Burrito Pie (adapted from familyfun.com recipe)

This recipe calls for a springform pan, but if you don't have one, any old pan will do and you could serve it more like a casserole then cut like a pie. Here is what you will need:

-1 medium chopped onion (for the ground beef if you would like)
-2 cloves garlic
-1 lb ground beef
-1 packet taco seasoning
-3/4 cup water
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals
-4 10 inch flour tortillas
-1 cup salsa
-8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (can also use monterey jack)
-sour cream

First, brown ground beef with the onion and garlic until no longer pink.

Next, add water and taco seasoning.

Then add the corn and black beans, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates. Once the liquid is gone, remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Now you can start to make the layers for the pie. Start by buttering the spring form pan (or use cooking spray). Place a flour tortilla at the bottom of the pan.

Now spread 1/4 of the salsa on the tortilla.

Next, add 1/4 of the beef mixture.

And then 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Keep stacking until all ingredients are used up. It will look like this when you are finished stacking.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Then let it cool for about ten minutes.

After it has cooled slightly, you can take off the rim of the springform pan and behold your beautiful burrito pie! Serve with the sour cream*.

I hope you like it:)

*you could also add sour cream to each of the layers--tortilla, sour cream, salsa, beef mixture, cheese, etc and bake it.

Parmesan Salmon (or Tilapia)

This recipe also works well with Tilapia. I got this recipe from a cooking blog
(I cannot remember which) and then I adapted it a little.

What you will need:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove (although I used two because I love garlic!)
1 tsp parsley
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (any bread crumbs will do)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste
3-4 salmon fillets


Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor (I used a magic bullet and it worked great) combine the garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Then place the mixture in a bowl or on a plate. It will look something like this:


Next, spread the remaining olive oil on both sides of salmon fillets (as you can see, I spilled some!).


Coat both sides with Parmesan/bread crumb mixture. (please ignore the weird looking hand!)


Place each salmon fillet on a piece of tin foil. You can sprinkle a little extra mixture on each piece if you would like. Then, loosely pinch the foil together.


Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or when it flakes easily. This is what it will look like when finished! It is very yummy. Hope you enjoy!

Easy Salmon Recipe

This recipe comes from my friend Julie. It is very simple and very delicious! (sorry I don't have any pictures of this one).

What you will need:
3-4 salmon fillets
1 Tbsp butter
3-4 orange slices (or lemon slices if you prefer)
Any seasonings you would like (I usually put garlic salt and a little paprika)

Place each salmon fillet on a piece of tin foil. Season salmon how you wish. Then, put a pat of butter on each piece of salmon, and top with an orange slice. Fold the tin foil over and loosely pinch closed. Place on cookie sheet, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

1 t. olive oil
1/2 medium onion (1/2 cup chopped)
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes (either fire-roasted or with basil, garlic and onion)
1 large can (15 oz.) or 2 small cans tomato sauce
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 t. sugar
1 t. dried basil or 8-10 leaves fresh basil
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
salt and pepper

Zap the onion in a small dish, 30-60 seconds. Saute in the heated oil. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and the broth. Bring to a boil. Add the basil and the sugar. Cut the cream cheese in 1 inch chunks, add to the soup. Bring back to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Use a whisk to incorporate.

Carrots

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into same-size pieces
1 T. olive oil
1 T. syrup

Saute carrots 3-4 minutes, add syrup, salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

(Note: this came from a website or a blog. I do not remember which. I also do not remember if recipes are copyright, but I do remember that I learned that once. Oh well.)

Gingersnaps

Last night, I had a delicious dream. Me in a room full of desserts. Cinnamon desserts. The most memorable one: a cake made of churros. Just churros, piled and curled up in a cake. I admit, I actually googled "churro cake" today in hopes of finding it in real life. No luck. Until I figure out how to make the churro cake of my dreams (and for the record I cannot remember the last time I even ate a churro) I give you these cookies, with their own dose of cinnamony goodness. They are actually not churro-y at all, but they are delicious, in real life.

Gingersnaps

4 cups flour
4 t. soda
4 t. cinnamon
2 t. cloves
1 t. ginger

Sift together.

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups shortening
1/2 cups molasses

Cream and add the flour ingredients. Roll into balls and tip the tops in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Pasta

So, I am taking a risk here and for my very first post (hello!) I am posting a recipe that sounds weird, to say the least. But I have been obsessed with Thai food lately, and this is pretty much as close to Thai as I get in my own kitchen. (And by my own kitchen, I mean the kitchen I shared with my four roommates until six months ago. Because now that I live with my parents, I do not cook much. My mom does. Yes I am 29 years old. So sue me. Oh wait. I do that. Which is why my mom does the cooking and I do the late-coming-homing-after-working.) And with that introduction .... now to the recipe.

Peanut Butter Pasta

1/4 cup peanut butter
2 T. warm water
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. teriyaki sauce (I like Yoshidas)
pinch ground ginger

Whisk together the peanut butter and warm water. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over pasta, chicken, vegetables and anything else you can think of.

Easy Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Here is what you will need:

2 eggs
1/2 cup baking mix (such as Bisquick)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooked broccoli
optional: home made or store bought pie crust
(you could also add ham, spinach, or anything else you would like in it!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a pie crust, I find it helpful to bake the crust alone for about ten minutes, and then put all the ingredients in. If not using pie crust, grease the bottom of a pie pan or quiche pan.

First, place eggs, baking mix, and milk in a blender and blend for 30 seconds.


Next, layer broccoli on the bottom of the dish (you can see that I used more than a 1/2 cup!).


Place shredded cheese over broccoli.


Pour egg mixture on top. Place in oven.


Set timer for 40-45 minutes.


Enjoy!

Easy White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 teas garlic salt or 1 clove garlic minced

1 small sweet onion

1 can Great Northern beans (undrained)

1 can {6oz} green chilies 

2-3 chicken breasts cooked & chopped

1.5 cups frozen white corn

1/2 teas cumin

1/2 teas oregano

1/2 teas coriander seed

juice from 1 lime

3 cups Chicken stock

Add olive oil & chopped onion, & garlic to a pot. Simmer until onion turns soft. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot with toppings of your choice: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro etc.

v-day trail mix

Ever need a quick on-the-go snack?  If you're on the run, but still want to be semi-healthy, this is a simple go to mix that is easy to have on hand, or throw in your purse.

The Goods

Almonds

Raisins

Chocolate

Coconut

Peanuts

*possible substitutes: dark chocolate chips, reeses pieces, craisins, etc.

all-fruit smoothie

It's like a tropical paradise in my mouth. Great remedy for the winter blues ;)

Ingredients:

1/2 bannana

3 spoonful's frozen blueberries

3 whole frozen strawberries

1 spoonful frozen raspberries

1/2 cup orange juice

*serves 1

Add ingredients & blend. If the consistency is too thick, add more OJ. Also, any combo of the above ingredients would be amazing (Another personal fav. is banana, strawberries & OJ). If you are using fresh berries, you will want to add ice to make the smoothie cold. Frozen berries yield the best results here.

artisan boule

My mom introduced me to this is amazing bread from scratch. You can make & eat it the same day!  Your family will love you for it.

what you need to make this bread:

 pizza/baking stone

5 quart bowl with lid or plastic container with lid
electric mixer & dough hook attachment (you can also mix by hand if necessary)
kitchen scissors

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water

1 tbsp yeast (1 packet)

1.5 tbsp coarse (kosher) salt

6.5 cups all purpose flour  (you can experiment with 1/2 wheat flour also)

*makes four 1 lb round bread loaves

Add water, yeast & salt into an electric mixing bowl. Add flour and mix with dough hook until incorporated. The dough should be very wet & sticky. Transfer dough into 5 quart plastic tub. Let it rise at room temp for 2 hours with lid on but not air tight. Place in fridge for another 2-3 (or so) hours. (cold dough is easier to shape & handle).

When you are ready to make a loaf, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with pizza stone on the center rack. Remove the tub from the fridge and cut with scissors a 1 lb portion (grapefruit size) out of the dough.  Try your best not to disturb the remaining raised dough.  Have flour handy to help shape the piece into a sphere.

Using your scissors, cut 4 slits at the top of the dough round before baking. Transfer dough loaf onto the preheated baking stone and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Refrigerate left-over dough in its container and repeat process to make fresh loaves for up to 2 weeks. The longer the dough sits in the fridge, the better the flavor!  For sourdough, don't wash the dough container before making a new batch.

Enjoy!

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Stir-fry

Ingredients

3/4-1 lb. cut chicken breast

1 small onion (more veges can be added)

2-3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar

a few dashes of rosemary 

a few dashes of dill

a few shakes of pepper

*capers optional (but they add a good kick)

Start by stir-frying the onions in a fry pan with a bit of olive oil.  Add cut chicken and sauté until both are well cooked.  Add lemon juice, vinegar, and spices.

Place on bed of pasta, quinoa, or rice and voila easy dinner ready to go.