Lentil & Veggie Tacos

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I've been having a lot of fun roaming the net in search of yummy, high protein, meatless main dishes.  When you have a husband who refuses to eat soy, you really have to broaden your search.  
I was really happy to find this recipe (from Peas and Crayons blog).  The whole family enjoys tacos...and well, living here, they can be a real "treat."  For one, there aren't any real Mexican restaurants here in Yanbu (and Taco Hut at the mall...though good, just doesn't cut it).  Two, you can't always buy taco shells at the grocery store (isn't that awful??)  So, when we can make a taco...we do.
Very simple recipe with lots of room for adding your fave toppings.  Loved the idea of making my own seasoning so my family didn't end up devouring a bunch of MSG.  I can tell you honestly, we didn't miss the meat...not one bit.  (and there wasn't a single taco shell left)

The filling also would be great wrapped up in a corn or flour tortilla.  You could sub out the refried beans for black beans (I know some stores sell refried black beans)

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried lentils
16oz no fat refried beans
1 cup diced onion
4oz mushrooms, minced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of your favorite enchilada sauce (store bought or make your own) 
taco shells (or tortillas)
a splash of oil

For the seasoning:

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp dried cilantro [I highly suggest trying this stuff on everything!]
1/4 tsp salt

Topping Ideas:

shredded lettuce or cabbage

diced avocado

feta, cheddar, pepper jack (pick a cheese!)  

diced tomatoes

greek yogurt

salsa

jalapeños

Directions:

Rinse and sort 1 cup of lentils.  

Heat 3 cups of water in a pot until it's just about to boil, add lentils, and reduce to simmer for 15-25 minutes or until tender (when done, drain and return back to the pot)  For whatever reason, mine took forever to cook...and still had a bit of a bite to them in the end (because I couldn't wait any longer...four hungry people to feed!!)  

While the lentils are simmering, get going on the rest of the meal.

Saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic with a bit of oil until tender.  

Next, add seasoning blend (the one you made) and enchilada sauce at the end and stir.  

Then, combine them with the lentils, along with the refried beans and heat on low, stirring gently to incorporate.  

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.  Stuff into shells, pile on the toppings and enjoy a fabulously healthy NO MEAT dinner.  :)

Enchilada Quinoa and Chicken Stuffed Peppers

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Found this great blog...Ambitious Kitchen.  She's got all kinds of great recipes, and many very healthy ones.  When I found this recipe...for the stuffed peppers, well, I couldn't make them fast enough!  I'm being very stingy with my quinoa...I only brought back two boxes from France...so I want to use it with a dish I know I'm going to like.  (and I did)

This would work great as a vegetarian dish as well...just use all quinoa.  I made these following her recipe, but the recipe below shows how I would make it next time...mine came out a bit dry this first round.  It was a hit with the whole family...I use a very mild (homemade) enchilada sauce, so the hubby had to spice his up a bit.  The girls really liked the filling but weren't big fans of eating the pepper...though they both took three bites.  Rules are rules and all.  ;)

We served it up with a side of chips and homemade guacamole (hubby's recipe).  Great dinner!

Ingredients

3 bell peppers, cut in half and seeded

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1/2 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/2 onion, diced

1/3 cup egg whites

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 cup reduced fat cheese of your choice, divided (we used gouda because it was all I had...tasted great too!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl combine chicken, quinoa, egg whites, onion, cilantro, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, and enchilada sauce. Mix well.
3. Stuff each pepper half with the mixture. Top pepper with 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce and 1 tablespoon of cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.

Mexican Rice

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The other night we had another fabulous group dinner.  The theme was Mexican based (main dish was chicken tacos)  Matt and I were given the task to make a rice...either Spanish or Mexican.  I've never given much thought to Mexican rice, so I googled some recipes for Spanish.  I wasn't really blown away by anything I found...so, just for the heck of it...I googled Mexican rice.  Stumbled on this fantastic recipe.  This rice is simple, easy and super flavorful.  I loved it and so did the hubby (who's not a big fan of either type of rice)
At the dinner, I didn't give my kids any because I thought it might be too spicy...I gave them some the next day to see if maybe they would like it...and, ya, they did.  :)  Instead of adding the whole chopped jalapeno at the end, I put it on the side for people to spice it up as they wanted.  This way, my rice had just a kiss of heat.  
I couldn't get enough of it and had a good helping the second day.  This is going on my must make monthly list.  
Happy cooking!


*note...make sure to follow the directions precisely...it'll make the perfect rice.

Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash Tacos

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Yep, you read that right.  :)  If you've been following my blog, you know that I'm a big fan of spaghetti squash.  It's just a great veggie that my girls will totally devour and not know they aren't eating pasta.  (well maybe they do, but they eat it anyway!)
I stumbled on this recipe by accident.  Wasn't really looking for squash recipes.  But, the reviews were great, so I figured, why not?  I'm tweaking it a bit to give it some more...oomph.  This is a simple, easy, budget friendly, healthy dish. (okay aside from the high salt in the seasoning, but you could always make your own)  All around good.  :)

Thursday: Rotisserie Chicken Tostada's

Pin It Now! With the in-laws in town, I want to do some impressive cooking.  I catered to my father-in-law last night with a lovely Italian soup.  Tonight, my mother-in-law gets the attention.  She loves Mexican food.  Me?  I'm not really the biggest fan of traditional Mexican food.  However, I like when I can find a happy medium.
We made these a couple of weeks ago, some weekend where we were just kickin' it at the house.  At the time I just wanted something super quick and easy.  We just loved the feta in this.  All the flavors blended really well together and it was a light tasting dish.  Make a side of quac and chips and you've got a great, healthy meal.     

Wednesday: Southwest Chicken Soup

Pin It Now! I'm the kind of person who always reads reviews...on anything.  Computers, camera's, kid stuff, and especially recipes.  Not just to find out if other people liked it, but I also love to see what they did to change things up.  I find a lot of people "like" a recipe, but they've totally strayed from the original.  Not that it's a bad thing to do...I mean get creative and all, but I always wonder if the original was better or is their creation the way to go?  I tend to follow the original, at least the first time around.  I'm able to see what the initial recipe tastes like and then I can decide what to change up from there.  

I spotted this soup, saw it got good reviews and proceeded to read through them.  So, this time, I'm going to stray from my inner control freak and tweak the original recipe by using some of the suggestions from other cooks.  I think it's going to make for a fantastic soup.  Going to crisp some flour tortillas for dipping too.  Happy cooking! 

smokey goodness...mmmmm

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Tacos & Pan-Roasted Corn & Okra

Pin It Now! Taco night baby!  I don't know what it is about corn tortillas...but the smell, the texture, the tastes...oh it's just a little bit of heaven to me!  The hubby prefers flour...but since I'm doing the cooking...I'm vetoing him.  This is a very simple dish with great flavor.  
Corn is still wicked cheap right now, so I'm going to do this simple side to go along with the tacos.  I'm going to cut the okra up smaller than the recipe suggests...thinking the girls will eat more of it that way...who knows.  And, I may just whip up some guac and serve some chips with it.

Monday (5/23): Smokey Chicken Tortilla Soup

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It seems it doesn't matter what time of year it is or what the weather is like outside, I'm still always looking for another great soup recipe.  I've never made Chicken Tortilla soup before and I'm looking forward to this one!  It calls for Hominy which I've never cooked with before, but I'm looking forward to trying something new.  What I like best about this recipe is that it's not overly spicy...therefore I don't have to worry about sacrificing taste by removing spices.  On a overcast day like today, this soup sounds like the perfect dinner for my family.

Bet you can't eat just one bowl!  

Wedesday: Chicken Flautas

Pin It Now! I have no idea what a flauta is, but I'm cooking it.  I found the recipe on another blog that boasts dinners for under $10.  After browsing, I chose this one.  It's simple to make (although fried and not totally healthy), and cheap.  Perfect for this week.  This recipe even comes with the cost breakdown (thanks 10buckdinners.com!)  However, I'd love to know where she got a can of tomatoes for $0.60!  Now since the majority of our family is "heat sensitive" (sorry hubby), I may just use a jalapeño  seeded and chopped.
We'll have some black beans on the side or some rice.  Maybe chips and guac....  

Thursday: Cinco De Mayo! Carne Asada Tacos

Pin It Now! Perfect day to dish up some delicious carne asada tacos.  (at the hubby's request)  A friend of mine gave me a recipe for a rice side dish and I'll prob have some chips and guacamole on the side.  As for the carne asada, I'm just going to use store bought pico to save some time, but I included the recipe if you want to make your own.

Menu for April 26-29: Tuesday-Tex Mex Beef & Mac

Pin It Now! Getting back in town later than I thought on Monday...so starting the week off on Tuesday.. :)


No, this isn't the little talking glove beef and mac...this recipe has more kick to it!  :)  I found this recipe years ago and I've always enjoyed it.  You can alter it quite a few ways too.  Great, simple, quick weeknight meal.  Some fun ways to tweak the recipe:  add jalapeños, use variety of pasta shapes, different types of cheese, try fresh tomatoes, add spinach... possibilities are endless!  :)   Serve with a nice side salad.

Wednesday: Roast Chicken Chimichangas

Pin It Now! I swear every time I hear the word "chimichanga" I think of Meet the Fockers.  I just love that movie!  I've never made these before, but it sounded simple and quick.  Going to serve it with a side of black beans and rice.

Friday: Turkey and Bean Chili

Pin It Now! I'm never one to turn down chili...and it's so fun to try different recipes for it!  At $1.75 per serving this is quite the budget dish.


*Kid Korner:  let kids add ingredients to the pot and stir.

Monday: Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Pin It Now! Quick and Easy!!  I've made this dish before and I've really enjoyed the taste.  I didn't know where to find Chipotle chili peppers in adobe sauce, but I then spotted them in the International section of the grocery store.  They are by the jalapeños and green chili's.  It supposed to have a bit of a kick, so I'll use sparingly to start and then let the hubby spike his own dish.  I use frozen corn and this time I'm using a rotisserie chicken (time saver).

Serve with a side of chips and salsa, or guacamole.  It would also been fun to put inside one of those taco shells!  :)  Enjoy!