South Of the Border

Morning Star Farms Products are making it SO easy for me to feed my family healthier meals. I, er, love them for that.

I’ve been buying their products for years (as long as I can remember) for my daughter Brittany, who is a strict vegetarian. I’ve often grilled or baked their burger patties for the rest of us - but, quite frankly I once had to really get creative with the seasonings - garlic, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, etc. There’s absolutely no need to get jiggy with their products anymore. They’ve gotten jiggy with themselves like nothing I’ve ever seen!

As I’ve posted again and again, we’re really serious about eating healthier. I’ve even set aside three days of the week that are “Health Nut Days” - as the name implies, these days find our meals about as perfectly healthy as you can get. I can’t even tell you how Morning Star is helping me on these days. They’re causing them to be some of the most delicious meals of the week!

One of my favorite products is their Veggie Cakes: Southwestern Style. They taste incredible - no, beyond incredible. They’re in a zone of goodness where adjectives don’t even exist. These patties are made with black beans, roasted corn (!!!), Real Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, Rice, and Southwestern Spices.

I spray my nonstick skillet with a cooking spray, then I allow it to heat for a full two minutes. Making sure that the skillet is extremely hot makes the patties nice and crisp on the outsides. I always make sure to heat the skillet for 2 minutes before making any of the protein patties or vegetable cakes.

The patties only take about 6 minutes per side to prepare. They absolutely, positively don’t need any seasoning whatsoever. I prefer mine without bread because all I want to taste are the amazing flavors going on, so I just serve mine with a killer salad.

They’re also great on toasted buns, though. I would imagine they’d be pretty special on toasted English muffins as well. But, like I said, I want mine all by itself.

There’s also a Ginger Teriyaki flavor that I keep meaning to try - but each time I’m standing in the frozen food aisle staring at them, I always find my hand going for my beloved. Next time you go to the store, head on over to the frozen food aisle. Locate the great Morning Star Farms products and grab a few varieties to try.

You WILL NOT go wrong with any of the ones below:
Mushroom Lover’s Burgers
Tomato & Basil Pizza Lovers Burgers
Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Thai Burgers
Zesty Tomato Basil Burgers made with Organic Soy
Veggie Cakes: Southwestern Style

I’m on the cusp of launching out into their world of breakfast products and “Chick’n” and “hot dogs” - I’ll let you know how that goes. For now, trust me, get the Southwestern Style Veggie Cakes. I’ve, honestly, only served them at lunch time, but I think they’d be amazing served with vegetables and bread or soup for supper.

That does it, I have to get to the store. We finished our last box off yesterday and here I sit, craving one intensely!

***To learn more about Morning Star Farm’s products and to find amazing recipes, visit their website, See Veggies Differently.com (How’s that for a great name?!)

You know what sounds good right now - I mean really, really good?  A bowl of homemade guacamole and some really fresh, crunchy tortilla chips.  Ever since the Attack of the Infested Tomatoes started playing out, my obsession with salsa has understandably faded.  It’s been challenging to find ways to substitute what was always a frequently used staple in my kitchen.

I never really realized just HOW frequently I used tomatoes until now.  Sliced on sandwiches, cut up in salads (which my family eats just about daily in some fashion or another during the warm months), in tacos, cooked with pasta, and…sigh… in salsa and pico de gallo.

With salads, I’ve been replacing tomatoes with radishes and/or red pepper.  Some people like sun dried tomatoes in salads, but I’m still on the fence.  I think they’re amazingly good in pasta dishes, though.  They can fill the void nicely.  Then, too, there’s always the cannded tomatoes.  They mingle well with pasta. 

I also stir the petite diced tomatoes into taco meat for tacos.  They’ll do in a pinch for salsa, too.

But back to my overwhelming desire for guacamole.  I love this stuff and can’t get enough of it.  At the moment, I want it to show up for lunch with it’s tortilla chip friends, but it’s versatile enough to show up with a lot of other sidekicks.

For Example, you have to try the following:

1. Lightly toast some quality bread.  Spread the inside with guacamole.  Add a few sliced of smoked turkey, a slice of swiss cheese (optional), shredded lettuce, and a few slices of bacon.
2. A South of the Border Burger:  Grill, fry, or bake your burger patties.  Lightly toast your buns.  In no particular order, add your meat, sliced onion, a dollop of guacamole, jalapeno peppers if you’re brave, and a teaspoon or so of store bought picante sauce (I usually get Pace.)  Serve with fresh tortilla chips and enjoy being alive.
3. Toast a wheat english muffin.  Spread on some fresh guacamole.  To this you can add either a little picante sauce or hot sauce, if desired.  Now top it off with a poached egg.  Oh, come on now!  It’s good, I promise.
4. Cut up some cooked chicken.  I most recently used mesquite roasted chicken (YUM!), but grilled or baked chicken are delicious, too.  In a bowl, combine the chicken, some guacamole, and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Add as little or as much guacamole as you desire.  Use your chicken mixture to stuff lightly toasted pita pockets or wrap a warmed tortilla around and create a delicious wrap.
5. Serve guacamole beside your grilled steak or chicken.
6. Use guacamole as a potato topper - give sour cream the night off.
7. Slather on top of baked potato skins.
8. Serve with the Ruffles Pinch of Salt Chips and/or Frito Corn Chips I told you about in the last post!

Did you know that early Spanish settlers called guacamole the “butter of the poor?”  It got the name because it was flavorful, could be used a lot of different ways, and was inexpensive to make.  At least it’s still diverse and flavorful!

Check it out, the Rachael Ray 2-pc. Berry Paisley Platter and Dip Bowl, Red/ Orange (above) is as colorful and perky as Rachael Ray, herself, is.

Fresh veggies, fruit slices and even plain old chips would look twice as nice on Rachael’s nine inch paisley-shaped platter! The platter and coordinating bowl hold enough munchies and dip (or salsa) for the whole family. Sturdy melamine is dishwasher-safe.

A sneaky little tip that you didn’t hear from me: Stop by your favorite Authentic Mexican Restaurant (here in Owensboro, Kentucky, mine are Real Hacienda or El Toribio’s on the river) and get an order of chips and salsa AND cheese dip to go. Bring it home, dispose of the evidence a.k.a. the bag/containers. Serve the chips, cheese sauce, and salsa alongside some killer tacos or a taco salad. Served up on gorgeous dishes like the Rachael Ray 2-pc. Berry Paisley Platter and Dip Bowl, Red/ Orange, you’d be the talk of the town…or at least the table.

Okay, changing the pace here for a minute - going from Authentic Mexican food to Mexican-ish food. The next time you go to Taco Bell…don’t deny it, I’ve seen you there….order a hard shell FRESCO taco. They’re, honestly, better than the regular tacos. They seem fresher and, dare I say, more authentic. They’re also healthier. Trust me on this one - I’m addicted to them.

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cups green peppers, chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 - 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup chopped onion
1 large can tomatoes
1 large can kidney beans, drained
1 tsp salt

Brown the ground beef, drain.

Add the remaining ingredients to the beef. Simmer for at least 1 hour.

Optional: During the last 10 minutes, you can add a little fresh cilantro to the dish. Some people like to serve Chili Con Carne with a tablespoon of sour cream on top along with chopped green onion. I love to serve Pico de Gallo alongside my Chili Con Carne. But then again, left to my own devices, I’d serve Pico de Gallo alongside everything.

This is a dish you just can’t go wrong with.

2/3 cup chopped onion
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with chilies
4 tsp. paprika
4 TBS chilli powder
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 TBS flour
1/4 cup cold water
4 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 pound sharp process cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, saute the onion in oil until the onion is transparent. Add the tomatoes, paprika, chilli powder, and garlic.

Stir in a paste made from the flour and water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the cheeses and salt/pepper - stir until cheeses are a vision of melted heaven!

Serve hot with the best tortilla chips you can find, or better yet fry your own. I love to cut tortillas into wedges and fry them in batches. Right after removing them from the oil, I hit them with some salt. I also sprinkle ground red pepper to the last couple of batches.

Enjoy!

Les Piments Art Print
Burgess, Linda

Buy at AllPosters.com

This beautiful art print has every intention of getting framed and gracing one of my kitchen walls - and as gorgeous as it is, I’m all for it.

Its timing is perfect, I’ve fallen in total fatuation with peppers lately. I’ve been throwing them into salads, quesadillas, tacos, and even scrambled eggs. I’m experimenting with different varieties and I’m the middle of a post I’ll be adding about all that I’ve learned.

They really kick up any meal they’re invited to, so start putting them on the guest list more often!

A fellow Chili lover asked me to post about the New England Regional Chili Cookoff. It’ll be held on May 3, 2008 in Somers,CT. Last year they had 38 cooks from 10 different states - that’s a lot of deliciousness!

For more information, see the web site. With this much time to prepare, you’ll come up with something to knock every sock in Connecticut off!

I am officially dying for a bowl of hot chili right now - as I sit here in my robe and houseshoes without chili ingredients in the pantry. Hmmmm, looks like I have a trip to the store in my immediate future. After I change - I really don’t want to explain the fuzzy pink houseshoes.

The health kick continues…

When my husband has to dine with a client, which doesn’t happen very often, my daughters and I get particularly creative in the kitchen. We try things that he might turn his nose up at. There are just some things that we’ll enjoy that he’d…upon first sight….would look at me like I had two heads, with horns on each.

Last night was one of those “girls only” nights, so I tried something I’d been wanting to try for a while now. I bought a box of Boca Burger Ground Burger, my favorite brand of taco shells, (which might surprise you - more on that later), a jar of Pace Picante Sauce, cilantro, a package of taco seasoning mix, finely shredded cheddar, chopped chives, and shredded lettuce.

I warmed up the ground Boca burger in a skillet sprayed with cooking oil, then I seasoned it with the taco seasoning mix. I added a little cilantro and Pace Picante Sauce. After warming the shells in the oven, I assembled the tacos - ground Boca burger, shredded lettuce, cheese, and chives. I usually use chopped green onions on tacos, but I thought the chives might be a cool change-up. They were.

The tacos were sensational! I knew my daughter Brittany, who happens to be a vegetarian and huge Boca fan, would love them - but I had no idea how much the rest of us (as in me, Emily, and Stephany - meat lovers and totally unfamiliar with Boca) would love them. They were incredibly delicious.

I can’t explain it, but eating a meal that’s light and health-friendly like this one leaves you feeling better than a fatty, through the roof with calories meal does. In fact, an hour after eating, Stephany and I went for a walk. Most meals leave you feeling way too weighed down to even think about walking.

As I was eating my Boca Tacos, with an s as in plural, I was already thinking of other ways to use the ground Boca: Chili, taco burgers, Manwiches, mixed with tomato sauce and stuffed in pitas, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I also intend to check out the rest of Boca’s line of products - as well as the other brands of red meat alternatives.

Oh, yeah - my favorite Taco Shells. This one is kind of surprising, because I’m all about getting name brand foods….If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a gazillion times - you get what you pay for. But, in a big fat exception, I love love love Wal-Mart’s brand of taco shells. They’re crunchy rather than gummy like some of the other brands. I like their texture, and their flavor, to me, is much closer to the ones you get in an authentic Mexican restaurant.

Some day, I’m going to buy a box of each of the brands and conduct a little taste test. I’m pretty certain the Wal-Mart brand will win, but I’d like to see for sure!

Have a great day - and make it a point to try out something new and healthy. You may just surprise yourself!

2 cups Unsalted chicken broth (store bought)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 teaspoons Ground cumin
2 tablespoons Pickling spice
1/2 Red bell pepper — sliced
1 pound Boneless chicken breast — halves
1/2 Yellow bell pepper — sliced
2 tablespoons Minced jalapeno chili with — seeds
1 Onion, halved — thinly sliced
1/3 cup Rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup Fresh cilantro leaves
3 large Garlic cloves — minced
baked (no oil) tortilla chips

Boil broth and pickling spice in heavy large saucepan ten minutes. Strain and return liquid to saucepan. Add chicken, onion, vinegar, garlic, oil and cumin to pan. Simmer over very low heat until chicken is just cooked through, about ten minutes. Transfer chicken and onions to shallow dish. Top with bell peppers and minced chilli.

Boil cooking liquid until reduced to 2/3 c, about ten minutes. Pour liquid over chicken and let cool 30 minutes. Add cilantro to chicken mixture.

Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, turning chicken occasionally, about 4 hours (can be prepared one day ahead). Slice chicken and transfer to plates. Top with marinated vegetables and some of the
juices. Serve with warmed tortillas.

Makes 6 servings

This is ridiculously delicious eaten right from the pan - just you, a fork and a tall glass of sweet tea….however, most people enjoy it with a few other people and a stack of warmed tortillas.

1 pound Pinto beans
3 pounds Pork roast
7 cups Water
1/2 cup Onion — chopped
2 Garlic cloves — minced
1 tablespoon Salt
2 tablespoons Chili powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Oregano
4 ounces Green chili peppers — chopped (one can)

Put all ingredients into a dutch oven, a crock pot, or a heavy kettle. Cover and simmer about 5 hours, or until the roast falls apart and the beans are done. Uncover and cook about 1/2 hour more, until
the desired thickness is achieved.