Summer Taco

This was such a wonderful light tasting and flavorful taco.  Super easy to make too!  I don't have a picture of mine but you can see a picture on the link to the original recipe that I adapted from.   Perfect season for this too since it requires yummy tomatoes!  This recipe makes 4 tacos. 

Ingredients:
Half a Rotisserie Chicken - shredded (bought one for $5 at my grocery store and had enough to make chicken salad for lunch the next day)
1 ripe avocado, cored, peeled & sliced
Handful of ripe tasty baby tomatoes, sliced in half
Handful of Cilantro (more or less depending on taste preferences)
 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of any hot sauce (more or less depending on taste preferences)
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon maple syrup
1 lime
4 small tortillas (we used 6" whole wheat tortillas)

To Make:
1.  Mash the avocado in a small bowl until it becomes a smoother texture.  Add S&P to taste.

2.  Mix the greek yogurt, honey, maple syrup and hot sauce together in a small bowl.  You can add more honey or maple syrup to taste (it helps knock out the tartness of the yogurt).

3.  Warm the tortillas.

4.   Start by spreading some of the yogurt mixture down the middle of the taco.  Then add the avocado mixture, cilantro and chicken.  Top with tomatoes.  Squeeze a few drops of fresh lime juice over the entire taco.  

5.  Roll it up & enjoy!!!!!!!!!!! 



**Recipe adapted from here. 

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

I've never been a huge fan of fruit and meat food combinations, but ever since Carmen introduced me to the Skillet Pork Chop Sautee with Peaches I have been branching out a bit. This recipe is perfect for a fall meal. It came together really quickly and all of the flavors worked perfectly together. I made these sweet potatoes to go with the meal.

Ingredients:
4 (3/4 inch thick) pork chops
1 teaspoon oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tart apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1/4 cup pecans (chopped, optional)


Directions:
1. Brush the pork chops with oil, cook them in a pan until done, about 3-5 minutes per side and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in the same pan.
3. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Add the sugar mixture and the apples slices to the pan with the butter and cook until the apples are tender.
5. Set the apples aside and simmer the sauce to reduce so that it thickens a bit.
6. Serve the pork chops topped with the apples, drizzled with the caramel sauce and garnished with the pecans.

recipe courtesy of Closet Cooking

Twice Baked Savory Sweet Potatoes

Generally when I think of sweet potatoes, I think brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I couldn't resist trying it. I'm so glad I branched out to savory sweet potatoes because these were amazing!

Makes 4
Ingredients:
 2 sweet potatoes, lightly pricked all over with a fork
 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
 2 tablespoons milk
 2 garlic cloves, minced
 1/2 cup feta, crumbled (plus extra for garnish)
 1 tablespoon minced thyme
 salt and pepper to taste
garnish:
 chopped pecans
 crumbled feta

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until sweet potatoes have softened.
 3. Once sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice each potato in half and carefully scoop the flesh out into a mixing bowl (be sure not to tear the skins).
 4. Begin mashing warm sweet potatoes with butter, milk and garlic until smooth. Salt with salt and pepper.
 5. Fold in feta and thyme until fully combined. Scoop mixture back into the sweet potato shells.
 6. Bake sweet potatoes for an additional 10-15 minutes, top with crumbled feta and chopped pecan and serve.

recipe courtesy of http://spoonforkbacon.com/2012/06/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes/

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Burgers

Another awesome recipe from Closet Cooking.   This burger was so much better than I even imagined it would be.  I thought it was going to be too spicy but it was perfect.  So flavorful.  One of the best burgers I've ever had.    The roasted jalapeno mayonnaise was amazing, highly recommend making that.   We didn't actually wrap our burgers in bacon, we just put some on top so either way works.   This makes 4 burgers.

• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I used neufchatel)
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef (used 93% lean)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 strips bacon
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 hamburger buns (toasted)
• 4 leaves lettuce
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise or roasted jalapeno mayonnaise

Directions

1. Grill the jalapenos over medium-high heat until charred all over, about 6-8 minutes.
2. Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
3. Pinch the skins off of the peppers, cut in half and remove the seeds. 
4. Dice 2 of the jalapeno peppers and mix into the cream cheese.
5. Divide the beef into 8 equal portions, form into patties, place 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture on 4 of them, top with the free patties, pinch the sides closed to seal and form into patties again.
6. Season the patties with salt and pepper to taste and wrap each with 2 strips of bacon.
7. Brush the grill with oil and grill the burgers over medium-high heat until cooked, about 4-5 minutes per side, topping each patty with a slice of cheese after flipping.
8. Assemble the burgers and enjoy!

Spicy Peanut Chicken Grilled Cheese

This was incredible.  Easy to make too.   Not too spicy, just a little kick.  This was a Pinterest recipe from an awesome site I found called Closet Cooking.   Check it out!  This recipe is for one sandwich so be sure to double for two.

Ingredients:
1 TBS butter, room temp
2 slices bread
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (room temp)
1/4 cup cooked, shredded & warm chicken (we used a store bought rotisserie chicken)
2 TBS spicy peanut sauce
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
1 TBS cilantro torn (we used a little less)
Hot sauce to taste. 

1. Warm a pan over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread, place one slice in the pan buttered side down, sprinkle on half of the cheese, then top with the chicken, spicy peanut sauce, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce (if wanted) and the remaining cheese followed by the remaining slice of bread, buttered side up.
3. Cook until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Crunchy Taco Casserole

We inhaled this taco casserole. Topped with tons of shredded lettuce, fresh salsa and a dollop of sour cream, with the crunchy crust on the bottom, it was like eating a super fresh taco salad. It is by far the best taco casserole I have made. From start to finish it took about 45 minutes to make - and well worth it!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups plus 4 to 5 tablespoons water, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)  You can also use turkey or chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 envelope low sodium taco seasoning
2 eggs, lightly beaten  (I use egg beaters)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:
In a small saucepan, cook rice according to package.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in enough remaining water to form a soft dough. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Press into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. (Don't worry if there are holes) Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until very lightly browned.

For filling, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper, black beans and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add water, taco seasoning and cooked rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in eggs. Spread over crust and top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 15-17 minutes or until filling is set and cheese is bubbly. Cut into squares. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

recipe adapted from http://shrinkingkitchen.com/hearty-taco-casserole/

Watermelon Salad

This was soooooooooo unbelievably good & refreshing!  Colorful for presentation and easy to make.  It's probably going to be my "go-to" dish for cook outs and such.  Such great flavor.  (The pic isn't mine, its from the magazine Taste of Home but I will take a pic of mine next time I make it.)   Surprisingly, mine turned out just as pretty!  You can make it in a bowl and skip the watermelon slices but I liked how it looked on them.  We substituted feta cheese for the blue cheese because we already had some on hand so either will work.  Best served within a few hours of making.  Doesn't hold well overnight because the watermelon gets mushy.  This recipe makes 10 servings. 

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed seedless watermelon (about 1 medium)
Watermelon slices (to present the salad on, but is optional)
1 small red onion, cut into rings (I chopped mine)
1 cup coarsely chopped and toasted almonds (or macadamia nuts)
1 cup fresh arugula or baby spinach
1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
3 TBS canola oil (we used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (we substituted feta)

In a large bowl, combine the cubed watermelon and onion, cover & refrigerate until cold (about 30 minutes).   Just before serving, add the nuts and arugula (or spinach) to the watermelon mixture.   In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette and oil, drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.  If desired, serve over the sliced watermelon wedges.   Sprinkle with the cheese. 


**recipe & picture courtesy of Taste of Home