mexican meat mix

this was given to me by a friend with a crock pot for our wedding. it is a great filling for tacos, chimichangas, burritos, anything really.

original recipe (with my variations in red):

5 lbs beef roast or combo of beef and pork
2 tbsp veg shortening or oil (didn't use)
3 onions chopped (didn't use)
1 4oz. can chopped green chilies
2 7 oz cans green chili salsa (i used some of this then half a can of regular salsa as well)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp flour (didn't use)
4 tsp salt (used half that)
1 tsp ground cumin
juices from roast

cook:
cook in crock pot for 12 hours on low (6 hours on high did the job just fine)
let meat cool in crock pot
melt shortening or oil in large skillet, add onions and green chilies and saute. add the rest of the ingredients and cool for a minute over med heat. add meat and shred, while mixing it all together add some of the juices. cook 5 minutes till thick. add to whatever you are making.

but honestly, who needs more grease in this recipe- i skipped the whole saute onions and all. i just put the meat with some of it's juice in the skillet and shredded it. then i added the other ingredients and stirred it till it was hot and yummy.

i filled tortillas, rolled them, closed with a toothpick and fried them up. see what i mean about who needs more grease? usually i hate fried foods, but these are really good.

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

I made these last night and goodness, they were good. It was the perfect summer meal. It may seem like we are having "sandwich" meals a lot, but we like them around here so we go with it when we can. I got this off Most Likely Late.

Ciabatta bread
Pesto sauce (I buy the one from Trader Joe's because it is pretty thick, easy to spread)
Large red tomatoes
Romaine Lettuce
BBQ grilled chicken breast (thinly sliced tenders are a good choice for this meal)
Fresh mozzarella

Grill the chicken on the bbq. Meanwhile, slice open the ciabatta bread and broil the cheese. Spread pesto sauce once finished over the mozzarella and top with tomatoes and lettuce. Once chicken is done, layer on top and you have a super tasty sandwich that needs no extra garnishings!

Served with tortilla chips and steamed brocolli.

*I also think this would be great if you have a panini maker.

Chicken and bean burritos

This is the perfect dinner to take to Disneyland. Throw it in a thermos, bring some cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and tortillas, assemble and eat!

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can of Bush's chili beans
1 cup of salsa

1-2 cups of cooked rice

Put chicken, beans and salsa in a crockpot, cook for 3-5 hours, shred chicken. Add rice during the last 30 minutes. Roll up into a tasty burrito.

Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

2 (1 lb. each) pork tenderloins
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (from Costco)

In a small bowl combine rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well; rub over tenderloins. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a heavy, ovenproof skillet, over medium heat. Place tenderloins in skillet and sear, turning with tongs, about 1 minute per side. Place skillet in oven, and roast tenderloins until thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat, registers 145 degrees F., about 35 minutes.

Remove pork to a serving platter and coat generously with Fischer & Wieser Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce.

The "Rachel" Sandwich

Not the best photo, I was hungry, but I threw some chips on and the salad is in the background

I grabbed this recipe from This Week For Dinner. It's called the Rachel sandwich, sister to the classic Reuben sandwich and much preferred in our house!

Whole wheat bread
Deli turkey
Swiss Cheese
Thousand Island dressing
Coleslaw*

Get yourself some really good bread. I bought organic whole wheat, but a nine grain is sounding especially good right now too. Rye is a classic, if your taste buds agree to it.

Layer your sandwich with thousand island dressing, deli turkey, swiss cheese, and coleslaw. Grill on the stove and you're done. So easy. And they are really fresh and light so Devin ate two and I probably could have as well...

Served with pita chips and tomato, avocado, mozzrella salad (below).

*The recipe calls for coleslaw, but I only had sliced carrots and cabbage so I went with it and it turned out really tasty still.

Tortellini Salad

I'm so proud of myself tonight. I made up a new meal (sort of)! I was inspired by this recipe, but changed it up a bit to my own liking and, well, it came out unbelievably good. It's just the thing I would serve at a baby shower because it was really pretty (picture may not do justice) and was just that good.

I served it with ciabatta bread and applesauce.

1 package fresh cheese tortellini (Trader Joe's)
3 cans chicken broth
1 chicken breast, grilled and chopped in bite size pieces
1/2 cup pine nuts
2-3 large tomatoes chopped
3 cups fresh spinach, steamed and chopped (I bought Trader Joes organic spinach leaves in the bag)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar dressing
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Boil tortellini in chicken broth (a tip from my friend Staci to make chicken dishes extra savory). Meanwhile grill chicken (or could be boiled just as easily). Once both are finished, toss in a bowl with pine nuts, chopped tomatoes, spinach and toss with balsamic vinegar. Top with Parmesan cheese.

*A plus is that I made it all by 10 am. I'm sure it's pretty good warm too, but it was very tasty as a cool pasta salad.

Asian Pasta Salad

One the menu for the weekend. I will let you know how it turns out, but it was given to me by my friend Kelli and every recipe she's offered has turned out fabulous. So...it seems like a guarantee.

1 lb. Pad Thai Noodles or linguine (I use Linguine)
1 large red pepper, cut, cleaned, julienned
1 cup sliced almonds
12 green onions cut on angle
1 large carrot, peeled, julienned
1/2 cup sugar

Cook noodles until al dente. Rinse with cold water to shock. To caramelize the almonds, put sugar in a teflon pan on medium heat with almonds on top of the sugar. Heat until sugar melts then stir almonds and melted sugar together. Remove from heat and spread out the almonds on parchment paper to cool.

Dressing:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T Rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 t. ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil

To make dressing, combine brown sugar, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil in a bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Combine dressing with julinned carrots and red peppers, green onions, candied almonds and toss with noodles. Garnish with green onions.

(Salad) Sandwiches

Tuesday are Devin's late nights going from work to mutual and then home around 9:00. So, we did a simple dinner of egg salad sandwiches. I was vegetarian for several years and have never really enjoyed eggs, but for some reason I can't pass up an egg salad sandwich. They always look tasty to me. Chicken salad for that matter too. Anyone have a good recipe for those?

A Success!

I made these tonight. It was a total success. They were fantastic. I bought wild caught, fresh mahi mahi and I think it might have made them just that much better. Paired the dinner with some fresh, white corn and we were all happy (Ave actually had a bean and cheese taco).

Pizza, Again

I know, pizza again? Two nights in one week? Not totally strange, but still, we usually mix it up more than that.

See, Devin had his duathlon (5K run, 30K bike, 5K run) today and after all three of us enjoyed an afternoon nap I thought about making fish tacos for dinner when he said, "I actually really feel like pizza." So? Any man of mine who does a race deserves his dinner of choice.

We made a different kind though: fresh dough, fresh mozzarella (yes! I finally found the real mozzarella), basil, pine nuts with fresh tomatoes atop.

It was tasty. And we paired a green salad with it. Yum.

Two Nights Dinner

So, these aren't recipes but it is a food blog.

I always have a hard time deciding what to make for dinner. It is my goal to jot down what we eat so I can come back to it. And maybe a comment or two will pop up and offer me an idea too. I'm totally open to them.

Last Night was "on the go" since we spent the late afternoon/evening at Disneyland. Great on the go meals are burritos/taquitos, easy sandwiches, fresh veggies (snap peas, carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumbers) and fruit. With Trader Joe's cats cookies for a late evening snack while riding Autopia.

Tonight is a carbo load since Devin is racing in a duathlon tomorrow morning (run, bike, run). We're having spaghetti, fresh french bread and a salad.

Dinner

Dinner tonight: bbq chicken pizza, green salad (romaine, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado) with mini carrot sticks.

Dinner

Tonight's dinner: deli turkey sandwiches, fresh steamed brocolli, strawberries and potato salad. My potato salad is simple. It consists of potatoes, hard boiled eggs, pickles, celery, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.

Fish Tacos

It's been a while, but I'm back. I got this recipe from my friend Kathryn's blog and it's on my menu this week. Doesn't it seem very Rubios-ish?

1 lb. firm white fish
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
1/2 cups chopped green onions
1/2 cup sour cream
8 (6-in) corn tortillas
extra lime wedges
salt and pepper
Mango salsa (for garnish)
Grated cheese (optional)

Heat oil and saute fish on medium high heat until cooked, about 7-10 minutes.
Combine taco seasoning, lime juice and orange juice. Add coked fish, and toss to coat.
Combine cabbage, onions, sour cream and salt and pepper.
Warm tortillas. On top of warm tortilla, add cheese, fish, then cabbage mixture.
Top with mango salsa and fresh squeezed lime juice.

tortilla pie

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb ground beef (you could leave this out and it is just as delicious)
1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beans and water to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

-from Everyday Food

Twirly Whirly Pizza

I just made this for the first time. It was great, the kids loved it. A sneaky way to get some spinach in.


1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza dough (you could use homemade, too!)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded Italian-mix cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
pepperoni

Directions
1. Heat over to 400 degrees F. Unroll dough from tube. Spread pizza sauce on top.
2. Sprinkle with half of cheese and top with spinach leaves, then pepperoni. Roll up, starting with short end.
3. Cut into 8 pieces, then lay pieces flat in a greased pie tin. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

- from Parents Magazine

(I added the pepperoni. It is a well known fact that if there is not meat in the food, it is not a meal to my husband.)

meatball sandwiches

Such a good dinner and even better leftovers. All from Trader Joe's.

1 fresh french baguette
1 frozen package party size meatballs
1 jar three cheese tomato sauce
1 block baby swiss cheese

Mix meatballs and sauce over medium heat (cook about 20 minutes, the meatballs are already cooked!).

Slice baguette and cheese. When the meatballs are done, layer the meatballs and cheese onto the bread. Roll in tin foil and bake for approx 3-5 minutes in oven at 350 degrees (just enough to make cheese melt).

Enjoy with a salad.

Mucho Mango Casserole

This is from the Trader Joe's kitchen. It is the best dinner I have made in a long time. Delish!

1 pkg sweet potato spears
1 pkg Mango Sausage
onion, bell peppers and goat cheese - to desired taste

Serve with brown rice and Mango Ginger Chutney

In a 9 x 13" dish, combine sweet potato spears, sliced mango sausage, onion and bell peppers. Drizzle with olive oil, toss and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 until potatoes are soft, approximately 30 minutes. Place over bed of rice, sprinkle with goat cheese and serve with mango ginger chutney.

Thank me later. It's amazing.

Chicken Stir-Fry

4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces) ***
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 small onion, cut into wedges ***
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

***Onions are gross and Joses doesn't like celery so I am using broccoli, green peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas and water chesnuts. Use whatever vegetables your family likes.***

Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir- fry broccoli, celery, carrots and onion for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

chicken parmigiana

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 egg, beaten

2 cups jarred tomato sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

6 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese

1. Heat broiler. Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in beaten egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs, turning to coat both sides.

2. Spread the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a glass baking dish. Heat 2 T of of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to baking dish on top of sauce.

3. Top each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil 4 inches from heat source until the sauce is hot and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.

From: Great Food Fast