Tag: Recipes

A Sunday Recipe

31150328_10156333184669299_6846227332643094137_nI don’t know about you, but I love, love, LOVE Mexican food and foods with a Tex-Mex/SouthWestern flare! I seem to always crave foods in that flavor palate, whether I am eating out or if I’m cooking at home. I don’t cook much anymore though, due to my mobility issues but when I do, it’s something quick and easy. Last month I found an awesome new recipe and I tweaked it a bit for my own tastes. It was FABULOUS!

I hope you’ll give this a try some time. It’s really delicious and not too expensive to make, as I normally already have all the spices and seasonings in my kitchen. Maybe you do, too. I’ve used both chicken and beef…so take your pick! I prefer the beef version myself, but both are delicious and very filling!

Tex-Mex Steak Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
A pinch (or more!) cayenne pepper
1 lb. flank steak (or chicken breast fillets)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. red onion, chopped
Lettuce

For Dressing:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro OR 1 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste

In a medium, bowl combine brown sugar, salt, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne. Mix well and rub spice mix over the steak (or chicken), coating well.

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat, add tsp. of olive oil and cook steak for 5 minutes on each side, letting a nice dark crust form on each side. Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing. (For chicken, cook each filet about 5 minutes each side, or until cooked through.)

While meat is cooking, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, and onion. Toss to combine.

Slice the meat against the grain, into strips. When ready to plate, add the lettuce to bowl first, then top with the bean and corn mixture. Add meat slices along the side of the dish. Serve and enjoy!

(You can mix the lettuce with the bean and dressing mixture if you’re serving 4 people. This was enough for Dad and me to have 2 meals, so I didn’t mix the lettuce for fear that we would have soggy lettuce for leftovers.)

Makes 4 servings.

 

The Best Soup Ever!

I made my favorite soup today, Stuffed Bell Pepper! My fave soup use to be Green Chili Chicken Lime, but not anymore! It’s still delicious but I have to side with the Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup! If you like bell peppers and Italian sausage, you will love this recipe!

I will share the recipe with you but before I do that, let me tell you that you can morph this recipe to make it your own. There IS wiggle room to make changes! Of course, if you don’t like bell pepper then that will be a problem because it’s not Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup without bell peppers! BUT — there are other changes you can make.

If you don’t like spicy Italian sausage (the kind I use), then you can use sweet Italian sausage instead. You could also use ground beef or ground turkey if you like — but neither of those is not as flavorful as Italian sausage! This recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis, but you can use plain diced tomatoes if you don’t want the added spicy flavor of the green chilis. If you DO like green chilis you could add more to accommodate your tastes! I use boxed chicken broth but I have used beef. You can use canned broth, low sodium, and your own homemade stock is great too! If you’re in a pinch and all you have is bouillon then that works but bouillon adds a LOT more sodium. If you like onion, you can add onion. If you like green bell peppers better than other colors, that’s fine! You can use a variety of colors as I do sometimes. You can use white rice or brown rice, instant or regular. It’s totally up to you!

Now, on to the recipe! Be sure to let me know how you like it if you decide to make it and also, what you did to change it to make it your own!

Aunt Debbie’s Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casings)

14.5 oz. canned tomatoes with green chilis

3 bell peppers (roughly chopped, green or variety of colors)

64 oz. chicken broth

2 cups cooked rice (if using instant, can be added directly to soup without cooking first. Be sure to use the amount that gives you 2 cups cooked)

Cheddar cheese, shredded, used for garnish if desired.

Directions:

Remove sausage from casings and brown in a soup pot. Drain fat. Add can of tomatoes and extra green chilis if desired. Add chopped bell peppers and chicken broth. Let cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Then add rice. Let cook an additional 30 minutes, or until bell peppers are tender. Scoop into bowls or large soup mugs and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

There ya go! Great for a cold, winter’s day!