Semi-Homemade

One of my favorite ways to save time in the kitchen is taking store-bought ingredients and doctoring them up a bit to create a delicious semi-homemade dish. My Perfectly Easy Gourmet Pizza and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake  are two examples of how I like to kick store-bought ingredients up a notch.

Today we're taking a store-bought "burger" and combining it with my homemade Corn & Avocado Salsa to make an awesome summertime meal!

Now, unless you are a vegetarian (or cook for one), you've probably never ventured to the "Morning Star" part of the freezer section. The only reason I know about these is because I bought them for my sister-in-law, who is a vegetarian. She left a few at my house and one day I decided I didn't want to waste them, so I tried cooking one up--expecting a gross, tasteless, cardboard-like substance...

To my surprise, the bean burgesr were DELICIOUS!!!! After that, we started buying them all the time--despite the fact that I am FAR from a vegetarian! You can eat them on a bun like a regular burger, but this is our favorite way to eat them--just topped with a little Corn & Avocado Salsa. Find the recipe for the Corn Salsa HERE.

Black Bean Burgers with Corn & Avocado Salsa
(serves 2)

1 package Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Burgers (4 patties)
1 recipe Corn & Avocado Salsa

1. Thaw bean burgers according to package directions.

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet (i like using a grill pan) to medium heat. Fry burgers about 3 minutes per side or until heated through. You can also grill the burgers on a outside grill.

3. Top with corn salsa and enjoy! It's also perfect with a side of chips and The Best Salsa Ever :)

Seriously easy and seriously delicious and healthy!


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FOODIE FRIDAY ~ Healthy Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

I spent Spring Break in San Diego and my vacation would just not have been complete had I not sunk my teeth into a delicious, crunchy, greasy San Diego fish taco!!  Those things are take-out staples down there..along with burritos. Side note--I had the BEST BURRITO of my entire LIFE in La Jolla!! The Taco Stand--check it out. It's life changing.

Clearly the way fish tacos are "supposed" to be (deep fried, slathered in a yummy cream sauce concoction), isn't exactly figure-friendly. Being that it is almost summer and shorts and tank tops will be in the rotation soon, I'm sharing my "healthy" take on this delicious meal!!! Again, this is super easy and the fish cooks in no time! You can make the chipotle cream a day in advance if you're a planner like that :) You can find chipotles in adobo in the Mexican aisle at any grocery store.

Healthly Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Makes 4-6 good-sized tacos

For the Fish~

1 lb. wild-caught white fish (cod is good, halibut is better but any white fish works)
Lemon pepper
Salt

For the Chipotle Cream ~

1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1-2 tablespoons of the sauce from canned chipotles (see above)
3 scallions, minced
Dash of cumin
Juice from 1/2 lime
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Other/Garnishes ~
4-6 small corn tortillas
Lime
Cilanto
Shredded lettuce or cabbage
Avocado
Tomato (optional)

1. Make the Chipotle Cream: Whisk together all ingredients and refrigerate until needed.

2. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Season fish well with lemon pepper and salt. Drizzle a little olive oil in the pan and add fish.

3. Depending on the thickness of your cut of fish, cook 2-3 minutes (or longer for thicker cuts) on each side or until the fish in opaque and cooked through. If you are unsure or have never cooked fish, just cut it and see if it's cooked through--you'll be cutting up the fish anyway for the tacos!

4. Remove fish from pan. With a fork or a knife, cut fish into large chunks so they will fit nicely into a small tortilla.

5. Warm tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds.

6. Assemble tacos: Place a few pieces of fish on your tortilla. Top with the Chipotle Cream, cilantro, lettuce, avocado and finish it off with a nice squeeze of lime.

SO. DARN. GOOD. It's like the beach on a plate. You can picture the San Diego sunset as you eat.....

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Foodie Friday: The Best Salsa EVER!

I can't even count the number of times I have made this salsa. It's a hit at parties, pot lucks and we eat it at home on a very regular basis. I will make a full recipe of it on the weekend and we'll eat it all week on different foods during the week--with chips, over eggs, with quesidillas....really, you could put it over anything and it would make it delicious!

It's a Pioneer Woman recipe and she might be from Oklahoma, but the girl knows her Tex-Mex :)

The Best Salsa EVER
(this makes a FULL food processor of salsa--just half it if you don't need so much)

2 10 oz. cans of Rotel (or diced tomatoes with green chilis)
1 28oz can of whole tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 of a small onion, roughly chopped
1 whole jalapeno, roughly chopped (take out seeds if you don't want it too spicy)
1/4 teaspoon (or just a pinch) of cumin
Pinch of sugar
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in food processor; pulse about 10 times until combined but not totally smooth (i'm picky about the consistency of my salsa but you can process it however you like!!)

2) Add in lime juice and salt to taste; pulse a few more times to mix the flavors.

3) Transfer to an airtight container and chill for at least an hour (up to several days!) to allow the flavors to marry.

XO ~ Casey

Friday Funday: Food Favorites!!

I didn't think Friday could come fast enough this week, people!!! So let's celebrate with some of my favorite foods and recipes!!!

#1: Soy Nut Butter...O.M.G!!!

In March of 2007 while vacationing in Florida, Brookey took a TINY bite of PB&J. This picture was taken from a Venica, FL Emergency Room...notice the swelled face and eyes---looked SO much worse in person!! Since then, we've stayed away from peanut butter. I've been so bummed because it's SOOO yummy and a great source of protein.

Until this week when I found this: Soy Nut Butter. It tastes as close to the real thing as I think you can get...all the same fiber and protein benefits, too! Amazing! The link is from Amazon, but I got ours at Target. Major score!!!

 #2: As the weather cools down (as hopefully it does, SOMEDAY!), I always crave a big bowl of pasta. My simple Spaghetti and Meatballs fits the bill!!

#3: I absolutely LOVE this stir fry recipe! It's great with broccoli, too!! Beef with Snow Peas:

#4: These Turkey Chimichangas have been a staple in my house for TEN YEARS! So easy and so good!!!

#5: You can't get through the fall without making this Pumpkin Gooey Goodness Cake! It's everything you want from a fall dessert and more!! :)

That's it for today!! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY FRIDAY and HAPPY EATING!! :)

XO ~ Casey

Recipe Wednesday: Cheesy Baked Burritos

Here's another one of my yummy go-to recipes. When in doubt, I can always roll something into a tortilla and it's somehow tastes good :) This is just a BASIC recipe and you can add whatever ingredients you like!

Note...The Mexican tomato can be spicy, so if you don't like spice just use enchilada sauce.

Cheesy Baked Burritos
1 lb ground beef (turkey, chicken, whatever ground meat you like!)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 small (7 oz) can of Mexican tomato sauce (on the Mexican aisle, I like the El Pato brand)
4-6 large "burrito size" tortillas
1 large can of enchilada sauce (green, red, whatever you like!)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 can refried beans
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
Scallions for topping

1. Brown meat in a large skillet; add onions, Mexican tomato sauce and taco seasoning-- simmer until onions are tender,

2. In the meantime, heat beans in a small saucepan with a splash of water. When beans are warm, stir in cheddar cheese; set aside.

3. Assemble burritos: add a good amount of bean/cheese mixture and meat to each tortilla; roll and repeat for 4-6 burritos.

4. Place burritos in a baking dish. Brush each burrito with a little olive oil, then top them with as much enchilada sauce as you like!

5. Top with a little more cheese and bake at 400 for about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

6. Top with scallions and enjoy!!!

** Extra meat filling is great in tacos or for lunch the next day with some tortilla chips!

Recipe Wednesday: Chicken Tacos

Happy Hump Day!

I try to do "Taco Tuesday" at my house each week. Which basically means some form of Tex-Mex, chips and salsa and avocado are involved! This is one of our favorite taco recipes!! It's super easy and healthy...and....it utilizes the poached chicken method from last week! I love how simple it is--very few ingredients, so it can be easily whipped up on a busy weeknight (which I have done several times)!

Chicken and Spinach Tacos

2 cups of shredded, poached chicken--click here for the method

1/2 packet low sodium taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa (fresh is great if you have it--i tend to use just the regular jar salsa)

1 cup of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed)

1/2 cup water

1-2 cups of your favorite cheese (sharp cheddar and pepperjack are our faves)

6 "stand and stuff" taco shells

- Preheat oven to 300. Place taco shells in preheated oven for about 2 minutes or until barely crisp.

- Place shredded chicken, taco seasoning, salsa, spinach and water into a large skillet and simmer until flavors are combined (about 5 minutes).

- Spoon chicken mixture into warm taco shells and top with cheese.

- Place tacos back in the oven for about 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted (if you leave them in too long the bottoms will get soggy). You can also put them under a 450 degree broiler for a minute or so.

Done! You can eat them as-is or top with additional salsa, sour cream or avocado.  I love to serve this along side black beans and chips and salsa! Such an easy, easy meal....especially if you have the poached chicken on hand.

Ole to Taco Tuesday!