nachos

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My lovely friend Diane Bernal made these delicious nachos for a party once, and I was dying over its deliciousness. A few days later, I couldn’t get it off my mind, so we made it for dinner. When I called her to ask for her recipe, these were the notes I jotted down on my phone. I’ve made it this way several times since, so I figure it’s good enough to publish.

Nacho Sauce

Sautéed onions/garlic w butter (med heat)

Salsa, blitzed up 

Milk/evaporated milk (start low)

Then add chunks of velveeta 

Add reg cheese at end - milk

Can season with: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika 

Do on cooktop then put in pre-warmed crockpot.

** Edited to add: Serve over/with your favorite tortilla chips (obvs) and add some fun toppings — ie. salsa / sliced black olives / jalapeño slices / ground beef (I brown with diced onion) / sour cream / tomatoes / green onions /whatev!

easy empanadas

My good friend Krista shared this idea with our bookclub when we were discussing easy, inexpensive recipes. And she hit the nail on the head with this one! It is perfectly easy and inexpensive - and absolutely yummy to boot! Her version included simply meat, onions, and cheese - kind of cheeseburger-esque. I wanted a little different flavor and changed it up a bit. But really, it'd be easy and scrumptious to change it up with any number of ingredients. Pizza pocket, breakfast scramble, you name it! Love this. Thanks, Krista. 

RECIPE: Easy Empanadas

Ingredients:

2 pkg canned biscuits 

1 lb ground beef

1 med onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

2 Hatch chilis, seeded and diced

Garlic powder, to taste 

Pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. 

In a large skillet, brown the beef and onion over med-high heat. Add tomato, green chili, and spices. Cook until chilis are slightly soft, just a few more min. Remove from heat.

Roll out biscuit dough individually into circles. Fill circles with a Tbsp or so of filling then fold over and pinch edges (with a fork if you're feeling fancy). Cut a slit or two in the tops and brush with the egg wash. 

Then bake at 400F for 12ish minutes or until golden brown! Enjoy!

penne pasta bake

I got this recipe from our local grocery store, when they were doing this awesome Family Value Meal, all-ingredients-in-a-bag-and-ready-for-you program. Super cool. I've altered it a bit to make it even easier (I'm super lazy, ha), but the flavor is all there. Anyway, it's become a total staple in our household. Everyone loves it. Assuming you're not dairy-intolerant (ha), give this nummy recipe a try. You won't regret it.



RECIPE: Penne Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 (16-oz) pkg penne pasta
2 c. sour cream
6 oz provolone cheese slices
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb ground beef
1 med yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (26-oz) jars marinara sauce

2-3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Set aside a 9x13 casserole dish (or two 8x8s).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente; drain. Mix in sour cream and parm. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown diced onion, garlic, and ground beef over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti sauce and warm through.

Layer as follows: pasta, sauce, provolone, pasta, sauce. Then top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 min at 350F or until cheese melts and bubbles/browns.



**Note: This freezes wonderfully!  Bake one 8x8 and save the other. Two meals in one! Bam! Or better yet, eat one and give one to a friend! :) Also, making earlier in the day and refrigerating works great. Just keep in mind that you'll have to bake it a little longer.

butter chicken

You guys! This stuff is like a miracle in a packet! I stumbled across it in the grocery store the other day (international isle) and thought I'd give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did! It's spectacular!! So easy and so, so delicious. The whole family gobbled it up, and it makes a ton! It's a bit on the spicy side (I'd call it "medium" heat; nothing extreme, but I didn't feed it to my one-year-old), but you can up the cream a bit to knock down the spice. Anyway, it's fantastic. You can be sure we'll be making this again!

RECIPE: Butter Chicken

Yield: 8 generous servings 

Calories: 224 each (w/o rice)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 lb chicken breast, diced

2 Tbsp butter

1 med onion, finely diced 

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1 packet Butter Chicken Seasoning Mix

1 c cream (more if needed to de-spice)

Basmati rice

(Opt) fresh cilantro 

Directions: 

Cook according to packet directions. 

** Serve over basmati rice (with cilantro mixed in if you have it). Add a side of naan if you think to snag some. And enjoy!!

red enchiladas

New Mexico, sometimes I miss you like crazy. Eating these enchiladas with a side of frijoles was one of those times. Mmm. ¡Viva Nuevo México!

RECIPE: Red Enchiladas

Yield: Two 8x8 pans*

*One will feed a family of 4-5 easily. Freeze or share the second pan! Two in one; hooray! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 lg can red enchilada sauce

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese (opt)

10-12 corn tortillas

Directions:

Brown beef with onion. Drain. Add a bit of the enchilada sauce to the meat.

In a 9x13 pan (or two 8x8s), put down a little sauce. Then fill tortillas and roll, placing the rolls in the pan(s) next. Once the rolled enchiladas are packed in, pour on the remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese(s). 

Bake at 400F for 15 min or until cheese is melted. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Note: Serve with pinto beans (Rinse and drain, then add s&p and garlic powder, a bit of water, and nuke for 2 minutes... easy!) and top with sour cream. Yum!

sautéed zucchini, yellow squash & onion

This hardly qualifies as a recipe, but I want to remember it for future reference. It was really yummy! I stole the idea from Brittney, who served it as a side to grilled chicken when we stayed with them recently. Because we eat too much meat (and were lazy), we decided to serve it as our main entree with a side of (Cal Rose) rice. It was surprisingly satisfying! And budget friendly! We intend to make this again!

RECIPE: Sautéed Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Onion

Ingredients:

4 small zucchini squash 

2 small yellow squash

2 med onions

Olive oil (EVOO)

Mrs. Dash

S&P 

Directions:

Julienne/slice onion. Wash and slice (in little rounds) the squash(es?). In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add onions, then squash. Season to taste. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft. Serve (over or just with) rice. And enjoy!!

salisbury steak

My mom and her friend got together last week and made a whole slew of Salisbury Steak.  They had a group of friends over for dinner that night, froze some, and brought some to us!  We ate it for Sunday dinner, and it was spectacular.  Then on Wednesday, after James' tball game, Mom invited us all over for dinner- saying she had more Salisbury Steak to share.  We accepted, and it was (again) delicious.  And THEN yesterday, I was planning to bring dinner to my friend Missy who just had a baby, and I thought that Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes would be the perfect comfort food.  So I used the ingredients Mom had told me about and sort of created my own version (hoping it was hers as well) .... and we ate that same dinner AGAIN- third time in a week!  Haha.  Derek told me the only thing he was worried about was that I would decide that I'd had it too much and have a pregnancy aversion to it that lasted years.  So far, so good.  Though I think this week, we'll try to steer clear of it just to be sure. But it will seriously be hard, because it is super duper delish!

RECIPE: Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:
[For the patties]
1 lb ground beef {I used 85%}
1/2 onion, diced finely
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 egg

[For the gravy]
1 Lipton onion soup mix
1 brown gravy mix
1 can (Campbell's) Golden Mushroom soup
2 1/2 c. water

Directions:
Mix the patty ingredients together in a large bowl, incorporating well.  Form into smallish patties (3 inches in diameter, maybe?).  Cook until well done {we used our George Foreman for this, as our stove top was busy and it would do lots at a time}.

Meanwhile, add all gravy ingredients together in a large (and deep) skillet.  Whisk to combine.  Bring to a boil and reduce to medium.  Continually whisk- to avoid burning and to help it uniformly thicken.  When the gravy is adequately gravy-esque, reduce heat to low.

Once your patties are fully cooked, place them (carefully; they fall apart easily) into the gravy pan.  Let them completely submerge in the gravy.  Let this simmer on low for a while.  Then dish up and enjoy!

Note: The excess gravy will double as gravy for your mashed potatoes!  Serve with mashed potatoes for sure and maybe a salad to keep things fresh.  Mmmm... enjoy!

chili colorado

This recipe will always make me think of my dad.  When my parents were getting a divorce (sad), I was quite worried about my dad starving to death- as he had literally cooked nothing his entire marriage, to my knowledge (besides the corn dog he once exploded, thus ruining both a microwave and his chances in the kitchen in the same kaboom).  Luckily, he learned a few good Mexican dishes he could make that were simple, cheap and filling.  Mexican bachelor food.  This was among them, and when he visited, he taught me how to make it.  Derek and I really love it, and the kids seem to as well.  Very simple, very flavorful, very seemingly-authentic and very delicious.



RECIPE: Chili Colorado

Ingredients:
1 lb stew meat (or chuck roast), thinly sliced/diced
1 onion, thinly sliced/diced
4 potatoes, thinly sliced/diced
1 can enchilada sauce
garlic powder and pepper, to taste

Directions:**
Cook the meat, onion and potatoes in a pot over medium to medium-high heat.  Season with garlic powder and/or pepper if desired.  Once meat is cooked through, add the enchilada sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Serve with warm tortillas.

**Note: My sister Tori discovered that you can throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and then BAM! Dinner! I tried it, and it was awesome! The meat was so tender and perfect! I will be doing it that way from now on. The moisture from the meat/veggies made the sauce soupy, though. So maybe remove the lid for the last 20 minutes to let some moisture evaporate?? Also, add a dollop of sour cream when dishing up! Mmm, mmm, delicious!

chicken & barley soup

Original recipe from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.  I made it my own mostly because I was lazy and/or don't do well with directions. :)  I really liked how it turned out, though.  Even the kids loved it!  This will definitely be made again!


RECIPE: Chicken & Barley Soup

Serves: 10
Calories: 177 

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 c carrots, chopped
2 tsp minced onion
1/2 c onion, diced (opt)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 (small) can tomato sauce
10 c chicken broth (or bullion+water)
{I went waay overboard with the bullion...oops.}
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tap ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
(Add later) 1 c quick-cooking barley

Directions:
Chop/measure/prepare ingredients. Add all but barley to the slow cooker. Cool on high until boiling (about an hour), then reduce to low to finish (2-3 hrs). Add the barley for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Serve warm with artisan bread on the side. Enjoy.

chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles

I've never been a huge fan of Chicken Noodle Soup.  It's just always been kind of "meh" for me.  But (humbly speaking) this soup is pretty freakin' delicious!  I could eat it and eat it... and it's pretty low calorie, too!  I experimented the last time I cooked this and added a few random spices/herbs that smelled like they'd be good (one way that having a super sniffer is beneficial), and it worked out reeeeallly well.  It's amazing what a teensy bit of this or that can do to change a dish and add dimension to the flavors.  Mmm.  Try this soup and let me know what you think.  As for me and my house... well, we think it's pretty spectacular!

homemade noodles = so domestic!

The kids love to help me cook!
Here they are stirring the "worms" (noodles). :D

RECIPE: Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 8
Calories: 188  

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 cans chicken breast*
10 c. chicken stock/broth/bullion+water
2 c. carrots, sliced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp poultry seasoning
dash curry powder {Small amount but BIG impact!  Don't leave it out!}
pepper/salt to taste {Go easy on salt as bullion is pretty salty.}
1/2 package home-style egg noodles or 1 batch Homemade Egg Noodles

* This time I used leftover shredded turkey from Thanksgiving in lieu of the chicken, and it was delicious.  You could also certainly cook and shred your chicken instead of using canned, but I'm just not that ambitious.  Also, this time I had a bit of cabbage and red onion in my fridge that needed used up, so I chopped them up and added them, too!  It was yummy, and it felt good to avoid waste!

Directions: 
First prepare your homemade egg noodle dough.  While it is resting, start the soup.

In a large pot over med-high heat, caramelize the onion a bit and add chicken breast.  Let these cook just a minute, then add water+bullion/broth/stock plus all the veggies and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes (to allow the flavors to distribute and develop).  While this is simmering, roll out and slice the noodles.  Add the noodles to the boiling soup, one at a time so they don't clump together.  Cook for maybe 5 minutes more.  Then serve!  Super quick, easy, and soooo delicious!


RECIPE: Homemade Egg Noodles

Ingredients:
3-4 eggs
1 Tbsp water (or milk)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2ish cups (just add a bit at a time) flour

Directions:
In a small-medium bowl, mix all ingredients together just until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead a bit, but don't over work it.  Let rest for 5ish minutes.  Then roll out as thin as you can get it and slice (with a pizza cutter is easiest) thinly... about 1/4 in wide.  Add to boiling soup and cook about 3-4 minutes.  Done!

quick chickpea curry

Image source:  http://mykentuckyhome-kim.blogspot.com/

I adapted this recipe from one posted on Stirring the Pot, who had apparently adapted hers from Martha Stewart.  I made it according to the first recipe but found that there just wasn't enough KAPOW! for my liking.  I was hoping it would taste more like the Chana Samosa (minus the samosa, obviously) from our local Indian restaurant.  Mmm.  Anyway, I added a bit of this and a bit of that until I came up with something that tasted right to me.  And it was a hit!  Now to remember what I did... I think it was something like this.

RECIPE: Quick Chickpea Curry

Serves: 5 small (though adequate) bowlfuls

Calories: 173

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

5 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cans (15oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 Tbsp ketchup

2-3 c water

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 teensy pinch of cayenne pepper (opt)

1 tsp mint chutney

2 Tbsp tamarind chutney

1 Tbsp (-ish) chopped cilantro 

1 small splash of lemon juice

Directions:

In a large large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until dark brown around edges, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic, curry, and cinnamon, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add chickpeas, ketchup, and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add garam masala, garlic powder and cayenne pepper (opt).  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15ish minutes (don't let it go dry... probably lifting the lid much is a bad idea).  If needed, uncover and increase heat to medium-high and stir until sauce is slightly reduced.  Add chutneys, cilantro and lemon juice.  Mix well.

Serve warm, with naan if you've got it.  And enjoy!

*Note: I get my chutneys from the above mentioned Indian restaurant where they make them in-house.  The grocery store variety would probably work but is nowhere near as nummy.

chicken and broccoli soup

Derek and I kind of just threw this together today based on things we had available and some leftover rice we wanted to use up. We also wanted to put something in the crock pot so that we would have something warm and ready when we got home from church. Luckily, this tossed-together concoction turned out super yummy! I love it when that happens! Let's see if I can remember how we made it...

RECIPE: Chicken and Broccoli Soup

Serves: 6
Calories: 394

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper
1 bag broccoli spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp chicken bullion
2 c cooked rice
3 Tbsp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
Defrost chicken breast if frozen. Place in crock pot, along with onions, and pour a bit of water (1/3 c -ish) over it all. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook in the crock pot (covered, obviously) over low heat for 2 hrs. Add broccoli spears, cream of mushroom soup, and parm cheese. Add a bit more water mixed with the bullion. Set the heat to high, cover and cook for 2 more hours. Then add the rice, cheddar cheese and more water (1-2 c, hot water). Stir it all, breaking up the broccoli and shredding the chicken. Season more to taste (it won't likely need it, but check). Then serve and enjoy!

navajo tacos

First of all, this recipe is dedicated to some framily of ours (family with whom we are also friends):  Thank you, Bart and Katie, for the FryDaddy that made this post possible.  :)


This recipe came about because we had a huge pot of beans (recipe here) that needed eaten and wanted to get creative with them.  We'd been to the Gardener's Market recently and saw some Navajo Tacos.  This led us to think that maybe Navajo Tacos would be delish.  We had initially thought we would use the "pizza/scone dough" we normally use for sopapillas, but we apparently didn't have any- so we used Rhodes Rolls dough instead.... just defrosted them, rolled them out, and fried them up!  It turned out great.  The meal was pretty easy and super yummy.  Give it a try; you'll be glad you did!



RECIPE:  Navajo Tacos


Ingredients:
Rhodes Rolls dough balls, defrosted/risen
pinto beans
onion, diced
tomato, diced
cheddar cheese, grated
lettuce, cut into teeny strips
salsa
(opt) sour cream

Directions:
Roll out the dough into pretty thin, roundish circles.  Fry in hot oil (in FryDaddy if you've got one) until golden.  Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Top fried bread with beans, onion, tomato, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream (if you have any; we didn't).

And eat.  It's that simple. :)

freezer salsa

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Ashley.  Her recipe called for four times this much, making a HUGE batch.  I did the math and made it a smaller batch.  It still makes a ton.  PLENTY for our little freezer!  We made this last summer and still have a stash of salsa to enjoy.  Mmm.  PS.  This salsa tastes mild when you first make it and more like mild-medium once it's been frozen and thawed.  Pretty tasty!  Enjoy.




RECIPE: Freezer Salsa

Ingredients:
2.5 gal tomatoes
5 jalapeños, seeds removed from all but one
1.5 Tbs salt
1/2 Tbs pepper
1/4 c. white vinegar

1 1/4 c. chopped onions
1 1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper
2 Tbs (rounded) chopped garlic
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 bunch fresh cilantro, cut up

Directions: 
Add first batch of ingredients to a large pot over high heat.  Once it boils, reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 1-2 hours, stirring often so it won't burn.  Then add the second batch of ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool a bit.  Then pour into freezer-proof storage containers.  Freeze.  When ready to eat, thaw and enjoy! Yum!

carne asada tacos

Derek and I took our kiddos to run errands (together- weird) on Saturday. Whilst on said errands, we got hungry. So we hit up our local taqueria. Dos tacos, por favor. And mmmm, they were yummy. There's just something to be said for authentic Mexican food. Since we were going shopping right after anyway, we decided to buy some stuff to try our hand at our own Carne Asada Tacos. We did a quick recipe search on Allrecipes.com (I have an app for that) and found this one. I pretty much followed it exclusively (well, I halved it - we didn't need 16 tacos), and it turned out fabulously! We only did the marinade for an hour (the smallest time frame allotted), but we stabbed the steak a ton with a fork pre-marinade, and I think that must have helped- cause it was YUM! Pretty easy and pretty spectacular. My kind of recipe.

RECIPE: Carne Asada Tacos

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb flank steak

2 Tbs + 2 tsp white vinegar

1/4 c soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 1 lime

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

juice from 1/2 lime

10 white corn tortillas

(opt) avocado, sliced

(opt) jalapeno slices (Mezzetta has tame ones, mmm)

Directions:

1. Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. Stab relentlessly with a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk together the other ingredients (stop at paprika). Then pour the marinade mixture over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade (in the fridge) for 1-8 hours.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the white onion, cilantro and lime juice. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.

3. Heat a (preferably cast-iron... seriously, there's nothing better) skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and put it in the hot pan. Let it brown a bit on one side then flip it over. Then reduce heat a bit and continue to cook through. Remove from heat and cover in tin foil. Set aside.

4. Wash the previously used skillet and then warm it again- on medium-high heat. Warm the tortillas for about a minute on each side. (This can also be done in the microwave but is nowhere near as yummy.)

5. Prepare your tacos- combining meat, onion/cilantro relish, and any other toppings of choice (avocado and jalapenos are yummy options). Serve warm and enjoy!

slow-cooker curried chicken

My friend Missy referred me to the original recipe (found here). It sounded delicious. As I was making it, I improvised a bit: turning it into a slow-cooker recipe and changing up the ingredients a bit. I came up with this. It turned out fabulously, if I do say so myself. I will definitely be making this again!

RECIPE: Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken

Serves: 6

Calories: 315*

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 bell pepper, diced

5 baby carrots, thinly sliced

1/3 c. butter, melted

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. dijon mustard

5 tsp. curry powder

1 pinch cayenne pepper

S&P

(opt) fresh cilantro

Directions:

Place a couple of thin slices of the butter down in the slow-cooker first. Arrange the chicken breasts on top. Grind some salt and pepper to season the breasts. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper and carrots. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour this mixture over the chicken/veggies. Add a bit of water around the edges if you think it needs it (I did- about 1/4 c is all).

Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4-5 hrs or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over basmati rice and top with fresh cilantro. Mmm! ;)

*Basmati rice adds another 170 calories (ish) per 1/2 c. of rice.

grilled pizza

I'd heard a bit about grilled pizza recently, but it wasn't until I saw this post on a blog I stalk called All Buttoned Up that I got "ballsy" enough to try it. We were absolutely unprepared and had to throw it all together in a minute {literally- since we had thrown the dough down on the grill before the toppings were even chopped}. But it turned out beautifully! The crust was deliciously crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The veggies were cooked but not too soft. The entire thing was heavenly... and oh-so-quick-and-easy. We will definitely be trying this again! Here's our general recipe in case you'd like to as well.

RECIPE: Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:

frozen pizza dough, thawed

pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)

pepperoni

bell pepper

mushrooms

mozzerella cheese

freshly ground pepper

oregano

Directions:

Before you start, remove the upper warming rack thing from your grill. You just want to work with the main rack and not have something above to and in your way. {If you forget this step, have your hubby whip out some pliers to do it while it's piping hot. I hear this works, too...} Now fire up your grill and brush it clean.

Roll out pizza dough. Prepare your toppings how you'd like (grate cheese, chop/julienne vegetables, etc.). Brush {or spread with your fingers... } olive oil on both sides of the dough. Place the dough on the grill, reducing the heat to low. Let this side cook for just about a minute, then flip it. Add your toppings and close the lid. Grill for about 5 minutes or until your toppings are done and the crust is nicely charred. {Easy, right?} Remove from the grill and eat up! :)

tin foil dinners

Nothing says summer like camping, and nothing says camping like tin foil dinners. Although we didn't feel up to driving up the canyon and building a fire (especially since it was past dinnertime already), we used our math skills and figured that if A = B and B = C, then A = C (that's right, Mr. Kerr, I was paying attention). So for us, nothing says summer like tin foil dinners... a la grill! :) We did eat them on our front porch whilst sitting in camping chairs. That counts for something, right?

They're easy-peasy. Here's how you make 'em.

RECIPE: Tin Foil Dinners

Ingredients:

Tin foil dinners can be made with just about anything. The way we make them generally includes the following staples:

tin foil

ground beef

potatoes, thinly sliced

onions, chopped

carrots, chopped

seasoning* (a good amount)

*For seasoning, we generally use Lawry's seasoning salt and freshly ground pepper, but use what sounds good to you. Also, we generally use white/yellow onions, but this time all we had in the house were green ones. So we used those, and it was really tasty! Seriously, tin foil dinners are so easy and versatile. Almost anything goes.

Then we throw in whatever else sounds yummy. This time, we had leftover kabob-ingredients (cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers) in the fridge, so we chopped them up and used them too.

I stop there, but Derek likes to add a dollop of Cream of Mushroom soup to his. Both ways are super yummy.

Directions:

Assembling the lil' guys is easy as well. Lay out a big piece of tin foil (or layer two, if you want to be on the safe side)- about 2 ft. long. Put your meat down in the center; flatten it into a patty of sorts; season it. Then pile on the veggies and whatever else you decided to add, seasoning that as well. Seal the foil up like a package- pulling the longer sides up and rolling them together first, then closing up the ends.

Toss those puppies on the grill, over med-high heat, for 20 minutes- flipping them half way (so 10 minutes on each side).

Serve warm and enjoy. Mmm... summertime!

PS. This is a great meal to let kids help with (which almost guarantees they'll eat it afterward). James assembled his own, grabbing a handful of this and a handful of that. I even let him help with the seasoning. Super fun, and healthy too!

What do YOU put in your tin foil dinners?

ham fried rice

I was craving something Asian and was too unambitious to make manapuas (which is the Hawaiian name for them, I suppose, making them not-so-Asian... if you're curious as to what they are, stay tuned. I intend to make them sometime in the near future). So I made ham fried rice. Easy. Quick. And it used up several ingredients we had around from the holidays. I hadn't really made this before, but I think it turned out pretty yummy. We were going to have this accompany pot stickers, but it made a ton and we wanted to eat ASAP. So this was our meal. Hey, at least we had grain, protein and veggies. It's a relatively balanced meal. :) Either way, it was good. And hey- a little Asian good luck to start of the new year is never a bad thing, right?

RECIPE: Ham Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1/4 c. diced onion

1 c. diced ham

2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, divided

2 tsp. vegetable oil {or canola or whatever, but probably not EVOO}

1 c. frozen peas

1 c. shredded carrots

3 eggs {I'd probably do 4 next time}

4 c. cooked, cool white rice

soy sauce, to taste

sesame seed oil

ginger powder

salt/pepper

Directions:

If you have leftover rice, use that. Otherwise {I didn't} cook 2 c. rice according to package directions (it will double once cooked) and throw in the freezer for at least 30 min. or so, preferably with the lid off. You want it cold and slightly dried out... leftover-like, if you will.

Over medium-high heat, fry onion, ham and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder in 1 tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet/frying pan. Fry/cook for about 2 minutes or so, or until the onion is soft and the whole thing's a little browned. Reduce to medium heat and add 1 tsp. oil, peas and carrots. Fry for another couple of minutes, until peas are thawed and all is warmed and cooked a bit. Add eggs and stir to scramble. Once eggs are cooked, add the rice. Mix well to combine, then add the remaining seasonings to taste.

{Note: I put in about 7 glug-glug-glug turns around the pan of soy sauce (sorry for the crumby terminology), about 1/8 tsp. sesame seed oil (be careful with this guy; a little goes a very long way), 2 tsp.-ish garlic powder and oh... 1 tsp. ginger powder, along with a decent amount of ground pepper and a bit of salt (you don't need much; the soy sauce is pretty salty). Just add a bit, taste it, add a bit, taste it... that sort of thing. Ultimately YOU will eat it, so make it taste good to you.}

Serve warm... alone or otherwise. And enjoy!

salmon chowder

Note: Picture AND recipe courtesy of Kurt & Bonnie Anderson. Kurt ice-fished and brought home some gorgeous, delicious salmon. Kurt de-scaled and de-boned (I know there are real words for these things, but I don't know them) the fish at his own apartment- which was especially kind (ick). And he and Bonnie came over and cooked up this amazing soup for us. They even took the picture. Absolutely none of this is mine, but it was a delicious recipe, and I wanted to share it. Thank you, Kurt and Bonnie! Try it. You will thank them too!

PS. I don't like fish as a general rule. At all. And I LOVED this. It's not really "fishy" and tastes great. So if you're leery of fish like I am, still try it. It really is that good!

RECIPE: Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:

2 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 (49.5 fl. oz.) can chicken broth

1 lb. salmon steaks, bones removed, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 c. milk

1 c. half-and-half cream

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, bring potatoes, onion and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until potatoes are tender. Add salmon and bacon; cook over medium heat until fish flakes easily with a fork. Reduce heat; stir in milk, cream, butter, salt and pepper; heat through (do not boil). Thicken if desired.

{Note: He did have to thicken it and used probably 3-4 Tbsp. corn starch (mixed first with cold water) to do so. Also- don't be afraid to bring it to a boil (it needs it to thicken with the corn starch); just don't leave it there.}

Mmm... try it. It's wonderful.