Southwest Eggrolls

I had some leftover egg roll wraps and some ground beef I needed to use, so I came up with this concoction. It turned out quite tasty!!

I realize this isn't exactly healthy, but it is goooooood.

Southwest Eggrolls

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can mexicorn, drained
1 can Rotel (HOT), drained
~1lb. lean ground beef
~4 ozs. cream cheese
cumin
chili powder
package egg rolls wraps (usually near the produce at the grocery)
vegetable oil (about 1/4 cup)
mexican blend shredded cheese, sour cream or any other toppings you would like to add

Cook the ground beef and drain off excess fat. Mix all the filling ingredients together. (I added the cheese on top before I rolled up the egg roll, but you probably could do it either way.) Give this a good toss.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Assemble a medium-sized amount of the mixture onto the middle of the egg roll (place diagonally). Top with anything you like.

Roll up the egg roll carefully and dab on some water with your fingers to seal. Place the eggroll in the hot skillet and cook on each side about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Ideally the pan is hot enough so that the roll does not get too soggy. Also, if you are lucky enough to have a frier or Frydaddy or something like that it would probably turn out better. But the way I made these, great reviews!!

Drain the eggroll on a paper towel and serve! YES!

Pasta Fagioli

Another cold and rainy day. After running my 5k, I really wanted something warm and hearty to eat. Why not make a big pot of pasta?

Pasta Fagioli

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. pancetta
2 cups uncooked pasta (your choice, I used medium shells)
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
olive oil
rosemary
thyme
black pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
crushed tomatoes (about 14 oz.)
parmesan cheese for topping (and some spinach leaves, if you like)
Also, a glass of Pinot Noir really brings it home

Give the bottom of a dutch oven a healthy swirl of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and pancetta. Cook until the onion is slightly tender.

Add the chicken stock, beans, herbs and spices and tomatoes. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes with lid on. Next add the pasta and continue to cook about 10 minutes or so until pasta is done.

Serve with any toppings you like and enjoy!

This was my take on a recipe by Giada off foodnetwork.com

Yucky Bananas??

Ok, so by now you may know that I HATE wasting food. When your bananas get too mushy and too gross to eat raw, do the next best thing...make banana bread. YES!!

Banana Bread:
1 cup sugar
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
8 oz. chopped walnuts (if you like)
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup softened butter

Combine the dry ingredients first in a medium mixing bowl. Add the softened butter and use a mixer to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to mix. Fold in nuts. Spray a 9x5 pan and preheat oven to 350. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for 1 hour. When time is up, insert a knife in the middle, when it comes out clean, banana bread is done. Let it rest and slice to serve. This always smells so good in the kitchen!! Enjoy!

Spring Fever

It has been chilly in Charleston, but I think husband and I both had warm weather and food on our minds.  We decided to grill turkey burgers and make some coleslaw. Now, I am a good southern woman, but I am now admitting to the world that I have never made my own coleslaw! Well, time to make my southern Alabama roots proud...make my own slaw. The odd/ironic part about this story is that I am VERY picky about what kind of coleslaw I like (perhaps why I never tried my own).

Turkey Burgers:
ground turkey breast
1/4 onion, minced
worcestershire sauce
Cajun seasoning (i.e. Tony's)
chopped parsley
swiss and cheddar cheese for melting on top

Toss it all together with your hands and grill! I topped my burger with spinach leaves, tomato and mayonaise

Coleslaw:
1 good sized head of cabbage
4 carrots, peeled
1 medium onion
celery seeds

Dressing:
2 tbls. cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
salt/pepper
~1/2 tbls. cayenne pepper (again, we always like the spice)

Shred the vegetables in a food processor. I just got one as a wedding gift and it is great (and fun, husband wanted to do all the shredding)! Put in a large bowl (b/c this makes a lot).

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a spoon or whisk. Pour over the vegetables and combine well. I topped this with a healthy amount of celery seeds. Chill for about 2 hours to let flavors combine and cabbage soften.

Notes: The turkey burgers were great! I think I would maybe use a little less sugar and add a few ingredients to give a little more dimension and play with the coleslaw recipe. Maybe some pickle relish and half red cabbage/half green cabbage for starters. I have to say that it wasn't a bust and I'm sure all of it will be consumed. It is definitely a solid slaw recipe.

Chicken Fajitas

Oh gosh, I love me some fajitas. Also, the husband really enjoys mexican food. We decided to try this oven version I have seen many times on different websites/blogs.

Chicken Fajitas:

1-1/2 lbs. chicken cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, chopped
2 cans Rotel (again the HOT version)
tortillas

Sauce: (I just guessed with the spice measurements)
2 tbls. vegetable oil
garlic powder
chili powder
pepper
cumin
cayenne (if you like the spice)

Preheat oven to 400. Start by spraying a large baking dish. Arrange the chicken in the bottom. Next top it with the peppers and onion.

Drain the Rotel cans and spread out on top of the vegetables. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a whisk. Drizzle this on top of everything. Toss everything to combine (I omitted this step before putting the dish in the oven and everything was fine). Place in the oven uncovered. Toss the fajita filling every ten minutes (I used some salad tongs). Bake for about 45 minutes depending on your oven. After about 40 minutes we covered the dish with foil and gave it about another ten minutes. Use your judgement on how well you like your vegetables cooked and how thick your chicken pieces are.

Serve with the tortillas. I dressed my fajita with some shredded cheese, juice of a lime wedge and a dollop of sour cream.

The husband and I both had 2 and have enjoyed the leftovers immensely. This was definitely a hit! Note: This was spicy the way I made it...so beware. To dial back the spice, just use regular Rotel and omit the cayenne in the sauce. I also highly recommend squeezing a lime wedge over your fajita...it gives it that something special. Enjoy!