Navajo Tacos

I love navajo tacos. But, what I don't love is the canned chili my mom would typically serve on top of the fry bread when I was younger. I am not really a fan of canned chili so I knew I needed to give this dish a little bit of a make over. I know that I probably could have used my homemade chili in place of the canned chili but I wanted something with a bit more mexican type flavor. I checked a book out from the library called "Not you mothers slow cooker cookbook". I have really liked the book and it has lots of different ideas that I have never seen before. The recipe that caught my eye was the "easiest black beans and rice chili" recipe. It got me thinking that I could swap out the canned chili for this black beans and rice chili. The result was a huge success. I even called my mom right after we finished dinner to let her know that I had improved the already yummy navajo taco.

Black bean and brown rice chili:

This chili would be really great on its own too. When everything was done cooking, I did add about 3/4 c. of water to get the thinner consistency I wanted.

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans

1 (14.5 - 16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 c. brown rice

1 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 -1 whole canned chipotle chili, cut into small pieces (These can be pretty spicy so be aware. Also, you can freeze the remaining chilies for another time.)

Pour the beans and their liquid and the tomatoes into the slow cooker. Add the brown rice and spices. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. (I think this cook time will depend on your slow cooker. I used my smallest slow cooker and the low setting was not high enough so I turned it to high after and few hours and it was fine.)

Here is the recipe for the fry bread. I know that Amy has posted her recipe on here as well so if you have tried that one and like it go ahead and stick with that one. This is the one that I have always made.

3 c. flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 1/2 c. warm milk

1 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients and knead into a smooth ball. Cover and let stand for 30 min. Cook in about 1c.- 1 1/2c. hot oil. I just usually cut off a piece of dough, stretch it out the the size/thickness that I want and drop it into the oil. Cook both sides until lightly browned.

Top Navajo tacos with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, olives, guacamole or salsa. Also, I usually break up the fry bread into smaller pieces before I top it with the chili and the other toppings so that it is easier to eat. The picture shows it in on whole piece because I thought it would look better for the picture. You can eat it however you want I just thought I would suggest it.

Asian Noodle Salad

Here is the link to the salad from playgroup. I have to thank Lynette for introducing me to this recipe. I went over at her house one afternoon right as she had finished making this salad and since it looked so good she was nice enough to send some home with me. I have to admit that I did not share one bit of the salad with anyone in my family. It really was to good to share.

For the salad at playgroup, I didn't stray to far from the original recipe but I did use regular green cabbage vs. napa cabbage, I didn't have any ginger so I left that out of the salad and I used 1 jalapeno instead of 2.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Since I have been getting Bountiful Baskets I always have a good variety of vegetables in my refrigerator. This week I have quite a few things that needed to be used up so I made this soup. It was well liked by everyone in my family. Abby and Tyler even took some of the leftovers in their lunch the next day.

3 C. chicken broth (or 3 c. water + 1 Tbsp. vegetable broth concentrate)
2 C. cauliflower, chopped
2 C. potato, diced
1 C. celery, chopped
1 C. carrot, chopped
1/2 C. onion, chopped
5 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. flour
3 C. milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, combine water, cauliflower, potato, celery, carrot and onion. Boil for about 20 min. or until the veggies are very tender. Puree vegetables with an immersion blender until there are no big chunks. (If you like your soup more on the chunky side you can skip this part. The reason I blended everything was to prevent my kids from picking out the vegetables they don't like.)

Melt butter in a saucepan over med. heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 min. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat and stir until thickened. Stir in vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted.

This recipe makes a ton of soup. We had plenty of soup for dinner, Abby and Tyler had some in thier lunch the next day and I also had some to take to playgroup. If you don't need quite that much you should half the recipe.

The Absolute Best Pancake Syrup

Well, the title just about sums up how I feel about this pancake syrup. I promise I am not exaggerating. Over the past little while I have been on a quest to rid my pantry of all HFCS. It really has not been too hard to do but I have just had to be really good about reading labels. Did you know that some brands of applesauce have HFCS in them? I thought that was really crazy. I figured that the biggest one I needed to get rid of was the pancake syrup. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It is super easy and much better tasting then the fake maple syrup junk. A little goes a long way and since there is butter in the syrup I don't butter the waffles or pancakes. This batch will make enough for two breakfasts.


1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. buttermilk (I used 1 c. milk + 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Bring butter, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once simmering whisk in baking soda (make sure you cook this in a big pot because the baking soda really foams up) and cook for 10 seconds before removing from heat.

I like to make the syrup earlier in the afternoon so it has a chance to cool and thicken. Store leftover syrup in refrigerator.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Are any of you in need for a new lunch idea for this summer? Did you say yes? Oh good, because I have a fun and creative idea. I found this recipe in kind of a round about way on this website. All of my kids and Drew Sullivan loved these today when I made them for lunch. The mini pepperonis were a huge hit. The kids thought they were great.

Tyler: "Oh man, I love these!"
Drew: "I know, I wish my mom made these!"

Luckily for Drew I know his mom and I will make sure she gets the request.

They all liked them so much they have already requested them for tomorrow's lunch. I think when we make them tomorrow we will try some different variations for the toppings.

At the end of this recipe I have included the recipe I used for the pizza sauce. I have been trying a lot of different pizza sauce recipes lately in hopes of nailing down my absoulute favorite. I found this one on allrecipes.com. I think this may have earned one of the top spots. I will have to try it out on a pizza to be completly sure it is the one. I really liked that it had rosemary and olive oil in it.

3/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 egg
1/2 c. mozzerella cheese
1/2 c. parmesad cheese
1/2 c. mini pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, milk, salt, oregano and egg. Stir in cheese and pepperoni. Let stand for 10 min.

Stir the batter. Divide evenly among the mini muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.


Easy pizza sauce

1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1 1/2 c. water (I only used 1 c. because I wanted it a little thicker for dipping)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary


Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Simmer on med-low until ready to serve.

The directions for making a pizza with this sauce (from allrecipes.com):
Mix together the tomato paste, water and olive oil. Mix well. Add in garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and rosemary. Mix well and let stand for several hours to let the flavors blend. No cooking nessesary, just spread on dough.

Good for you blueberry muffins

For the last few months the only thing Sam will eat for breakfast are muffins. As if that request was not specific enough, he will only eat the "tops" of the muffins. So, every morning I have plenty of "stumps" leftover. Until lately, Sam's muffin of choice has been these. After three solid months of making these almost daily, the other 3 kids don't want anything to do with the applesauce muffins. I realized that I probably should find another recipe to please everyone. I found this recipe on Annie's Eats. These muffins looked like a good and healthy option. The list of ingredients is packed with good for you things with minimal oil and sugar. I did make a couple of minor adjustments. The first time I made these I followed the recipe exactly and the batter was pretty runny. The next time I made them I added an other 1/4 c. flour, more blueberries and switched the brown sugar for white sugar. As a result, the muffins baked up a little taller and so the had more of a "top". Here is the recipe with my changes.

I will post a picture the next time I make them (which should be tomorrow).

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. quick oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 4/ tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. unsweetend applesauce
1/2 c. buttermilk (I just used 1/2 c. milk with 1 tsp. vinegar)
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 -1 1/2 c. blueberries

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, egg and oil. Stir wet and dry ingredients together just until dry ingredients are incorporated. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake for 16-18 minutes at 375 degrees.

Tomato Basil Soup

Is it to late to post another soup recipe? I think since I can see snow out my window I am going to say no. I know a few of you may have this recipe already. I thought I would still post it any way because it really is a great tasting simple soup. I love that it uses simple and inexpensive ingredients, is easy to prepare and is loved by all in my family. Lately, have tried a few different variations to change the soup up just a bit. I have included those variations at the end of the recipe. I highly recommend this soup with the french bread I posted a few days earlier.

2 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. whipping cream or half & half (I have tried substituting milk and it is just not the same)

1 Tbsp. butter (this helps to cut the acidic taste of the tomatoes)

In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 10 min. Add sugar and basil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream and butter.

Variation #1- Just before serving add 1 9oz. package of cooked cheese tortellini.

Variation #2- Stir a spoonful of pesto to your individual bowl just before eating. The great thing about this one is only the people who want the pesto can add it to thier bowl. I tried this the other night and it was really good.

Variation #3- You could get really crazy and combine variation #1 and #2.

French Bread

I know I am probably stating the obvious, but I love cooking blogs. I love that at my fingertips I have countless recipes with mouthwatering pictures, tempting descriptions and helpful reviews. Since discovering all of these cooking blogs, I think the thing that I am most pleased about is my increased level of confidence in the kitchen. I am no longer intimidated to try new recipes, cook a turkey, bake bread, cook from scratch or invite people over for dinner (cooking food for other people used to give me major anxiety). I have now realized how easy and cheap baking bread can be. I have a few no fail recipes that I rely on so I am no longer paying over $2.50 for a package of dinner rolls or french bread. This bread usually makes an appearance when ever I make soup. So even if you don't bake bread a lot, try this recipe and I know you will love it.

1 Tbsp. yeast
2 c. warm water
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
4 1/2 c. to 5 c. flour

In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead for about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12 in. long loaves.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Brush entire loaf with egg wash (1 egg and 1 Tbsp. water mix together in bowl). Bake at 450 for 15-20 min. (I have never had to bake mine longer that 15 min.)

Mini Breakfast Quiches

Breakfast is definitely my least favorite meal of the day. I would say most days I skip it because I get busy and forget or there just isn't anything that sounds good. I haven't wanted to eat cold cereal for a few years now so if I do eat breakfast it's usually toast. Well, toast can get a little bit boring. I was excited when I saw this recipe on Our Best Bites. I was even more excited after I made them this morning. They are just the perfect thing to solve my breakfast problem. They were tasty, easy and much more fancy then my regular breakfast. One of my favorite things about them is they can be frozen and reheated when you are ready to eat them. So, my plan is to eat one of these with a piece of toast every morning. The flavors of these little quiches can be easily changed by choosing different veggies. I really loved the combinations in the recipe. I know the recipe says you need to use foil liners, but I just sprayed my muffin tin with pam and they came out just great.

4 eggs
1 C egg substitute*
3/4 C shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 C cottage cheese
5 oz frozen spinach (that's half a standard frozen box)
1/3 C roasted red peppers, diced (jarred, or make your own)
1 oz finely diced ham, canadian bacon, or crumbled bacon (about 1/4-1/3 C)
1/4 C finely diced onions
1/4 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/2 t hot sauce

foil muffin tin liners

*1/4 egg substitute = 1 whole egg, so if you're using all eggs, or some eggs and some egg whites, you can adjust accordingly.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350

Thaw spinach (you can nuke it in the microwave) and squeeze out all the liquid. Putting it in a clean kitchen towl and ringing the heck out of it works well. After it's drained of all the liquid, give it a rough chop.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well.

Place foil cupcake liners in the muffin tins and spray with cooking spray. Don't forget this step! And yes, they really do need to be the foil ones. If you have a silicone muffin pan, those work great and you don't need to line them. My silicone pan makes them taste like soap, so I don't go there. As you're dividing the egg mixture into the muffin cups make sure to keep stirring it so all of the ingredients are well-dispersed. My pan takes about 1/4 C in each hole and it fills them up perfectly. You want them to fill right up to the top.

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The tops should be just barely set on top. Over-baked eggs get tough and spongy so don't do that! They'll puff up while baking and then sink down when cooled. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them. When reheating in the microwave, make sure to take off the foil liner! And if you're reheating from frozen, I try to take them out the night before so they can thaw in the fridge. Then when you microwave them, set them on a folded paper towel to drain excess moisture.

Italian Kabobs

Every New Year's Eve I let the kids choose some fun party/appetizer foods for dinner. The kids choose these Italian kabobs every year. The kids love them because all of the ingredients are very kid friendly and they are a lot of fun to put together. The kids love to assemble these while sneaking olives and tortellinis here and there. Sometimes if I have leftover tortellinis from dinner the night before I will make these for the kids to take in their lunch. It makes for a nice change from the regular sandwich. The picture is pretty self explanatory but here are the directions.

1 small pkg. tortellini
1 can black olives
4 pkgs. of string cheese
pepperoni

The only thing there really is to explain is the tortellini can be prepared two different ways.

Option #1- After you boil the pasta you can either add and little butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. My kids preferred way to eat them.

Option #2- Cool the pasta, combine with Italian salad dressing. Let marinate while you get the other ingredients ready. The Italian salad dressing adds a lot of great flavor. This is my preferred way to eat them.

Spinach Artichoke Salad

Heather requested this recipe so I don't have a picture. I don't know why I have not made this salad in such a long time. As I was typing the directions my mouth was watering just thinking about how good this salad is. This salad really does taste better if you make it the day before, so if you can plan ahead your taste buds will thank you.


1 small pkg. cheese filled tortellini
1/4 -1/2 lb. fresh baby spinach
1 (15 oz.) can baby artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
1/2 small red onion
1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
1 lemon, zested
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaved, chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Black pepper
Handful of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, coarsely chopped

Boil tortellini according to package direction. Remember to salt the water. Cool tortellini on cookie sheet in a single layer. Coarsely chop baby spinach. Combine with artichoke pieces, roasted red pepper and red onion. Chop garlic, then add salt to it and mash it into a paste with the flat of your knife. Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and add lemon zest, lemon juice and vinegar to it. Whisk in oil, thyme and pepper. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to the salad. Dress salad and gently toss.

Choco Bake

Heather Turner sent me a message and asked me if I would give her the recipe for this cake. I figured I would post it here just in case it sounds good to anyone else. This cake is similar to a Texas sheet cake but better because it has a layer of marshmallow cream in between the cake and the frosting. The frosting is thinner than a Texas sheet cake frosting. If you prefer the thicker frosting I am sure you could substitute your favorite chocolate frosting.


1 stick of butter
1/2 c. oil
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 C. water
Boil together. Pour boiling mixture over the following ingredients:

Combine:
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Pour batter into a greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 for 25 min. Let cool for 5 min. Spread 1 small jar of marshmallow cream over the top. (To help the marshmallow cream spread easier, put it in the microwave for about 1 min. to help soften.) Let the marshmallow cream set up on the cake.

Frosting
1/2 C. butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa
6 Tbsp. milk
2 1/2 - 3 C. powdered sugar

Beat until smooth in a saucepan over medium heat. Frost cake

Light wheat rolls

I know I have given out this recipe to some of you, but I have done some tweeking. Basically I reduced the honey and water just a bit because it seemed like I was always adding more flour at the end so the dough would get to the right consistency. I have several roll recipes that I rotate through, but this is the only recipe that uses wheat flour. Since I like to justify eating things that are not good for you. I figure since these have half wheat flour you should be able to eat 2 maybe 3 more than your average roll with all white flour. If any of you have wheat but no wheat grinder, you may come over to my house anytime and use my wheat grinder anytime. Actually, even if you don't have any wheat you may still come over and I will grind some wheat for you to take home.

2 pkgs. active dry yeast or 4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. olive oil
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 3/4 c. white flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 min. Combine honey, salt, olive oil and egg into yeast mixture. Add the whole wheat flour. Mix well. Stir in white flour 1/2 c. at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (Sometimes I have to add as much as another 1/2 c. flour.) Continue to knead in mixer for another 4-5 min. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, cover and let rise until it doubles again, about 30 minutes. Punch down dough, and divide into 24 golf ball size balls. Place dough onto a greased jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet. Let rise uncovered in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and brush with melted butter.

Tortellini Soup

Soup season is here, and this is one of my favorite soups. It's hearty, and the tortellini makes it a favorite with all the noodle fans at my house. I got the recipe from Liz. I hope you like it.


1/2 lb to 1 lb. Italian sausage
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 c. water
2 cans beef broth
3 sliced carrots
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 c. sliced zucchini
4 Tbsp parsley
1/2 c. apple juice
1 chopped green pepper
8 oz. package cheese tortellini (I double this)

Brown sausage with chopped onion and garlic. Drain fat. Add everything but the tortellini. Simmer 30 minutes. Add tortellini 5-10 minutes before serving.

Zucchini couscous

In honor of the plentiful vegetable we know and love, I am posting not one but two recipes to help you use up some of your zucchini. Actually, I happen to really like the taste of zucchini so I like to use it in dishes that do not combine it with chocolate chips. Don't get me wrong, I love the sweet breads from zucchini but I also like the more "vegetable" type recipes too. I came up with this recipe after watching a similar dish on the Food Network. I did a little tweaking and came up with this. I think other vegetables could be used in place of the zucchini too. Think, chopped broccoli, peas, or squash maybe?

1 1/2 c. chopped zucchini

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 c. plain couscous

1 c. chicken broth

In a skillet heat olive oil on med. high heat. Add green onions, garlic and zucchini. Saute until zucchini becomes softened and garlic and onions are cooked. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Next, stir in couscous and cover with a lid. Remove pan from heat. Let sit for five minutes or until all of the chicken broth is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork and serve.

Chocolate chip zuchinni muffins

These muffins are a great change from the usual zucchini bread. They have just enough sweetness to make them kid friendly. Last time I made them I baked up a bunch in my mini muffin tin so they were the perfect size for little hands. Emily even suggested that I could make for her to take in her cold lunch. I found this recipe last year on this blog. Last time I checked she had 19 zucchini recipes so this website might be a good spot to check if you have a crazy amount of zucchini to get rid of.

1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder (I upped it to 1 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional, I didn't do the nuts)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners. Spray the paper liners with nonstick spray. (This is key, or the muffin will stick to the liner)In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar to blend them smoothly. Whisk in the oil and vanilla until blended. Use a large spoon to stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Stir in the zucchini, then stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using) until evenly distributed. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into each paper liner. Bake until the tops are light brown and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 23 minutes. If the toothpick penetrates a chocolate chip, test another spot.Cool muffins in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using pot holders to protect your hands, invert the muffin pan onto a wire rack and tap the bottom to release the muffins. Turn the muffins right side up to cool for about 15 minutes and serve warm, or let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Applesauce Muffins

My kids love these muffins. I really like them too because they are a little more filling and not to sweet. Overall the muffins are a pretty healthy breakfast option too. I think you could get creative and add craisins, raisins, nuts, etc. to the recipe. To save time in the morning, I will prep the dry ingredients the night before and then finish the rest right before I am ready to bake them.

Combine and mix well:
2 c. flour (I like to use 1 c. wheat and 1 c. white flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Add:
1 stick of melted butter
3/4 c. sugar

Blend well, then add
2 eggs
1 c. applesauce

Blend mixture well. It will be similar to the consistency of oatmeal. Fill baking cups and bake at 350 for 19 minutes.

7 Layer Dip

This is by far the best 7 layer dip I have ever tried. It will definitely be a hit whenever you make it. It's like Jessica said about her almond sheet cake, every time I take this to a party or barbecue someone asks for the recipe.

2 cans Frito Lay dip
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
2 avocados
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 can chopped olives
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded (so the dip does not get to wet) and chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 c. shredded cheese

In a small bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise and taco seasoning. In another small bowl combine avocados, garlic salt and lemon juice to make guacamole. (Or you can make up the guacamole however you like.) Layer in a 9x13 pan in this order:

Bean dip
Sour cream mixture
Guacamole
green onions
tomatoes
olives
cheese

Fried Rice

This rice definitely falls into the category of top 5 meals for me. It meets all of the important criteria:
1. Tastes great
2. Everyone in my family likes it
3. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand
4. It is really easy and fast to make
5. It makes great leftovers the next day (I recommend doubling this recipe)

Lately I have been adding small dices of chicken to the recipe so I can make the rice into a one dish meal. Usually I would serve it along side a stir fry, but when I add the chicken I guess I consider it more of a complete meal. If you decide to add chicken to this recipe, dice 2 chicken breasts into small dices. Cook the chicken before any of the other ingredients for the fried rice. Make sure your pan is hot, I mean really hot. Add a small amount of oil. Drop the chicken into the pan, but don't move it around to much. Let the chicken sear so it gets that nice brown color on the outside. Remove chicken from pan then add chicken back into the rice at the very end.

Tamari is a dark soy sauce. I really think it adds a better flavor to the rice. It does not have the overpowering salty flavor of regular soy sauce. Tamari can be found at both grocery stores in town.

2-3 c. cooked rice, cooled or cold leftover rice (leftover rice works best)
3 T. veg. or canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated (optional)
1/2 c. shredded carrots
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c.- 1/3 c. Tamari, dark soy sauce
Sesame oil

Cook rice. Spread rice on cookie sheet to quick cool it. Heat a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tsp. oil to the pan. Add a little sesame oil whenever you add canola oil. Add eggs and scramble, then remove from the pan. Adda little more oil to the center of pan and add garlic, ginger, carrots and green onion and quick fry veggies for 2 minutes or until soft. Add rice and combine with veggies. Incorporate scrambled eggs and continue to another 2-3 minutes. Add peas and Tamari and stir fry 1 more minute.

Baked Taquitos

These taquitos are a great recipe to mix up the lunchtime routine. They are very simple to put together. The best part is they can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for a quick and easy lunch. The original recipe was posted on My Kitchen Cafe. In the original post the recipe called for chicken. I have made these a few times now and have substituted shredded beef for the chicken. Both varieties turned out great so you can make these to your families liking. I imagine you could probably even use refried beans in place of the meat too.

Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4-1/2 cup green salsa

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken, or beef (I cook large batches of chicken in my crockpot with a little chicken broth and salt, shred it and freeze it for meals like this)

1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (use pepperjack if you like a little heat)

small yellow or white corn tortillas

kosher salt

cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did - I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. (A few of mine wanted to rebel and come unrolled so I stuck a toothpick through them to keep them right and tight.) Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and lightly sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately. Taquitos can be dipped in in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other combination you can dream up (my kids liked ranch dressing - go figure).

**To freeze taquitos- Place wrapped taquitos on a plate and place in the freezer. After taquitos have hardened transfer them to a ziploc bag. When you are ready to bake the taquitos, place them on a baking sheet, (I let mine sit out on the baking sheet while the oven preheated to take some of the chill off of them before spraying them with Pam) spray with Pam and cook at 425 degrees for 15-20 min.