My husband and I love tacos. We have them for dinner almost every week {hello, #tacotuesday}. Tacos are full of flavor and they’re such a quick dinner. What I love the most about tacos is that they’re so versatile. I change them up with different meats, toppings, veggies or shells which prevents this go-to dinner from becoming boring. When I make tacos I almost always use ground chicken or turkey. Sometimes I will give the chicken or turkey filling an extra kick by added frozen corn, diced tomatoes and/or black beans.
As far as toppings go, romaine or iceberg lettuce and fresh salsa are my must-haves. I love the Nature’s Promise Organic salsa from Stop and Shop. Homemade salsa is definitely on my “to-try” list, but until I cross that recipe off my list, this pre-made mix does the job. It is full of flavor and what I think I love the most is that on of the ingredients is cucumber. It’s not really an ingredient I would assume is in salsa, but I think it’s the cucumber that makes me love this mix so much.
Guacamole, fresh tomatoes, jalapeƱos, sour cream and shredded cheese are all great toppings. Word to the wise, ghost pepper cheese is HOT. One night my husband mistakenly picked up ghost pepper cheese. I shredded some up and served it to our friends with tacos. Ghost pepper cheese is no joke. A piece of cheese half the size of a grain of rice is HOT. Needless to say, we skipped the cheese that night and made a mental note to never buy it again.
1-1.5lbs lean ground chicken or turkey
1/4 c water
1 tbsp chili powder
1.5 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp onion powder
Directions
Brown chicken or turkey in a non-stick pan then drain excess fat. Next, add the dry seasonings and mix well. All of the chicken or turkey should be covered with seasoning. Add water, bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Serve with hard or soft shells or over lettuce for a taco salad.
Today I am sharing one of my favorite winter meals…meatloaf! I know meatloaf is a meal that’s either loved or hated {doesn’t seem like much of an in between} but I think it’s a cozy, comfort food. I have made this recipe with both lean ground beef and turkey. Turkey meat can definitely get a bit dry, so if you opt for turkey you may want to use a blend that is higher in fat. I am hoping spring is on its way, so be sure to give this recipe a try before the warm weather comes and comfort food recipes get stowed away until the fall.
When it comes to cooking meatloaf, I find there is a fine line between overdone and soggy. If your meatloaf comes out too dry, try using a different pan or adding a bit more onion. Opposite goes for a soggy meatloaf that falls apart. I have found that sometimes, too much onion is the culprit.
I have been using a loaf pan {this is the exact pan I have} for meatloaf, but I am thinking of getting a pan like this or this, to help better drain excess fat and prevent sogginess. As I am devoting more time to writing down and blogging my recipes, I have been better with measuring. Unfortunately, I find my best meals comes from days when I didn’t measure at all. I will have to work on that!
For my bridal shower, I received a lot of Pyrex items and have been getting so much use out of the 1-cup liquid measuring cup. I have also been using my stainless steel measuring cups, spoons and bowls a ton {I’ve linked products very similar to the ones I have}. When it comes to measuring cups, look for a large stainless steel set with extra sizes such as 1 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup and/or 3/4 cup. Measuring cups don’t take up very much space in the kitchen and the extra sizes really do come in handy {thanks, mom!}
Disclaimer: I am participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. All opinions/recommendations are my own.
1/14 lb 92% Grass-Fed Lean Ground Beef
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 baby carrots
1 egg
1/2 cup of plain GF bread crumbs
1/8 cup of pec or parm cheese
1/8 cup of milk (not half and half or heavy cream)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ketchup
Dash of worstichier sauce
5 tbsp bbq sauce for topping
3-4 slices of nitrate-free bacon for topping (full slices of cut into tiny pieces)
Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees then chop your carrots, garlic and onion in a food processor. If you have been following my blog, you may notice that I use baby carrots in a lot of my recipes. We tend to only buy baby carrots because they double as a dinner ingredient and an easy snack. Next, combine all ingredients into a large bowl using your hands, but be careful not to over work the meat. To much mixing can make the meat tough and it won’t be as tasty. Once combined, place your mix into a loaf pan or form into a loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with BBQ sauce and bacon then pop it into the oven for 40-45 minutes. Finish it off under the broiler for 10 minutes to really crisp up the bacon.
{If you opt for turkey, remember that turkey must be cooked all the way through}
Chocolate chip cookies are an all time classic. Whether you need to bring a dessert to a party or you’re looking for a quick snack, I think it’s safe to say chocolate chip cookies never disappoint! When I started my gluten-free life, gluten-free cookies {that were tasty} were hard to come by. Every recipe I tried or product I bought was crumbly, dry and bland. Fortunately, gluten-free flours, recipes and store bought cookies have come a long way in last six years.
I don’t love baking because all of the measurements need to be precise. It is not at all like cooking. When I’m cooking, I can add a little of ‘this’ and a pinch of ‘that.’ But, baking has become much easier thanks to gluten-free flour blends. Although there are a lot of recipes on how to create your own blend, I have found it difficult to do. Instead of getting frustrated by mixing tons of different flours together, I opt for two great pre-made options. I like to always have Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour in my cabinet. I substitute either blend in any recipe. The results have always turned out great for me. Through some trial and error I have found one of the blends may work better than the other in certain recipes, but overall either one is a great choice.
Other gluten-free flours available are nut flours such as almond flour and coconut flour. I have baked with both, but haven’t found either one to be particularly easy to work with. For some reason I have much better luck with cookies than cakes. I use coconut flour in my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies which are really tasty. This recipe is also grain free. Overall, I have found that nut flours tend to become heavy and dense, if not incorporated with other ingredients correctly.
Today, I am excited to share another great nut flour recipe; chocolate chip cookies by Laura Vitale. Laura started her YouTube channel, Laura in the Kitchen, years ago and has grown tremendously. She currently has over 3 million subscribers and over 1,200 episodes on YouTube. She also published a cookbook last year and has a show on the Cooking Channel called Simply Laura. AMAZING!!
I love watching Laura’s YouTube episodes because they’re short and easy to follow. For this chocolate chip cookie recipe, Laura recommends using a fine almond flour like this one and good quality coconut oil {I’ve used this one}. I cannot stop thinking about these cookies since I last made them! These cookies were delicious and I cannot wait to make them again. This recipe is so easy too. It calls for 9-10 minutes of baking, but in my oven these cookies took 18-20. Here is Laura’s episode for these delicious cookies. If you haven’t already subscribed to her channel, you should!
When I bake cookies there are a few kitchen essentials I like to have. An ice cream scoop helps me make round, symmetrical cookies which allows them to bake evenly. Sometimes I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, but for this recipe I used a sturdy whisk and rubber spatula. Rubber spatulas are great for cooking too because they’re gentle on your pans. Whenever I use baking pans I almost always use parchment paper. It makes clean up so much easier and keeps your pans in good shape. The parchment paper I’ve linked below is pre-cut which is extra handy. I have also linked mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons that are very similar to the ones I have.
{Tip from my mom: look for larger measuring sets. They hardly take up any space and the extra sizes will come in handy.}
Disclaimer: I am participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. All opinions/recommendations are my own.
redroseandhoney.com 