Category Archives: Cooking

Taco Dip Dinner

Jump Start on Cinco de Mayo

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For the most part ML and I try to/have to stick to a fairly healthy diet which includes avoiding processed and/or packaged foods. This includes boxed dinners such as Hamburger Helper, deli meat, and packaged seasoning. (To learn more about our diet and how it has eliminated my migraines, see here.)

Mexican dishes are a favorite in our house, but there are a few store bought items we have to avoid when fixing a Mexican dish. One of these is packaged taco seasoning because it often contains MSG which is a trigger for my migraines. Thankfully, I have a recipe for an all natural taco seasoning mix. It is super easy and tastes as good if not better than the store bought stuff. Another plus is that you probably already have the needed spices on hand, so it costs practically nothing to make it.

I can’t take credit for the recipe because I found it on Allrecipes.com, but I wanted to share it with you because it is so easy and good! I did end up tweaking mine a little.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I didn’t have any on hand so I left this spice out.)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I added this for a little extra kick.)
On a spice level it is probably a mild to medium. So add a little extra chili powder or cayenne pepper for more spice.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then use as a substitute when a recipe calls for a packet of taco seasoning mix.
I told you it was easy! And by making your own, you avoid all the unnecessary chemicals and flavor enhancers. Plus it’s all natural and spices are loaded with tons of health benefits.
I made up a taco seasoning batch the other day and used it for this wonderful Taco Dip Dinner recipe I found at 2 Crafty 4 My Skirt.
I ended up pinning it to Pinterest and had to give it a try. Check out the link above for her recipe. It is really easy… perfect for a quick meal after work. I will definitely be using her recipe again. It also incorporates one of the healthy alternative/ less expensive techniques I have learned… adding a can of beans to the meat mixture.
Yum!!!
Do you make your own seasoning mixes or stick to the store bought ones? Have you found any amazingly delicious Mexican dishes on Pinterest lately?

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Cooking with Pinterest

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Has anybody else like me started searching for recipes on Pinterest? Mainly, I just repin other people’s pins (to everybody I follow, you have great taste). Unlike the crafts and design ideas I have found on there, I have actually cooked some of the pinned recipes. I thought I would share a few with you. These are easy, go-to recipes.

Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch Sauce

The website suggests this as an appetizer, but I turned it into a meal simply by pairing it with some rice… Mexican rice would be great. This was my first attempt at making egg rolls. For anybody wondering (that would have been me), egg roll wrappers are found in the produce section near the mushrooms and salad dressing. This is a great meatless meal, but shredded chicken could easily be added to the mix for those meat lovers out there. These egg rolls are baked not fried, so it’s perfect for anybody still sticking to their new year’s resolution to eat healthier and lose weight! My avocado was not ripe enough, so I made the sauce without it. It turned out fine.

Chocolate Banana Treat

I have to confess mine didn’t turn out anything like the picture. Even after two tries, it still didn’t look like the picture. But it tasted great… that’s what counts. Ours ended up looking more like chocolate pudding. This is the perfect, healthy dessert for my banana-loving husband and this chocolate-craving wife! At 110 calories who can resist?

Zucchini with Roma Tomatoes and Basil

They suggest this as a side, but I turned mine into the main dish just by placing it on a bed of pasta and fixing corn as the side. The zucchini was so juicy and full of flavor… this is definitely a recipe I will use again. Any good meaty tomato will work. Whole Foods didn’t have any Roma Tomatoes. So I bought the least expensive ones I could find, and they worked great. The recipe calls for bread crumbs, but I left them out (packaged bread crumbs are a possible source of msg… migraine triggers). And it still tasted wonderful.

One Minute Peanut Butter Cake

This recipe uses common ingredients in your kitchen. I actually had all of them on hand, so I gave it a try the first day I pinned it. I hate to break the bad news… it might take a little longer (allow 5 minutes). That’s a small price to pay to get such a yummy dessert though. A mixture of peanut butter, chocolate and a few other goodies are poured in a ramekin (or bowl) and zapped in the microwave for 30 seconds. That’s right! Thirty seconds and you have a cake, a delicious cake at that. My husband couldn’t believe it. Unlike the chocolate banana treat, this recipe is for days when you feel like splurging, or you can split it (that’s what we did).

Have you tried any of these recipes from Pinterest? Have you found any others that are a must to try? I am always open to new recipes! We love variety in cooking at my house.

Now you can follow me on Pinterest and like Color Transformed Family on Facebook. Just look for the buttons at the top of the side bar. For you mobile phone users, keep scrolling down (that’s for you Momma).

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Warm Your Soul Soup

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I am so excited.  This past week here in Birmingham the mornings have been a little cooler, windows can remain open at night, and my heated seats are finally useful again!  That could only mean one thing… Fall is in the air, and I am head over heels ready for it (mainly because these extra pounds are beginning to work as extra insulation).  One of my favorite types of meals to cook in colder weather is soup.  Especially for a family of two (almost three)… one recipe will last for days.  So this week was enough to push me over the edge and bring out some oldie but goodies!

I want to share one of my and my husband’s favorites, Warm Your Soul Soup.  This recipe is from a cookbook we received as a wedding present called “4 Ingredient Recipes for 30 Minute Meals”.  Unlike Rachael Ray’s recipes, this one can be done in 30 minutes and is pretty inexpensive.  I am not sure if the author could count though because there is more than four ingredients in this recipe.  Oh, well!

The Warm Your Soul Soup recipe calls for:

  • 3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans Italian stewed tomatoes
  • 1 onion and 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) package fettuccine (I used linguine because it was on sale)
  • 1 (12 ounce) can chicken- (I used a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods)
We like to pair this with Jiffy cornbread:
  • Jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
Makes about 6 servings.
 Ooops!  The cans of Italian stewed tomatoes are hidden behind the pasta.
The first step is to combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, celery and 2 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and allow the onion and celery to cook a little, until tender (about ten minutes).
While the vegetables cook go ahead and add the canned chicken or if you prefer fresh chicken shred the chicken and add about a cup.
Once the vegetables have cooked add the fettuccine (or linguine in my case) and cook according to the directions listed on the package.  I like to break my pasta in half (or fourths) so it is easier to scoop up with a spoon.
Salt and pepper can be added at this point if you feel like it needs any.  (I don’t ever add any… its not like I am running a shortage of salt in my diet or anything.)
Meanwhile, go ahead and have the oven preheated and let the cornbread cook while the pasta does.  We like Jiffy with ours because of the sweet taste of the cornbread.  Also, because I have failed miserably at attempting to make my momma’s cornbread.  Maybe because there is no exact recipe for it… just use the same bowl that’s always been used and pour ingredients until it looks right.  Well, I don’t have that bowl, and I don’t know what looks right.  So we eat Jiffy!   It comes out perfect every time no matter which bowl I use.
After the pasta is through cooking, the soup is ready to serve.
I decided to make use of our home cooked meal and turn it into a romantic dinner for two.
Doesn’t this look delicious?
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  It really is quite tasty and easy to prepare.  Let me know how it turns out or if you have any favorite soup recipes.
P.S.-  Also, unlike Rachael Ray I don’t use a fancy bowl to throw my scraps into while cooking.  Mine is a little more cost effective and requires no clean up.  I use a grocery bag!
 I am linking up to Family Friendly Food on Serenity Now.

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