Not really a "Bare Cupboard" meal... but its YUMMY!!

Ok, so I have to confess, this is not a bare cupboard meal, and I didn't "invent" it, but, boy! is it yummy!!!  I just HAD to share it with you! :)  I did however, substitute beef for the pork, and instead of buying a pot roast seasoning packet- I added my own spices.

This is from e-mealz.com.  They are a subscription service and will send you weekly meal plans.  My mom forwarded this on to me.  There are two recipes that go hand in hand, so I will share them both!  I have not tried the burritos yet (Friday dinner!), but the BBQ Nachos are TO DIE FOR!!!  And they are even better the next day for lunch! :)


EZ Slow Bake Burritos

3 lb pork roast*
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkt pot roast seasoning mix
1 can pinto beans, drained
½ can chopped green chilies, drained
(½ t chili powder)
1 sliced med onion
1 pkg burrito size flour tortillas
8 oz shredded cheese
Sour cream


Cut roast in half so that you can remove ½ for meal #4. In crock pot, combine both roast
halves, tomatoes, roast seasoning pkt, beans, chilies, chili powder, and onion. Cook on low 4 to
6 hours. Remove / reserve ½ of the roast.  Leave other half in crock pot & shred the meat.
Stir ingredients together. Wrap meat mixture in tortillas. Garnish w/ cheese and sour cream.
*Reserve & shred remaining ½ pork for meal # 4.

BBQ Nachos


1 ½ lbs shredded pork roast, from meal #2
(Liquid Smoke)
1 lb Velveeta
1 bottle BBQ sauce
9 oz pkg tortilla chips


Sprinkle shredded pork w/ Liquid Smoke & warm in microwave. Melt Velveeta in a
saucepan on low. In separate saucepan, heat BBQ and thin slightly w/ water if too thick to
drizzle. For individual servings, layer in order: chips, meat, drizzled BBQ sauce, then drizzled
cheese.

Ok- so here are my variations:
Beef instead of pork
I added garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil and beef bouillon instead of the pot roast seasoning packet.

Enjoy! :)

How 'bout a taste of New Orleans?

Do you like cajun food?  I like some of it- not sure I could eat crawdads (crawfish) though...  but I LOVE red beans 'n' rice!  Yummy!!  So I decided to to make my own!  I had smoked beef sausage from earlier in the week, and a can of kidney beans and rice, I ALWAYS have rice!! ;)

I do have to say that I looked up a recipe online at www.allrecipes.com (my favorite for finding easy, quick and tasty recipes, though I do seem to try them once, and change them later if I make that recipe again...)!  But, I'm not ashamed to admit that I will look at a recipe now and again...  helps get my creative juices flowing! :)

Anyway- back to the red beans 'n' rice...  this was another big hit with the husby! :)

Rach's Red Beans and Rice

1 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage
1 can kidney beans, undrained
5 whole, frozen tomatoes (you can substitute a can of diced toms if you'd like!)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 TBS chili powder, to taste
1 TBS cumin powder, to taste
1 tsp Oregano, to taste
1 tsp Basil, to taste
1 tsp Paprika, to taste

Brown sausage in sauce pan, add kidney beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices.  Simmer until tomatoes are cooked (if frozen) and beans are heated through.  Take the lid off for 5-10 minutes at the end so the sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Hey Fellers- Soups On!

So- I realize that I've slacked off and haven't written anything for awhile, so I will try to remember what I've done the last few months!

About a month ago, I decided to make beef/veggie soup.  I browned a pound of ground beef with a chopped onion (half an onion).  Then I added some frozen whole tomatoes (you could used canned whole tomatoes).  I used 3-4 cups of beef broth and a couple palm fulls of Jamaican Jerk Rub from The Pampered Chef.  (I've also made it with Italian Seasoning).  I added a bag of frozen mixed veggies for the last 10 minutes or so.  You want to make sure that the veggies don't get over done...

Both Aaron and I LOVED the Jamaican version, it adds a little spice and flavor!   The Italian version tastes like Pizza In A Bowl (Maybe I just came up with a name for it?!)!

Enjoy!

Using the last of my zucchini and crook neck squash

So, I've had some zucchini and crook neck squash sitting on my counter for a few weeks and finally decided that I needed to use them up!  But, what to do?!  I grabbed a package of ground beef out of the freezer thinking "I'll figure something out..."!  So, here's what I came up with- Zucchini and Squash Sauce on Rice!

I started browning the ground beef and put some olive oil and brown rice in a pan.  I saute the rice in oil for a few minutes before adding the liquid.  With brown rice (I don't do it for white rice) it helps to bring out the flavor and starts to break down the outer shell of the rice and makes it easier to digest.  Then I added chicken broth for the liquid (2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice).

After the meat was mostly brown, I added a chopped onion and cooked till the onion was soft.  I added oregano, basil, garlic, paprika, 1/2 a can of tomato paste, a can of tomato soup+ 1 can of water and the zucchini and squash (cut into small pieces).  Cover and simmer until squash is cooked.  Serve on top of the rice!

*Disclaimer: At the time of the posting I haven't eaten yet, so I can't tell you what it tastes like, or even if its good! ;)

Enjoy! :)

My Latest Adventure :)

Are there any other Rachael Ray fans out there?  I LOVE to watch her, and have made several of her dishes.  One that she made this week caught my eye, and I had most of what I needed... so I tried it (with some modifications of course!).  Thanks, Rachael! :)

Rachael made an End of Summer Veggie Soup.  Lots of zucchini, corn, tomatoes and other veggies!  I didn't have corn, so I omitted the corn.  Cook onion, carrots and celery in some olive oil until they are soft.  Add , zucchini (I also added some crook neck squash), spicy pepper such as an ancho or pablano (I used dried pepper flakes that I had in the cupboard) and what ever other spices you want.  I added salt, pepper, dried basil, dried marjoram.  Then add chicken stock, about 3-4 quarts and diced  fresh tomatoes.  I used some tomatoes that I had frozen- instead of canning tomatoes, I freeze them whole on cookie sheets, then put them in gallon freezer bags.  To use, just pull out of the freezer and drop into what ever you're cooking!  As the cook/defrost, you can mash them with a fork (I use my Pampered Chef Mix 'n Chop- ask me how to order one if you're interested!).  Cook until squash and tomatoes are tender.  I served it with Tabbouli on the side.

This soup was such a yummy way to use up some veggies that I had on a chilly day- and we ate leftovers for lunch the next day!!

Thanks again Rachael Ray! :)

Forgot about those! :)

As I was rummaging through my freezer the other day, I stumbled upon a couple sirloin steaks that I had forgotten about... yay!!  So, after defrosting them, I rubbed them with a Cinnamon Chipotle rub that I made myself...  A year or so ago, I found a Cinnamon Chipotle rub at the store, but haven't been able to find it since... so, after reading what was in it, I decided to make my own!  Here is what I use: brown sugar, dried minced onion, garlic powder, cinnamon, chipotle powder (it doesn't take a whole lot as its spicy!), salt, white sugar, pepper and a little pit of paprika.  I don't measure it, I just put stuff in till it looks right! ;)  Mix it together and store in an airtight container.  To use, just rub on meat and let sit for as long as you want.  Obviously the longer it sits, the more flavor the meat will have.  We like to grill ours- it gets a nice sugary caramel crust on it that is SO yummy!  The nice thing is you can make the rub with stuff that you probably already have in your pantry!  I have also used it as a marinade by mixing it with some olive oil and marinating the meat for at least an hour.

And, as always, we grilled zucchini to go with our steaks... Its a good thing we like zucchini!  I think we've eaten it at least 3-4 times per week this summer!  Its cheap and takes on the flavor of what ever you put on it.  Have fun and experiment with your zucchini marinades... I ususally use olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano basil and garlic powder.  I have also used a Thai curry spice that my mother-in-law gave me which is pretty good.

Enjoy! :)

Tough steak- lets cook it awhile!

So, I had bought a couple large steaks (buy one get one free!!) and had stuck one in the freezer.  I kept one out so that I could cook it soon.  So, last night for supper, I got the steak out and seared it in olive oil.  Then I added  diced tomatoes, cubed zucchini, chopped onions, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.  I cooked it for 2-3 hours in a covered cast iron pan.  When it was done, I removed the meat, and thickened the veggies/sauce with a little corn starch slurry (you could use flour instead of corn starch).  I sliced the meat and served it on a bed of rice with the sauce on top- Yummy!!

I am definitely learning to be resourceful.  Not only am I using what is in my pantry, but I'm learning new ways to make tough meat tender...

I am very excited as hunting season has just opened here.  Hopefully I will be able to get my hunting license soon, and we will be able to have quail, pheasant, duck and goose!  Can't wait to see what I can come up with for cooking game birds and waterfowl- stay tuned! :)