Shrimp Avacado Tostada

Well, better late than never right?

Sorry, it has taken so long to get this recipe up. I did want to share it though, b/c if you love tex/mex, salsa, avocado and shrimp you will enjoy this dish.

Plus, it sure is pretty isn't it? I love the look of all the different layers.


The original calls for frying the tortilla but I made it healthier by baking. I also used frozen corn for ease and pico de gallo instead of red bell pepper. Feel free to change things up to your liking...you really can't go wrong here.

Ingredients:

4 whole Small Corn Tortillas
Olive oil cooking spray

2 whole Avocados, Peeled And Pitted
3 Tablespoons Chopped red onion, divided
1 whole Lime, Juiced
½ pounds Medium Sized Shrimp, Peeled And De-veined
1 teaspoon Cayenne
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 cup Refried Beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp. grapeseed or canola oil
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tortillas with olive oil cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until tortillas are crispy. Turn tortillas over half way through. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Prepare avocado mixture by placing avocado, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and a pinch of salt and mix together. Cover the avocado with plastic wrap to prevent it from browning,

Prepare the pico de gallo by combining the chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine ingredients and set aside.

Prepare the refried beans according to can directions and keep warm.

In a medium size bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne and garlic powder as well as salt and pepper. Saute in a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons of the grapeseed or canola oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until shrimp are pink and cooked. Remove from pan and keep warm. Wipe pan down with a paper towel and a little more oil (1 tsp). Cook corn until slightly charred (3-4 minutes).

Spread the 1/4 cup of refried beans on top of each tortilla. Sprinkle on the charred corn. Spread a layer of the mashed avocado mixture on top. Top the mashed avocado with the pico de gallo. Finish with a few shrimp. Season with salt and pepper if needed and garnish with cilantro.

Source: Inspired by TastyKitchen

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Is it just me or are enchiladas a hard food to photograph? I feel every picture I've ever taken of enchiladas does not do the dish justice. That is the case here too. So, please excuse the less than stellar photo because this dish was terrific!


I adapted this recipe that was titled "Easy Enchiladas" from Woman's Day. The recipe is easy,mainly because it uses a prepared green salsa but it is still a very from scratch dish too thanks to the fresh veggies and poached chicken. You could of course make things easier by using prepared cubed chicken or even rotisserie chicken in place of the poached chicken.


Ready for the oven!!

Ingredients:

salt and pepper
2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 poblano or green bell pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/4 cup 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 oz Muenster or Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 cup mild salsa verde (green salsa)
6 6-in. corn tortillas, microwaved on high until pliable

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and broth. Bring to a boil; add 3/4 tsp salt. Add the chicken, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool; shred.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the corn, cream cheese and sour cream. Fold in the chicken, cilantro and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

3. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa in a 13 x 9-in. baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas (about 1/2 cup per tortilla) and place seamside down in the dish. Top with the remaining salsa and cheese. Bake until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Woman's Day

Ground Beef Tacos and Homemade Shells

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo last week by having "assemble your own" tacos for dinner. As popular as tacos are for a family dinner (easy to make,quick and an inexpensive meal) a lot of us don't get very excited by the idea and I think it all has to do with what type of taco shell typically used.

I am not a fan of store-bought taco shells at all. Too me they taste like stale tortilla chips--yuck! The homemade version are 100x better with a nice crispness and fresh taste. They are also surprisingly easy to make. All you will need is small (6 inch) corn tortillas, a pan and some canola oil.

Here...I'll show you how:

In a pan, pour about a 1/2 inch of oil and heat until very hot. Then place a tortilla in the oil and cook on both sides, for 30 sec- 1 minute per side. You will see the tortilla bubble and that's when you turn it over.


Then fold it in half again and cook it on both sides until lightly browned. When you are ready to remove the tortilla shell, lift out with tongs and let the excess oil drip onto the pan.


Then place tortilla shells on a stack of paper towels to blot excess oil.


See, wasn't that easy? And trust me, once you have these you won't be going back to those Ortega shells.


The recipe for the taco meat is how I typically make it. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning, depending on how much spiciness you like (store bought or homemade)
1/2 cup salsa

Directions:

Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt. Start breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. When the meat is about half way cooked add the onions and continue cooking. When the meat is fully browned and no longer pink, drain any excess fat. Return skillet to the heat and add the taco seasoning and salsa. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
To serve, spoon taco meat into a tortilla shell and add your favorite toppings. We like cheddar and/or Colby-jack cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce and sour cream

Source: Chef Mommy

Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)

I know this dish probably doesn't look that appetizing but you have trust me on this one. In fact, I think you should bookmark this page if you like the following: chicken, Mexican flavors and your slow-cooker. This is the very popular (at least in the food blog world) SALSA CHICKEN!

Who knew chicken breasts + can of cream of chicken soup+ taco seasonings + sour cream could be so good. I know I sure didn't. I had seen this recipe so many times but it just did not sound that appealing. Of course, everyone raved about it, hence it's popularity.


Well, I'm so glad I tried it too b/c it really is so tasty....and easy!! If you have already made this dish, please feel free to leave your review below. THANKS!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken)
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1 Tbsp of my homemade taco seasoning)
1 cup sour cream
cilantro, for serving (optional) (I also added a little shredded cheddar-jack, black beans and scallion on top)

Directions:

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined.

Source: Fake Ginger

Classic Chili (Slow Cooker)

I am so excited to share this recipe with you all, for several reasons. Here are 10:

1. It's perfect cold weather food.

2. It is made in a slow-cooker.

3. It's from Weight Watchers.

4. It's only 2 WW Points per serving on the old points system. Not sure how many on Points Plus but I bet it is still low. Visit the source of recipe for nutritional info. Click HERE.

5. It uses many pantry staple ingredients.

6. It makes great leftovers.

7. It's budget friendly.

8. Classic recipe and flavor the should appeal to all members of the family.

9. It's low in fat, high in fiber and gluten free!!

10. It tastes really, really great! Really!!

I love the color of the ground beef and peppers... just cooking away :)



I served this dish up with mini low-fat corn muffins. Total comfort food.



Ingredients:

1 lb extra lean ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup canned diced chilies or 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup-1 cup water (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the ground beef and garlic in a nonstick skillet breaking apart the meat with a spoon until well browned; drain off any fat very well, then return to skillet.
2. Add in the bell peppers; cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
3. Add in the chili powder and cumin and stir to coat.
4. In the slow cooker, mix together tomatoes, beans, sweet onion, chilies and tomato paste, then stir in the beef mixture.
5. Cover and cook on HIGH until flavors are blended (about 4-5 hours). If your chili looks too think at the end, feel free to add some water to thick it out a bit.
6. Serve with dollop of light sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Source: adapted from Food.com

Turkey Taco Mac Light!

Cooking light doesn't have to mean searching out all new, low-fat recipes. It's usually as simple as making a few substitutions to favorite recipes. This dish is just the lightened up version of the super yummy turkey taco mac.

This dish is basically a homemade hamburger helper and naturally a huge hit with everyone. It already started with lean ground turkey, so all I did is use reduced fat cheeses and sour cream. You could make this lighter by using fat free cheese and sour cream but I'm not a big fan of completely fat free foods. It seems the you get more chemicals than actual food with those, KWIM?

This recipe will yield a good amount but it's ok, because this also makes for excellent leftovers.

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta shapes (I used mini penne)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
2-4 tbsp. taco seasoning or 1 envelope of taco seasoning
3 oz. 1/3 fat cream cheese
½ cup light sour cream
1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar-jack
Cilantro or parsley chopped (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Mix in the diced tomatoes,corn and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese,half the cheddar cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.

Remove from the heat and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley on top if desired.

Click HERE to calculate nutritional info for this dish.

Review of Hearst Ranch Beef and Kiwi Steak Marinade

I love a good steak...med-rare, flavorful and juicy. So couldn't wait to try the two complimentary grass-fed flank steaks sent to me by Hearst Ranch.

You might not have heard of Hearst Ranch before (I hadn't) but this place seems amazing. It was founded in 1865 (by William Randolf Hearst) in San Simeon, California and is today an 80,000-acre ranch raising free-range cattle that live a natural roaming existence, feeding only on native grasses.


This all-natural, grass-fed beef is exceptionally lean and juicy with a robust flavor resulting from the unique concentration of nutrients in the cows' grass diet. The taste was distinctly different from what I was used to but I thought it tasted delicious and liked complex "beefy" flavor.

Now on to the marinade...

I typically cook ribeye steaks and filet mignon at home. For those cuts, I do not do any sort of marinade. Just a bit of fresh crack black pepper, salt and we are good to go. However, flank steak is a tougher cut of meat and for that reason it really needs to sit in a good marinade for a few hours.


My friend Dave had shared this recipe a while back but I'll admit that when I saw the secret ingredient was kiwi I was a bit unsure. Dave explained that the kiwi has a powerful enzyme called actinidin that breaks down protein and essentially tenderizes the meat. Sure enough, it produced a delicious and tender steak.

This was such a flavorful meal. I topped off the steaks with a classic chimichurri sauce, pico de gallo and fresh avocado. I kept the side dish simple....rice and black beans.



Ingredients:
1-2lb flank steak

Marinade:
juice of 1 lime
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C minced cilantro
1-2 Serrano chillies minced (to taste), I only used 1/2 of one
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin seed
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)
black pepper to taste
1 Tbs pureed kiwi

Directions:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a container with a lid that will fit the meat. Taste the marinade and add more salt or sugar if needed. It should be relatively salty, but not so salty that it burns your tongue. The sugar is a personal preference thing. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. Add the flank steak to the marinade and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

When you’re ready to grill the meat, remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. This helps ensure the meat will cook evenly. If you’re using a broiler, move the rack to the top position and turn the broiler on high, with a grilling rack on top of a baking sheet. Scrape any excess marinade off the meat and place the meat on the grill. Cook until nicely browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. *Please note that grass-fed steak will cook much faster than regular flank steak, so be careful not to overcook it.*

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife slice against the grain and serve.

Source: Courtesy of David Mankin

'Bella Asada (Veggie) Fajitas

Can I just tell you how excited I was to find this recipe on Hungry Girl...it's a delicious vegetarian fajita!

So many great things about this recipe:
1. It's low fat and low in WW points
2. It's easy and quick to make.
3. It tastes great!

And #4...it's gluten free and casein free!

I have a good friend who has 2 beautiful daughter. Her oldest daughter has autism and my friend has her on a gluten free/ casein free diet. The younger daughter will also be following the diet once she starts on solids and because of this my friend and her husband need to try to follow it as well. However, it can be so challenging... gluten and casein are in virtually everything!!

So, I was so happy to be able to post something that they could make too. I've added a GF/CF tab in my blog and hope to add more recipes in the future.

Look at all those beautiful veggies!


These corn tortillas from Trader Joe's are great. Only three ingredients (corn, lime and water) and no preservatives!


I added a little bit of shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese to my kid's fajitas. They weren't totally thrilled about a veggie only dinner.


Ingredients:
Makes 2 servings

1 tsp. olive oil
2 large portabella mushroom caps, sliced
3/4 cup sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or green)
3/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/8 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. cumin
Dash black pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup roughly mashed avocado
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tbsp. lime juice
Six 6-inch corn tortillas

Directions:
Drizzle a large skillet with oil and bring to medium-high heat on the stove. Add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and onion, and sprinkle with garlic powder, 1/8 tsp. salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for 6 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. If you like, season to taste with chili powder. Mix well and set aside.

Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, and warm slightly in the microwave. Top each tortilla with about 1/2 cup fajita veggies and a spoonful of the tomato-avocado mixture. Fold and chew!

WW POINTS: 5 (3 fajitas, half the recipe)

Source: Hungry Girl

Restaurant Style Salsa

I adapted this restaurant style salsa recipe from Pioneer Woman and must say that it tastes very good and very much like you would find in your local Mexican restaurant. The changes I made were minor and have to do with how much spice and liquid I like in my salsa. For me, I like salsa that is not too watery or spicy (I'm a wimp...I know).

So, first I drained the tomatoes and Rotel. PW's recipe says to keep all the juices but I think this would make the salsa way too watery, especially after pureeing when the tomatoes release even more liquid. I also removed the seeds from my jalapeno. The salsa was still a little spicy but my kids were able to eat it too.

My version of this recipe is below and for PW's original version, just click on the link in the bottom. Oh, one more thing...I only made 1/2 a batch, which yielded about 1 1/2 cups of salsa.

I know these chips look like Fritos but they are actually Trader Joe's corn chips. They are 4 WW points for 10 chips. If you are watching your weight you might want to stick with baked Tostitos, which are 2 points per serving.

I can't wait for my husband to come home and try this salsa...he is a bit of a salsa connoisseur.

Ingredients

1 can (14 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes ,drained
1 can (10 Ounce) Rotel , either mild or original
¼ cups Chopped Onion
1 small clove Garlic, Minced
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/8 teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
½ whole Lime Juice

Directions

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

WW Points= 0 (YAY!!!)

Source: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Quesadilla

Here is another fantastic recipe from Ellie Krieger. These chicken, mushroom and spinach quesadilas taste like something you might have in a restaurant....they are so good! I like them so much I've actually made these twice in one week!

This can be a great, quick weekday dinner if you do the prep work ahead of time. For me, I grilled up the chicken the night before (though you can use any kind of cooked chicken). I also prepped the veggies and measured out the spices. When it was time to cook the quesadillas, it only took about 15 minutes.

One more look...these were delish!


Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
8 ounces white button mushrooms, (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast (1 breast half)
1 teaspoon ground cumin *
1 teaspoon chili powder *
1 teaspoon dried oregano *
2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (10-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix or Cheddar
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated. Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface and sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Spoon 1/2 chicken and vegetable mixture on top of cheese, then top with an additional 1/4 cup cheese. Top with another flour tortilla. Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Carefully place 1 quesadilla in pan and cook 3 minutes. Using a large spatula, gently flip quesadilla and cook an additional 3 minutes until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with second quesadilla. Slice each quesadilla into quarters. Place 2 quarters on a plate with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons salsa.

*I used a little less b/c the kids aren't huge fans of spicy foods.

Source: Ellie Krieger, Food network

Latin Rice

Here it is...the great latin rice that accompanied the shrimp enchiladas. This recipe came from Gina's WW Blog. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gina's recipes are FANTASTIC!!! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, do yourself a favor and click on the link to your right.

Up until now, to make any type of latin rice I would just open a box of Goya rice mix. Goya is good, but this recipe is in another league altogether and it wasn't that much more difficult to make. This is a keeper for sure.

Here is one last look at this yummy meal.


Ingredients
Makes 6 servings

2 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 chicken bullion cube
5 scallions, chopped
2 garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 cups water
sazón
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

In a medium heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil on medium heat and saute scallions, cilantro and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute another minute. Add rice and saute 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Add water, bullion cube and sazón. Taste the water for salt and add more to taste. Let water boil on a high flame stirring once. As the water boils down and just skims the top of the rice, turn the flame to very low and cover 15 minutes. The steam will cook the rice so do not open. After 15 minutes, shut the flame and let the pot sit for at least 5 more minutes. This will finish cooking the rice without burning the bottom.

WW POINTS= 5 (1 cup)

Shrimp Enchilada

Sunday was game day!

My husband was very excited to watch his team, the NY Giants (we are from NJ originally) play the Washington Redskins (we now live just outside of DC, in VA). I knew he was not going to want to tear himself away from the TV to have dinner, so I decided we would all eat buffet style in the family room.

On the menu, were chips and salsa to start. Then shrimp enchiladas with Latin rice and a simple cucumber, tomato and onion salad...this meal was so, so good!

I have made these shrimp enchiladas before and they are simply out of this world. The recipe comes from MyKitchenCafe blog. Please check this blog out...Melanie's recipes are amazing!!

I'll post about the latin rice next. It was fantastic too!!

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided (you can use half pepper-jack cheese for great results)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas

Saute red pepper, onion and green pepper in 1/4 cup butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream and flour; blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Mini Taco Cups

Don't these look like a fun little meal? I found this recipe in this month's Woman's Day magazine and decided to try it tonight for the kids since I had all the ingredients on hand.They came out great and I really liked them for several reasons.

First, the fact that each person/child can add their own toppings is a big plus. My son hates tomatoes so he just added some lettuce and lots of cheese to his. However, even if he decided to just add the cheese, I knew he was still getting his veggies. Carrots were cooked with the meat mix.

The size is perfect for little hands but great for adults too. Speaking of which, when I first saw these I thought "kids meal", but after I made them I thought they would make really great appetizers for adults.

Football season is right around the corner and I think these would be great for a game party. You could easily trade out the carrots for onions to give them a more grown up flavor. Also, sour cream,salsa or even black beans would work as great toppings for these.

If you don't want to waste time making the taco shells, just use a package of tortilla scoop chips and voila! You've got an easy and tasty appetizer or snack.


Ingredients
Serves 4

4 10-in. (burrito-size) flour tortillas
1 lb ground turkey (I used beef)
1 carrot, shredded
1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix (I used McCormick's mild)
1 cup chopped lettuce
½ cup shredded Cheddar
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cut three 4 1⁄4-in. circles out of each tortilla. Lightly coat tortilla circles with nonstick spray. Place each circle into a muffin pan to shape into a cup. Bake 8 to 9 minutes until crisp. Cool.

2. Meanwhile, cook turkey and carrot with taco seasoning according to package directions. Divide turkey mixture, lettuce, Cheddar and tomato among taco cups.

Steak Fajitas

Even though we went out for Mexican last night, I was totally craving fajitas tonight. I usually make chicken or shrimp fajitas, but this time I decided to try them with a big juicy steak.

Now, I will admit that I'm a little clueless when it comes to marinating and properly cooking different pieces of meat and usually stick to my 2, no fail cuts...filet mignon or rib-eye.

My husband got this big, beautiful boneless rib-eye steak from the butcher at our supermarket and it was so, so good!! My 4 year old, who I wasn't sure would eat any of this meal (peppers are on his top 10 "veggies I hate" list)loved it...minus the fore mentioned peppers, of course.

Serve this up with rice, black beans and you've got a great Tex-mex meal. Who needs a chain restaurant when you can make these?

Mmmmmm...doesn't this look good?

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
8-10 oz boneless rib-eye steaks
Steak seasoning, such as McCormick's (with coarse salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion)

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups of green, red, yellow or orange peppers, sliced into strips
1/2 onion, sliced into strips
Salt and pepper
cilantro (optional)

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Salsa, for topping
Guacamole, for topping
Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

Directions:
Preheat a cast iron servers in a preheated 350 degree F oven for at least 20 minutes, to get a good sizzle when you plate the fajitas.

Heat a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Rub butter over grill. In the meantime, season steak. Once butter has been on the pan for 1-2 min add steak. Cook steak on pan till desired doneness, turning half-way. I like mine med-rare to medium.

While the steak is cooking, in a large skillet heat up the oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave according to package directions.

When the steak is done, remove from pan and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Then slice into 1 inch strips. When you are ready to serve, remove the cast iron server from the oven and quickly arrange the meat and peppers and onions on it.Top with cilantro to garnish. Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.