"This might be the best dinner you've ever made for me."

So, I wasn't going to blog this recipe, but then while BF was eating it he looked up and said the line above. So I figured it deserved a post. It's super easy too, which is always a plus.

Jessica's Taco Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
Ground turkey, taco seasoning, romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes (I used both red and yellow), 1/2 onion, chopped, shredded cheese, frozen corn, chipotle-ranch dressing (I got a great one from Fresh & Easy), cilantro, tortilla chips, and salsa.
Directions:
*Take corn out of freezer and put into large mixing bowl so it can thaw. Brown ground turkey, using taco seasoning according to directions. Drain, add to corn, and put in fridge to cool.
*Chop the onion, lettuce, and cilantro. Grate the cheese.
*Once the meat is cool, combine lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and cilantro to the mix. Then, to make individual servings, crush chips into bottom of bowl. Add salad and dressing on top, topping each serving with a spoonful of salsa.

That's it! It was pretty cheap to get all the ingredients, and BF just added, "Write 'restaurant quality' on your blog!" Alas, no pictures since I didn't plan on blogging it. The dressing's got a kick, so it's a little spicy, which is great for us. We each had two servings. :)

White & Black Bean Salad

I adapted this from a Weight Watchers Recipe. It's easy and delicious. And it is 3 points per one cup serving, for those who do Weight Watchers.

*1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
*1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
*1 cucumber, quartered and sliced
*2 large tomatoes
*2 stalks celery, diced
*1 red onion, diced
*Cilantro (add it to your heart's content. I like a lot and I didn't measure it)
*2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
*salt and pepper, to taste

The directions are to mix everything together. And then eat it. That's about it. Super easy and delicious!

Crock Pot Stroganoff

I made this on Saturday, when I had my marathon day of work stuff. It was really good and super easy. I like recipes that don't have a lot of ingredients.

Ingredients:
-Pork for stewing (I bought about a pound)
-2 cans cream of mushroom soup
-Packet of french onion soup mix
-Sliced mushrooms (the originally recipe called for two cans. I bought fresh ones that were pre-sliced and used those instead)
-Egg noodles (make separate, just before you serve)

All you do is combine the first four ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook on low for 7-8 hours. I read a recipe that called for 1 can of soup, but that didn't seem liquidy enough, so I added a can of water and then at the end of the day put in some flour to thicken it. Next time I'll just go with the two cans of soup. Serve over egg noodles. Super easy and very good.

Kerri's Cottage Cheese Dip

I got this recipe from my roommate, and I LOVE it. It's actually a pretty healthy dip. I serve it with tortilla chips. I took a picture, but it does not accurately represent it's deliciousness, so you're just going to have to trust me on this one. Make it. I brought it to my book swap last night (pictures to follow) and it was a hit.

Ingredients:
1 large container of low-fat cottage cheese
3 chopped roma tomatoes
2 bunches green onion, chopped
1 medium can of whole green chiles (but then chop them yourself. The diced ones are too juicy and small.)
pepper, to taste
garlic salt, to taste

Combine everything. It's a really easy recipe. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to get more flavorful and then dig in. It's addicting, and it's the healthiest dip I know how to make.

Cilantro Chicken Pasta Recipe

I got this recipe from The Frugal Girl's blog. She's somewhat of a domestic goddess, so I haven't tried too many of her recipes. This is an easy one, so I tried it. She adjusted the recipe, and then I adjusted it further. :) I just finished having it for dinner and it was great! It makes a ton as well, so there is plenty of leftovers.

Cilantro Chicken Pasta Salad

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used way more...like half a bunch. Because I like cilantro)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme (FG used 1 teaspoon dried, I didn't have any, so I left it out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon dry white wine (or a splash of the white wine that was in my fridge)
2 tablespoons white whine vinegar (I used red because it's what I had)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons (divided use)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

9 ounces dried pasta, such as penne (I used large shells that were sitting in my cupboard)
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips (I used a whole red bell pepper)
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips (Used a whole one of these too)
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped (I skipped this)
5 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, cored, and diced (FG skipped these and added avocado instead...me too!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (I used dried)
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, preferably smoked, diced (I used the last of my Thanksgiving turkey that I had frozen. However, I actually think this would be better as a vegetarian dish.)
1 cup oven dried tomatoes (can sub. sun-dried tomatoes, softened in hot water)
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (I just threw in the whole 10oz bag)

Combine cilantro, thyme, 1 tablespoon of basil, minced garlic, and shallots in a bowl. Whisk in the wine, both vinegars, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, and place in large serving bowl. Toss with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and set aside to cool.

When the pasta is cool, add the black beans, vegetables, smoked chicken, and basil. Toss with the vinaigrette and season to taste.

Cover the salad and refrigerate to chill for at least twenty minutes. The longer it's in there the more flavorful it becomes.

Adventures in Cooking at Home-Crockpot Quiche

I got this recipe from my friend Kari, who calls it Spinach Spoon Bread. I changed the name to Crockpot Quiche because I think it more accurately describes it. Also, I forgot to put the salt in it, because I always forget salt. And, it calls for a stick of butter...anyone have a suggestion on how to lighten that up a little? I'd like to make it a little healthier (though it is delicious!) Here's the recipe:

Spinach Spoon Bread

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
1 package (5 1/2 oz) cornbread mix
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1. Lightly grease slow cooker insert; preheat on high
2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Pour batter into slow cooker. Cook covered with lid slightly ajar to allow excess moisture to escape, on High 1 3/4 to 2 hours or on Low 3 to 4 hours or until edges are golden and knife inserted in center of bread comes out clean.
3. Serve bread spooned from slow cooker. Or, loosen edges and bottom of bread with knife and ivert onto plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cooking is a marathon, not a sprint...at least for me.

One part of saving money for me has been doing more cooking at home. If I have food I actually like in my house, I am way less likely to eat out. However, I have also realized that I have zero desire to cook anything after work, so I like to do marathon cooking every other weekend or so. Yesterday, I cooked four different meals at the same time, portioned them out, and refrigerated/froze them so I will have meals for the next two weeks or so (maybe even longer). So, if you like recipes, read on.

All four burners on my stove going at once. And the egg bake was in the oven too!

The total I spent on these four entrees was $41.24, and I would estimate that I am going to get around 25 meals out of them. (I ran out of individual tupperware, so some of the soups are in bigger containers. I am guessing on how many portions they will give me.) Also, you could probably do it cheaper, but I bought some of the items organic, when it wasn't too unreasonable.

Recipe 1: Krista's Egg Bake
This one is super simple and delicious! I usually make it Christmas morning for my family, but decided it doesn't need to be a special occasion dish.

Ingredients:
Shredded hash browns
10-12 eggs
Package of sausage (you can also use bacon)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Brown sausage as directed on package. While that's cooking, spread a layer of hash brown potatoes on the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sour cream, and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the hash browns.
4. When the sausage is done, slice it and spread it out on top of the eggs. Then sprinkle as much cheese as you like over the top.
5. Bake for approximately 1 hour (check at 45 minutes).

I cut this into 12 squares and put it in tupperware to have for breakfast before work. 

Recipe 2: Shelley's Chicken & White Bean Chili
For the next two recipes, I buy a whole, pre-cooked chicken from the deli department of Ralph's. This runs me about $6.99, but the convenience is worth it, and you can get a lot of chicken if you really tear it apart. :) I pulled all the meat off and then split the chicken between the two recipes. If you would rather, each recipe can also use two chicken breasts, which is how I wrote them below.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion
3-5 cloves of garlic
2 cans chicken broth
1 can diced green chiles
1 packet chili seasoning
1 can pinto beans
1 can great northern beans (or white beans if you can't find them)

1. Cut chicken into cubes (or shred if you are using pre-cooked chicken like I did)
2. In a stock pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and diced onion. Saute until your whole kitchen smells delicious. Then add the chicken.
3. When chicken is fully-cooked, add green chiles, seasoning, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook on low for 30 minutes, covered.
4. Strain and rinse beans. Add beans to soup and cook 15-30 minutes on low.

I like to serve with sour cream, some shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. Super easy and super good!

Recipe 3: Becca's Chicken Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 tbs. olive oil

1 medium white onion

2 cloves garlic

2 large chicken breasts (optional. It's also great vegetarian style).

1 can stewed tomatoes (Italian style)

2 cans chicken broth

1 package tortellini (I got the 3 Cheese Tortellini from the refrigerated section of Trader Joe's for $1.99)

1 can artichoke hearts (again, Trader Joe's has a good one. It's the can, not the glass jar. Also $1.99)

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and diced onion in large stock pot. Add chicken and cook completely. (sound familiar? I did the chili and this soup at the same time. Just don't mix up the pans.)

2. Add chicken broth, stewed tomatoes (break up into bite sized pieces), and the tortellini.

3. Cook just until tortellini is tender.

4. Remove from heat and add artichokes with juice from can. I like to break up the artichoke hearts first to make it easier to eat.

Tastes great with fresh parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Recipe 4: Lana's Smoked Gouda and Beer Mac & Cheese

I got this recipe from Lana's blog, but have reytped it here as well.

Ingredients: 

16 oz. pasta (I used wheat penne, but any type works)

8 oz. smoked gouda (you can use anywhere from 4-12 ounces)

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1/2 cup beer (I used Simple Times from Trader Joe's because it was $2.99 for a six pack and isn't half bad. Also, if you drink some of the beers while you cook, this whole process is a lot more fun.)

salt & pepper

Optional: bread crumbs and fresh parmesan (not from the can. Cheese you don't have to refrigerate must be from the devil.)

1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on package.

2. In a separate sauce pan, melt butter with moderate flame. Add flour and stir continually with a whisk for 2 minutes or so to make a rue. Slowly pour in milk and beer as you stir. Continue stirring as you simmer and sauce thickens. It should coat your spoon in about 8 minutes. (The first time I made this I thought it would get really thick, but it's just enough to coat the spoon). Then remove from heat and add the grated gouda. Stir until it all melts in.

3. Drain your pasta, but back in the pot, add cheese sauce and stir.

4. If you like, put it in a baking dish, add some bread crumbs and fresh parmesan to the top, and put in the oven at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of this one. But I promise it's DELICIOUS. I was eating the leftover sauce from the pan with a spoon. It's AMAZING!

Then I divided everything up into portions.

This is what my counter looked like.

The End.