Picnic favorite: 9-layer Taco Dip

I'm going to a park to play volleyball with some friends, and we will grill and have a picnic afterwards. Everyone brings something to share. I wanted to make something different from your typical hot dogs and chips type food, and anything taco-related is always a hit, so this is what I came up with. Since I already had the majority of ingredients, only needed to buy the lettuce and tomato, this was super cheap. Even if I had to re-buy everything, for a party of 10 or so people this is a cheap side/dip. It is nearly filling enough to count as a meal!

Ingredients.
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup taco seasoning
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can refried beans
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 ripe tomato
1/4 head of lettuce, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup sliced black olives

Step 1: Brown the ground beef in a skillet. While cooking, layer the cream cheese on the bottom of an 8x8 pan with a spoon.

 Step 2: Spread the sour cream on top of the cream cheese. Now you have 2 layers of cheesy goodness to build your mexi-masterpiece on top of.

 Step 3: Open the refried beans and mix it up in the can. You can heat this first, I just scooped it right out of the can and layered it on.

 That's 3 if you're counting.

 Step 3: Once beef is cooked, add the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water and cook until the water boils off. The beef should now smell tangy and reminiscent of Taco Bell. Pour that over the beans and spread evenly.

 Step 4: Add as much salsa as you like on top of the beef. I just put about 1/4 cup since I'm adding real tomato as well.

 Step 5: Add a healthy handful of shredded cheddar or whatever type of cheese you like. We're up to 6 layers now...

 Step 6: Cut the lettuce into small strips and cover the cheese with crunchy green goodness.

 Step 7: Dice up a big fresh red tomato into small chunks and add those on top.

 Step 8: Sprinkle the sliced black olives on top to complete the pretty picture.

And there you have it, 9 layers of tasty chip-read dip! You can of course omit any layers you don't particularly like, and it's also an option to toss this in the oven or microwave for a few minutes after the cheese layer to warm up the meat/beans/cheeses before topping with the fresh veggies if you like it warm.

Asian tofu/cabbage soup

This is a spin-off of a soup a friend of mine made that was fabulous. I had most of the ingredients and a friend wanted to go to the Asian specialty store where I could get the rest of the ingredients. It's so simple, but it is delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 Napa cabbage

1 package tofu

1 package mushrooms

2 large carrots, diced

4 cups water/stock

 Step 1: Dice the cabbage, mushrooms, tofu and carrots.

 Step 2: Cook the veggies in order of hardness, carrots first, then cabbage, then mushrooms. Add the stock and any seasonings you like. I used veggie stock and put some extra chicken stock and black pepper in for spice.

Strawberry, avocado & feta salad

I am always trying to get more veggies into my diet, and salads are a great way to do so. But no one likes a bowlful of lettuce leaves with just a splash of dressing for flavor. I like to add extras to make my salads more interesting. Since I had just bought a fresh head of lettuce, I used the fruits/veggies I had on hand, and it turned out great! The lettuce was $1 and I will probably get at least 5 salads from it. The avocado was also $1, as were the strawberries. The feta was left from a while ago (and you can omit the cheese or use whatever kind you like/have) as was the dressing. So for 5 salads worth, the cost per serving is only $0.60! Plus it's good for you, and a great side to just about anything.

Ingredients:
1 cup torn lettuce leaves
3 large strawberries, quartered
1/4 haas avocado, diced
1 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Simply toss and enjoy!

Breakfast BELT with avocado & feta

I've read several articles lately that say a breakfast with eggs are the most filling. Since it was the weekend, and I had one egg left, and several veggies in the fridge I had just bought yesterday, I wanted to make a super-healthy and filling breakfast. Tim Horton's makes a breakfast BELT sandwich with bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato on a bagel. To lighten it up, I used one slice of wheat bread as the "B" and in place of the bagel, no bacon, lettuce tomato one egg and added a slice of avocado and a sprinkle of feta for healthy fat and flavor.

Ingredients:

1 slice wheat bread

1 egg

1 tbsp oil

1 romaine leaf

1/2 roma tomato

1 slice avocado

1 tbsp feta cheese

Step 1: Put 1 tbsp in a pan, and fry the egg. If you like yellow, you can leave it runny. I cooked it all the way through. 

Step 2: While the egg is cooking, layer the lettuce, tomato, avocado and 1 tbsp feta on a slice of wheat bread (toasted or not).

Step 3: Lay the cooked egg on top of the feta, and enjoy! The feta gives it a tangy flavor, while the avocado is creamy and soft. If you're vegan you can omit the egg and cheese.

Crock Pot salsa chicken tacos

I have heard so many recipes raving about how easy and delicious Crock Pot salsa chicken is, it is on nearly ever Crock Pot recipe list I've seen. So one day before leaving for school, I decided on a whim to try it. Turns out, all these people know what they're talking about! It was amazing by itself over rice, and it is even better shredded on a taco!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups salsa

1 flour tortilla

2 tbsp refried beans

1/2 onion, sliced

1 cup diced bell peppers

2 tbsp taco seasoning

1/2 cup shredded lettuce

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 tbsp sour cream

Step 1: Put the chicken and the salsa in the crock pot. Cook on low at least 6 up to 10 hours. The chicken will be slightly browned, lightly salsa flavored, and fall-apart tender. It tastes amazing on its own, serve with a vegetable and a starch side dish.

Step 2: Put a tiny amount of olive oil or stock in a frying pan, and fry the onion and pepper until soft. Add the taco seasonings, cover and cook another 2 minutes.

Step 3: Smear refried beans on half the tortilla, heat in microwave 20 minutes. Add cheese so it melts, and about 3-4 oz of the chicken.Then pile on the veggies and smear the sour cream on the other half. Pour salsa on top, roll up and enjoy!
This is super filling, and all the flavors combine into a taste bud party in your mouth! Makes enough for several meals, probably 10 tacos depending on how much you stuff them. The meat could also be used for quesadillas or tamales.

The versatility of veggie/bean stir-fry

Especially during the summer, when fresh produce is cheap and plentiful, a veggie stir fry is always an awesome option. Cheap, easy, very filling and excellent for you. It is also very versatile, as my many meals from the stir-fry will show!

Ingredients: 

1/2 red, orange, and yellow bell pepper, julienned

1/2 zucchini, diced

1 large radish, diced

2 turnips, diced

1 med carrot, diced

1 can black beans

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup cous cous

 

Extras:

Torn romaine lettuce, tomato chunks, sour cream, salsa, diced avocado

Step 1: Saute all the veggies in order of hardness, until all are tender. Add the black beans and heat until warmed through. Season if you want with garlic and other spices.

Meal 1: Add the stir fry and all extras into a flour or corn tortilla, eat as a burrito.

 Meal 2: Put the hot stir-fry over some freshly cooked cous cous. You can top with hummus, salsa or a dressing if too dry.

Meal 3: Cover a large plate with torn romaine, add cooked cous cous, and veggies and extras on top, eat as a salad.

These meals were all eaten on different days, because the stir fry makes a ton and keeps well in the fridge. This is easy, cheap and very versatile. Add whatever veggies you like and have on hand. These 3 meal types will work well with any kind of stir fry, so go crazy!

Supercharged Turkey BLT!

I had some turkey lunchmeat that needed used, plus 1/2 an avocado, salad makings and turkey bacon. I had wanted to make a BLT, but now I knew that I could make it super-extra delicious!

You need:

2 oz turkey meat

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 slice cheese

1/2 tomato

Handful torn romaine

3 slices turkey bacon

1/4 avocado

4 slices cucumber

Step 1: Cook the turkey bacon, turning once.
Step 2: While cooking, pile on the meat, cheese, tomato slices. On the other piece of bread, add the greens, cucumber, avocado chunks and lettuce.

Step 3: Add the cooked bacon. Very carefully, flip the pieces of bread together. Excellent combinations of flavors, lots of fiber and vitamins from the veggies! As always, just omit the turkey for a vegetarian lunch option.

Homemade Chipotle

Chipotle is one of my absolute favorite "fast food" places for several reasons. They encourage responsible practices, local and healthy food, quality, plus it is just dang delicious. However, even the best intentioned company makes some compromises to be large scale, and I always prefer making food myself so I know what's in it and can control the portions. Plus, though $6.95 seems pretty cheap, more than once a month or so isn't practical. 

Therefore, I decided to make my own version of my favorite, the chicken burrito bowl. A website called Chipotlefan.com has recipes for several Chipotle favorites. I used their recipe for the chicken marinade, with a few variations of my own. Then I made my own version of the fresh and corn salsas based on memory, and the cilantro lime rice. Try it yourself, it isn't exact, but it is close and DElicious!

Chipotle Chicken:

1 (7 ounce) can chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (remove chipotle peppers, skim out seeds)

2 tsp fresh ground ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepepr
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tbsp powdered garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 quarter red onion

1/4 cup oil (canola/vegetable/olive)

Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders

Step 1: Mix all marinade ingredients in a blender/food processor. Add oil until it's slightly pourable. 

Step 2: Poke holes in chicken, and pour marinade over chicken. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour up to 24 hours. The best way to cook the chicken is to grill it, but you can cook it in a frying pan with a weight on top as well.

 Chicken sitting in marinade

Spiced Kidney Beans:

1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup water
3-5 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder

Step 1: Drain and rinse the beans, pour into a pot. Add spices, simmer on very low for 10-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the beans don't stick.

 Seasoned kidney beans

You can add a bit of bacon here too, if you have it and like that kind of thing. Chipotle has changed their recipe to make it vegetarian, so no bacon included.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

1 cup rice
1 1/2 cup water or chicken bouillon
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
Sea salt



Step 1: Boil the rice or prepare as directed. 

Step 2: When cooked, add the cilantro, salt and juices, fluff with a fork.

The rice magic makers. Lemon juice, lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Finished rice, ready to be mixed

Corn Salsa:

1/2 cup corn

1/4 red bell pepper

Pinch fresh cilantro

Splash lemon juice

1/8 red onion

Step 1: Blacken the corn in a skillet or grill. 

Step 2: Dice the pepper & onion, add to the corn with the cilantro and lemon, mix well. 

For extra spice, take one of the chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce and dice it up to add, or use a fresh seeded jalapeno.

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

1 large tomato, diced

1/8 red onion, diced

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

Handful fresh cilantro

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lime juice

Sea salt

Step 1: Mix the diced tomato, onion, pepper, cilantro and juices. Add a grind or two of salt to taste. 

Refrigerate both salsas until ready to serve.

Chicken after grilling and dicing, salsas ready to go.

 Beans and rice, ready for assembly.

Finished plate. Can make it into a burrito, tacos, or a bowl.

I tore up a few large romaine leaves, put the rice, beans, chicken and both salsas on, with a sprinkle of cheese on top. It was deliciously fresh tasting! It is on the spicy side, so if that's not for you then dial down the seasonings and forget about the chipotle peppers in adobo. For vegetarians, ditch the chicken and marinate some tofu, add some guacamole, or other grilled veggies. Enjoy!



This recipe submitted to the May 2014 "Cooking with Herbs" challenge!

Steak salad

In summer, everything tastes better on the grill. So when craving beef, it is only natural to want to grill a steak. I don't have pictures of them, but I wish I did. Because I came home to a pound and a half steak that was bigger than my head! That's what I get for letting my manly man boyfriend plan dinner. So there was a sizable chunk left (of mine anyways) for the next day. Since we had also bought a head of romaine and I work on a farm, a salad with steak on top worked wonderfully. The farm I work on had radishes by the truckload, and some wild leafy greens that I had harvested 2 days before. Add to it the last leftovers of a veggie tray from a Memorial Day cookout, and a beautiful salad took shape.

Ingredients:

4 oz steak

2 cups torn romaine

1/2 cup leafy greens

1/2 cup baby carrots

2 radishes, sliced

Handful broccoli florets

Balsamic vinaigrette

Put all the vegetables on top of the greens, microwave the steak slices for a minute and top with 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Tasty and super healthy! Of course, you don't need the steak on top if you're vegetarian or vegan. You can also use any other kind of grilled meat if you're into that. =)

Taco Salad!

When you're hungry for Mexican but don't want to go out, don't have much time, want to eat healthy, or don't want too many ingredients (or all of the above), you can't beat a Taco Salad. Quick and easy, it can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want it. Having just moved into a new apartment, most of my kitchen is not yet unpacked. Besides that, I don't have an oven. I know, shocking. That eliminated about 1/3 of my cooking repertoire. However, this requires only one pan, and little effort, so you can make it happen in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce, or 1 bag pre-cut mix

1-2 tomatoes

Doritos

Shredded cheese, preferably cheddar or Mexican mix

Catalina dressing

1 lb. ground beef

Taco seasoning

1/2 cup water 

Black olives (optional)

Step 1: Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain off the excess fat, and add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water slowly, stirring it all together. Leave on low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the seasoning to cook into the beef. 

Step 2: While waiting, chop up the Romaine and tomato and place in a large bowl. When all seasoning is cooked in, put beef over top. Sprinkle on the cheese, crush up a few handfuls of Doritos, and douse with Catalina dressing. 

The Doritos give it a cheesy crunch and the dressing is just enough tang, while the sweet works with the spice of the taco seasoning. It is so tasty! Obviously, if you go heavy on the lettuce and tomato and light on the beef plus nix the Doritos and dressing, it is much healthier. But where's the fun in that? ;)

What's your favorite salad topping?