Taco Salad

There have been occasions where I have made tacos for dinner just so that I can make taco salad the next day.  I love it so much.  Of course, I could just make the salad without making tacos, but I like tacos too, so it's win-win.  My girlfriends and I actually have an annual taco party where everyone brings different ingredients for the tacos. And each year we always get into a huge discussion about what order the toppings should go on on a taco.  Personally I like meat first, then the cheese so it can melt, then taco sauce, sour cream, lettuce (it needs to be next to the sour cream so that it has something to stick to!), guacamole, and then the tomatoes.  The guacamole keeps the tomatoes on nicely.  And it has to be a hard taco shell, and not the stand-and-stuff because the bottoms break after the first bite.  So...ya, that's my opinion about tacos, how do you like yours made?

So anyhow, back to the salad.  As I said, I usually make mine with leftover taco ingredients, but I will write the recipe for just the salad on it's own.  It's easy and delicious, and a salad that my hubby loves because it's full of beef.  Enjoy!

I forgot to buy avocado, so it's missing:(

Taco Salad
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix*
1 head iceburg lettuce
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed corn chips or tortilla chips or taco shells
1/4 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup French or Catalina  salad dressing
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Cook beef and taco seasoning according to package directions.  Shred the lettuce and dice the tomatoes and avocado.  Put into a large bowl with the shredded cheese and crushed chips. Top with the ground beef.  Mix the salad dressing and taco sauce together and pour over salad.  (Only salad dressing can be used if taco sauce is not available.)  Serve with cilantro, if desired.

*The package is for a pound a beef, so just use half:)

Greek Style Potatoes

One of my favourite places to eat in the mall is at Jimmy the Greek.  (Sometimes I go to the mall just for the food court:)  I love their potatoes, salad, and rice, especially since they cover everything in feta cheese and tzaziki sauce ( I always ask for extra).  The potatoes are so moist and flavourful, so I decided to try to replicate them at home.  I looked at a few recipes for Greek potatoes and used ingredients from a couple of them.  They turned out really well, but I think the next time I make them I will drain the liquid and cook them for another 10-15 minutes so that they get a little crispy on the outside.  They were quick to prepare though, and my hubby loved them which is always nice.  I served them with my homemade tzaziki sauce, yum yum.

Greek Style Potatoes

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp chicken stock powder
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.  Peel and cut potatoes into 4 wedges each.  Place in a baking pan.  Mix remaining ingredients together.  Cover pan with tinfoil and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until cooked through.  For a crispier exterior drain liquid and broil for 5 minutes, turn potatoes, and continue broiling for another 5 minutes.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Homemade Tzaziki Sauce

I've been feeling a little guilty about all the creamy pastas and fish and chips I have been eating lately, so I thought I would make some healthier fare this week.  I saw a recipe in Chatelaine Magazine for quinoa burgers and decided to try them out.  The recipe had mushrooms in it, which I just don't like, so I had to change the recipe a bit, but they still turned out amazing.  I served them with yogurt tzaziki sauce and a fresh salad of  lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes with some greek-style potatoes on the side.  Everything was so good, and the burgers have a lot of taste to them.  I'm not sure how well they would hold up on a bun, but with a salad they were great.  The tzaziki I made is a sauce I've been making for quite a few years, but I made it healthier by making it with yogurt instead of the sour cream and cream cheese I usually use.  The tzaziki is great as a dip with pita bread and vegetables as well, so it doesn't hurt to double the batch.  If you are not a huge fan of garlic you may want to decrease the amount to one clove as this is a pretty garlicky sauce.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 zucchinis, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 spanish onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp instant tapioca
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the vegetables and garlic and cook until soft.  In a large bowl mix the vegetables, quinoa, and remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Divide mixture into 6 equal amounts and form into patties using hands.  Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and cook patties until browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side.  Serve topped with tzaziki sauce:

Tzaziki Sauce

1 cup Balkan or Greek Style plain yogurt
1 cucumber
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice

Slice cucumber lengthwise and remove seeds.  Grate cucumber and put in a fine mesh strainer to squeeze out the liquid.  Add to yogurt along with remaining ingredients.  Mix well.

Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

I don't know why, but all I've been wanting to eat lately is cheesy, creamy pastas.  I ate pretty healthily all winter, and now that the warm weather is here I just want not-so-healthy comfort foods.  Isn't that the opposite of what people usually do?  Aren't you supposed to crave light, crispy salads once the hot weather hits, and try to look good in your bathing suit?  But I don't really care about my bathing suit because this pasta was worth every cheesy, delicious, calorie.  And I like to think that with all the asparagus and spinach in it, it can't be that bad!  And I did control myself on the cheese.  I was really tempted to bake this at the end, with a layer of shredded cheddar on top, just for that extra over-the-top-ness.  But I held back, especially since I knew I would be the one eating the whole thing since my hubby doesn't like pasta, or asparagus, or artichokes...seriously, what's wrong with him?  But by all means, feel free to go that extra step!  I will be jealous if you do though!

Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

350 g Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb roasted asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white wine (or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup milk

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1 large jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
Pepper, to taste

Cook pasta to al dente.  Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and wine, whisking into a smooth cream.  Whisk in the milk and Parmesan cheese, then add spinach.  Cut the roasted asparagus spears into 1" pices.  Add the cooked pasta, asparagus, artichokes, and seasoning.  Serve with additional pepper and chili flakes on top.

Sauce before the pasta is added in.

Barbecued Lemon Rosemary Spuds

Barbecue season has officially started!  What an exciting time it is.  There's nothing better than being able to cook outside, especially when there's a cold beer in hand and a hot sun in the sky.  Potatoes are my go-to side dish of the summer.  I hardly ever cook them inside, but when I can just throw some on the barbecue I love to make them!  This is one of the easiest ways to make some barbecued spuds, and they are mighty tasty too!

Barbecued Lemon Rosemary Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds mini potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, cut in wedges

1 tbsp fresh rosemary 

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to evenly coat potatoes.  Take 2 large sheets of tinfoil and make an 'X' with them.  Place the potatoes in the middle of the X, folding first one sheet around them, and then the other.  Fold ends to make sure it is really secure.  Barbecue the potatoes until soft, about 30-45 minutes, turning them over half way to evenly cook them.  (If you are cooking over a high flame, place the foil pouch on the upper rack so the potatoes don't burn.)

Roasted Asparagus

Springtime always makes me excited for the fresh fruits and vegetables I will soon be able to eat.  Asparagus is one of the first spring veggies to arrive, and it's also one of my favourites.  I used to always steam my asparagus spears, until I tried roasting them.  I will never steam them again!  They taste so much better roasted; they don't get mushy at all, and they still have a vibrant green colour to them.  I like to sprinkle them with salt and pepper for a little bit of extra flavour.  And sometimes I throw a few lemon slices in with them, because everything tastes great with lemon:)  My brother, who thought he didn't like asparagus, tried them this way and actually went back for a second serving.  He said they were so good, not at all what he remembered asparagus tasting like.  They are also great in this creamy pasta recipe.  So try them, you won't be disappointed!

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus spears (or whatever you have on hand)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

Salt 

Pepper 

Lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Trim the bottom ends off of the asparagus spears.  Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, turning them a bit so that they have a thin coating of oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place a few lemon slices in and around the spears, if using.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Spicy Salmon Steaks

Over the weekend I bought some salmon steaks, then got home and realized I had no idea what to do with them.  Usually I would bake them with some lemon and dill, but I wanted something different.  Plus, I had neither lemon nor dill at home.  I was thinking of doing a teriyaki sauce, or something else 'Asian-inspired', so I looked online for recipes.  After looking at no less than a thousand recipes (at least that's what it felt like!), I finally decided to make something spicy.  I never would have thought of putting salmon and spice together, unless it was a Cajun dish, but this recipes turned out great.  And my hubby loved it too, even with the balsamic vinegar in it that he can't stand the smell of:)  It was super fast to make, and paired with a wild-rice pilaf and some fresh vegetables, it was a wonderful meal.  (I really wish I had made asparagus instead of yellow beans though!) I was inspired by a recipe on cooks.com, which now I can't find, and this is what I did:

Spicy Salmon:

2 salmon steaks

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp chili sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Place oven rack at second to highest position in oven and preheat broiler.  Place salmon on parchment lined baking pan.  Mix all ingredients together and use half of the mixture to coat both salmon steaks. 

Broil for 5-6 minutes.  Remove from oven, turn steaks over, and coat other sides with the remaining mixture.  Broil for another 5-6 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily.  Enjoy!

(These would also be good barbecued, and the sauce would be a nice chicken marinade as well.)





Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

This is a rich, easy-to-make, elegant dish.  And it is so versatile!  I have made it with many different types of vegetables, the most recent being fiddleheads.  You can make it with or without shrimp also.  It's all up to you.  The important part is the butter and cream.  Yes, it is very rich, and drool-worthy.  I am just going to write the basic recipe here.  If you are making this with vegetables just add them with the garlic at the beginning to cook them a little, and then they will continue cooking in the sauce.  I like combinations of thinly sliced zucchini, carrots, peppers, and asparagus.  If you are making it without any vegetables I would throw in about a tablespoon of fresh herbs to give it some added flavour.  Rosemary would go nicely with the lemon and shrimp, as well as basil.  Don't be afraid to experiment with different tastes!  Sometimes I even add some white wine:)

*oops, no picture:( I was too excited to eat this and forgot about taking one*

Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

400 g Pasta (fettuccine or penne work well for this sauce)
3 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
350g of uncooked shrimp, peeled
1 cup vegetables of your choosing (if desired)
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Pepper, to taste

Bring salted water to boil, add pasta and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water and set pasta aside.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and vegetables, cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Add shrimp, and cook for 1 minute longer.
Lower heat to medium and add lemon juice, cream, and pasta water.  Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Let the sauce thicken (about 5 minutes) and then stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Add pasta and parsley, and then serve with more cheese on top along with some freshly ground black pepper.