On the Menu: Breakfast for Dinner

“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.”—John Gunther

 

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like breakfast. Ok, maybe everyone doesn’t like waking up at the crack of dawn and whipping up a gourmet meal, but there’s just something great about starting your day with a wholesome and tasty meal.

But why let breakfast food make an appearance in the AM hours only? I am a big fan of having breakfast for dinner—it always seems to satisfy, whether it be a bowl of Cheerios or a loaded omelet! So today I thought I’d share my favorite breakfast for dinner meal, but first…

Fun Breakfast Facts

• There are 2.7 billion packages of cereal sold every year – that’s enough boxes to wrap around the Earth thirteen times.
• Did you know that cereal was invented when colonial housewives started serving up popcorn with sugar and cream for breakfast?

• Breakfast cereal is the third most popular item sold in grocery stores after carbonated beverages and milk.

• Astronauts from Apollo 11 boosted their brain power while in space with a cereal breakfast. The cereal was mixed with fruit and pressed into cubes since the lack of gravity kept the astronauts from pouring it into a bowl with milk.

• One bushel of wheat will make 53 boxes of cereal.

• Of the more than 294 million people in the U.S, 49% start their day with a bowl of cereal.

Veggie Quiche

Serves: 6

*This recipe is my go-to recipe for quiche—very easy and very tasty. Feel free to add in whatever you’d like!*

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) fat free cream of mushroom soup
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c eggbeaters
• 1/2 c milk (any kind will do)
• 1 pkg (1 lb) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 c fat free shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 frozen 9” pie shell
• Few handfuls of spinach
• Sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together soup, eggs, eggbeaters, milk, and a dash of salt and pepper.
• Stir in vegetables, spinach and  1/2 c cheese.
• Place pie crust on jellyroll pan.
• Pour soup mixture into shell; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c cheese.
• Bake until set, about 45 minutes(sprinkle parmesan cheese, if desired)—cool 20 minutes before serving.

Dad’s Delicious Home Fries

Serves: 4

*My dad isn’t the biggest cook, but he is known for his delicious home fries—when he makes them, I make sure to get up early to get first dibs!!*

Ingredients:

• 1 lb red potatoes, quartered
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

• Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
• Coat a medium skillet with olive oil and add potatoes and all seasonings.
• Cook, stirring frequently, on medium, until outsides of potatoes are crispy and brown, 8-10 minutes. Note: If potatoes start to burn, add a few sprays of cooking spray to the pan!

What’s your all-time favorite breakfast meal?

Rollin’ Through the Weekend

Rain, rain, go away..come again some other day.

Honestly, for the past week the days have been dragging on with gloomy gray skies and a constant stream of rain that seems never-ending! I really hope Mother Nature will decide to be nice to Minnesota for once during the summer—fingers crossed!

I am enjoying my last week of summer vacation (I officially start work this coming Thursday), and I decided to come home to visit my parents for the weekend since I probably won’t make it up north again due to my future schedule. We had some grad parties to attend and I was asked to make a pasta salad for one of them. I am not a fan of boxed mixes, but in cases when you’re making big amounts, it just makes things easier.

I started with a the Classic Suddenly Pasta Salad mix.

Added in some pepperoni, spinach, and cherry tomatoes.

 

And it turned out like this—tasty!

The night we got home, we went to the local Pizza Ranch restaurant. I like it because during the day, you order off the menu, but come evening, it turns into an all-you-can-eat buffet. =)

I had a salad, some mashed potatoes, a slice of California Chicken Pizza (Chicken, Green Peppers, Tomato, Onion, Garlic Sauce), and a few slices of the Prairie pizza (Mushrooms, Onions, Black & Green Olives, Green Peppers). And I had to have a piece of their Ranch Cheesy Bread as well!

And of course, being home, I had to make one of my family’s favorite desserts—an Angel Food Cake Roll. Since strawberries are in season, I decided that sealed the deal—a Strawberry Cream Roll.

Strawberry Cream Roll

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix

5 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt

1 package (1 ounce) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

3 drops red food coloring, optional

2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping

1 c sliced strawberries

Directions:

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Prepare cake according to package directions.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up jelly-roll style in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, pudding mix and food coloring if desired. Fold in whipped topping.

Thinly slice strawberries.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Sprinkle strawberries evenly. Roll up. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced strawberries.

Have you ever made a cake roll??

Classifying

Who knew being a chef required knowing so much about all realms of food? I love it!

Lately for work, I’ve been educating myself on the different eating limitations such as semi-vegetarians, lacto, etc. We are going to have a wide variety of clientele, so we need to make sure we can cater to everyone’s needs and keep all types happy! I ended up making posters for the kitchen walls so we can glance at them for reference. Here’s what I learned..

Semi-Vegetarians

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—YES

FISH&SEAFOOD—YES

DAIRY—YES

EGGS—YES

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

Pesco-Vegetarian

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—NO

FISH&SEAFOOD—YES

DAIRY—YES

EGGS—YES

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—NO

FISH&SEAFOOD—NO

DAIRY—YES

EGGS—YES

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

Lacto Vegetarian

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—NO

FISH&SEAFOOD—YES

DAIRY—YES

EGGS—NO

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

Ovo Vegetarian

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—NO

FISH&SEAFOOD—NO

DAIRY—NO

EGGS—YES

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

Vegan

BEEF AND PORK—NO

POULTRY—NO

FISH&SEAFOOD—NO

DAIRY—NO

EGGS—NO

GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND VEGETABLES—YES

 

Pretty interesting! Are you any of the above? My grandma is a semi-vegetarian, so I did know that one, and the vegan, but the rest were all new to me.

Onto further work updates…I planned out the first week’s menu(June 20-27), and it’s now in print! I decided that doing all Minnesota dishes would be a lot of fun for the first group of people coming. Some of the dishes include pasties, roast, wild rice dishes, and cream of potato soup.

Recently, I also tried out a new product to help speed things along in the kitchen. If you are a big fan of roasts, this is perfect!

“McCormick® Bag 'n Season® Pot Roast is the easy way to make hearty, homestyle pot roast.  Bag 'n Season® Pot Roast contains a blend of herbs and spices, as well as a cooking bag to eliminate messy cleanup.  With Bag 'n Season®, preparation and cleanup are a snap!”

You Will Need

• 1 package McCormick® Bag 'n Season® Pork Roast
  
• 3 to 4 pounds chuck, bottom round or  rump roast, trimmed. I used a pork roast.
• 4 cups cut-up fresh vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots and onions
  
• 1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS

• PREHEAT oven to 350°F.  Arrange opened Cooking Bag in 13x9-inch baking pan or dish.  Place roast and vegetables into Bag.
• STIR Seasoning Mix and water until well blended.  Pour over roast.  Close Bag loosely with nylon tie.  Cut 4 small holes in top of Bag to allow steam to escape.

• BAKE in lower half of oven 2 hours.  Remove from oven.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Cut open Bag.  Serve roast and vegetables with pan juices. If desired, thicken juices for gravy.

Have you used these bags before? Made everything so tender and flavorful—I will definitely be using it again.

Fresh From the Garden

Now that summer is here, the produce is always abundant in my kitchen! Two of my favorites would have to be good ol’ versatile zucchini and rhubarb from our backyard!

What’s your favorite summer produce find?

So starting in the spring, I try to compile a list of recipes to use a variety of summer fruit and vegetable findings. Not surprisingly, today’s are both sweet recipes.  But first..

Health Benefits of Rhubarb:

• Studies have shown that rhubarb has anti-cancer properties and might help in cutting down the risk of cancer.
• Fresh rhubarb stalk is a very good source of dietary fiber and is beneficial for those suffering from indigestion
• Eating a cold piece of rhubarb stalk can help counterbalance stomach acid and thus, restore health.
• Regular consumption of fresh rhubarb has been seen to have a positive effect on lowering of blood pressure.
• Researches have suggested that rhubarb can prove to be beneficial for those suffering from high cholesterol.
• Rhubarb has been found to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties.

Health Benefits of Zucchini:

Zucchini helps to cure asthma as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Zucchini helps to prevent diseases, like scurvy, bruising etc, caused by the deficiency of Vitamin C.

Eating zucchini also helps to support the arrangement of capillaries.

Regular intake of zucchini effectively lowers high homocysteine levels.

Zucchini also prevents the risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).

Zucchinis have high water content (over 95%), so they make perfect food for people on diet.

Zucchini contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A, necessary for a human body.

Zucchini contains Vitamin C and lutein, both of which are good for eyes.

 

Rhubarb Banana Cream Delight

*You wouldn’t think banana and rhubarb would pair well together, but turns out they are a heavenly combo!*

Ingredients:

CRUST:

1 cup whole-wheat or honey graham cracker crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons golden brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

FILLING:

• 1 (4 serving) package sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
• 1 (4 serving) package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
• 1 3/4 c water
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 c sliced banana
• 1 (4 serving) package instant banana cream pudding mix
• 2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 c Cool Whip Free

 

Directions:

FOR CRUST

• PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
• COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, oil, sugar,and cinnamon in medium bowl; stir well. Press onto bottom and side of ungreased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
• BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes; cool.

FOR FILLING

In a medium saucepan, combine dry cook-and-serve pudding mix, dry gelatin, and 3/4 c water. Add rhubarb. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and rhubarb becomes soft, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in banana.

Place saucepan on wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.Spoon rhubarb mixture over crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a medium bowl, combine dry instant pudding mix and dry milk powder. Add remaining 1 cup water. Mix well using a wire whisk. Blend in Cool Whip free. Spread pudding mixture evenly over rhubarb mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cut into 8 servings.

Tropical Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

*The coconut extract and shredded coconut really takes these muffins to a tropical level, and who doesn’t like that?"*

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c zucchini, finely shredded
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
• 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 c chopped pecans, or almonds
• 1/4 c mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 shredded coconut

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In large bowl combine both flours, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves.
• In separate medium bowl, mix together zucchini, applesauce, oil, eggs, vanilla, coconut extract, and shredded coconut.
• Add wet ingredients into large bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
• Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
• Fill 12 muffin liners evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Not Afraid to Braid

What’s one thing that intimidates you in the kitchen?

For me, it has always been bread.

The yeast, the exact measurements, the sifting, the kneading, the rolling, and the waiting—it would be so much easier to just buy a loaf of bread, right?

But then there’s the wonderful aroma that fills my kitchen and the accomplishment that comes with each successful slice. So I would say that I will mingle with bread making the least I can, and when I do, I usually turn to my bread machine which is a quick fix!

However, lately, I decided it’s time to dive into the world of bread making head on—as in making not just your average loaf, and making not one, but two different braided loaves. With fingers crossed, I waited for both loaves to rise—check. Then watched as it slowly browned in the oven—check. Let it cool and then cut it into even slices—check. Taste? Check! Appearance? Check! Success? Double check!

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“Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king. The countries are the soup, the meat, the vegetables, the salad but bread is king.”
Louis Bromfield, American novelist

Chocolate Braids

Serves: 16

Ingredients:

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/3 cup honey, divided

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 to 3 cups bread flour

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

ICING:

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 2 teaspoons honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter, egg, cocoa, salt, 1-1/2 cups bread flour and remaining honey. Beat for 2 minutes or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion into a 12-in. x 7-in. rectangle.

In a small bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread half of the filling over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.

Place seam side down on a large greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise, leaving one end intact. Carefully turn cut sides up. Loosely twist strips around each other, keeping cut side up. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

For topping, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Add nuts. Sprinkle over loaves.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over loaves.

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Frosted Caramel Nut Braid

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

1 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

CARAMEL FILLING:

1 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

FROSTING:

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons water

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, eggs, sugar, butter, salt and 2 cups four; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft but sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Beat 25 strokes with a spoon; turn onto a well-floured surface.
• Roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Combine filling ingredients with a fork; spread evenly over the dough. Cut dough lengthwise into three strips. Roll up jelly-roll style, beginning at a long end; pinch edges and ends to seal. Place three rolls diagonally, seam side down, on a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Braid ropes together gently (do not stretch); seal ends. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

• Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool slightly on wire rack.
• For frosting, heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown; cool slightly. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough water to make a spreadable consistency. Frost top of braid; immediately sprinkle with pecans.

Indian Feast

I love when the weeks are short—time for the weekend already!

Lately, I’ve been spending time doing prep work for my new job. It’s a dream job really—I have piles upon piles of cookbooks scattered on my living room floor, files for menu planning, and a gigantic grocery list to order from the distributor. I am in charge of menu planning for the summer and I am trying to incorporate a different cuisine every week. So in other words, I am branching out past American recipes and educating myself on all corners of the earth. So much food, so little time!

The basis of this adult camp is to help them learn to teach their language better. They will be coming from everywhere—China, Russia, Taiwan, and Spain. So the culture exposure will be exciting to say the least!

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Anyways, today’s cuisine is Indian. A little bit about it:

• It is characterized by the use of various spices, herbs and other vegetables.
• Each family of Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques.
• The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta (whole wheat flour), and a variety of pulses, the most important of which are masoor (most often red lentil), channa (bengal gram), toor (pigeon pea or yellow gram), urad (black gram) and mung (green gram).
• Most Indian curries are cooked in vegetable oil. In North and West India, peanut oil has traditionally been most popular for cooking, while in Eastern India, mustard oil is more commonly used. Coconut oil is used widely along the western coast and South India.
• The most important or frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are chilli pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi, manjal), ginger (adrak, inji), coriander (dhania), and garlic (lassan, poondu).

Indian Style Baked Chicken

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 c fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c hot sauce, such as Frank’s Original
• 3/4 c plain yogurt, I used fat-free
• 1/4 c low-fat buttermilk
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 c yellow summer squash sliced, if desired

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients except chicken breast, in a large bowl and stir until well blended. Add chicken, turning to coat well. Pour everything into a gallon zip-loc freezer bag. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, but up to 24 hours is fine.

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray two 8 x 8 glass baking dishes.
• Remove chicken breasts from bag with tongs, leaving some of the marinade on each breast—this will ensure moistness.
• Place sliced squash on the side of breasts, if you choose to use the squash.
• Put 4 breasts in each pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers at 165 F.

 

Bombay Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 c Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

• Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until just beginning to soften, 10-15 mins. Drain.

• Heat oil in a large wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and bay leaf. When seeds start jumping (this surprised me a bit at first haha!), add ginger and onion. Sauté until the onion is deep golden brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and add turmeric, chili powder, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, taking care not to break the potatoes. Add tomatoes and a little water to release any sticking potatoes, and cook a few minutes more, until potatoes are tender. When ready to serve, top with cilantro.

 Homemade Naan Bread

Serves: 14

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar, I used Splenda 

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour—ended up using about 3 3/4 c

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted—I used ICBINB spread

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, prepare a medium-sized skillet. 

Lightly oil skillet.Place dough in skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.

*All together now!*

Do you have any great Indian recipes I could consider incorporating into the menu?? Please share!

Mexican In and Out

I think it’s safe to say that Mexican food is slowly becoming my favorite cuisine to eat. Yes, it may just pass up Italian in the near future!

Sunday, my mom and I had a fun day planned. We went to a place in town that I have just recently become familiar with called “Glazed and Amused”. You go and pick out ceramic pottery ranging from plates, cups, and bowls to figurines, planting pots, and magnets. Then you choose if you want to do acrylic painting or glazed (which they fire in the kiln). They provide brushes, 100’s of colors of paints, and just a great artsy atmosphere to take your time in painting your piece. Sunday turned out to be a rainy day, so it worked out perfect!

Mom decided to paint a mug..sadly we didn’t get an “after” photo, so when I pick them up this week I’ll post the glazed pieces.

I had to choose a kitchen piece of course—I did a cutting board, but I decided I am going to hang it on my wall being I already have several cutting boards.

We had such a blast at Glazed and Amused, we are already brainstorming what we should paint for our next trip!

A few hours of intense painting can definitely work up an appetite, so we figured it was a good opportunity to try out the new Mexican restaurant in town.

Right upon entering, I loved the Spanish style decor!

And of course I love the fresh and warm tortilla chips they bring out—yum!

Fortunately, I liked my entree even more! I chose the El Mariachi Especial which consisted of steak topped with shrimp and mushrooms and a cheese sauce,I subbed a red sauce, served with rice and guacamole. Mexican flavor at it’s finest!

But, if you’re not a fan of going out to eat, or simply want to cook at home for the night, Mexican at home can be just as tasty!

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef, I used 1 cup Morningstar Soy Crumbles
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 package (1 ounce) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/2 c sweet corn (either canned, fresh, or frozen)
• 1/2 c Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup milk, I used soymilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Heart Smart Bisquick mix
• 3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend shredded cheese
• salsa (any variety)
• Sour cream, if desired

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry). Spoon into pie plate; top with chilies, tomatoes, and corn.
• Stir milk, eggs and Bisquick mix until blended. Pour into pie plate.
• Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Tex mex Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 lb flank or skirt steak
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 pkg fajita seasoning mix
• Tortillas, I used whole wheat
• Cheese, sour cream, salsa, shredded iceburg lettuce, and guacamole if desired

Directions:

• Heat to high heat a large cast iron pan or griddle. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. 3 minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak.
• Reduce the pan heat to medium high. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Add the onions, bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent.
• Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at a slanted angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin.
• Turn skillet on low, add meat and follow package directions on fajita seasoning mix.
• Place warm tortillas on place, fill with meat mixture and desired toppings.

*Serve with fat-free canned refried beans and/or packaged Spanish rice.