Beef and Bean Burritos

Happy Spring Friday!!

Joking. It's snowing here in Ottawa, I mean hailing, and raining....aka a royal mess on this supposedly spring day. What can make it better? Comfort food that is also moderately healthy and kid friendly! Seriously, this was quick, easy, and delicious and I will be making this one quite often from now on!

Adapted from Shirl's Awesome Easy Burritos
Ingredients:

• 1 lbs lean ground beef
• 1-15 ounce can fat free refried beans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, shredded (optional)
• 3/4 to 1 cup of salsa
• 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese
• 6 large whole wheat flour tortillas (or 10 small ones)
• Topping ideas: cheese, avocados, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream etc...

Directions:

1. Cook the ground beef, onions, and zucchini, drain the excess fat.
2. Stir in the refried beans, then the salsa. Add salt and pepper as needed. Heat through.
3. Stir in the cheese, and heat until cheese is melted.
4. In a warm tortilla, spoon in some beef filling, and desired toppings.

This was so good and the kids loved it!!

Enjoy,

Cathy

Mexican Lasagna Cupcakes

I saw these and I knew I had to make them. They are just so cute.

We ate these for dinner one night but I have a feeling these are more of an appetizer type thing. Either way it filled me and my husband right up after about 3 each. We loved them!

Next time I think I am going to try and make it with black beans and maybe some corn.

I love me some corn!

Ingredients
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package of taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 36 wonton wrappers
• 1 (16 ounce) can of refried beans
• 36 tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• optional toppings: sour cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, salsa

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray.


Brown beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning mix, the water called for on the package, as well as the red onion. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Set aside.


Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup. Layer about 1 Tbsp of refried beans on top of each wonton. Crush one tortilla chip on top of the beans. Top with 1 Tbsp of taco meat and 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again with a wonton wrapper, refried beans, tortilla chips, taco meat, and cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.


Remove cupcakes from tin and top with your favorite taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, salsa, diced tomatoes, or cilantro)


Enjoy!!
-Christy

Homemade Hamburger Patties

Summertime is a great time for grilling! Unfortunately Danny and I do not have a grill at our apartment so we take advantage of the grill when we go visit my parents for the weekend! We absolutely love hamburgers and we decided this time it would be nice if we made our own patties. Here is an easy recipe that will make your mouth melt!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sause
• 1 small onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• Montreal Steak Spice, as desired

Directions

Combine all the ingredients listed until it is mixed well. Take about 1/3 cup of meat and form into a patty. Once there are about 8-10 patties place onto the grill. Make sure you do not press down on the patty to help it cook faster, this only releases the juices from the patty and will make it very dry. Once the patties are cooked your burgers are ready to be created!

Enjoy!!

-Christina

Mexican Lazagna

I love Rachael Ray, her story, and most of all some of the flavor profiles that she is able to bring out in her dishes. This one is based on one of her recipes, with a couple slight changes.

This is kid friendly because all the veggies inside the lasagna are grated, so you can't even see them! now, getting the tomatoes and lettuce on top may be a different story, but the lasagna itself, they gobble up!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs vegetable oil, divided
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 zucchini
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 onion, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 Tbs chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbs coriander
• Salt and pepper for taste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 6 (the smaller ones) whole wheat flour tortillas
• 3 cups of shredded cheese
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 romaine heart, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• Sour cream, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat up 2 Tbs of vegetable oil
3. Add meat and brown for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, grate the zucchini and carrots with a box grater. Add them in, and then grate in the onion and garlic.
4. Season the meat with chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and cook 7-8 minutes to soften vegetables. Stir in the beef stock.
5. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Layer 2 tortillas, and top with 1/3 meat, 1/3 cheese. Repeat to finish tortillas and end with the meat and cheese.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes to brown cheese. Serve like lazagna, then top with scallions, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Enjoy!
Cathy

Quick Easy Skillet Lasagna {with bonus hidden veggies}

Can't believe my week with my sister is almost over!! It's been so nice to be in Utah cooking meals together and spending quality time together with our mom, sister-in-law and friends!

So...a few weeks ago I wanted lasagna, but I didn't have hours to make it, so this was the result! I am excited about this cause again, it was a hit with the kids and quick! Plus, I couldn't get enough of this...a keeper for sure.

Cook time: 30 minutes or less
Serves: 4-6

• 1 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, grated
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 3/4 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups dry noodles (recommended: farfalle or mini lasagna noodles)
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. Begin to brown the ground beef. Add the grated onion, garlic, zucchini, and carrot. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink.
2. Add the spaghetti sauce, water, noodles, seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes less than al-dente (look on the package of noodles for the recommended al-dente amount of time).
3. Meanwhile, combine the cottage cheese, 3/4 cups of the mozzarella, egg, and parmesan cheese.
4. When noodles are 2 minutes shy of al-dente, all the cheese mixture. Cook for another few minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and serve with your favorite garlic bread!

Next time, I think I will add a couple handfuls of baby spinach (see if I can sneak even more veggies into some picky eaters!

Bon appetit!

Cathy

Mexican Taco Pasta

I love mexican food and I love pasta so this is like the perfect combination ever! This dish seriously only took me 20 min to make. I took the ground beef out that morning so it could defrost and I had some onions already chopped in my fridge...it was quick and so good! 

Ingredients
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 pound ground beef or turkey
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
1 (14 oz.) can of corn, drained
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes, corn and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.


Enjoy !!
-Christy

Mexican Meatloaf

It friday again, excited for the weekend?! I am just glad last weekend has come and gone. It was a busy one. We had a party for our son and his friend, and 27 kids came! It was a riot, and by the end of it, we were all (including the kids, yes even with all that sugar) wiped out! Great times and memories, but after a party like this, I'm thinking, no more parties for a couple years!

Ok, FOOD! This is probably my favorite meatloaf, with a mexi twist. It has an amazing sweet sauce that goes over top. I serve this with baked potatoes and green beans. Talk about comfort food! I got this recipe from the Canadian Bible Society cookbook, by Denise Toeckes.



Meatloaf ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• Fine dry bread crumbs (1/4-1/2 cup, depends on how you want the consistency)
• Finely ground nacho chips (about 1/2 cup, give or take)
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (or less)

Sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbs prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup chili sauce

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Combine raw beef, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, nacho chips, chili powder, and jalapenos. Then add the eggs and salsa. Stir it up. Add cheese cubes. Mix well. Press evenly into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch ungreased loaf pan. (tip: if you want it to take less time to cook, press it into a larger casserole dish so it's thinner)
3. Sauce: combine the brown sugar, mustard, and chili sauce in a small bowl. Mix. Spread over beef mixture.
4. Bake uncovered for about 90 minutes until firm and cooked through (check it starting at the 60 minute mark, time may vary). Drain excess drippings from pan.
5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! 

Cathy

Sweet Four Bean Chili

My school has a healthy corner every wednesday and the always prepare a quick and easy meal for the students. They always hand out the recipes too! I decided to make this one night. It is very simple and extremely sweet!


Ingredients
1 lbs. of ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped
1 can of green lima beans,un-drained
1 can of butter beans, un-drained
2 can of kidney beans, un-drained
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
































1. Cook the ground beef and drain the fat. 
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent
3. Add the beans, ketchup and brown sugar
4. Heat for about 30 min over the stove stirring occasionally. 


Enjoy!!
-Christy

Orange Ginger Beef

This recipe was adapted by one that I found in the metrofood section of the metronews paper by Emily Richards. I added some more veggies, and put it on a bed of chinese egg noodles.

Now, this is one of those dinner that mixes in some fruitiness. My hubby doesn't like pineapple on pizza, or anything fruity added to dinners. BUT, I like pineapple on pizza, and I love fruitiness added to dinners (when appropriate), so it's all a matter of preference. This was fresh and quite healthy and I loved it!

4 Servings

• 2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 Tbs hoisin sauce
• 1 lbs beef eye of round, cut into thin strips
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 cups quartered mushrooms
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, julienne (think thin match sticks)
• 2 Tbs fresh cilantro (garnish)
• 1 Tbs grated orange rind (garnish)
• Chinese egg noodles (looks like spaghetti)

1. Marinade: In a shallow dish, combine ginger, garlic, pepper, hoisin sauce, and 1 Tbs of the oil. Add beef and coat well. Cover and refrigerate (the longer the better, ex: doing this step in the morning).
2. Drain and discard marinade. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1/2 the beef, and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the cooked beef, and cook the remainder of the beef.
3. Cook chinese egg noodles according to package directions.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and orange juice.
5. Add the last Tbs of oil to the skillet. Saute mushrooms, red pepper, and carrots for 3-4 minutes (or until lightly browned). Return beef to the skillet with the accumulated juices.
6. Stir in cornstarch/OJ mixture and cook, stirring, for about 3  minutes, or until the sauce thickens. You may need to increase the heat a little.
7. Serve over chinese egg noodles, with cilantro and orange rind as garnish.

Enjoy!

Cathy

Shepherds pie

I grew up eating shepherds pie all the time. Instead of making it in a pie crust, my mom always made it with mashed potatoes on top. I got the original recipe from a cookbook that is called, "Celebration Cookbook" from the Canadian Bible Society. This particular recipe is from Robert Norminton. It's recipes from a bunch of bible reading Canadians, and most of them are so good, so I try recipes out of this book quite often.

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) crushed corn flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbs mustard
• 2 Tbs milk
• 1 lbs grouned beef
• 2-2 1/4 ounce packets of instant mashed potatoes (I just made mine from scratch, 4-5 medium potatoes)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbs butter
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) cheddar cheese
• Paprika for garnish

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Mix half the corn flakes (2 Tbs) with salt, pepper, mustard, and milk in a small bowl.
3. Stir in the raw ground beef. get your clean hands in there and mush it around. Spread it evenly on a shallow baking dish (9x9 would work, he recommends 7x11).
4. Make the instant mashed potatoes according to package directions (or make your own). Add the eggs, onions (yes, raw), and parsley, and mix it well. Spread it evenly on top of the beef mixture.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly or meat is cooked. 
6. While it's baking, melt the butter and stir with the remaining corn flakes. When the pie is done, sprinkle cheese on top, and then the corn flakes. Put in the oven until cheese is melted, and then to add a crispy brown touch, broil it for 2-3 minutes (check it closely).
7. Serve and sprinkle with paprika.

**Something was missing in this dish. VEGGIES! So I served it with corn. What I would do next time, is add a can of creamed corn between the beef mixture and the potatoes.

My dish ended up looking like this:

I mean, you can't have shepherds pie without a little (a lot) of ketchup :)

Crockpot Chili

• Prep Time: 25 min.
• Cook Time: 8 hrs.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato puree or sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn, trained
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne Pepper
• 
  

1. Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
2. Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix in onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low.
4. Top with cheese, green onions, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Rating: 8.5/10


I love chili. I love easy recipes. And I love crock-pots. 


Speaking of crock-pots...one night as my husband and I were laying in bed he leaned over towards me, gave me a kiss and a hug and then said the following words... 


"I love you my little crock-pot"


Now I do not know where he got this term of endearment from, but I thought it was halarious. Now whenever I use the crock-pot I think of my husband's oh so romantic words to me.


Christy