dinner

Mexican Casserole

~ Joy ~ 2 Comments
This Mexican Casserole makes a quick and tasty meal.
Mexican Casserole
 
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Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 (16 oz) container salsa (I use Newman Own's medium salsa)
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can organic sweet corn, drained
  • 1 (16 oz.) can chili beans, not drained
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 cups crushed organic corn chips
  • 1 cup firmly packed fresh kale (or spinach)
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (or about 1 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Place the beef and onion in a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until browned; strain and rinse.
  2. Return the cooked beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  3. Place the crushed corn chips on the bottom of a greased 9" by 13" baking dish.
  4. Spoon half the bean mixture over the chips. Spread the kale (or spinach) on top. Add the remaining bean mixture. Sprinkle on the diced tomatoes.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and cook another 5 minutes. The casserole should be warm and bubbling.
  6. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

Homemade Pizza

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Homemade Pizza
Simple, doughy homemade pizza!
Homemade Pizza
 
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Yield: 3 medium pizzas
Ingredients
  • 2 cups warm water (I use the warmest water from the tap; about 105 degrees)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 7-8 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 Tbs yeast
  • cornmeal for sprinkling
  • 1 (24 oz) can tomato sauce (I use Classico Tomato & Basil)
  • 1 lb. cooked ground beef
  • 16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • dried basil and oregano, to taste
  • pineapple tidbits
Instructions
  1. Combine water, oil, salt, 3 cups of flour, and yeast; mix until combined. Add another 2 cups of flour and knead, gradually add additional flour as needed until the dough stops sticking to the bowl. Knead an additional 5 minutes.
  2. Divide the dough into three balls. Roll each ball of dough on pizza stones sprinkled with cornmeal. Roll up the edges to form a crust.
  3. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough (I use about ¾ cup per pizza).Top with ground beef, pineapple tidbits, or other desired toppings. Sprinkle with dried basil and oregano. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
  4. Bake each pizza for 400 degrees for 9 minutes, sprinkle on the cheese (I use about 2 cups per pizza), and then bake for another 9 minutes.
  5. Slice and serve.

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

~ Joy ~ 3 Comments
Warm, soothing, and delicious--this Chicken Noodle Soup is perfect for cold winter nights.
Warm, soothing, and delicious–this Chicken Noodle Soup is perfect for cold winter nights.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs chopped cooked chicken breast (4 cups)
  • 2 (32 oz) containers of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 (32 oz) container of vegetable broth
  • 2 cups chopped carrots, (about 6 small whole carrots)
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery (about 6 small celery sticks)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste (I did 1 tsp of each)
  • a heaping 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1 (13.25 oz) box whole wheat rotini noodles

Directions:

Stir together all the ingredients (except for the bay leaves and noodles) in a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the bay leaves on top of the soup. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the noodles. Cook on high for 1 more hour.

Joy’s Cornbread

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Simple, moist cornbread!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 Tbs baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbs honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 (15 oz) can organic sweet corn, drained

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients (except the corn) and mix until combined. Stir in the corn. Pour into a greased 9″ by 13″ baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-27 minutes or until golden and set. Serve warm.

Honey-Baked Carrots

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. whole organic carrots
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • salt and pepper to taste (I do 1 tsp each)

Directions:

Cut off both ends of the washed carrots. Cut into carrot sticks (or desired size). Place in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Glaze the carrots with the olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper; mix with your hands until evenly coated. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until tender (or 30 minutes in a convention oven). Serve.

Cajun Chicken

~ Joy ~ 1 Comment
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This spicy chicken is delicious and easy to make with only 5 ingredients!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lbs chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbs Cajun Seasoning
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 Tbs melted butter

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Cajun Seasoning, and salt. Dip each chicken breast in the melted butter and then coat it in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place in a parchment lined 8″ by 11″ baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Black Bean Tacos with Butternut Squash Hummus

~ Joy ~ 5 Comments

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I love these tacos. My mom loves them even more. After a few bites she exclaimed, “I think this is my new favorite meal!”

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Butternut Squash Hummus

I don’t think I’d go that far, but it was definitely a fun recipe to concoct and eat! These tacos are colorful, scrumptious, and vegetarian. That’s what I’m talking about! :)

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This recipe makes about eight large tacos or sixteen small ones (I found one large taco to be quite filling). It fed our family of seven well and we had leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can organic sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs Cajun Seasoning
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Serve with:

  • Whole Wheat Tortillas*
  • Butternut Squash Hummus**
  • spinach
  • 2 tomatoes, thinly slices
  • Additional toppings: salsa, sour cream, and slices of avocado.

Directions:

  1. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion, and saute until the onion is tender.
  3. Add the sliced peppers, and saute until the peppers are beginning to get tender (this will take several minutes).
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook until heated through.

To Serve:

Spread Butternut Squash Hummus in the center of each tortilla and top with a handful of spinach. Next layer on the beans, tomatoes, and additional topping as desired. Enjoy!

Notes:

*I made my own tortillas beforehand using a doubled version of this recipe. It made 16 very large tortillas.

**The Butternut Squash Hummus gives these tacos their signature taste, but I imagine it could be substituted with refried beans for easier prep work.

Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash
Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Oh She Glows, this vegan dish of spaghetti squash topped with beans and guacamole is a delicious meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 spaghetti squash
  • 2 (15 oz) cans chili beans
  • 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 package taco seasoning mix (I use this homemade taco seasoning mix)
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • optional topping: guacamole (I make my own guacamole using this recipe)

Directions:

  1. Roast the spaghetti squash for about 35 minutes (here is a great tutorial on how).
  2. While the squash is roasting, combine the beans, diced tomatoes, seasoning, and onion in a pot and cook on medium low heat until heated through.
  3. As soon as the spaghetti squash is done roasting, scrape out the flesh with a fork. Serve the beans over the spaghetti squash and top with guacamole if desired.