Category Archives: Vegetables

Super Nachos

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Quick Post:  This came together quickly, but I wish that I had more pepper jack to add to the queso sauce. It really could have used another cup of shredded cheese. I would also add more seasoning to the meat because that was kind of bland too. Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with this as is, but it can be easily tweaked to suit our tastes. So, it wasn’t a complete flop, but a good starting point for me to doctor up. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Super Nachos – adapted from Food Network
  • 1 large bag of tortilla chips
  • Homemade Pico de Gallo or salsa
Beef and Bean Topping –
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground sirloin
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
  • 1 1/2 ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
  • 1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Cheese Sauce –
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups
Additional Toppings –
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped scallions
  • Chopped black olives
  • Diced pimento
  • Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
  • Hot pepper sauces
Directions –

Arrange a mixture of 2 varieties of corn chips on a very large platter or use your broiler pan as a platter.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and the pico de gallo. UBER NACHOS! Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings from the toppings list

Creamy Chicken Taquitos and Tomatillo Salsa

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What do you do when you have lots of leftover roast chicken sitting in your fridge? You can make these for starters. I discovered this one over a year ago at Our Best Bites. They’re quick, easy and delicious and I don’t know why I haven’t shared these with you all before. These have some of my favorite flavors all rolled up in one package. I like to make my own tomatillo salsa for these because it’s so much more fresh and flavorful. It’s simple to make and always cheaper than store bought. I always omit the green onion cause M wouldn’t touch it, and I usually double this recipe because the leftovers are just as tasty.

Verdict: So good – or “yum” as my son put it. We enjoyed these with the leftover tomatillo salsa and our favorite tomato salsa. Oh, I used soft taco sized flour tortillas and we ended up with seven taquitos. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Tomatillo Salsa – Mom Makes

  • 8 to 10 small tomatillos, husked, rinsed and dried
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic with paper on
  • 1/2 small onion, paper off and cut into thirds
  • 1 jalapeno, stem cut and sliced in half from top to bottom
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime
  • cumin to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
Directions –
Turn on your broiler and while it’s heating, prepare your tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic and onion for roasting. Slice the tomatillos at the equator and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Add the rest of your prepared vegetables to the baking sheet and place under the broiler – about 5 or 6 inches from the heating element. I roasted mine for about 10 minutes, but if you prefer more char on yours you can leave them in a little longer. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Take them out and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack until they’re easier to handle. Take the paper of your garlic cloves in preparation for blending.
Using a food processor or blender, carefully place all the contents – including the juices into the work bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over all, sprinkle your cumin and salt, then add your cleaned cilantro leaves. Place the lid on and pulse until your desired consistency is achieved.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos – adapted from Our Best Bites

  • 1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
  • 1/4 C green salsa
  • 1T fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder
  • 1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
  • 3 T chopped cilantro
  • 2 T sliced green onions
  • 2 C shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 C grated pepper jack cheese
  • small flour or corn tortillas
  • cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • kosher salt (optional)
Directions –
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and roll them up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

B.L.A.S.T.

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It has  all our faves – shrimp, check! Avocado, check! Bacon, check! I love a classic BLT, but the shrimp and the avocado really make it a substantial meal. I made ciabatta bread for the first time ever – yes, a bit time consuming, but a heck of a lot cheaper and flavorful than Publix. Once the bread was baked off this meal came together pretty quickly. Something I usually do to make life a little easier is bake my bacon at 400 degrees on a wire rack and half sheet pan lined with foil so I don’t have to babysit them.

Verdict: Everyone enjoyed this but it was a little difficult to eat, only because the sandwich’s innards wanted to fall out – but that seems to be a problem with lots of sandwiches. The shrimp weren’t too spicy and the lime mayo was a nice complement to this. I’ll try this with marinated grilled chicken next time. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

BLAST Sandwich – adapted from Soupbelly 

  • 4 sandwich rolls, I used these
  • 1 pound shrimp, thawed and deveined
  • 1 lime
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • Chipoltle powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 slices of bacon, cut in half (12 small strips)
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 4 large leaves of lettuce

Lime infused Mayo:

  • 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1/4 lime, juiced
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

1) Make the marinade – squeeze the lime in a container, add the olive oil, kosher salt, chili powder and chipotle powder to taste; mix well and pour over shrimp. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2) As shrimp are marinating in the fridge, slice and toast rolls. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Place on plate lined with paper towel to drain excess grease.

3) In a small bowl, squeeze lime juice, and 2 tsp of lime zest into 4 tbsp. of mayo. Mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.

4) In a skillet on medium high, cook shrimp until they turn opaque (approx. 2-3 minutes). Place cooked shrimp in bowl.

5) Slather mayo onto toasted rolls, assemble sandwiches with avocado slices, lettuce, 3 slices of bacon, 4-5 shrimp, and a slice of tomato. Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms

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Meat and potatoes – every red-blooded, American man’s favorite combination, right? Well, this meal was meant for the hubs Father’s Day dinner…we and our lazy butts never got around to going to the store. So, better late than never! He requested filet mignon, roasted shrimp cocktail and roasted garlic mash. The mushrooms are for me, however because the man doesn’t eat fungus! I’ve never had steak and sautéed mushrooms so now is good a time as any.

Verdict: Yum! Great sides, great steak…and we didn’t spend even one third of what it would have cost at a steak house! I love that 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Mash Ingredients – adapted from Food Network

  • 1 head garlic
  • Olive oil
  • 2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions –

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon.

Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Sautéed Crimini Mushrooms – 

  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms (aka baby Portobello) cleaned and sliced
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 4 TBSP dry red wine
  • fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt to taste
Directions –
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. Add mushrooms, shallot and garlic; then cook 15 minutes until evenly browned and tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste then add wine and deglaze the pan. Cook down for a few more minutes until the pan is mostly dry. Add a little more unsalted butter to taste, if desired.

Pizza Caprese with Garlic Focaccia Crust

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I.Love.Bread. I could never cut it out of my diet – how boring would that be? A life with no bread is a sad thought 😉 I didn’t care all that much for it before I started making my own though. It makes such a difference and I’m so happy that I have my KitchenAid standing mixer to do all the grunt work. It is the most expensive toy in my kitchen arsenal, but it also gets the most use out of all my appliances. It opened up a whole new word of recipes for me and my family and I couldn’t be more excited!
Verdict: More cheese next time according to M – but I’ll have to agree. Also, I need to turn the heat up on the oven – I set it to 475 because 550 is scary-hot. We all enjoyed the flavor and the rosemary wasn’t over-powering at all. I thought the garlic flavor would come through more, but that wasn’t too strong either. M also mentioned that this dough would make tasty sandwich bread, so I’ll have to make that sometime soon for him. I’m pretty happy with how this came out, which is always a great outcome when I try something completely different for my family. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Pizza Caprese with Garlic Focaccia Crust – adapted from goodLife(eats)
For the Crust –
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 2 c warm water
  • 6 c flour, divided
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/4 c chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 8 cloves chopped garlic
Toppings –
  • Olive oil
  • Asiago Cheese
  • Fresh Basil, sliced thin
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:

Combine yeast and water; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and salt. Stir 4 c flour, garlic, and rosemary in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 50 minutes. Dough will be spongy.

Sprinkle remaining 2 c flour onto a flat surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface, and knead until flour is incorporated into dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 550 degrees F with a pizza stone on a rack in the top 1/2 of the oven. Return to the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes.

Divide dough into quarters. On a floured surface (I like to use a pizza peel or a sheet of parchment so I can easily transfer the pizza to the stone in the oven). Roll each portion out into rounds just under 1/2 an inch thick. Using fingertips dimple the dough all over.

Brush each crust with 1 tablespoon olive oil all over. Grate 2 tablespoons of asiago on each pizza. Top with a handful of sliced fresh basil and halved cherry or grape tomatoes. Top with chunks of fresh mozzarella.

Transfer pizza to the pizza stone in the oven. Bake at 550 degrees F for 9-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t intend to use the full amount of dough, divide it after the second rise and place the extra in a gallon sized zip top bag in the refrigerator. Use the dough within 48 hours. Punch it down and proceed with forming the crust rounds.

Pico de Gallo

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I haven’t made this in a long time – which is probably due to the fact that there is no short cut to making this. There is lots of chopping, dicing, and mincing involved; thankfully it’s totally worth the effort. This recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers – The Pioneer Woman 🙂 She knows her stuff and she is a home cook just like me – no formal training is required when you have a love for food and a desire to try out new techniques. I have come a long way in 8 1/2 years of marriage. In the beginning, I used a lot of boxed meals, frozen and prepackaged stuff – I had to start somewhere, right? Thankfully, my husband wasn’t raised around a lot of fabulous cooks, so he didn’t know what he was missing out on! 😉 I could never go back to that kind of cooking and those fuss free, easy stuff. I get such a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment out of giving my family the very best.

Anyway, this turned out perfectly and wasn’t too spicy when we added it to these tacos. By itself though, it has quite a kick! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Pico de Gallo – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes
  • ½ whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
  • 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
  • Cilantro
  • Lime Juice
  • Salt To Taste

Directions –

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter

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Quick Post: I was so sad when I finished this…I love grilled corn, but this made it extra special. I will make this again, and make sure that I buy extra ears for us. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter – adapted from Meatwave

  • 6 ears corn, husked
  • 1/4 pound butter at room temperature, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Lime wedges for serving
Directions –

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 pound of the butter, chili powder, cayenne pepper, lime zest, and lime juice until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. Lightly butter the corn with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap ears individually in aluminum foil.

3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place the foiled corn on the grill and cook until tender and slightly charred, about 20 minutes, turning 4 times during cooking. Remove from the grill and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Open the foil, slather each ear in the chili-lime butter, and serve with the lime wedges.

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado Salsa Verde

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I bookmarked this recipe a long time ago but M didn’t get the whole “shrimp on a taco” thing. Woo – he was wrong because this was so good. I was a little worried about what the salsa verde would taste like because I’ve never had raw tomatillos. Normally, salsa verde’s are cooked down but this didn’t have any weird, raw taste to it. The salsa was an excellent compliment to this meal, and had the right amount of spice from the jalapeno. My family loves shrimp, so I bought one and a half pounds for this, which was more than what we needed. The shrimp is simply seasoned with the chipotle powder and some kosher salt; but I added a little chili powder, coated them in olive oil, and squeezed fresh lime juice over top all of them. Also, I didn’t grill these, but I sautéed them in a little olive oil and butter. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde – adapted from Food Network

Avocado Salsa:

  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
  • 8 fajita size tortillas
  • 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions –

Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a large skillet to med-high heat, then add butter and olive oil. Mix the olive oil, chipotle, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp, and lime juice then toss to coat.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.

Creamy Orzo

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This was a great side dish for the tilapia we had last night. I bet it would be a great compliment to chicken or even a beef main course. It is an easy recipe to throw together, and there are no specialty or uncommon ingredients in it. Hopefully the leftovers are nearly as tasty because this makes a lot!

Creamy Orzo – adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 1 pound orzo
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
  • 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions –

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Quick Post: This is always welcome at any get together – seriously! Everyone always loves this stuff and asks me for the recipe. I found this at least six years ago on Allrecipes.com. I don’t change a thing either – you can’t mess with perfection, after all! It’s not the cheapest appetizer, but thankfully I have over half of these ingredients on hand at any time. Be sure to leave your cream cheese out for a few hours before you make this and roast your garlic ahead of time too so it’s cool enough to handle. I usually serve this with sliced baguette or Tostitos Scoops, it’s also nice to keep this warm in a small crock pot so it stays nice and melty. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Artichoke & Spinach Dip Restaurant Style – adapted from Allrecipes.com

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.

3. In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.