Homemade Taco Seasoning

February 26, 2018 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

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, jalapeños, 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.

Easy Tacos

Servings: 4
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

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.

Gluten-free BBQ Meatloaf

February 19, 2018September 20, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

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.

Gluten-free BBQ Meatloaf

Servings: 4
Time: 1.5 hours
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Ingredients

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}

BBQ Chicken Meatball Tacos

January 29, 2018 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Sometimes it’s hard to be creative in the kitchen. It’s easy (and convenient) to have your go-to meals, but I’ve learned that approach can also get boring. Have you ever had a day when you’re starving, but in the mood for nothing? I had one of those days a few weeks ago. Although I didn’t feel much like cooking, I forced myself into the kitchen and stared at the ingredients we had in the fridge. I must say, I make a mean chicken meatball that I’ve tossed in many sauces. I decided on BBQ chicken meatballs, but wasn’t sure what else I would make with them. What goes well with BBQ? Apples! And just like that, the BBQ Chicken Meatball Taco with Apples was born.

BBQ Chicken Meatball Tacos

Servings: 2-4
Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

Meatballs:
1lb Chicken Chop Meat
1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
10 Baby Carrots
1 Celery Stalk
1 Small Shallot
2 Clove of Garlic
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp Paprika
1/8 Tsp Chicken Seasoning

Sauce:
1/4 Cup BBQ Sauce*
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Tsp Dijon Honey Mustard
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Sprinkle of Salt and Black Pepper
*I only had about 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce left, but I recommend doubling the BBQ sauce and dijon honey mustard

Tacos:
Soft Corn Tortillas
Fresh Baby Spinach
1 Apple

Directions

Meatballs:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a food processor finely chop shallot, garlic, celery and carrots then transfer to medium size bowl.
Add chicken chop meat, egg, panko and seasonings to the bowl and combine well. Be careful to not overwork the meat because it can turn tough.
Carefully form balls with the mixture in the size that you like. I made 9 larger meatballs, but smaller may have been better for this dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes then broil for 2-5 minutes.

BBQ Sauce:
When there are 5 minutes left on the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a small pot. Simmer on low for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Tacos:
After getting the sauce started, place corn tortillas on a baking sheet. Bake for no more than 5 minutes in the oven. The small corn tortillas can harden pretty quickly and you want to be able to fold them like a taco (side note: these tortillas make awesome chips too).
Using a slicing grater (like this – I used the orange one), very thinly slice the apples.
To assemble to tacos, brush tortillas with BBQ sauce then layer with apple and fresh spinach. Cut your meatballs into 2 or 4 pieces and add to the taco. Finish each one off with a drizzle of BBQ sauce.

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.