I don't really know her, but she comments back to you after you make comments on her blog and it makes you feel like you are friends. Anyway, I saw THESE enchiladas (Please go look at her pictures, they are much more beautiful), and loved the fact that she had incorporated more veggies into them. We were going to have Chicken Enchiladas anyway that week, so I decided to try hers, instead of our family favorite. I did make this casserole style, by layering all the ingredients, because that is how we do it at my house. ( I am not sure how that got started!) And the results were, that everyone loved these! They were absolutely fabulous. I did change a few things, I used flour tortillas, just because my hubby doesn't like corn ones, and I used some queso fresco cheese as well as shredded, because it really needed to be used. I also used Greek Yogurt in place of the sour cream, which I always do. They were so yummy! Thanks, Jenny!
Jenny's Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas-Casserole Style adapted from Picky Palate
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fresh cloves garlic, minced
6 oz bag baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 10 oz can Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies
2-10 oz cans cream of chicken soup, healthy request or lower fat
1-10 oz can red enchilada sauce
8 oz greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt
Flour Tortillas
3/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
2 Cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted down. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin and diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
2. Place soup, enchilada sauce, greek yogurt, milk and salt into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warmed though.
3. Ladle 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a large 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer flour tortillas over sauce. Cover tortillas with chicken-spinach mixture. Sprinkle half of queso fresco and 1/3 shredded cheese over chicken mixture. Cover with another layer of tortillas. Spread sauce on top of tortillas. Spread remaining chicken-spinach mixture over sauce and sprinkle with remaining queso fresco and 1/3 shredded cheese. Cover with one more layer of tortillas. Spread remaining sauce on top and sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on sauce.. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Omelet Wraps with Stir-Fried Veggies and Pork

I love stir fry, so when I saw all the leftover veggies in my fridge, I thought that is what I would do. There were a couple of uncooked pork chops as well. But, I was a little tired of the same old veggies and rice, so I decided to turn it into a quick wrap. I scrambled some eggs with baby spinach and layered that on the bottom of the tortilla, then stir fried some veggies and pork, and layered that on top of the egg mixture. My usually very picky 6 year old loved it and I rejoiced!

So, here it is, folks, the dinner my son ate without bribery.



Omelet Wraps with Stir-Fried Veggies and Pork by Mary Ann
1 1/2 cups pork, cut into bite size pieces (you could use any meat or tofu)
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls dried onion flakes
5-6 Tbls soy sauce, divided
2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
1 summer/yellow squash, cut into 4ths lengthwise and chopped
1 cup matchstick carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbls freshly grated gingerroot, or less to taste
6 large eggs
2 egg whites
3 oz (1/2 of a 6 oz bag) baby spinach
6 8-inch flour tortillas


Heat 1 Tbls canola oil in an electric skillet. Add pork, garlic, onion flakes, and 2 Tbls soy sauce. Saute until meat in cooked on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Remove meat and place in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbls canola oil to skillet and add cabbage, yellow squash, carrots, green onions, remaining soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Cover with lid and cook until veggies are tender, 5-8 minutes. Add meat back to skillet and saute for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and cover while you scramble the eggs.

Combine eggs and egg whites in a bowl, and lightly whisk. Spray another skillet with cooking spray and heat over low. Add egg mixture, salt, and pepper, to taste, and baby spinach. Scramble until eggs are cooked and spinach is wilted.

To serve, place a tortilla on a plate, spoon scrambled eggs down the center. Top with veggie mixture. Roll up and enjoy!

Roast Chicken Chimichangas

I have made these many times. They are so easy and so good, that it is impossible not to make them again and again. If you have any leftover cooked chicken, just shred it and mix these up. I have made it with shredded cheese when I couldn't find queso fresco or taco sauce instead of salsa verde. The kids gobbled them down (so did my hubby-that is always a good sign)!

Roast Chicken Chimichangas from Cooking Light
2 1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Cooking spray

1/2 cup bottled green salsa

Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well.
Spread 1/4 cup beans down center of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 2/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat tops of chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake at 500° for 7 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Miss Betsy's Chicken N Dumplings and my first blog award

My husband loves him some Chicken N Dumplings. I mean he looovvvveess them. I had never really tried them until I moved to Georgia and really didn't like them at first (don't even get me started on okra), but it doesn't take me long to learn to like food, so now I like them both. When he tasted this particular recipe, he decided it was his favorite. So, I figured I better learn how to make them. Now mind you, I had heard all kinds of horror stories about making the dumplings from scratch, how hard it was, etc. So, when the wonderful Miss Betsy told me these were a cinch and even had a shortcut, I found it hard to believe. But, then she showed me and I was a believer. She is a genius. She uses flour tortillas as the dumplings. I was shocked, because I didn't know how it was possible, but it works. This is even the kind of recipe that once you make it, you will be able to do it again with your eyes closed. Add some fried okra, turnip greens, or green beans and you would forget we were in the West. Now that is what I am talking about!

Miss Betsy's Chicken N Dumplings
3-4 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 pkg. flour tortillas, about 10-12

In a large, dutch oven or other oven proof dish, place the chicken breasts and cover with plenty of water. Season with onion flakes, celery salt, pepper, and salt. You could even use poultry seasoning garlic salt or whatever you want. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer over medium or low heat until cooked through, at least 40 minutes. Remove chicken from water and let cool. DO NOT DISCARD WATER.
When chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the meat from the bones.
Stir in the can of soup and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
In the meantime, cut the tortillas in half, and then into 1-inch strips.
Stir the chicken meat into the boiling water/soup mixture.
Add the tortilla strips, a handful at a time, and push them gently into the liquid, waiting until they puff a little, before adding another handful. Continue adding the tortilla strips, until they are all in the pot.
Remove the pan from the heat, Cover and place in the fridge over night.
When you are ready to serve, place the pan in the oven at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until heated through. (or heat small portions in the microwave, if you just can't wait!)

I want to thank Prudy from Prudence Pennywise for bestowing me with my first blog award, the Yum Yum Blog award. I must admit I am shocked that anyone even looks at my blog, but thanks, I am blushing! By the way, check out her blog for great ways to save money and make delicious food! So, now it is my turn to pass it on and whoever I award it to, will then pass it on, fun, huh? This is going to be hard, because I love looking at food blogs, but here goes (in no particular order mind you)! Anne Strawberry-This blog just sounds good and it is. She has great ideas and everything looks like it is ready to be served at a party.

Engineer Baker- This blog is always serving up great looking, hearty breads and delicious baked goods. The humor also keeps me laughing!
A Whisk and A Spoon- This blog has me drooling. The pictures blow me away everytime I look at it and there is just alot of talent coming from this page!

Taste Buds- This blog is full of great, simple ideas to feed a family. Everything is kid friendly, (definitely something I am looking for) and yummy!

Whisk:a food blog- This blog is inspiring, informative, and the pictures make me want to dive in.
Okay, ladies, now pass it on!

Rachael Ray's Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos. I try them whenever I have the chance at restaurants and have made them once before at home. I have been wanting to make this version ever since I saw RR make them on her show. They were so delicious! The seasoning on the fish was wonderful and everyone raved. I will definitely make these again!

Fish Tacos with Quick Slaw, Avocado Sauce and Green Rice adapted from Rachael Ray's Daytime Show
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock, divided
4 firm white fish filets, I used Cod
Zest and juice of 3 limes, divided
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I couldn't find any)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used a couple dashes)
1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3/4 pound baby spinach
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup sour cream (I used plain greek yogurt)
1 clove garlic, grated
12 6 to 8-inch flour tortillas
Yields: 4 servings
Preparation
Preheat broiler, grill or large, nonstick skillet – whichever you prefer.

Place a medium-size pot over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Toss the jalapeños into the pan and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add in the rice and cook about a minute (you’re toasting it, so it's ready when it starts to smell nutty). Add in 2 1/2 cups stock and bring up to a bubble. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the rice until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the rice is working, season the fish filets on both sides with the lime zest, grill seasoning, cumin and coriander. Lightly drizzle some EVOO over the filets and cook: If you're broiling, the fish should take about 6 minutes to cook (3 minutes per side); if you're grilling, the filets should take about 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes per side); if you're cooking them on the stovetop, they should take about 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes per side). Once the fish is cooked, transfer the filets to a plate and cover them with aluminum foil until you're ready – just don't let them sit too long here!

Once you've got the fish cooking, prepare the quick slaw by mixing together the juice of 2 limes, honey, hot sauce, some salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of EVOO. Add the cabbage and red onion, toss to combine and set aside.

Make the "green" part of the rice by pureeing together the baby spinach, cilantro and remaining vegetable stock (about 1/2 cup) in a food processor. Dump the mixture into a dish and reserve it until the rice is finished cooking. Rinse out the food processor bowl and make the avocado sauce by pureeing together the avocado, sour cream, garlic and the juice of the remaining lime. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the rice has finished cooking, stir in the green sauce and transfer the rice to a serving bowl or platter.
Assemble the fish tacos by shredding the fish filets (each one should give you enough meat for 3 tacos) and place some meat into each tortilla. Top them off with a little of the quick slaw and some avocado sauce. Serve each person 3 tacos and some green rice, and enjoy!

Spice Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Spice Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients:
8 tortillas
12 oz Cream cheese (I used fat free)
1-2 Jalapeños chopped
1 pd chicken, cooked and cut in small pieces
1 ½ cup cheese ( I like mozzarella)
1/3 cup chopped green peppers
¼ cup chopped green onions

1. Mix cream cheese and add jalapeños
2. Spread each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture
3. In a small bowl combine chicken, cheese, peppers, and onions.
4. Set control oven to Broil.
5. Evenly divide chicken mixture over each of 4 tortillas. Top with remaining flour tortillas. Place quesadillas onto baking sheets. Broil 6-8 inch from heat until they are golden brown, turning once halfway.
6. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with favorite Mexican topping.

Fajitas

I used red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers because they are so pretty and delicious.

I couldn't keep my husband out of this meat! The marinade is wonderful and so tasty.

Fajita marinade
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Mix all ingredients in a oven-safe 9 by 13-inch pan.



Fajitas
Ingredients:
Fajita marinade
1 ½ pound beef, (I make it with chicken or pork too)
Flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 medium green or red bell peppers cut into ¼-inch strips
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Guacamole
Sour cream

1. make fajita marinade.
2. Remove fat from beef. Cut in strips and marinate with the fajita marinade for 8 hours, but not longer then 24 hours, (I put the beef in the pan with the marinade that is going to go in the oven).
3. Set oven control to broil.
4. Place pan in oven about 3 inches from heat about 8 minutes. Turn; broil for 3 more minute or until is cook to taste.
5. While beef is broiling, heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers in oil 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender.
6. Serve.

Homemade Tortillas

Tortillas
Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 ¼ cups warm water

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add vegetable shortening or lard, or use a combination of half lard, half shortening. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.
3. Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water. Knead the dough for a few minutes.
4. Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like. This is a good time to heat up the 10-12 inch skillet. You will want to set it at medium to high heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.
5. Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin. It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the rolling pin in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.
6. Lay your tortilla on the hot 10-12 inch skillet. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel. They are ready to be served.