Happy Insides

We have to say that we were pretty shocked that we had yet to blog about this recipe yet.  It is one of our favorite weeknight meals.  It is easy, healthy, and inexpensive to make.  We usually end up making it about once a month, which for us is quite frequent. 

We found this dish on one of our favorite food blogs Cara's Cravings.  We have eaten a ton of her recipes and enjoyed every one we made.  We definitely recommend it as a great source for new eats.  One of the things that originally sold us on the dish was the giant fan of avocado across the top of the dish.  You can almost always guarantee that if a dish uses avocado (even if just for garnish) we will end up trying it.  It did not disappoint and while the avocado may look like garnish we would definitely recommend that you NOT skip it.  It really adds a nice creaminess and great flavor to the rest of the dish.  It is pretty integral in our opinion.  Along those same lines don't skip the cilantro garnish either.  We are also of the mind that cilantro makes many things better.  

Southwestern Egg & Black Bean Skillet
Adapted from Cara's Cravings
Makes 2 Servings
1 t. olive oil
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c. frozen corn
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (we use Rotell Original or with habanero) 
2 large eggs
1-2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
chopped cilantro and sliced avocado for garnish

1) In a skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until it begins to be translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, corn and black beans and cook another 2 or so minutes until the garlic is fragrant.  Season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. 

2)  Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove the cover and make two small indents into the beans.  Carefully break an egg into each indent and then replace the cover.  Continue to cook covered for another 5 minutes until eggs are set and depending on your desired results (runny yolks or fully cooked).  Serve with feta cheese, avocado and cilantro.

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We cannot tell you how excited we are to share this meal and this series of books.  The meal was delicious and the books are some of the best we have ever read.  We are talking about the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King.  These books are Stephen King's Magnum Opus, and if you like any of his works you will love these.  In fact, you will find some very familiar scenes and characters from King's other books within the pages of this series.

The story chronicles the journey of Roland of Gilead.  He is the last gunslinger and is on a quest to travel to and climb to the top of the Dark Tower.  The world has moved on since he was young and things such as time, distance or direction no longer are quite so measurable or trustworthy anymore.  Roland, along with his new found Ka-tet (group of friends brought together by fate aka Ka), must fight against the forces of the Crimson King that wish to destroy the Dark Tower and with it all existence.  This journey traverses different worlds, times, and many miles (or wheels).  It also spurs many emotions within the reader and leaves you with a sense of longing after you have finished.  The main characters Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Oy, and Pere Callahan will all strike a nerve because they are all so human and so real.   

The meal we planned for this story is actually drawn from the third book "The Wastelands."  After traveling a great distance across a fairly desolate beach Roland and his Ka-tet come to a wooded area.  There they are able to hunt deer and find vegetation to eat.  One of the things they make is deer meat wrapped in leaves.  These concoctions are dubbed Gunslinger burritos by Eddie at one point and we felt that they would be an excellent addition to our literary lunch.  We didn't have deer meat available to us so we used beef, but feel free to use any meat or game that you want.  Also we embellished on the contents of the burritos a bit and made them more into a lettuce wrap style meal.  We hope you enjoy both the books and the meal. 

Gunslinger Burritos
A Jason and Cassie Original
Makes 4 servings
For Steaks: 
1 lb. sirloin steak (preferably grass-fed)
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

For Beans and Rice:
1 t. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 jalapeno diced (with or without seeds)
1 c. cooked brown rice
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. water
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 small lime
1 handful cilantro leaves, rinsed and chopped

For Vegetables
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced

1 Head lettuce

1)  To prepare the steaks:  Season sirloin steak with the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper.  Grill steaks about 3-4 minutes per side over medium heat until medium.  Set aside and let rest a few minutes before slicing.

2) To prepare the beans and rice:  heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and jalapeno and stir fry for about 30 seconds.  Add the rice, beans, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Simmer and let heat through for about 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the lime juice and cilantro.

3) To prepare the vegetables:  Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and peppers and let saute about 10 minutes until they soften and begin to brown.

4) Separate all the leaves on the head of lettuce.  Wash each leaf well and then dry.  To serve place a small amount of each of the steak, beans and rice and vegetables on top of each lettuce leaf.  Wrap up and enjoy.

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Months and months ago we were having some people over for dinner and were raking our brains with what to make.  Jason suggested we try our hand at Pozole so we did.  Before that point in time Cassie has never had hominy.  Sure she had heard of hominy and had a sketchy idea of what it was, but had never tasted it.  From that Pozole on though Cassie can officially declare herself a hominy fan.  When we found this recipe we knew we were going to have to give it a try.  It did not disappoint.  It was definitely a lot better tasting than our photo shows and we urge you to give it a try. 

Green Chile and Hominy Casserole
Adapted from Elly Says Opa
Serves 4-6
2 Poblano chiles
1 T. canola oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapenos (1 seeded), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped 
2 t. lime juice
2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
salt and pepper to taste
sliced scallions

1) Place the Poblanos under a preheated broiler till their skin begins to blister and blacken.  Turn to make sure all sides are blackened.  Place the poblanos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let them sit about 10-15 minutes.  When the poblanos are cool enough to touch begin to rub the skin off of them.  Once you have all the skin removed, remove the seeds and dice them. 

2)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a cast iron (or other oven safe) skillet heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and let cook 3-5 minutes until it begins to soften.  Add in the jalapeno and cook another minute or two.  Add the garlic and let cook 30 seconds. 

3)  Remove the skillet from heat and add the diced poblanos, black beans, hominy, sour cream, Greek yogurt, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice, half of the cheddar cheese and salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine.

4) Top with the remaining cheese and place in the oven.  Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling.  Top with the scallions and serve.

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Right off the bat, let's just get one thing straight...In no way shape or form is this recipe healthy.  I mean I guess it is made of whole/real ingredients and not some powder full of corn derivatives.  So it is better than those in a way, but it sure as heck isn't healthy.  Not at all.  Not even a smidge...BUT is is pretty darn amazing.  We bought all the stuff for this meal for Christmas Eve night, but didn't make it.  We had all the stuff sitting around for awhile till finally we got around to whipping up a glass.  Oh My God!  This stuff was amazing.  It was so incredibly rich and so very tasty.  The whipped cream was our favorite part.  We will be using this whipped cream over and over and over again.  Plus when it says it is spicy whipped cream...it means it!  If you don't like spicy then you should probably omit the all or part of the cayenne and maybe even some of the red pepper flakes.  

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Adapted from Babble
Makes 4-6 servings
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 c. milk
2 c. organic vanilla bean ice cream
3/4 c. sucanat
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3 t. vanilla extract
1 batch spicy dulce de leche whipped cream (recipe below)

1) Grate the chocolate with a fine grater or a microplane.

2) Heat a medium sauce pan on low.  Add the milk, ice cream and sugar.  Mix well until just before it simmers.  Whisk in the grated chocolate.  Keep whisking until it begins to melt and be incorporated.  Whisk in the cinnamon vanilla and water.  Heat until just before it simmers.  Serve with spicy whipped cream. 

Spicy Dulce de Leche Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. sucanat
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. red pepper flakes

1) About 1 hour to 30 minutes before you make the whipped cream freeze the bowl you plan to whip it in and the whisk.

2) In the cold bowl add the whipping cream and beat until it begins to form soft peaks.  Slowly add the sucanat until it is well incorporated.  Beat in the cinnamon and cayenne.  Spoon or pipe onto hot chocolate and then top with red pepper flakes.   

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Mexican food is serious comfort food around our house.  We both grew up in areas with lots and lots of good Mexican food (Texas and Southern California).  In fact the debate about what is better, Tex Mex or more authentic Mexican food, is a pretty common around our household.  Jason being the Texan of course thinks Tex Mex is better while Cassie holds that authentic Mexican food beats out Tex Mex any day.  We will probably never reach an agreement on this subject.  One thing we do know is that we both love enchiladas and were very excited to find this healthy enchilada recipe that can be a made anytime rather than just waiting for a special occasion.  Also the sauce from this recipe was wonderful.  It will now be our go to recipe for enchilada sauce.  

Kale and Pinto Bean Enchiladas
Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen
Serves 4

1 t. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, with or without seeds, diced
1 t. cumin
2 small zucchinis, finely diced
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. cilantro, minced
1 recipe enchilada sauce, below
12 corn tortillas
1 c. grated jack cheese
salt and pepper

1) Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, and jalapeno.  Cook for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.  Add the cumin, zucchini and salt to taste.  Cook for another 3 minutes and then add the kale.  Stir until the kale has wilted.

2) Remove from heat and stir in the pinto beans, some black pepper, the cilantro, and a few spoon fulls of the enchilada sauce.

3) To assemble the enchiladas heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Warm each tortilla in the skillet for about 30-60 seconds per side until soft and pliable.  Fill the warmed tortilla with the kale and pinto bean mixture and then form into a roll.  Place in a oven proof dish with a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom.  Repeat this step until you have 12 enchiladas.  Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and then sprinkle the cheese on top. 

4) Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and begins to bubble.  Serve warm.

Enchilada Sauce
1 large poblano pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of whole fire roasted tomatoes and their juice.
1 t. agave nectar
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1-2 t. lime juice

1) Cut the chili in half and place it cut side down in a pan.  Place the chili under the broiler in your oven for about 10 minutes until the skin is charred and bubbly.  Cover with cold water and soak for 15 minutes.  Dice the chili finely. 

2) Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chili, onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring.  When the onion has softened add the tomatoes, agave, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.  Use a spoon to mash up the tomatoes as they soften.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.
3) Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.  Using an immersion blender puree mixture until it is smooth.  This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.  The sauce is best when it has sat for a few hours to let the flavors really meld. 

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We admit that for the most part it tends to take us awhile to blog about meals.  Sometimes it will be weeks or months after we actually have the meal before we actually blog about it.  Not the case with this meal.  We were both just so excited about it and enjoyed it so much we wanted to get it up on the blog ASAP.  This meal came to be (at least for us) because of a huge hankering for chile rellenos.  We both just love Mexican food and we wanted to find a somewhat healthy recipe for them rather than cheese laden deep fried version that you normally get in restaurants here.  So we headed over to our old reliable source for delicious yet healthy recipes, Eating Well.  There we found this casserole that isn't only healthy and delicious, but it is ridiculously easy.  It takes just a few minutes to whip up before you pop it in the oven.  This meal is definitely going into our regular rotation from now on.

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One thing people find hard to believe is that the two of us have managed to live without a functioning microwave for over 2 and a half years now.  While microwaves are truly a convenient invention neither of us feel particularly inclined to remedy our situation any time soon.  In all honesty we do have a microwave.  There it sat, above our stove, when we purchased our house, but we soon found out that it was not a functioning appliance (ahhh the joys of buying a foreclosed home).  We haven't gotten around to replacing it as we have had many other priorities to take care of in our now cozy little home.  So there it sits and it makes a wonderful timer.  We do plan to replace it one of these days, but we are leaning more towards replacing it with a range hood rather than another over the stove microwave when we do that.  The more you live without a microwave the more you realize how it really isn't all that hard to live without one.

So why the heck are we talking about microwaves?  Well the recipe we are sharing today actually has a step with some microwaving in it.  These usually aren't a big deal and are easily adapted (as was this recipe), but there are some that tend to just throw us for a bit of a loop.  Creating a double boiler of water and a glass bowl on the stove to melt stuff can be quite a pain in the rear.  Sure it isn't that hard, but occasionally (just occasionally), life really would be simpler with one, but we still will probably be one of those crazy households without for a very long time.  So...anyway if you want to revert heating the bean mixture in this recipe back to the microwave then more power to you.

Black Bean and Salmon Toastada
Adapted from  EatingWell.com
Makes 4 servings
8 6-inch corn tortillas
non stick canola cooking spray
1/2 T. canola oil
6 oz. salmon fillet
1 avocado, diced
4 T. pickled jalapenos, mince
3 T. pickled jalapeno juice reserved
2 c. purple cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
3 T. sour cream
2 T. prepared salsa
2 scallions, chopped
Lime wedges, optional (but highly recommended)

1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Arrange corn tortillas on 2 baking sheets in a single layer.  Spray each side of the tortillas with canola spray.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, flipping once and rotating the baking sheets midway through, until light brown.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook salmon fillet about 6 minutes per side till it is cooked through.  When it is done flake the meat.

3)  In a food processor, process beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions until smooth.  Heat these over medium heat in a small sauce pan for about 5-8 minutes until warm.

4) Combine the salmon, avocado and jalapeno in a bowl.  Combine the cabbage, carrot, jalapeno pickling juice, and cilantro in another bowl.

5) Spread each tortilla with an 1/8 of the bean mixture.  Add an 1/8 of the salmon mixture and then top with an 1/8 of the cabbage mixture.  Serve immediately.

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Picadillo is a traditional Latin American dish using ground meat.  It has some wonderful spices and excellent flavor combinations in the dish.  We discovered it several months ago and since it has become a staple meal in our house.  We tend to make picadillo tacos rather than "normal" ground beef tacos with spice packets.  This way we have a lot more control about what spices we use and how much sodium goes into the dish.  Also the flavors just beat any taco seasoning packet hands down.  The sweetness of the raisins and the cinnamon mixed with the spice of the chili powder and cayenne are perfect.  As always we opted to up the amount of cayenne that we use in the picadillo.  What can we say?  We like spicy food. 

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Fish tacos have been one of our staple dishes this summer.  They are pretty quick and easy to make and they pack a huge flavor punch.  Plus they are really healthy.  We have tried various recipes, but so far we like the recipe we found in the June issue of Eating Well the best.  It has great flavor and the coleslaw is excellent.  This meal is perfect to sit out with on your back porch, enjoy a warm summer evening and a nice cool beer. 

Adobo Rubbed Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coleslaw
Adapted from the June 2010 issue of Eating Well

Adobo rub:
4 t. chili powder
2 T. lime juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. cumin
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Fish:
Adobo rub
2 lbs. of a white fish such as Mahi Mahi or Tilapia
1 t. oil

Coleslaw:
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. low fat mayonaise
2-4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 t. lime zest
2 T. lime juice
1/8 t. salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
3 c. shredded red cabbage

12 corn tortillas (warmed)

1) mix all ingredients for the adobo rub in a small bowl.  Rub it all over the fish and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.

2) To prepare the coleslaw combine sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Mix until smoot.  Add the cabbage and toss to goat.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3)  Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan to heat.  Cook fish on each side until cooked through (about 3-5 minutes per side).  Seperate the fish into large chunks.   

4) Serve by placing some fish on a corn tortilla and then topping with coleslaw.  Additional toppings can include tomatoes, onions, salsa, etc.

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Both of us are huge fans of burritos. Especially breakfast burritos. We love experimenting and playing around. We also love to eat breakfast for dinner. We came up with these burritos on the fly one day while trying to create our meal plan for the week. Jason came up with the overarching idea and then we fleshed it out together. These are really hearty and filling and would make an excellent breakfast, lunch or dinner. Best part is that they come together pretty quickly. We added some vegetable to our home fries to make the dish a little more complete. Our tortillas were a little small for all the filling so we ended up eating these more taco style than like a burrito. That seems to happen to us a lot.



Egg and Potato Burritos
1-2 T. canola oil
1 potato baked to 3/4 of the way done and finely diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
2 jalapenos minced (with or without seeds depending on your preference)
1 small zucchini or summer squash diced
8 kale large leaves washed and torn into small pieces
1 t. season-all salt
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
6 eggs
2 oz. colby jack cheese grated
your favorite prepared salsa
4 whole wheat tortillas

1) Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes, garlic, onion and jalapeno. Sautee for about 5 minutes.

2) In a 300 degree preheated oven place tortillas, wrapped in foil, in to the oven to warm for about 5 minutes.

3) Add the zucchini and kale. Add the season-all salt, cumin and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cook another 5-10 minutes until the kale is wilted and the rest of the vegetables start to get a bit of some charring on them.

5) While the potato mixture is cooking scramble the eggs in a non-stick skillet

5) To assemble place some potato mixture on a tortilla, add a layer of eggs and then top with cheese and a few spoonfuls of your favorite salsa. Wrap up the tortilla and enjoy.

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Huevos Rancheros is definitely one of our favorite meals. We both love it a lot, but it can be pretty unhealthy with a little tweaking we have been able to take Emril Lagasse's recipe for Huevos Rancheros and turn it into a meal that can be enjoyed any time and with a lot fewer calories and less unnecessary fat. We actually love to make 2 servings of this during the week and then use the remaining ranchero sauce and make 2 more servings on Saturday mornings for a nice, but healthy weekend breakfast.

Huevos Rancheros
Adapted from Emril Lagasse

Ranchero sauce:
1 T. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped white onions
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne
1 minced jalapeno (with or without seeds depending on your preference)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes and their juices
1 c. low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
3 T. chopped cilantro

4 corn tortillas
1 c. refried beans (preferably low sodium)
2 T. butter
8 large eggs
2 oz. pepper jack cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the Ranchero sauce, in a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook stirring for 3 - 5 minutes. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno and garlic. Cook stirring for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cilantro. Cover and keep warm.

Put 1/4 of the refried beans on each tortilla and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 7-9 minutes until the tortilla is slightly crispy at the edges and the beans are warm.

In a medium skillet melt 1/2 T. of butter. Break 2 eggs into the skillet and fry until begining to set. Repeat until all eggs are cooked.

Place 2 eggs on top of each tortilla with refried beans. Top with 1/4 of the ranchero sauce and sprinkle 1/2 oz of cheese on top.

Server immediately.

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For our dinner tonight we made a vegetarian taco salad. Admittedly neither of use were super excited about this meal, but it turned out to be delicious! The flavors are so good together that you don't miss having meat in the meal at all.

The recipe originally called for brown rice, but we substituted it with quinoa as it cooks much quicker than brown rice and both of us just like it a lot better. It was a great swap that really complimented the salad. We also omitted the salt as the tortilla chips were plenty salty for the meal. Our final swap was to substitute spinach for regular lettuce leaves.

Vegetarian Taco Salad
adapted from Eating Well Magazine June 2010

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. corn kernels
4 large tomatoes
1 1/2c. cooked quinoa.
15 ounce can of black, kidney or pinto beans rinsed
1 T. chili powder
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 c. cilantro chopped
1/3 c. prepared salsa
2 c. shredded spinach
1 c. shredded Jack Cheese
2 1/2 c. coarsley crumbled tortilla chips
lime wedges for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder and 1 t. of oregano. Cook stirring frequently until the tomato cooks, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Chop the remaining 2 tomatoes and combine them with the cilantro, the salsa and the remaining oregano in a medium bowl.
3. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture. Add the cheese and the salsa mixture. Top each serving with a portion of the chips. Garnish with limes. Squeeze some of the lime juice on the salad at the table.

Serves 6
Per Serving: Calories 395, 17 g. of fat, 52 g. of carbs,14 g. of protein, 9 g. of fiber

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