Guacamole, Tacos, and Such

I feel like I've only posted Mexican recipes on this blog, but for a good reason -- David and I love Mexican food!

I love love the spices -- cumin, cilantro, chipotle, chili, garlic -- so good! Soft and warm tortillas are the perfect vehicle for lots of spicy meat and veggies. Also, I don't feel like I improvise in the kitchen very well, but I find it a little easier with Mexican food. Add some black beans to make tacos more filling, chipotle pepper to make it zippy, and cilantro and lime always add a fresh punch.

Here are a few recipes I like to use for our fiesta feasts!

• Last time tacos were requested by the husby, I didn't have a taco seasoning packet, so I was happy to find this recipe. It's great because you can add more or less of each spice. More cumin for me!

• My favorite guacamole recipe. (good job, Alton Brown)

• IGE has a great way to make the sides (rice, black beans, pico de gallo) for a very filling burrito -- just like Chipotle.

• Posted this recipe before but it's a huge household favorite -- pork carnitas!

• Haven't tried these yet, but every single Latin recipe on Gina's blog looks amazing. Especially the Lime, Shrimp, and Avocado Salad!

• Made this mango salsa this week...wow! Fruity + zippy = amazingness. We ate it with Trader Joe's Chili Lime Chicken burgers on hamburger buns, and it hit the spot.

Happy eats! And please share any of your favorite Mexican recipes!

Drunken Noodles

Just a link - Haven't made them yet.

Her recipes look amazing, including the curry lentil soup. (I am on a constant quest for the perfect lentil recipe.)

Drunken Noodles

Rhubarb Jello Cake

Hello everyone - I'm a friend of Sara's and a new poster. I love to cook & bake and have enjoyed viewing and trying things from this blog for a while now. I'm excited to be able to post recipes too. Happy Eating!

My mother has made this rhubarb cake for years. It is a hit even amongst those who don't normally like rhubarb. It's easy too!

Rhubarb Jello Cake

1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
1 C. white sugar
4 C. rhubarb, chopped
1 pkg. red Jello (strawberry or raspberry are my faves)
1/2 C. white sugar
1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. butter, softened

Mix cake mix according to directions on package. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Mix rhubarb, 1 cup sugar and jello. Spoon on top of cake mix. Then mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Put this over the top of the cake.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes. If the center still appears liquidy, bake a little bit longer.It's best served warm, with cool whip or ice cream.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 pound butter (two sticks), at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (3-6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

powdered sugar for garnish


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in a large bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour and salt until just mixed. Press the dough into a 13X9 pan going up 1/2 inch on the sides.

3. Bake crust for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Let cool and leave the oven on.

4. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour on the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

5. Let cool at room temperature.

6. Dust with powdered sugar.

*I bought 2 lemons and had just under two tablespoons zest and less than a cup of lemon juice. I added enough bottled lemon juice to fill the required cup and they turned out great. Rick thought they were too lemony but our families loved them.

*Recipe from the Food Network Website
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-bars-recipe/index.html

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

I love this recipe because it uses my new favorite dressing!

Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame is really yummy -- less gloopy than some of the creamy dressing and really flavorful! It tastes great in a spinach salad, with some sliced almonds and mandarin oranges.


Like the recipe name says, this was super-speedy! I loved the dressing which had a little kick from the red pepper and some crunch from the peanuts. Next time, I will add more veggies -- maybe use a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies.

The sodium content is a little high for this recipe, but substituting with the light version of the dressing and low-sodium soy sauce, you could cut it down a little. In any case, it's definitely lighter than take-out!

source

Ingredients

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. each ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper

1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce and seasonings; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.
DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Serve topped with nuts.
Go get this dressing and enjoy!

Orange Chicken

Another delicious meal from Iowagirleats....sorry gals, I'm addicted to her blog. :)

Serves 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 chicken breasts, pounded so they are the same thickness

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 2 oranges

4 teaspoons brown sugar, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oil on medium-high skillet on the stove.

2. Combine flour, paprika, salt and chicken breasts in a sealed plastic bag. Shake to coat the chicken.

3. Shake excess flour from chicken and cook in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, but not cooked through (it'll finish cooking in the oven.) Move to a non-stick sprayed baking dish.

4. Juice 2 oranges, then add the juice to the hot skillet. Let it reduce by half, then pour the juice over the chicken.

5. Crumble 2 teaspoons of brown sugar over each chicken breast.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, finishing with a few minutes under the broiler to caramelize brown sugar, if needed.

Enjoy!! It's delicious. :)

Thanks Iowa Girl!!

http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/12/what-happens-in-vegas/

Shepard's Pie

Another delicious recipe from www.iowagirleats.com!! This is a little late for St. Patty's day, but definitely worth making any day of the year!! Check out Iowa Girl's blog for photos and step by step instructions, but here is the recipe for easy access. :)

Serves 5-6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed potatoes

garlic salt

1 lb ground beef

1/3 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

2 cups frozen vegetable medley

salt and pepper

Directions:

Brown ground beef, onions and garlic in a large skillet on med-high heat. When meat is completely cooked, stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and chicken broth. Simmer for 5-6 minutes or until sauce is thick. Turn the heat off and stir in frozen vegetables and salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour beef mixture into a large, oven proof casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle garlic salt on top of mashed potatoes.

Place casserole dish on a large sheet pan (in case the sauce overflows) and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Ladle and serve!

http://iowagirleats.com/2011/03/17/this-is-life-altering-right-now/