Mango Quinoa Salad

I've been making this recipe for a good two years now. Pierce loves it. It's great as a main dish or side dish. I make homemade quesadillas with this recipe, the two go great together!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups prepared quinoa (This is 1/2 cup dry. I like it better cooked in chicken broth)
- 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium mango, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (I use 2T, but I really like lime!)
- salt
- freshly cracked black pepper


Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe from my dear friend Jana here.

Baked Creamy Lime Chicken Taquitos

I've been eyeing this recipe for a while now and finally made it and I'm so so so glad I did. AMAZING! I seemed to have most if not all the ingredients already, so it was super simple and incredibly tasty. 

Ingredients:

- 1/3 c (3 oz) cream cheese (Um, so I actually used an entire package of cream cheese, which I believe is 8 oz... haha, I didn't even realize I did it wrong because it tasted so good. Ha. So, I'd probably use 4-6 oz. Or 8 again because it's easier. It didn't ruin the recipe at all, but next time I'll do less to see how it's really supposed to taste!)

- 1/4 c green salsa 

- 1 T fresh lime juice (Usually half a lime)

- 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 (our best bites suggestions grilled taco chicken from their website... I just used a can of Costco chicken - easy and yummy!)

- 1 C grated pepperjack cheese

- small corn (or flour) tortillas (I made mine with flour because I prefer flour, next time I'd do wheat or homemade)

- kosher salt

- cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and light 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 garlic. Stir to combine (I used my kitchenaid) and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. 

You can prepare this step ahead of time. Just keep mixture in fridge (I did that with half the mixture because it makes a lot). 

Work with a few tortillas at a time, heat them 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. 

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of the tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges (it will melt out from edges if you're too close). 

Then roll up as tight as you can, seam side down. 

Lay all taquitos on baking sheet, not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or and oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. (I just rubbed olive oil on top and used sea salt)

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp with light golden brown edges. 

Dip them in sour cream, guacamole or Cafe Rio Lime Cilantro Dressing! 

Can be a freezer meal. 

Recipe from Our Best Bites, here. Click for pictures and more info!

Fresh Orzo Pasta Salad

This recipe is a mash up of other recipes I've seen. I just added what I liked and what sounds good together. It's different each time I make it, but always wonderful. I don't measure anything, it's up to you what you want and don't want. Below is the general list of what I put in mine and you can decide what you want more or less of. My main input is to chop everything super small so you get all the flavors in one bite. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 package Orzo Pasta (1/2 package for 4-6 people, full package for more)
- 1-2 small to medium tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves (I just purchase the small package in the refrigerated lettuce section) ***
- 1 can black beans (drain well, really well)
- bell peppers of choice (I usually use yellow and red)
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 lime (hint: microwave your lime before cutting about 10 seconds, roll on the counter afterwards, then cut and juice/squeeze... so much easier and more juicier!)
- 1 avocado (optional and added upon serving, not in the salad itself because it will brown)
- fresh shredded parmesan cheese (or any other of your favorite cheeses)
- couple handfuls spinach leaves (I buy a small bag from the store if I don't already have any)
- Ken's LITE Balsamic Vinaigrette (It's more concentrated with less oil)
(You could also add some Costco canned chicken to the mix if you want some meat in it)

Instructions:
Cook orzo pasta 1-2 less than the package says (mine says 9 minutes, so I do about 7-8 minutes). Make sure it's fully cooked, not overcooked. Drain, rinse, put in a bowl with some of the balsamic dressing. I just make sure the orzo is soupy, it will soak up the dressing (and that's why you cook it less time, to soak up dressing and less water). Throw that in the fridge while you cut all the veggies to cool and soak in the goodness.

Cut however much veggies you want in your salad. I never measure, so it's different every time depending on what I have and what I'm feeling. I usually cut 2 tomatoes, lots of basil, 3/4 to an entire can of black beans, a quarter of each bell pepper, 1/2 to an entire apple (really small).

Once you have your mixture of veggies that you want, add the pasta, spinach and parmesan cheese and mix well. Squeeze the fresh lime juice on top for taste as well as salt and pepper. Around this time I always add more dressing. (For 4-6 people I make 1/2 a package of orzo and add about 1/2 of the dressing or more). People can always add more when they want, but this pasta soaks it up really well, so be generous.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours so the pasta is cooled and all the flavors are mixed well.

Serve cold with cut avocado (with lime juice and salt and pepper on top - great snack too). You can always add more veggies of choice or dressing when you want or have more spinach and less orzo.

***The most important part of this salad to me is the basil, so make sure to put in a lot (or however much you want, but you want to make sure you can taste the basil).

ALSO, this can be made a day/night before, just keep the pasta and dressing separate from the veggies, then refrigerator both until use and mix well. (I also keep the basil and bell peppers separate so that everything doesn't taste so strongly of that. Then mix everything)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I've been wanting to make this for a really long time. I like that it's natural ingredients, no preservatives and a lot less processed. And it is AMAZINGLY delicious! I feel like the flavors pop a lot more when it's homemade than out of the pouch. I made mine and stored it in a mason jar as well. Have fun!

*Note: I quadruple the recipe and store it in an airtight container in my spice cabinet so I don’t have to assemble the mix each time I need taco seasoning. I also frequently sub in smoked paprika for the regular paprika to give it a different, well, smoky flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all spices together until well combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet and use as needed.

*One pouch of taco seasoning is about 4 tablespoons

**A mason jar will hold 8x this recipe. Mel quadruples it... I did that twice. :)

*Recipe taken directly from MelsKitchenCafe.com

Taco Stuffed Shells

• I found this recipe on Closet Cooking - a guy named Kevin that cooks. awesome - and I really really wanted to try it bad, but never got around to it, until tonight. AND OH MY GOODNESS I WAS MISSING OUT AND SO ARE YOU, SO YOU BETTER TO GO THE STORE TO GET THESE INGREDIENTS AND MAKE IT NOW! I am not being dramatic. I am being serious. WOW! So. GOOD. I made these tonight for Pierce and myself and he still isn't home from work and I've already had seconds; it's really amazingly TASTY! Probably one of my favorite meals I've ever made. 

I added the recipe straight from Kevin's blog, but I'm going to add my two cents here and there and what I did. Enjoy! 

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used Olive Oil)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I'm a fan of homemade taco seasoning... no preservatives, fresher, etc. Just store in a Mason Jar!)
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup black beans
• 4 ounces goat cheese or cream cheese (I used cream cheese)
• hot sauce to taste (Just some random Hot Sauce in the Latin Food section)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup salsa (I added a little more, probably close to 2 cups because I used a 9x13 and 1 cup didn't cover it - Pace Salsa)
• 1 pound large pasta shells, cooked (Probably only needed half a pound, but I'm saving the extra noodles for another recipe)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (I wasn't going to use these, but then I decided to... AND YES, you should use them. The crunch is perfect!)
• 1 cup cheese, shredded (I always use more cheese. Who doesn't? I used about 1.5 to 2 cups of cheddar!)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the taco seasoning, tomato puree, corn, black beans and goat cheese and cook until the goat cheese/cream cheese has melted in, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spread the salsa into a large baking dish (9x13), stuff the shells with the beef mixture and place them in the salsa.
8. Mix the butter into the bread crumbs and sprinkle onto the stuffed shells followed by the cheese.
9. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted and the bread crumbs turn golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

*I sprinkled my shells with cilantro after they were done cooking - maybe that's why I liked it so much, I'm a HUGE fan of cilantro. And I also sprinkled the top with lime/lemon juice! I served it with avocado slices and a salad. 

**Upon further observation aka inhalation... this meal is good, but GREAT with the lime juice and cilantro. (I must have been super hungry when I first started this post and scarfed down my first helping) :)

***THE END!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I got this recipe from ThePioneerWoman.com and it will seriously be my go-to for mashed potatoes from here on out. There were a few things I would change, only because I did them wrong or too fast. 

1. I used my kitchen aid mixer, probably not the best idea because then the potatoes were SUPER thin, a little TOO thin.

2. AND I just poured the half-and-half without looking, I poured the correct amount, but with the potatoes already being too thin, I should have put less. 

Notes to self:

Get a potato masher

Don't pour without looking, see if the potatoes need less first

Now to the recipe!!!

Ingredients:

-5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
-3/4 cups Butter
-1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
-1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half (*I should have put less)
-1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
-1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions:

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart. (*That was my other problem, I over-boiled them and they were falling apart... I had a bad day, okay?)

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

*Recipe found here

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

I was looking for some home-cooked goodness this past weekend and found this recipe on MelsKitchenCafe.com - I love her website. Mine didn't look as pretty, but it still tasted yummy! 

The original recipe found here: The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed) (*I used stew meat and cut them up even smaller)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (*I used about 1/2 teaspoon... I like my pepper)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water (*I used apple juice)
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms (*At first I only put in about half of the mushrooms, because 8 ounces looked like a lot, but then the shrink as they cook, so I ended up putting all 8 ounces in and I liked it better that way)
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

(*I should have been better about shredding the meat, but I was in a hurry, I think this would have helped with the presentation and the evening out of the meat and sauce)

***Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

*I served this over mashed potatoes from The Pioneer Woman, recipe here: Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes.