Stir Fry Veggies & Rice

I've been so far behind that I am posting this just so I can have it on record -- for when I run out of meal ideas!

Stir Fry in evoo: shredded cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, onion & pineapple. Season with soy sauce & sweet chili sauce. Add leftover Sticky Chicken.

Serve with Jasmine rice.

Chicken Club Salads

Food Category: PG, Bum Lovin', High-5
Difficulty: Easy

The good stuff:

lettuce
shredded carrots
sliced cucumbers
radishes
avocados
chopped leftover Sticky Chicken breast.

The really good stuff:

2 slices center cut bacon
1/2 serving grated cheddar
1 boiled egg
croutons
fat free 1000 Island dressing

Beef Enchiladas

Food Category: PG, Bum Lovin'

Difficulty: Easy

Yesterday, I noticed that I had defrosted some beef but failed to do anything with it. So, I cooked it & socked it in the fridge for tonight. Any kind of leftover beef (roast beef, brisket, etc) would be great for these enchiladas -- just add the right seasonings: cumin, chili powder, paprika, smoky sweet pepper, cayenne & salt. I used 1/2 tsp each to season to beef loin steaks.

Sear the meat on both sides, then reduce heat to very low & cook with a splash of red wine or beef broth, chopped onion & crushed garlic until the meat is very tender. You could also use the crockpot. When the meat is cooked, chop & add pan juices. Either use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Assemble the enchiladas:

Fill whole wheat flour tortilla with the chopped/shredded beef, grated cheese (cheddar/jack) & sauteed 1/2 onion & tri-color peppers (about 1/3 of each).

Place into a 9X13 baker on top of enchilada sauce. This particular red sauce is a mixture of crushed tomatoes (still had some hanging in the fridge from pizza night) & the same seasonings I put into the meat.

Top with canned enchilada sauce (I also mixed in the rest of the crushed tomatoes) & grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil & pop into a preheated oven - 400F.

Bake covered for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Uncover & continue to cook until the cheese begins to brown.

Serve with a side salad: lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumbers, Catalina dressing & Fritos.

I'm calling this meal Bum Lovin' only if you use whole wheat tortillas, drain the fat off the meat, use cheese sparingly & load up on salad (with fat free dressing). One enchilada and a salad is more than filling. But, I ate another 1/2 of one just for flavor's sake.

Leftover potential: The salad won't keep, but the enchiladas will be fine in the fridge for a few days. Microwave on medium power to reheat.

Southwestern Eggrolls

Food Category: PG
Difficulty: Easy

I began with the intention of following the Chili's Southwestern Eggroll recipe, and for the most part I did. Except for I cooked on a much larger scale & didn't pay too much attention to proportions - not that it really matters the ratio of corn to onions, know what I mean?

Here's roughly what I used:

• 2 cups of cooked chicken (I used Mimi's Sticky Chicken from last night)
• 1 chopped onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 of each: red, green & yellow bell pepper
• 1 can vacuumed-packed corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1/3 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup chopped frozen spinach
• 1/2 crushed tomatoes (b/c I had some in the fridge)
• several splashes of Taco Sauce (again, in the fridge)
• 8 oz (weight) grated cheddar cheese
• 8 burrito size spiced tomato tortillas
• 8 taco/fajita size spinach tortillas

To make the Eggroll Filling:

• Sautee bell peppers in 2 T olive oil for 3-4 minutes
• Add onion & continue to sautee for 3-4 minutes
• Add 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• Add the spinach & cooked until heated through
• Next, toss in the beans, corn, chicken & jalapenos
• And, 1/2 t each, more if you choose: chili powder, cumin, paprika, smoky sweet chili blend, cayenne & salt
• Remove from heat & add cheese
• Stir until cheese melts & mixes in

To assemble the Eggrolls:

• Microwave the tortillas in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel for 45-60 seconds on high
• Spread 1/4-1/3 cup of filling on one side of the tortilla
• Roll "eggroll style" turning the sides in as you go
• You can "seal" with a bit to cream cheese

To cook the Eggrolls:

• I sprayed the Eggrolls with olive oil, placed seam side down on a baking pan &
• Baked at 425 until crispy & golden, turning once 1/2 way through (about 15 minutes)
• (The original recipe calls for the Eggrolls to be frozen & then deep fried)

To serve the Eggrolls:

• Cut in 1/2 crosswise & serve with a dipping sauce.

I really, really wanted & tried to make the avocado dipping sauce BUT avocados in Europe are terrible & it was a waste of my time & energy & ingredients. I had to resort to serving with Ranch dip. Next time, in the absence of decent avocados, I'll make Haus Salsa.

If I had good access to fresh jalepeno & poblano peppers, I would have added some. Maybe next time I'll throw in a chopped chipotle or two.

Personally, I don't think these have to be deep fried. It's more mess to clean up, more calories to burn off & it's not necessary for flavor. If you spray & bake, these are actually kind of healthy.

Leftover Potential: These were a huge hit & there were none leftover. If you did have leftovers, you can reheat in the oven or freeze for later. If you anticipate leftovers, I'd freeze before cooking.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Food Category: PG, Southern Comfort
Difficulty: Easy

With all the festive cooking going on this time of the year, there's less time to actually cook dinner. Last night I was up to my elbows in sugar cookie dough & pecan tassies and ended up with no time to cook dinner. So, I pulled chopped BBQ beef out the freezer & pimped out a can pork-n-beans (add a little mustard, BBQ sauce, brown sugar & heat in the microwave).

Viola! Dinner.

Serve with a big side salad. The bigger the salad, the more butt-friendly this meal is. Which is very important this time of the year. Two days before Thanksgiving is no time to be piggin' out. Save your appetite & calories for the right day.

Bean & Cheese Quesadillas with Spanish Rice

Food Category: PG
Difficulty: Easy

Bean & Cheese Quesadillas

I had a container of frozen taco meat, beans & salsa in the freezer. I reheated that in the microwave & added to my quesadillas. Lightly butter white flour tortillas & pan grill on one side. Flip & add beans & cheese (gouda & Monterrey jack) and a bit of bottled taco sauce (Taco Bell). Fold in half. Grill each 1/2 side.

Served with microwave-in-the-bag corn & side salad (w/fat free Catalina dressing).

Spanish Rice

• sautee 1/2 medium onion in 2 T evoo until 1/2 cooked over medium high heat
• add 2 c. uncooked white ricecontinue to sautee until the rice begins to turn golden
• add one clove crushed garlic
• add 2 cups of water seasoned with a Sazón seasoning packet, 3 oz tomato paste, T Spanish rice seasoning (I used Fiesta brand, widely available in Texas)
• bring water & rice to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer
• continue to cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes

Leftover potential: Rice, beans & corn reheat great in the microwave. To reheat leftover quesadillas: microwave on 1/2 power until no longer fridge cold. Then cook in a toaster oven @ 400F until cooked through & crisp. Or cook on the stove top in a non-stick skillet. You can just nuke, but they lose the good texture & flavor.

Salsa, Guacamole & Bean Dip with Tortilla Chips

Food Category: PG
Difficulty: Easy

It was snack night at our Haus. Friends were visiting from Hohenfels (Hi, CoopaChick, E-Girl & J-Boy) & this kept the teens happy. Winkler Kupfer Spezial straight from the source in Lengenfeld, Bavaira, kept the adults happy.

Tortilla Chips served with:

Bean dip topped with melted cheese: leftover pinto beans, seasoned with chili powder & cumin, food processed, heated in the microwave, melted cheddar & gouda on top.

Haus Salsa

Guacamole, made with: 2 large avocados, 1 T lime juice, 2 T chopped red onion, 1/4 c cilantro leaves, small clove of minced garlic. Chopped fresh jalepeno peppers optional.

Garnished with sour cream & pickled jalepeno peppers.

Chopped BBQ Brisket Sandwiches

Food Category: Southern Comfort, PG
Difficulty: Easy

BBQ Brisket Sandwiches

I chopped leftover brisket from last night (just on the cutting board, using a big knife) & added last night's leftover sauce with additional bottle BBQ sauce.

Serve on lightly toasted sesame buns with mustard & dill pickle relish.

Served with potato chips, sliced cucumbers/carrot sticks & Ranch dip.

Pita Pizza

Food Category: G-Rated, Bum Lovin'

Difficulty: Easy

It's just the girls and I for a few nights, so simple it is. Tonight we built our pizzas on whole wheat pita bread, topped with Contadina bottled pizza sauce, grated mozzarella, a sprinkle of basil-garlic seasoning, leftover chicken meatballs (chopped w/o the buffalo sauce) and snipets of fresh basil.

Here's the link to my Pita Pizza Debut for cooking method.

Grilled Cheese & Vegetable Soup

Food Category: PG, High-5
Difficulty: Easy

Grilled Cheese

• whole wheat, whole grain bread (I bought mine fresh from the local bakery!)
• I can't beleieve it's not butter - light
• Provolone, extra sharp cheddar, monterrey jack
• garlic powder

Vegetable Soup

from the fridge:

• corn on cob
• celery
• carrots
• onion

from the freezer:

• leftover: mashed potatoes, peas, corn, some kind of meat, mixed veggies (corn, baby carrots, asaparagus), more mixed veggies (broccoli, carrots)
• prepackaged frozen spinach
• leftover gravy

from the pantry:

• can tomoato paste
• can beef broth

season with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder, basil

Here's a note about my Freezer Ziplock Veggie Bag: for leftover veggies that would otherwise be wasted, I toss them into a frezer bag. By not tossing that last little bit of peas/carrots or potatoes or the leftover grilled veggies, you can fill up a freezer bag fairly quickly. The veggie bag can be the foundation for the best soups you will ever make.

Leftover potential: This meal is actually leftovers in action. Soup will keep in the fridge for a few days. I suppose you could freeze the soup (if no potato chunks or pasta), but I won't. Those veggies have been hanging out in my freezer long enough as it is.

Turkey Enchiladas & Spanish Rice

Food Category: PG
Difficulty: Moderate

Turkey Enchiladas

shredded turkey or chicken meat seasoned with:

• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chili powder
• cumin
• sauteed onion/garlic

grated cheese (extra sharp cheddar & monterrey)

12 corn tortillas
enchilada sauce

I created the sauce with:

about 1/2 can of tomato paste, chicken granules seasoning, chili powder cumin,
Adobo seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder,
2 T cornstarch & enough water to get to the consistency of tomato sauce

To assemble, either roll up like enchiladas are supposed to be or layer & stack in a casserole dish. I rolled turkey/cheese into the tortillas, covered with sauce & topped with cheese. Baked at 350F for 45-60 mins.

Enchiladas were served with:

side taco salad (Fritos & Fat Free Catalina dressing are a must!)
Spanish Rice

To make the rice:

sautee 1/2 chopped onion in evoo (& tri-color bell peppers, optional)
add 2 cups of regular UNcooked rice
continue to sautee both rice and onion until rice is golden brown & fragrant
add 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
add 2 cups of water seasoned with:

• adobo or Spanish rice seasoning
• 1 packet of Sazon
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• cumin

bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to very low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until almost all the water is absorbed.

I don't really have a good recipe or technique for making enchiladas because I rarely make them. Man even had to ask if they were burritos. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe we've been away from Texas for a weeny bit too long? Anyway, I've been on a mission to clean out my freezer so that I can defrost it & needed to use up some turkey (this was leftovers from a whole grilled turkey). I had the ingredients to make the red sauce, not a can of enchilada sauce or the ingredients to make a green chile sauce that would be more traditional with turkey/chicken enchiladas.

You can also add corn (fresh, frozen or canned) & any type of beans to the rice. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, it just depends on what's around.

If you make your side salad big & serve with 2 enchiladas & a serving of rice, this meal is not bad on the tushy.

Leftover potential: straight-up leftovers only