Fiesta Tater Tot Casserole

Okay- so I like posting a great picture as much as the next girl, but let's face it-- there are no appetizing pictures of tater tot casserole so Dave suggested this as a good alternative.  Normally, I'm not a fan of this 1950's June Cleaver-esque dish- ground beef, cream of mushroom soup and tater tots?  Blech!  But I ended up with a bunch of leftover taco meat this week and in google searching I came across someone's idea to use it for tater tot casserole.  I realized I had some Ragu cheddar sauce I could use instead of soup, and since that meant I already had everything but the tots, I decided to try it for my budget's sake.  I served it to David wearing a frilly apron while proclaiming "Yum! Tater puffs and cheese whip!  I found it in Suburban Homes Magazine.  Enjoy!"  But all joking and artery clogging ingredients aside, it actually turned out so good, I think I will make it every time I have leftover taco meat.  So here's what I did:

Leftover seasoned taco meat (i use ground turkey instead of beef)

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Creamed Spinach

12 oz heavy cream
Olive oil to coat bottom of medium saucepan
1/2 onion - or handful frozen chopped onions
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and wrung out
salt to taste

Add cream to heavy bottomed saucepan and reduce over medium heat until reduced by half and very thick. Watch this semi closely so as to not boil over or burn on the bottom.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil until glistening over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, being careful not burn. Add spinach, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in reduced cream and heat through. Add salt to taste.

One of my go to dishes. This is from 30 Minute Meals and I use a few extra shortcuts to get it on the table in about 20 minutes. I LOVE this dish.

Frozen onions
Frozen peppers (in NYC you can either get these at Trader Joes or Pathmark, but unfortunately not at Fairway)
I buy one VERY large can of tomato paste then portion it out into two ice cube trays. Once frozen I pop the cubes into a gallon bag and keep in the freezer. 1 cube = 1 tablespoon.
Lastly, I think the Montreal Seasoning really makes a difference.

Super Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered
• Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles, Deviled Potato Salad, recipe follows

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Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce

Pork is my hands down, most favorite meat! Treat pork like beef and only cook it to medium - 145 degrees - at the most. It will still be juicy. Anything higher than that and you'll have a gross, dry piece of meat.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Tarragon Cream Sauce

Ingredients 1 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth) 6 garlic cloves, pressed 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme 2 (12-ounce) pork tenderloins 5 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon Preparation Mix wine/broth, garlic, oil, rosemary, thyme, and allspice in large resealable plastic bag. Add pork and turn to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove pork from marinade and place on rack on rimmed baking sheet; discard marinade. Spread 3 tablespoons mustard all over pork. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 145°F, about 25 minutes. Transfer pork to platter and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil cream, broth, tarragon, and remaining 2 tablespoons mustard in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper. Slice pork crosswise into rounds and serve with sauce.

Bean Burritos

Bean Burritos

Refried beans: I will probably serve this meal this week and I will try to pay attention to the measurements, it is another one of those recipes mom cooked and you just add “enough” of the ingredients.

Cooked pinto beans
Add: a little mustard
Quite a bit of ketchup
Just a tad milk or sour cream or heavy cream, whatever you have around
A few shakes of season salt
Mix this all up in a mixer until beans are crushed and everything is blended. Add items to beans slowly so you don’t end up with soupy beans.

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Open Tortillas

Open Tortillas
Makes enough for 4 to 6 tortillas
Cooked Beans (Pinto or Kidney) about 1 to 2 cups dry
1 can of corn
Ketchup
Grated cheese to taste
Other options:
Sour cream
Ground beef, cooked and spiced (we like taco seasoning)
Lettuce
Put all ingredients on table with tortillas and combine what you want. I grew up with the ketchup, beans, cheese and corn, on whole wheat homemade tortillas. It is cheap and filling. But we have added the meat, sour cream, and lettuce which makes it more of a taco. You can also use store bought tortillas or homemade white tortillas.

Tortillas

Tortillas
2 tsp. salt
About 3 cups flour
About 1 ¼ cups warm water
Cooking oil Makes 4 - 6 tortillas

Add flour and salt in bowl, slowly add in most of the water. Stir in with fork and then use hands to form about 5 balls of dough, the dough should be only a little flaky but not to moist, so you may not need all the water or you might need a little more. Put a little oil on the counter and roll balls in it, you don’t want to much just a small coating. Roll into thin tortillas – NOT TOO thin! Cook on pan with a little oil if needed. They take maybe 2 – 3 minutes to cook on each side or less. Usually on medium to high heat. Serve warm. (When you warm them up for leftover sprinkle warm water on them before you microwave them, it will keep them softer). I usually use whole wheat but white works as well, you usually need a little less water for white tortillas.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients

Serves 4

* 1 cup long-grain white rice
* Coarse salt
* 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.

Roasted

I had a baby two weeks ago, so time is short and energy is shorter. So, accept my exhausted-mommy offering. We had this for dinner last night.

Roasted Chicken and Parmesan Potatoes 

         Chicken

Send Husband to Fairway (or another market that has a good roasted chicken). The Fairway roasted chicken is AMAZING! So moist, so flavorful, with garlic and rosemary roasted in the cavity. And, get this, the Fairway chicken is affordable--not even in the "I've been in NYC for too long and my idea of affordable has been skewed" kind of way. They range from 5 to 9 dollars (depending on size). A $5 chicken will last us two meals.

While husband is gone start the potatoes.

Parmesan Potatoes
4 medium red potatoes
1 medium onion (optional)
3 Tablespoons Butter (melted)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

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Beef and Black-bean Chili

This is so yummy, cheap, and simple.

I like to soak the beans overnight and then crock pot it on slow all day. Even though the recipes says to cook it on slow for 8 hours, it took more like 10 hours until the beans were well done. It would probably help to cook in on high for a little bit and then turn it to slow.

-1 lb beef chuck, cut in chunks
-1 can (15 oz.) tomato puree
-1 cup of dried black beans, rinsed
-1 medium red onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 Tablespoons of chili powder
-little salt and pepper
-1/4 cup sour cream, for serving

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Mushroom Rizotto

I'm usually not a big mushroom fan, but this was very good. Again, another cheap and simple meal.

-2 Tbsp butter
-1/2 tsp dried thyme
-10 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
-salt and pepper
-1 cup rice
-1 can (14.5 oz.) of chicken broth (or 2 cups of water with chicken bullion)
-3 garlic cloves sliced
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan

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fresh angel-hair pasta with bacon and peas

Here is a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for summer.


Serves 4-6, prep time: 5 min, Total Time: 20 min
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
* 1 box (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 18 ounces fresh angel-hair pasta

Directions

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Chicken-fajita tostadas

Since we didn't have tortilla's at home, I substituted them with some sandwich thin bread and we had them like sandwiches. They turned out so much better then I expected.



Ingredients:

* 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
* 2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
* 1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
* 1 cup prepared fresh salsa
* 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
* 4 corn tortillas (6-inch)
* 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
* Cilantro-Lime Rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

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Chicken Fajitas

My sister-in-law sent me this recipe from www.cooks.com. It has become one of our family favorites. When I am in a bind or can't think of what to prepare, this is a go-to recipe. Enjoy!

---------------
CHICKEN FAJITAS
---------------

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 stick butter
1 cap full Mrs. Dash (regular or chipotle)
1 large onion
1 green pepper
1/4 brown sugar
lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, tortillas

Slice chicken into long strips, place in pan with half of the butter and Mrs. Dash.  Cook until done and lightly browned. Stir in a small amount of water or chicken broth and the brown sugar. Cook until caramelized.

Chop the pepper and onions into strips and rings, sauté in a separate skillet with the remaining butter. Cook until onions are caramelized and peppers have crispy edges.

These fajitas are really easy to make and a little different because they're sweet and spicy.

Rainy day rice pudding

I LOVE rice pudding and this recipe is so wonderful! It's the best one I have made ... & I have made a lot. It is super easy too :)

Rainy day rice pudding

Made from:

* 2 1/2 cups milk (I used 1% but you can use whole)
* 1/3 cup uncooked long or short grain white rice
* 1/8 tsp. salt
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/4 c. brown or white sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/3 c. raisins (opt.)

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Quick and yummy pizza's

So I found this recipe on Food Network, and it was even from nutrition expert, Dana White. They are easy, fast, healthy and Cannon LOVED them!

Yummy Pizza's

Whole wheat english muffins
Pizza sauce - either homemade or store bought
shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (she said fat-free is filled with fillers so part-skim is better )
Sliced olives
Chopped green pepper
Fresh chopped basil leaves

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Easy Slow-Cooker Lasagna

I got this super easy lasagna recipe from my favorite website www.kraftfoods.com This is a great one to use on Sunday. We have church until 5pm which means we get home tired and hungry. It's so nice to have dinner ready and waiting. My family loves this recipe but suggests adding another layer of noodles. Hope you like it too!

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/slow-cooker-lasagna-114123.aspx

Salsa Verde Soup

Salsa Verde Soup

SOUP
1 15 oz jar La victoria "Thick & Chunky" salsa verde, medium (I couldn't find this exact brand, but just used another brand of salsa verde and it worked just fine.)
3 cups shredded chicken (can buy and shred a rotisserie chicken {saves time and adds more flavor}, or boil and shred frozen chicken breasts)
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained (white kidney beans)
3 cups chicken broth

GARNISH
2 green onions, chopped
sour cream
grated monterey jack cheese
tortilla chips

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Planned Meals

My least favorite question of the day is, "what's for dinner?" I love the idea of this blog and I look forward to new ideas for meals. A few years ago, I decided that shopping for planned meals saved me more money than grocery shopping without a plan. So I made these meals cards and have used them off and on over the years. I have 6 cards (each is an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper folded in half). One one side is 7 dinner ideas and on the back is a list of all of the ingredients needed for those 7 meals. So in all, it is 6 weeks worth of dinner ideas. I tried to include one or two more elaborate meals each week, but the rest are simple. I laminated them so I can take the card to the grocery store with me. I often already have many of the items on the list (butter, salt, flour, etc.), so it's easy to look over the list and see what I need. I LOVE these cards and would be happy to email copies to anyone who wants them (including the recipes). You can substitute your own recipes or change them up in any way you want.

Quick Creamy Lemon Pie

Come on girls, where are the desserts!

This recipe is from Weight Watchers. It is so quick to make and the fresh lemon juice makes it to die for. I sometimes throw a little lime juice in with the lemons, it takes about 2 large lemons. I have never used the reduced fat cinnamon graham crackers. I have heard the reduced fat graham crackers don't taste good, but I cannot verify that. I use the regular and it probably doesn't add too much of the bad stuff. :) I have served it with sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries and it is gone in a flash.

Ingredients
6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
2 Tbsp butter
11 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk

2 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

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Progressive Meal Plans

I've been playing around a lot lately with the idea of progressive meals. I'm not talking about the church dinner socials where you travel from one home to the next for each course. I'm talking about the idea of starting off with one entreé and over the course of a few days making different meals out of it. Here is my favorite so far, a.k.a. "how to feed a family of 4 for 3 days in a row with a single chicken."
You can pick up a rotisserie chicken at most grocery stores for around $7. They are delicious and pre-cooked and are great for working moms who don't have a lot of time to prepare an elaborate spread after work. (As a middle-school teacher I REALLY appreciate meals like these!).
They are relatively nutritious and most people with special dietary regimens can eat them. Plus, I can usually stretch one chicken out into about 3-4 different meals for my family of 4.

The first night I usually just serve the roast chicken with some mashed potatoes (I cook the potatoes in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes, turning once, then slice them into bits and mash them- ta da! Homemade mashed potatoes in under 20 minutes!) and some greens. We use up most of the breast meat and the drumsticks doing this.

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Morgan's menu this week, plus recipes

I don't know if this is helpful to anyone, but I thought I would post the dinners I am planning for this week. I know I always like to see what other people are doing. I do usually make a plan for specific nights, but sometimes it ends up getting changed depending on what we are in the mood for, or what we have time for. So here are 5 meals in no particular order:

Less Fat Fettucine Alfredo (recipe from Heather Mason. Hope you don't mind me sharing Heather!)
1 Tbs butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (reserve 1/4 cup for topping) **I use the store-bought Kraft stuff and it works just fine
2 Tbs 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups hot cooked fettucine or other pasta (8 ounces uncooked pasta)

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Fire Roasted Salsa

My husband's family are from Mexico, so I have gleaned some killer Mexican food recipes off of them over the past few years. One of my goals for my contributions to this blog is to share some of those traditional recipes in an easy to shop for/ easy to make format. A lot of traditional Mexican dishes are impossible to shop for if you don't speak Spanish or know your way around a Latin market, and they are definitely impossible to cook if you don't have a little abuelita showing you step by step how it's done.
This recipe is for salsa, pico de gallo style. Every time I make it people ask me for the recipe, so here you go! The greatest salsa recipe in the world.

Fire Roasted Salsa
6 large Roma tomatoes
1/2 medium white onion
1 average-sized bunch of cilantro, stems removed
3 Anaheim chiles
6 Serrano chiles (but only if you like it HOT! I leave these out altogether for mild salsa, and only throw in 2 or 3 for medium salsa)
1 tsp garlic powder
Juice of 2 limes
Salt to taste

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Presto Pesto Chicken Pizza

Yields 8 slices

1 ready to bake 12” pizza crust or mini crusts as pictured above (like Boboli or Mamma Mary’s)

1-2 Tbs olive oil

1 packet creamy pesto sauce or regular pesto sauce (prepared- about 1 cup)

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Approx. ½ pound cooked chicken breast (shredded or cubed)

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts

1 small jar roasted red peppers

Preheat oven to 450⁰F.  Place pizza crust on baking sheet and brush with olive oil, making sure to brush to the edges. Spread prepared pesto sauce over crust and top with chicken and ¾ of the cheese. Arrange artichoke hearts and roasted peppers on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Reduce oven temperature to 425⁰F.  Bake for 7-10 minutes or until crust reaches desired amount of browning. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!

TIP #1: I usually make this when I have baked chicken left over from a previous meal.

TIP #2: If I have any leftover ingredients after making this, I use them to make Mediterranean wraps or grilled sandwiches.

Welcome to Pimp My Dinner Plate!

I'm really excited about this new blog. I'm constantly wanting to ask other women, "What are you making for dinner tonight?!"  So even though it developed in part from a selfish desire to find a way to ask this question more efficiently, I truly believe it's something we can all benefit from!  

I hope everyone will make a commitment to themselves to post something at least once or twice a month (even if you only have time to post the name of what you're making) so we'll be sure to get lots of great ideas and enough motivation to keep things going.

Don't forget to read the sidebar which has some good reminders on what to include in your posts.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any trouble posting or have any suggestions for improving the site.  And NOW... let's start pimpin' our plates!