Burritos!

One of my favorite go-to meals is, burritos. They're quick and easy to put together and everyone loves them.

Everyone has their own ways of making them, including what seasonings they like to use, but I thought I would share my recipe and hope you like it.

First thing I do is cook the ground beef and chorizo sausage. I use about 2 1/2 lbs. of the ground beef and one tube of the beef chorizo. I don't use packaged seasoning any more, and much prefer the flavor of the chorizo to anything else. It also comes in pork, and even vegetarian!  

Meat, cooked and drained.

Re-fried beans.

A bit of lettuce, tomato, and onion...

I start with the beans, then meat. Sour cream and onion; lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese. I like to add some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, as I do like spicy things. Last thing to do is to roll it up and that's it!

There's often enough leftover for another meal, so all you need to do is put the meat and beans in containers and keep them in the freezer until you're ready for them. We also like enchiladas, but that'll be a recipe for another day.   :) 

Chicken Paprikash

Every so often I find a recipe in a magazine that becomes a big hit in our house, and this one is certainly no exception. This particular recipe comes from the "Food Network" magazine and what I like about it is that it's not expensive or time consuming to put together, has wonderful flavor, and even if you're not a big fan of chicken thighs (like me).......you'll still love it!

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

• kosher salt
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a separate pot over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 3 more minutes. Combine the flour, paprika, marjoram and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.

Push the bacon and vegetables to one side of the pot and increase the heat to medium high. Add the chicken and any remaining flour mixture to the other side and cook, turning, until browned, about 6 minutes.

I didn't have any bell pepper, but it tastes wonderful just the same!

Stir together the chicken, bacon and vegetables and cook 2 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook as the label directs; drain.

Uncover the pot with the chicken, increase the heat to high and cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream and parsley and cook 2 more minutes.

Season with salt. Serve over the noodles.

I doubled the recipe this time around, and had more than enough left over for Bill's lunch the next day plus another meal.
Serve this with a nice green salad, or maybe some corn bread and dinner is ready!

Making Almond Milk

I recently watched a tutorial on making nut milk that was on one of my favorite PBS how-to shows, "B Organic With Michele Beschen". It wasn't something I've ever considered making, but when our son, RJ, complained about having stomach aches after eating cereal in the mornings, I realized that he might be a touch lactose intolerant and wondered if switching to nut milks might be the answer for him. So I bought some almond milk at the grocery store and after a few days we both realized that this was the answer, and I was so happy this worked for him!
Nut milks are very easy to make and best of all, they're lactose free. I've seen walnuts and almonds used, and someone in an article I read used macadamia nuts, so that gives you a few choices about what to use.
When making nut milks you need to use raw, not roasted or salted nuts, organic would be great but if you can't find them don't worry about it.
The recipe itself is very easy. Just take 1 cup of nuts and soak them overnight in filtered or distilled (not tap) water. Soaking them removes the enzyme inhibitors on the nuts. These inhibitors keep the nuts from sprouting prematurely, and can also make it more difficult for you to digest them if you like raw nuts. There's a very interesting article here that explains all of this.
Once the nuts have been soaked, you need to drain and rinse them well. Next, put them in a blender and add anywhere between 3 to 5 cups of filtered or distilled water. Three cups with give your milk a creamier consistency, but if you want something a bit thinner, just add more water. I used 3 cups for mine and will probably bump that up to 4 cups next time.
I mentioned a blender. Most all of the tutorials I watched were folks using a Vita Mix blender. Well, I don't have one and after looking at them online, I almost fell out of my chair after seeing their prices! Needless to say, there WON'T be a Vita Mix blender in my house any time soon. Even some of the other blenders that were somewhat similar to a Vita Mix, were just as expensive. Sigh. But I will tell you, you can still make nut milk without one.
Before you start blending, think about if you want your milk to have any sweetness to it. If so, you can use honey or agave nectar, or you can toss in a few pitted dates. If using dried dates, just soak them as well to soften them (I used 4 small dates). You can even add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract, or use a vanilla bean if you have some. You could also add some cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cacao powder, or whatever you want to flavor your milk with. Make it how you like it!
If using a standard blender, it will take a few minutes for it to really break down the nuts so just be patient.
Next, you'll need to strain the nut milk. I don't have a nut milk bag (you can buy these online or make your own), so I used a fine-meshed strainer lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. Make sure you squeeze as much liquid from the pulp as possible. You can use this pulp and add it to breads or cookies, or hot cereals. One of the tutorials suggested spreading it out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and drying it in a low oven to extend its shelf life a little longer.
That's really all there is to making nut milk. It will keep in the fridge for about a week, but in my house it'll be used up before it has a chance to go bad! If the milk separates somewhat, that's ok. Just shake it before each use. I'm sorry I don't have more pictures to go along with this but I honestly didn't think about it at the time. But I did take a picture of the finished product (minus a bit after taste testing!).

I hope you'll give this a try, and honestly.......it's a lot of fun to make and cheaper than buying it at the store!
Enjoy!

Another Family Favorite.......Goulash

I don't remember exactly how I came up with this recipe, but I've been making it for years and everyone loves it. It's not really a traditional goulash as you might be used to, but I suppose it's close enough! I will warn you though, this makes a BIG batch of goulash. Even when I was feeding 7 of us we still had a lot leftover but it does freeze well, so you can get more than one meal from it.
I like this recipe because it's inexpensive and quick to make. You can serve it with crackers, corn bread, a loaf or garlic bread, or just as is. I will apologize for some of the measurements because this is one of those things where I add spices to my taste, but when I made this last night I tried to pay attention to how much of each I was adding. Taste this as you go and make this how you like it.

Goulash


3 lbs. ground beef, or you can also use ground venison, elk, etc.
1 large can crushed tomatoes, or if you like the diced variety you can use them instead
2 cans green beans (I use the french cut)
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans corn
2 packages of brown gravy mix
1/2-1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
sea salt, to taste or optional
2 heaping tablespoons dried parsley
1 small box elbow macaroni noodles

In a large stock pot, start browning the meat. When done, drain and return to the pot on medium heat. In another pot, get your water boiling for the macaroni noodles. Cook those, drain and set aside.

Begin adding (including all the liquids) the crushed tomatoes, green beans, kidney beans, and the corn.

Stir well.

Next, add your seasonings, making sure you stir these in well, tasting as you go. Add the 2 packages of brown gravy mix and stir in. As I said earlier, I tried to pay attention to the amounts of the seasonings so start out with a little and as the goulash cooks, give it a stir and taste again. When you get it to your liking, turn the heat down to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.

Next, add the macaroni noodles and stir them in. Turn off the heat and let the goulash sit for 10-15 minutes.

 It's ready to serve!

That's it! A nice, hearty meal that's easy on the budget and wonderfully warming on those cold winter evenings.


This post is part of the "On My Mind" feature at Down To Earth 

Breakfast Burritos

A while back when my husband and I were in Arizona for a General Manager's conference he was attending, we stopped at a little place in the airport on our way home and bought a couple breakfast burritos. I'd really never had one before and didn't know if I'd like it but we were so hungry and for $5.00 we figured it was worth trying. I'm not sure about everything that was in them, but I do know there was scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, rice, and maybe some onions or bell pepper. They were absolutely delicious!
I've fixed something similar a few times after that and everyone liked them, so I thought maybe if I make a few up and freeze them, it would be a quick and yummy breakfast break from cereal, especially now that the weather is getting cooler. So last night I made up a batch and I'd like to share the recipe with you.
These aren't expensive or hard to make, and the most time you'll spend on them is cooking the ingredients and letting it cool.

Breakfast Burritos

2 packages small tortillas or wraps (you might just need one package, but it's good to have extra)
1 small package of frozen hash brown potatoes, plain or with added onion and bell pepper
2 small tubes of beef chorizo sausage, our Walmart has these over in the refrigerated section with other Mexican foods.
8 eggs, beaten
1 package shredded cheese (mild, sharp, pepper jack.......whatever you like)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

In a separate pan, cook the chorizo sausage. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer, and set aside. Just a quickie note: I say use a fine-mesh strainer because when the chorizo is cooked it's very fine and if you use a regular colander, you'll lose a lot of meat! If you don't have a strainer, just put a paper towel in your colander and that'll work just fine.

In a second pan, add a couple tablespoons or so of vegetable oil and a couple pats of butter. Let the pan heat up, then add your potatoes. Add seasonings.

Allow to cook and brown, then turn the potatoes over to brown slightly on the other side. After a few minutes, add beaten eggs. Just before the eggs are fully cooked, mix in the chorizo sausage.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow everything to cool completely.
Once the filling has cooled, put a couple good-sized spoons of filling onto a small tortilla or wrap, Add some shredded cheese, then fold both sides in, and roll up.

Wrap the burritos in saran wrap or foil, place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you're ready to eat them.

When you're ready to eat them, unwrap and place in the microwave or in the oven until heated through. If reheating in the oven, you can leave the foil on.......just not in the microwave!
You can also use leftover rice and add to this if you don't have potatoes, or anything else you might want in these. Really, there's no rules to this so make them with what YOU like!
As I said earlier, these are a big hit in my house, so I hope you'll give them a try sometime.
Thanks for stopping by!

  This post is part of the "On My Mind" feature over at Down To Earth.

Cold & Flu Season Is Here.......

It's that time of year again and you know what I'm talking about. Once kids go back to school, they seem to bring home every germ floating around out there. This past week, our son RJ, was home for four days with a mild sore throat, sniffles, a low-grade fever the first day and then a cough. He went back to school today with not much of a cough and feeling much better.......of course when he gets all the work he missed last week he probably won't be feeling too good!
One thing I find that helps when the kids start getting the sniffles, is to make a batch of Elderberry syrup. You can find these recipes all over the internet and everyone has their own way of making it, but this is the one I make and I got it from HerbMentor, a wonderful website I joined a while back and highly recommend if you're interested in studying about herbal medicine and plants. If they're not accepting new members right now keep checking back, or send them an email asking when they'll have openings again. They have a video on YouTube on how to make this, as well as others you might really enjoy so check them out.

Elderberry Syrup

1/2 cup dried elderberries (I purchase mine at Mountain Rose Herbs), or if using fresh berries, 1 cup
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
2 cups water
1 cup honey (local, raw honey is best)

In a saucepan; pour in the water, elderberries, cinnamon stick, cloves, and grated ginger root. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer, partially covered, about 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Pour everything into a strainer over a bowl to drain, pressing the berries with the back of a spoon to get as much remaining juice from the berries as possible.

Next, add the honey once the liquid has cooled down to just warm (around 90 or so degrees). The reason for this is because raw honey contains beneficial enzymes that can be destroyed by higher temperatures and you want these goodies in your syrup! Stir the honey until completely dissolved.

I put my syrup in a pint canning jar and then store it in the fridge, where it should keep for 2 or 3 months. When you feel a cold coming on, take a teaspoon or two of this every 2-3 hours while you're sick, or 1 tablespoon every day to help ward off illness. Elderberries are a wonderful medicine that can help cut the duration of a nasty cold or flu bug considerably. These small berries are a powerhouse of antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin C.  They have been a long-standing remedy in Europe for generations, and here in the U.S.A. are finally getting the attention they deserve.
One note of caution.......DO NOT GIVE HONEY TO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF ONE YEAR. The reason is that honey can sometimes contain the spores of, Clostridium botulinum, which may cause infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning. If you want to make this same syrup for your little ones, I read that you can use agave syrup in place of the honey.
If you already know the benefits of elderberries or maybe you've never tried using them, this is a great recipe to keep on hand and I hope you'll try it.



The contents and information on this blog are for your informational use only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read here.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

When my husband, Bill, and I were sitting out on the patio yesterday enjoying the quiet of the morning, the air was crisp and smelled of wet earth and leaves.......full of that typical autumn scent you can't seem to get enough of. I love being out in the back yard because it's so peaceful. I can sit there and watch the birds and listen to them sing all day, laugh at the hummingbirds chasing each other around the feeder, and sometimes in the evening we can hear the barred owls hooting back and forth to one another. It's just a nice place to be, and what better way to end the day than a big simmering pot of chicken noodle soup.
I really don't know how I came up with this recipe. I think it was just something I put together one day and it's been a family favorite ever since. I always laughed when the kids would come home from school because the minute they walked through the door, they KNEW what we were having for dinner and there were smiles all around!
This is another easy recipe, one you can fix as is, or maybe add some carrots, parsnips, or other root vegetables. It freezes well and that's a good thing because this makes a lot of soup!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 large, or 2 small whole chickens
5 stalks of celery, diced
2 large cans of cream of chicken soup
1 large bag of extra wide egg noodles
garlic, powder or freshly minced
poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
dried parsley flakes

Remove the gizzards from inside the chicken (these you can freeze and save to use in making your own chicken stock later), rinse the chicken well. Place in a large stock pot and fill about 2/3 with water. Add a couple tablespoons each, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Turn burner on high and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium/medium low and let simmer about 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meat begins to fall off the bones.

Remove the chicken from the pot to a platter to cool, making sure you get any small bones still left in the pot.
Add both cans of cream of chicken soup to the pot and whisk until no lumps remain, then add the diced celery.
Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, pull the meat apart, then put it back into the pot. Add a couple more tablespoons of both garlic powder and poultry seasoning, 2 tablespoons of the dried parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Allow this to simmer until the celery is not quite soft, then add your egg noodles. Taste the soup every so often to adjust the seasonings. Once the noodles are done, turn off the burner and it's ready to serve!
I like saltine crackers with this, but you could just as easily make some corn bread or a have a nice loaf of crusty artisan bread on the side to pull apart and dip into the soup.
Give this a try because I promise that when it's windy and cold outside and you're chilled, this will definitely warm you up and life just can't get any better.

Enjoy!

This post is part of the "On My Mind" feature over at Down To Earth

Thinking Of Autumn

As we'll soon be heading into autumn and cooler weather, my thoughts turn to warm and hearty foods. Soups and stews are wonderful because there's nothing better to warm you up and I just love the way the house smells when there's a big pot of something simmering away on the stove.
This recipe is one I put together a while back and everyone in my family just loves it. The ingredients are easy to find, it's simple to throw together, inexpensive and just down right good! This also freezes well, so any leftovers can easily go into a container and saved for another meal.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili
1 large can of pureed or crushed tomatoes
2 cans dark red kidney beans, don't drain
2 cans black beans, don't drain
3 bell peppers---1 green, 1 red, 1 orange or yellow
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or fresh minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
1-2 tablespoons chili powder

Put the beans and tomatoes in a crock pot; cover, and turn on high.
While that's warming up, cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces and saute in a pan with a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil. Season with a little salt; add the garlic, chili powder, and cayenne powder. Stir in well.
Once the peppers get some good color on them, remove from heat and add them to the crock pot. Stir.
Let this cook on high for about an hour, then turn down to low and cook for another 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remember to taste as this cooks and the flavors are coming together, because you might want to add a little more seasoning, or leave as is.
Just a side note---if you want to add meat to this chili, brown it beforehand as you did with the bell peppers, then add to the crock pot. We've made this with and without meat and it's good either way.

 Enjoy!

Bread & Butter Pickles

One of my husband's favorite things is bread and butter pickles and I have to admit, this has to be the best recipe. I made just a small batch of these, as I always do with new recipes, and I will definitely be making these again and again. The pickles stay crunchy, the flavor is amazing and even if you don't care for onions, I think you will after this because they end up being mild and sweet so give this a try!

Bread & Butter Pickles

5 medium cucumbers cut into 5 mm slices

350g onions, sliced very thinly

green capsicum and red chili are optional

50g salt

350 ml cider or white wine vinegar

350g sugar 

2 level tablespoons mustard seed

2 level tablespoons celery seed

½ level teaspoon turmeric

¼ level teaspoon cayenne pepper

Slice the cucumbers, onions, capsicums and chili and place in a bowl, and salt and let stand for 3 hours. Drain, rinse under the cold tap and drain thoroughly. Bring the remaining ingredients to the boil in a stainless steel saucepan and then add the vegetables. Reduce the heat, bring just to the simmer and cook 2 minutes. Pour hot into sterilized jars, making sure the liquid covers the cucumbers and seal.

Recipe courtesy of Rhonda Hetzel  from her blog, Down To Earth 

Here's my first batch of bread and butter pickles! It was so hard to NOT want to eat all of them after the first taste test, but the jars did make it into the refrigerator and I did promise my husband I'd be making more.
I had never made pickles before this, but this was so easy and so my next project will be a batch of spicy, dill pickles and I'm really looking forward to that.
Thanks, Rhonda for sharing such a great recipe. These are just yummy! 


  This post is part of the "On My Mind" feature over at Down To Earth