Recipe Review: Tasty's taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

I am in the beginning of a personal journey that involves a lot of changes in my life. One of those changes is to prepare homemade meals more often.  I didn't have the time to be home and cook wholesome meals for my family.  Far too often we were eating from a drive thru window or delivered pizza.  If we did cook at home, it was usually a frozen meal or something from a box.  After I decided to quit one of my jobs. I saw this video from Tasty on You Tube for Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers and decided that I needed to try it out.  It looked amazing and seemed delicious.

 

  Shopping:

I started out with a very short shopping list and a trip to the clearance produce.  I found a bag of 3 delicious yellow peppers for only 99 cents.  I purchased a can of Kroger brand black beans and a half a pound of ground chuck from the deli counter.  I had everything else in the pantry already (except the guacamole), so it was a fairly inexpensive meal for two adults and a baby.

  Preparation:

 I followed the recipe and instructions almost exactly.  I forgot to cook rice and didn't have any instant rice on hand, so I left that out.  It would have been better with it.  I also used some cotija cheese along with the cheddar and added some cilantro since I received a bunch in my Door to Door Organics box.   I started by preparing the peppers and baking them.  Then I added the ground beef, Wild Tree Taco Seasoning, onions, and a little cilantro to my oiled pan.  I made a well in the pan and added the black beans, corn, and some Smokey and Salsa brand salsa.   Then I put in about 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of the cotija cheese.  I put my baked peppers into individual ramekins as I was unable to find my bread pans (next organizing project perhaps?) and stuffed them with the taco filling.  I topped them off with shredded cheddar and cotija cheeses and put them in the oven.  After 15 minutes I added some tortilla chips on the top as I forgot about the guacamole when at the store.                
  Results:

Absolutely delicious! Even the almost two year old loved them and asked for more.   I would have loved to have added the rice to the mixture and the guacamole on the top, so that will happen next time when I am more organized. I am glad we only used half of the ingredients as there was enough filling for 3 more peppers left in the pan.  We added a salad and some fresh fruit to the meal to fill us up, but could have just had another pepper each.  The tortilla chips on the top added a little crunch that I feel might have been missing without it.  This meal will be happening again as it was delicious and a very quick dinner recipe.   Thank you Tasty for the great recipe!      

Sweet Acorn Squash

We received a delicious acorn squash in our Door to Door Organics delivery and Steven instntly knew what he was going to do with it.  I wasn't pleased with the choice in syrup, but I will admit that the end result was delicious.

First, grab a whole stick of butter, about 1/2 cup of brown sugar (you can totally vary how much this is), and a bottle of syrup.  Next time I would use an organic maple syrup.  Whole foods has a jug I really like.

Cut your squash in half and place half a stick of butter in each half.  

Take a fork and stab the squash a lot.  Really take out some aggression because you need a lot of little holes.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the edge and into the center of the squash. Then, drizzle the syrup in the same way.

Place in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes.  This varies by the size of the squash.

It will melt and get soupy while baking.  About half way into cooking, give it a little stir.  This is also a good time to check the tenderness and judge how much longer it might need.  You can also stab a few more holes if you think you need it.

When finished, the sugar will be nice and caramelized. 

I didn't get a picture of the finished result because we grubbed like we were starved when this came out of the oven.  Basically, scoop the squash meat and butter mixture out of the shell and mash it with a potato masher until the consistency you like.  Ours was similar to mashed potato consistency.  

ENJOY!

Vegetarian Chicken Chorizo Posole

Sounds too good to be true right?  Nope!  Even the largest carnivore in my family scarfed this hearty soup down and asked for more.  It all started with this recipe for Chicken Chorizo Posole from Taste of Home.  I was flipping through one of my 80 billion or so issues and read it to Steven who was instantly on board to try it out.

Except I had a plan.  I love Soyrizo- the flavor and taste is amazing- so, I was going to re-do this recipe vegetarian style. We followed the recipe for the most part substituting the "meat" and oregano and added a little garlic to the broth.

First, we roasted the tomatillos, onions, garlic, and jalapenos.  I used a large cookie sheet and drizzled the bacon flavored grapeseed oil over the top with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.  The bacon oil is vegetarian.  It has a yummy smokey bacon-esque like flavor.  I put them in a 425 oven for about 30 minutes.

While those guys are roasting, I started my broth.  I used 2 bay leaves, 5 whole cloves, and 5-6 garlic cloves.  I threw them in the pan with a drizzle of bacon oil  and added 4 cups of water, 1 cup vegetable broth and one bag of Chik'n pieces.  I brought it to a boil and then let it simmer for about 15 minuets.

Then it was time to get roasted goodness out of the oven.  The tomatillos produced some liquid and I made sure to scoop ALL of that yummy flavor into the Ninja with the rest of the veggies.

Pureed for about 45 seconds.

Next, I drained the broth and reserved the liquid.  I also removed the clovers, garlic, and bay leaf and smashed up the Chick'n.

Next I put the Soyrizo in the pot a another drizzle of the bacon flavored grapeseed oil and smashed it up.  Chorizo has a LOT of grease when cooked that the soy version does not, so adding in some oil is important.

The soup is really coming together!  We poured the broth back into the pot and added in hominy, cumin, Italian spice (we were out of oregano), and lime juice.

Then we added the delicious smelling puree from the vegetables.

We let it simmer about 15 minutes or so to cook through and soften up the hominy.  The kitchen smelled amazing! We quickly grated some cheddar cheese and, set out sour cream, and cut some tortillas in half.

And then we enjoyed an amazing vegetarian version of posole.  Even the big meat-eaters that ate this soup were impressed.

Recipe: Asian Spiced Blueberry Pork Loin

A friend of mine sells Wild Tree products and I attended a freezer meal workshop where I fell in love with the products.  I attended another party where I was unable to get my prep work ready and decided to do it at home and just pick up my bundle of products.  I made all of the meals except for one.  I remember it had blackberry jam and balsamic vinegar...I think.  The baby was being entertained by Grandma for a few  minutes so I decided to get this going in the crock pot to go with the fresh sweet corn straight from Grandpa's garden.

But I couldn't find the recipe.  I felt a little pressed for time as baby was getting hungry, so I trusted my culinary instincts and went for it.  By the way, my chef boyfriend thinks I have awesome culinary instincts...especially for a "home cook".

I grabbed my products and realized we no longer have (or didn't buy) black berry preserves.  Or I will come across the jar in a few days...probably that.  So I decided to use blueberry jam.

I thawed out the pork loin and giggled as I placed it in the crock pot.  I am forever twelve and if a pork loin doesn't remind of male anatomy in my old age, I will have failed myself.  Anyway, I added the following to the crock pot:

1/2 cup blueberry preserves
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons  Garlic Galore blend (you can use whatever garlicky spices you have, I just LOVE this stuff)
1 tablespoon of Asian Blend (something with 5 Spice will work)
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

See.  A little giggle worthy, no?

I let this simmer on low about 4 hours.  It smelled delicious, but looked a little funny.

 I boiled a cup of rice or so and shredded the meat.  I poured a little of the sauce from the bottom of the crock pot on top and served.

 The kiddos are a little picky so they were served more of the middle of the loin which had less seasoning and skipped the sauce.  They gobbled down seconds and told me how delicious it was.

Mommy the Maid's Chicken and Dumplings

I used to be a contributor for Yahoo! Voices before it was shut down.  I wish I had saved more of my content.  Many people are asking me for recipes I used to have at the ready from my Yahoo! contributor profile.  One of these being my very loose guide to making my chicken and dumplings.  It has been a favorite at my house for many years and has taken about as long to perfect.

I still don't have an exact recipe, but I can help you make the best chicken and dumplings.  The secrets are simple - shredded chicken, moist dumplings, and turmeric.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Turmeric.  I promise, it is fantastic.  Even my picky little eaters eat seconds and sometimes thirds of this delicious meal.

Mommy the Maid's Chicken and Dumplings

You will need:

Shredded Chicken - you can buy a pre-made rotisserie chicken, roast a chicken (and use leftovers from last night), or like I did tonight, throw a bunch of frozen wings that Steven's mom gave us into the crock pot with some garlic, pepper, and salt.  I usually roast a chicken and serve it with veggies and mashed potatoes and then shred the leftovers and either freeze or throw in the refrigerator for chicken and dumplings another night.  Makes this meal super easy to whip up on a busy night.

Chicken Broth - I prefer to use the Chicken Bullion Base from Wild Tree.  My friend introduced me, and as you will see in this post, I am in LOVE with many of their products.  You can also grab a box or two cans at the store or use your own homemade stock or broth.

Chopped Onions, Garlic, and Celery - (optional) fresh or dehydrated

Baking Mix - I use a homemade blend similar to this recipe, but you can use Bisquick or another store-bought mix.

Milk - 1/3- 1 cup depending the amount you are making.  For our family of 4 we usually use about 2/3 cups.

Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic salt, and turmeric.  Or some sort of version of all that.  I use my collection of Wild Tree products.

Oil - very small mount of coconut, safflower,or grapeseed oil.  Those are my favorites but extra-virgin olive oil or even vegetable oil will work.

Instructions:

Drizzle a tablespoon or so oil into the bottom of a heated stock pot.  Add the chopped veggies and aromatics if using.  I usually put a pinch of salt on top to help pull out the flavors.

Shred the chicken well.  Using leftovers or cooking in the crockpot all day makes this task a snap.  I generally start with two forks for shredding, but usually end up using my hands or having the kids help me.  Just be sure to remove all bones if there are any.  Add chicken to the pot and stir around for a minute.
Then add enough chicken broth and water to cover the chicken and then about 3 times more.  I used about 8 cups each here, but this is a huge pot and a lot of chicken and dumplings.

Add in some salt and pepper to taste and about 1/4 teaspoon - 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric.  NOTE- turmeric can stain is used as a dye so be very careful about wiping up spills right away.  Bring this to a gentle boil over medium high heat.

Now make the dumplings.  The general rule of dumplings is 1 cup baking mix to 1/3 cup milk.  We usually double this as we LOVE dumplings. I then add a good dose of pepper, garlic salt (or something similar), and about 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric.  Feel free to cut back on that amount if you are worried you won't like the taste.  You can always adjust it next time.

The secret to dumplings is to boil them GENTLY.  They need to be large enough that they don't melt away during cooking, but small enough to cook all the way though without being doughy.  I usually use two large tablespoons to scoop the batter and scrap it into the gently boiling water.  Don't let them plop.  Just gently set them on the water.

Leave them to boil with a lid on for about 8 minutes or until the dumplings are floating on the top and looking like they are melting.  Serve and let sit for a few minutes because these will be STEAMING hot.  I usually give the kids a salad or some veggies to start on while they wait for the chicken and dumplings to cool.

And there you have it.  Delicious chicken and dumplings made from scratch like Grandma used to make.  It is sure to please a hungry crowd.  Enjoy!