*Food Friday* Husband Friendly Burritos! Ole!

Those of you who have been reading this blog for any length of time know that it is a rare occasion where Husband takes a second helping of something. Like million dollar in plain view on eccentric grandma's coffee table book rare. And yet when I was trying to figure out a way to use up an excess of couscous sitting in my fridge with burrito sized tortillas, I apparently hit it out of the park with this recipe. Even Monkey had seconds (and will actually have thirds tomorrow at daycare).

Feel free to substitute ground beef for ground turkey. I'm a budget conscience grocery shopper so I regularly interchange the two. Keep in mind that when you're using ground turkey, you really want to over season the meat. It's rather bland without the extra BAM!

This was also the first time I didn't hear Husband whine about my use of rice in my burrito/taco/enchilada filling. I'm half Puerto Rican; I grew up eating A LOT of rice. It's like pasta to Italians or bread to Germans. It didn't even cross my mind that Husband might not potentially like rice. Who doesn't like rice? I mean, it's just rice; it's like tofu and takes on whatever flavor you throw on it. But he doesn't like rice and I don't like picky eaters, so I get an earful at least every other week when rice makes it's way on to the menu. This time, I didn't hear a peep about the couscous. Makes me wonder what else I could get away with. Quinoa perhaps? Make some cauliflower? The possibilities are (kinda sorta) endless!

Husband Friendly Burritos

Printable Version

1lb ground turkey

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1 can low fat refried black beans

1 cup cooked couscous

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 burrito sized tortillas

1 8oz package shredded cheddar cheese

Seasoning salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

cumin (to taste)

Sour Cream

Brown ground turkey in medium pan over medium heat. Add frozen spinach while browning. Season generously. Add garlic when meat is almost completely down cooking. When everything is completely cooked through, add refried beans. Stir in until hot. Add couscous. Heat through. Place meat mixture in tortilla, top with cheese and sour cream.

**Food Friday!!** That's What I've Bean Trying To Tell You!

I've made it no secret that in order to get Husband to eat food he normally wouldn't but should, I use casseroles. I cannot cannot CANNOT extol the virtues of them enough. Pretty much, I have single handedly broken Husband's picky eating spirit and so, I thank you casserole makers of ol' for paving the way for myself and other undomestics.

Recently, I've been trying to use up some of my stock pile and what do I always have an abundance of? Black beans. The blame for this can be placed on Runnersworld.com and all the articles that insist that black beans will give you wings. When poking around on Pinterest for something yummy, I came across this Six Sisters' Stuff recipe for Easy Bean Enchilada Casserole. *angels singing* This recipe was CLEARLY created for me, as evidenced that it's title includes four of my all time favorite food words.

I think this closely resembles the picture of the original (minus all the yummy garnishes) if I do say so myself.

This recipe calls for enchilada sauce and since I know I can make it from scratch, I can't ever bring myself to buy it at the store (for now, I used to say the same thing about chicken broth).

I didn't have any green chiles (shocking I know) so I used a can of tomatoes with chiles. Same diff.

My pizza cutter has become one of the most versatile utensils in my kitchen.

It is possible to set up an assembly line in a galley kitchen (sort of).

 Voila! (I'll work on my photo editing)

This recipe was delicious and the leftovers the next day were still super tasty. Could've used some sour cream but apparently it's chocked full of these nasty little pant tighteners called calories. Bah humbug calories.

What is your favorite way to eat beans??

**Food Friday!!** Here I Go Again

Since the Crazy Cooking Challenge posts tomorrow, I thought today I'd rely on some Food Friday gold. This one makes me proud. And sad. And hungry. Everything a good post should do.

**Food Friday** This is How I Casse-role

By now you pretty much know I'm a third shift slave worker, which means I spend my days in bed and by the time I get up, Husband is coming home. Since our time together is limited, I've come to rely heavily on casseroles. This one in particular barely required any prep time, as I cook up a big batch of brown rice at the beginning of each week (for recipes such as this) and I had leftover rotisserie chicken. Really the most work I did was grating the cheese, perfect for waning midweek energy.





Mmmm cheese.



I've learned that casseroles are the perfect way to get Husband to eat his veggies. Still working on chunky tomatoes.

Tasted as good as it looks.

 Creamy Chicken Casserole

Printable Version
 

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

1 cup mixed veggies

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup cream of mushroom soup

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 Tbl fresh parsley

**I used frozen veggies that I first heated in hot water before I added them in.**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, veggies, 1/2 of the cheese, cream of mushroom soup, rice and parsley. Pour mixture into a 9x9 glass dish sprayed with Pam. Top with remainder of cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

In case you're wondering, this is one of those few dishes that had Husband going back for seconds. Further proof that cheese is a miracle food.

So what was worth going back for seconds at your house this week?

**Food Friday** Deli 101

As therapeutic as cooking is for me, I'm not ashamed to admit that I give myself a break at least twice a week (more if Husband gives me those bedroom eyes that say "Want some chinese food?" The answer is always yes). On one of these recent days off, I moseyed on down to Deli 101, which just opened and is convenietly located on...101. It's owned by my manager's boyfriend (who coincidentally taught me everything I needed to know about being the Hotel's magnificent night auditor) and his family.

**side note: I LOVE living in a small town. I grew up in a small town and had the greatest existence. There's nothing better than walking around (on actual sidewalks), chatting with shop owners who know your brothers, sisters, parents, dogs, etc. Nothing like actually living the word "community."
Deli 101 not only has meat for sale but they do sandwiches, paninis, salads and soups. Oh and desserts, but I'll get to that.

I chose the tarragon chicken on whole wheat. It's a PERFECT chicken salad (definitely ranks up there with my own) and comes with provolone, roma tomato and lettuce. I nixed the cheese and would probably again. I could only eat half and was aboslutely satisfied.

Husband had the Taby which is turkey breast, avocado, bacon, mustard, roma tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, and mayo on sourdough. We left off the avocado and tomato, though, because Husband has no adventure in his taste buds. He ate the whole thing and commented that the mustard had a nice little kick to it.

The innards of my sandwich. Love how fresh the lettuce and tomato were.

In addition to the sandwich, you also got a small bag of tortilla chips and a PICKLE! Oh man, pickles are my secret indulgence. I mean, I don't go Snookie from Jersey Shore on them but I am not above getting up in the middle of the night to sneak one.
Now for dessert.

Oregon Joy

The word "joy" in the title of this little nugget of heaven is an understatement. Euphoria would be a better descriptor. It's a coconut macaroon with a chocolate base. I totally had a raging battle of conscience trying to keep from eating this before my dinner. I managed to hold out at two bites, so be proud. It's a little extra out of the wallet but if you're looking for a splurge, this is absolutely it.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, Deli 101 has a neat little gift shop type area that prompted me to purchase this:

Truth, right?

All in all, I will definitely be heading back (they have a grilled cheese panini with my name on it). If you're ever in our neck of the woods, make sure you drop in to Deli 101.

PS Did I mention that they give a 15% discount to active military and veterans and make a donation to USO?

PSS This is totally not a paid advertisement. If I didn't like the food, I most likely would've told you that too.

**Food Friday** Whole Grain Chicken Noodle Soup

My first foray into domesticity was making my own chicken stock. I do it at least once a month using the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken that I've torn apart. It's the one things that makes me feel like, yes I can do this. What better way to use said chicken stock (and any leftover chicken) than to make some good ol' fashioned chicken noodle soup? And...drum roll please...it's my own recipe! Well I guess it is; it's pretty standard, but hey it's mine!

WHOLE GRAIN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Printable Version

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/3 box of Barilla 100% Whole Grain Penne

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

4 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbl fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to boil with veggies and garlic. Turn heat to low and simmer for ten minutes or until veggies are tender. Add chicken and parsley; heat thru. Add pasta and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until pasta is at desired doneness.

 

I love the penne (have been trying to work more whole grains in and as long as Husband doesn't complain, which he didn't because I'm not sure he even pays attention to what he puts in his mouth, I'll carry on) in this soup and it made up enough that I can take some to work and put some in the freezer to eat after a run in the rain (which so far, in the five weeks since I've started running again has been all of them). Maybe I'll eat some after my nap.

What's your favorite thing to use chicken broth in?

Food, er, Saturday

This week passed in a blur. Most of the time I was asleep. Melodie went to the vet and we learned she has a heart murmur. Dealt with cranky people. Am constantly hungry. This post is already late and I don't know what to write. I'll just get to the good part.

Mac & Cheese

 Tried a new, slightly healthier version of mac and cheese. Also, used whole grain pasta which was surprisingly tasty. Even more surprising was the fact that Husband had a second helping.

I've been really bad at remembering to take the picture BEFORE I start eating, but in my defense, I make a tasty tasty ham sandwich.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

 

Close up of the yummy goodness.

Mmmm corn bread.

 I love all things corn bread. Husband doesn't really, but last time I checked it was I who made culinary decisions in this house.

Crockpot Chicken Ragu

Served with whole grain pasta again. I made this mistake of adding a little water from trying to get the last of the sauce out of the spaghetti sauce jar, so my sauce was thing. Will note for next time.

Hope this post wasn't too boring for you. I'll try to do better next week (try being the operative word).

PS Anyone else think cornbread should be it's own food group?

Food Friday

Not gonna lie. Sometimes it's difficult to get full when eating between 1200 and 1500 calories. But...I sure as hell tried. AND I'm down three pounds. *Insert applause here* Even more difficult than actually counting the calories, though, was trying to make food Husband would still eat. He's been very supportive, which I appreciate, even when I needed a few more calories to make my day and he suggested Pop-tarts. Something about fruit filling.

Anywho, I did manage to find some great recipes once again on Sparkpeople.com and I think they'll make great additions to future menus.

Enchiladas

I think from now on I will always make enchiladas use corn tortillas. I will not, however, be rolling them again. This recipe reminded me of why I stopped doing that; mainly, because I suck at it. I did make Husband a couple in flour tortillas and I also added some fresh cilantro to my enchilada sauce. My cilantro obsession continues.

Crock Pot Sour Cream and Onion Chicken

If you don't try another recipe from this post, try this one. Super easy and the sauce made my super bland brown rice phe-nom-e-nal. One note: Even with still partially frozen chicken breasts, this recipe cooked in 4 hours on low. I think I must have the world's most impatient slow cooker.

Johnsonville 3-Cheese Chicken Sausage and Noodles

*Sigh* Just looking at this makes me hungry. Alas, I did not eat this. This is what I made for Husband after I heated up a sausage and brown rice for myself. I had leftover Lipton side dish noodles from his dinner yesterday, so I mixed the two together. It smelled so good. He ate it all. What a good man, eliminating temptation for his wife.

I'm rather impressed that I was able to sit down and write this entire post without having to run to the bathroom. Since starting to regularly drink 8 glasses of water a day, I've gone thru two entire rolls of toilet paper by myself. Interestingly enough, I think I've gotten to the point where if I were stranded in the wilderness, I would be okay drinking my own pee. TMI??

So, what did was your splurge for the week? Perhaps a slice of New York-style cheesecake? Hmm? Perhaps?

Food Friday

I have to admit, I found this week challenged me foodily and not in a good way. I could never quite get on the same page as my menu and I found that my kitchen just wouldn't stay clean. Throw in the rain and 40 mph gusts of wind, and it's just been one of those weeks. Case in point: I have a carpet runner in the washing machine because Husband couldn't get Mandie out the door fast enough this morning. I don't know if you can actually wash a carpet runner in the washing machine but Maternal Unit suggested the delicate cycle, so we'll see what happens (apparently, I'm way too lazy to track down my Little Green machine). I did manage to come up with some edible items, so here they are in all...their mediocrity.



Slow Cooker Ham

We're a total turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Christmas family and I only make my ham in the slow cooker. I also ate the piece with all the crispiness on it. It was delish.

Husband devoured this ham, which I glazed with my own homemade glaze. Okay, are you ready for this? Are you sure, because it's complex. Take a half cup pineapple juice and a half cup brown sugar and put them in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring continuously, until thickened. Pour over ham. I know, I'm totally full of myself.

So this year, I went very low key. Instead of making everything myself (short of growing whatever veggie I decided to make), previous holiday food had all been from scratch. This year I had to work 12 am to 8 am at The Hotel, so I knew I wasn't going to want to cook when I got home. So it was corn from a can, brown and serve rolls from Safeway and the mashed potatoes were from scratch. Because I make the best mashed potatoes. Just ask anyone (who values their life).

source

Once a week, I end up having to work back to back shifts at both jobs and with the need to get enough sleep, I don't have the time to really cook, so we have a Freezer Food day. That's right, I buy frozen entrees and myself an extra hour hour of sleep. This week, we had Margaritaville Calypso Coconut Shrimp, which were quite tasty but don't expect Red Lobster perfection here. The biggest plus, though, was the abundance of sauce they give you. One packet totally sauces 12 shrimp and I'm a huge double (okay, triple) dipper. Kudos on the sauce Margaritaville!

Out of the frying pan and ready for the oven

I will say, though, while this week was particularly humdrum, I did conquer one of my fears: frying food. *wild applause here* I am deathly afraid that I will somehow spark the Apocalypse by frying anything. However, when I came across a recipe for Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, I couldn't resist. The Taco Bell inspired grilled stuffed burritos had been such a huge success, I thought, why not try to recreate the whole menu?! (okay maybe not the whole menu, but at least the stuff I like). Anywho, I used a whole pound of ground turkey versus a half pound, so I turned mine into double decker Mexican pizzas.

Whatever the Spanish is for "eat me," insert that here.

These were really good, except you wouldn't know it from Husband. Unbeknownst to me, he'd picked up something to eat (from Taco Bell, ironically enough) right before coming home. Well, all was not lost, as I've now popped my frying cherry (wow that really does read just as disgusting as it sounds and yet I can't bring myself to delete it). It's like a whole new world for me.

So, did you try your hand at something new this week? Flambe perhaps or maybe making ketchup from scratch?