Leftovers Revival

 I made a bunch of taco meat for tacos and once I ran out of shells I was at a loss for what to do with the left over meat. I decided to turn to another Mexican favorite and make this here taco quesadilla!



Taco 'Dilla

Ingredients:

• Leftover (or not) taco meat
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar or jack cheese
• 2 medium flour tortillas

Optional:

• Hot sauce for dipping (I like Cholula)
• Sour cream
• Guacamole

Steps:

1) Preheat heavy skillet on med-high heat.

2) Place one tortilla on the skillet and spread about half the cheese evenly on tortilla.

3) Spread taco meat evenly over cheese along with another layer of the remaining cheese.

4) Top with the second tortilla. Cook for about three minutes until the bottom layer of cheese is melted. 

5) Press down around the outside of the 'Dilla to make the top tortilla stick to the  cheese on the bottom.one Flip over and cook on second side for an additional two minutes.

6) Cut into 6 slices using a pizza cutter and serve with optional condiments.

Midnight Snack

This week is going to be a bit busy for me since I'm training someone at work and making some changes to my other blog which means working ahead a lot. Therefore: quick and easy recipe this week!

Fast and yummy this makes for the perfect fun, impromptu snack.

Nutella Panini
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 slices Italian bread
• 3-ish Tbsp chocolate-hazelnut spread

Equipment:
Panini press or George Forman type grill

Optional:
Whipped cream

Steps:
1) Pre-heat grill
2) Spread Nutella on one slice of bread.

Don't waste! Wipe off knife on 2nd slice of bread!

3) Put close sandwich and cook for 20-30 seconds until grill marks show on bread.

4) Cut in half and enjoy with some whipped cream or on it's own!

Fruit Salad?

I feel like I should say "psych!" to everyone who thought this was going to be a recipe for fruit salad. But seriously, cucumbers and tomatoes are technically "fruit" so.... anyway.

This was one of my go to recipes in college because it was tasty and easy and I love tomatoes and cucumber and lemon. The version I made can be found below the main recipe.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• 2-3 roma or vine tomatoes
• 2 scallions (green onions)
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions:
1) Dice tomatoes and cucumber into small pieces and chop parsley (I actually like to use scissors) and scallion and combine in medium/large bowl.

2) Pour olive juice, and squeeze lemon over veggies and mix together.

3) Serve and enjoy!

Optional: Try serving on toasted french bread slices like bruschetta. I wasn't a huge fan when I tried it but you might like it. It may work better if you drizzle olive oil over the slices first.

Extra quick salad for one:
I really like lemon so this is extra lemony.
Use one tomato, 1/3 cucumber, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 Tbsp olive oil.
I never actually measured the olive oil, just drizzled it over top so it was lightly coated.

Cinnamon Festival

I was inspired to make this recipe because of this episode of Psych in which Gus and Shawn eat more slices of cinnamon pie than I can count (okay, I could but then I'd have to watch the whole episode, which I don't have time for today).

Cinnamon Pie
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 c. white sugar
• 1.5 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 c milk
• 1 unbaked pie crust (10", these are found in freezer section)

Optional:
Whipped cream


Procedure:
1) Preheat oven to 400º F
2) In a medium bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
3) Add beaten egg, butter and vanilla. Mix well.
4) Add milk. Mixture will be very thin, aka "liquid-y".
5) If using the aluminum pie plate it came in, place crust on cookie sheet first. Pour mixture into pie crust and place in oven.

No, I didn't put my crust on a cookie sheet first, that was an after thought.

6) Bake at 400º for 15 minutes then reduce to 350º for an additional 45 minutes.

Will look cooked on top, but pudding like underneath until it sets.

7) Let cool completely to set before serving (I did not do that when I cut the slice in the above picture. I suggest refrigerating). Refrigerate leftovers.
8) If desired, serve with whipped cream!
9) Watch Psych.




Looks good right?

Chicken Chicken Chicken!

This recipe is easier than you think and it's super-duper yummy. Yes, I just said 'super-duper.' Anyway, like in all my recipes calling for some kind of wine, I use grocery store cooking wine so do the same if you don't feel like hitting up a liquor store.

Chicken Marsala
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 8oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
• 1/2-3/4 c marsala wine

Directions:
1) Slice chicken breasts into two or three pieces, height-wise (...? I didn't know how to describe this in words so it actually makes sense, so I found a picture online.)

2) Mix together flour, oregano, salt, and pepper.
3) Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet on med-high heat until butter is melted and bubbling lightly.
4) Dredge (coat) chicken pieces in flour mixture and cook on medium heat on each side for about 2 minutes, moving to a plate afterwards.

5) Once all chicken has been cooked and removed, add mushrooms to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes.
6) Stir the mushrooms then add the wine to the mushrooms.
7) Return the chicken to the skillet, over lapping pieces if needed, so that it's at least partially submerged in the wine. Add a little more wine if needed.
8) Simmer for 5 minutes, then flip the chicken pieces over, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
9) Serve and enjoy!


Chicken Marsala