Chili-Beef Tacos

I've never liked that weird reddish powder taco seasonings. I always thought it tasted too strong, was way too salty and turned my taco meat a weird color.  I've tried to make my own several times, but often the recipes call for a lot of obscure Mexican seasonings that I didn't have on hand, so I skipped them.  It was never quite right.  I found this recipe on Weight Watchers and thought what the heck, I'll give it a try.  I was really surprised at how easy it was and how flavorful it was with just a few ingredients.  Besides, it's better for you than that other stuff.  We used crunchy corn tacos, but you could use it anyway you want.

Makes about 6 full tacos...

2 Tbsp chili powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz ground beef 8 oz canned tomato sauce 12 oz can kidney beans 6-8 store bought taco shells 4 tbsp light sour cream 4 tsp chopped cilantro 1. Toast chili powder and cumin in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 2. Add olive oil, and stir constantly until a paste of formed. 3. Add onions and saute until soft 4.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes 5. Add beef, cook until brown all the way through 6. Add tomato sauce and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes. Assemble your tacos and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops

These are quite easy and very impressive at the same time. Serve along side mashed or baked sweet potatoes.  You can roast the chops or grill them, your choice. I roasted mine because we were out of propane for the grill!

2 Cups root beer
2 Cups veal or beef stock
4 16 oz bone-in pork chops
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
4 teaspoons olive oil

1. Combine root beer and stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until a thick syrup forms, down to about 1 cup. This will take about an hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Season pork chops with creole seasoning on both sides.  Drizzle each chop with 1 tsp of oil.

3.  Roast until cooked through, 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 12-15 minutes. 

4.  Once pork is cooked, transfer to plates.  Drizzle the glaze on each chop and serve. 

If you don't have creole seasoning, you can make your own:

Combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano and thyme.  Add a little bit of cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.

Linguine with Chicken Ragu

For some reason this was the recipe that made me fall in love with cooking. I think it's also the meal that made my husband fall in love with me!  I was home sick from work, napping with Food Network on in the background. Something about Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Italian that stopped me in my tracks, it looked so good and so easy that I could smell the woody smell of the rosemary through the TV.  I rushed to the store and got what I needed! 

Serves 6 as a main course.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks (sometimes I use chicken breast since that's what I have on hand and it's just as good, although less meaty in flavor)
1/2 Cup Shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh Rosemary
2/3 Cups dry white wine
4 Cups Quick Marinara Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 lb dried linguine
1/2 shredded Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped chicken and cook until juices evaporate and chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary.  Saute until tender, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the wine (it's about to sound like a real kitchen now) and stir to scrape up any bits of browned stuff on the bottom of the skillet.

4. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors blend.

Meanwhile...

Boil a large pot of salted water and add linguine.  Cook pasta until al dente, slightly chewy not cook all the way through. Drain pasta, reserving 1 Cup of cooking water.  Add pasta to sauce, adding cooking water a little at a time to moisten the pasta.

Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese!

Quick Marinara Sauce

Every cook needs a basic go to tomato based sauce.  This one is simple and is the foundation work for many great meals.  Jazz it up with extra garlic and dried red-pepper flakes for a spicy and bright sauce over penne, or use as is in a lasagna.  Make a big batch of it and freeze into smaller portions to have on hand for a quick dinner. This recipe makes about 6 cups.

2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice
1 bunch of fresh basil, stems removed
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes with their juice and the basil until almost smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Add onions and garlic, saute until very tender, about 10-12 minutes, you don't want the garlic and onions to brown as that may alter the taste of the sauce.
4. Add tomato puree, oregano and sugar, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5.  Decrease the heat to medium and simmer until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
6.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 


Recipe courtesy of Giada's Family Dinners by Giada de Laurentiis

Creamy Chicken Penne

At the holidays, someone gave me a cookbook from the amazing people at Philadelphia cream cheese! Could anything be better than an entire cookbook devoted to CREAM CHEESE? Well yes, there could be, while some of the recipes are a little off because cream cheese is slightly sweet and not always quite right. But quite a few of them are very tasty and very easy, like this one! 

It's sort of alfredo-ish but a little lighter, more suitable for a yummy Spring dinner!

2 Cups penne pasta
1 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks or strips
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Cups sugar snap peas (sugar snap peas are really hard to find in grocery stores where I live, so I used regular green peas))
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 Cups milk
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 Cup shredded Romano cheese
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.  Meanwhile, cook chicken and onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is done and lightly browned.
2.  Add peas, pepper and garlic, cook and stir 1-2 minutes until veggies are slightly softened. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
3.  Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat.  Stir in flour until well blended.  Gradually stir in milk and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. 
4.  Add cream cheese and Romano, cook 2-3 minutes, stirring vigorously until smooth.  It will look chunky for a bit and then all of a sudden become creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Drain pasta, place in a large bowl, add chicken mixture, pour cheese sauce and toss lightly like a salad.

Recipe courtesy of Philadelphia's Spread a Little Joy, A Collection of Simple and Delicious Philadelphia Recipes to Inspire and Enjoy

Baked Eggs with Cheddar & Potatoes...

"No matter how experienced a cook you are, you eventually come to believe that simple is best." I have no clue who said that, but this recipe shows it's true. Simple, easy to throw together for a hearty and impressive breakfast. Oh and it's a one-pot meal!

I cut this in half since it was just two of us eating and eight eggs seemed excessive, but I'll include the full recipe for you.

3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper, to taste
8 large eggs
1 cup shredded good quality medium or sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet or other oven-proof pan.
3. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
4. Add onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes brown and onions are soft. Remove from heat.
5. Push potatoes aside, creating 4 little spaces or nests.  Crack 2 eggs into each nest.
6.  Bake until egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and potatoes and bake until cheese melts, 2-4 minutes.

*Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens Cookbook.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When the weather gets cold, you  need to warm the house up by baking cookies.  These are a smash hit.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces), toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

*Thanks Martha Stewart!