25 Seafood Recipes

Time for a round-up!

I haven't posted a round-up since September, so it's definitely time. And this has to be one of my favorites because seafood? I would eat it at EVERY meal if I could. Seriously! But there's another reason I'm posting a round-up today-

I've spent the last 2 days in the kitchen, up to my ears in potato parts and banging my head against the counter. What's going on? Gnocchi, that's what. I've been trying my hand at homemade gnocchi. You know, those little Italian potato dumplings that are like little clouds of dreaminess? It has not been going well. It turns out there are lots of mistakes to be made while attempting gnocchi. So far, I've had gnocchi that fell apart in the pot, I've had mushy little balls with a texture that can only be compared to snot, and finally, I had a dough that came apart at the seems. 

2016: By The Numbers

Summer 2016; Wine in the garden

Well, well, well. Here it is the first day of 2017 and I'm going to wrap-up the year of 2016 before I even wrap up the month of December 2016. Why? Because I want to. Because I'm a rebel. But mostly because, as per usual this year, I'm running behind. The story of my life 😄

Now that the holidays are almost over and the hubby and I are tucked back into our own house again, it's time to make it a better year. I mean, there's no election this year so we already know it's got to be a superior year, right? 😉 Right. I'm going to save my New Year's goals (and 2016's learning experiences) for another day, and simply talk numbers. Here's 2016 by the numbers-

Since I've Been Gone: August (So Far)

Ok friends, let's wrap up this time period of me being gone forever and a day. I've finished up talking about July, so let's talk about August so far. August has been pretty typical around here, lots of humidity (oh lord, the humidity) and heat. Also, lots of rain. I'm happy with rain in the summer though, we get such crazy downpours that I don't have to water the garden for 2 days. Talk about shaving some time off the chore wheel. But honestly, when you are talking about August in the garden (at least for me) there's not a lot to do. This downtime feels so crazy after the frenzy of landscaping the hubby and I did during the early summer. I can't complain though, it's a lovely contrast. I much need the rest after having such a full house. And August of the family's stay here was pretty busy-

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Fire up those slow cookers y'all!

There's so many things to love about this recipe. For one, you make it in the slow cooker. One of my absolute favorite cooking methods. Especially for things like taco meat. Two chicken breasts in the slow cooker kept me and the hubby fed for 4 days. If I'd been thinking clearly, I would have invented another recipe with the taco meat. As life would have it though, I devoured tacos for 4 straight days. 

It. Was. Glorious!

There's nothing better than savory shredded chicken, piled high with creamy avocado and cheddar cheese, all topped with a cool, crisp salsa verde and tucked neatly in a fresh corn tortilla. This is taco heaven! :-)

Chicken Mole Tacos

Hola! Time for a Mexican-inspired meal!

I know, what's new right? I'm on a major Mexican kick. It's all I want to eat right now. Seriously, I can almost smell enchiladas right now and the only object near me is a cup of coffee. The heart wants what it wants. The hubby has been doing his juice fast for the past week, which leaves me with meal planning for one person- me. And what am I going to eat when I'm feeding just me?

I suspect this is a circular discussion.

25 Easy Chicken Recipes

Happy Friday! Happy March Madness! 

The NCAA tournament has been going as planned for the hubby, with Kentucky chugging right along. My bracket is looking awfully precarious, though I do have Kentucky winning it all. As long as Kentucky can keep on winning, I'm still in it. But barely, and by the skin of my teeth. I'm in 4th place in the family pool. Out of 5. I guess you can't win em' all.

Simple Fish Tacos with Lime Crema

Hey-o! Happy Wednesday!

Guess what friends? I got my car back! Yippee! I'm very excited to have my car back. We picked it up from the evil dealership yesterday morning, and it drove like a champ all the way home. Can't say I'd ever recommend these people, nor will I ever buy a car from them. But the car is retrieved. Hopefully, we can now put this whole ordeal behind us. 

Top Recipes of 2014

Well peeps, it's almost 2015. Only 2 more days. 2 days that are holidays to me every year. 2 days, you ask? Yes. Today is my birthday (!!!) and tomorrow is, of course, New Year's Eve. I coast right into the new year every year after 2 lively days of celebrating.

Oh my gosh, typing that sentence just brought Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" to mind. "Instead of 1 days of presents, we get 8 CRAZY nights". LOL. Instead of 1 night of celebrating on New Year's Eve, I get 2 crazy nights :)

25 Easy Mexican-Inspired Recipes

Happy Friday! And Halloween!

I'm feeling a bit better today. The cold moved extremely steadily throughout the normal progression that colds do. After waking up on Day 1, and knowing it was coming, it was here by 1 pm. It fully overtook my nose, the running and all the stuffiness. Sore throat. On Day 2, it was entirely in my head and by the end of the day, out of my nose. On Day 3, it had completely left my head and made its way into my chest. Now, Day 4, I'm feeling way better but still left with a nasty cough. One more day of taking it easy, and I'm hoping I'll be on the mend. I'm ready to start running again, as it has been 2 weeks since I last ran. Man, I hate saying that. I know I've lost a lot of progress, but I won't know how much till I get back out there. 

Anyhoo, it's Halloween! While I make the same meal every Halloween (my dad's chili- it's tradition), Mexican food isn't far from my mind. After all, it's been little Mexico all week here on the blog. I figured, why not wrap up this week with some of my absolutely favorite latin-inspired recipes? Mexican food is so much more than the standard ground beef and taco flavoring packet. I love everything about it- avocados, salsa, cilantro, tortillas, spanish rice, beans, cheese, the spices... It all works for me. I've rounded up 25 of my best Mexican recipes to share with everyone today. I hope you all enjoy!

Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Dipping Sauce

Chicken Burritos with Spanish Rice and Fresh Salsa

Chicken Taco Soup

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Lime Sour Crema

Fresh Guacomole

"Mangling" Margaritas

Mango Avocado Salsa

Chicken, Peach, and Pepperjack Quesadillas

Pulled Pork Taco Casserole

Red Bean and Rice Tacos

Easy Homemade Salsa

Seviche-Style Shrimp and Avocado Tacos

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice Soup

Ancho Chile Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

SW Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Turkey Taco Casserole

Blackened Tilapia Tacos

Homemade Double Decker Tacos

Shredded Beef Entomatadas

Quinoa Taco Salad

Shredded Beef Tacos

Spanish Orzo

Tortilla Soup

And there you have it! Step out of your comfort zone and try one tonight!

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday today!

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Treasure Box Tuesday

Pulled Pork Taco Casserole

I was hoping to bring you a post today with pictures experimenting with my new photography light. However, after the first shoot, I think there's more work to be done. The first pictures taken with the new light actually weren't that bad. The lighting was almost perfect in them. Almost. As I mentioned before, there's more work to be done. We are hosting my mother-in-law for a couple of days while her carpet is redone, so I haven't had a ton of time to mess around. I'll have more time for that tomorrow :)

And to be honest, lighting wasn't the main problem with the pictures I took. 

So in the meantime, I'll reach into the vault and pull out another recipe that's been waiting in the wings. One more great way to use leftover pulled pork in a re-inventive way. The hubby went back for generous seconds on this dish. I'm just saying...

I adapted this from my Turkey Taco Casserole. I thought pulled pork would be a fantastic stand-in, and yep, I was right. In fact, I only have 3 pictures of this casserole, because this is all that was left. True, it was a small casserole, but I mean, sheesh. We did some serious damage. And I can't say I'm sorry about it. Well, kind of sorry, but that's only because I didn't take pictures before I devoured my plate. I'd liken this to a Mexican Lasagna, with layers of pulled pork, refried beans, salsa, cheese, and tortilla strips. It's amazing, you'll just have to try it for yourself. I'll leave it at that.

You all know that I'm a big advocate for roasts. Large, tough, and usually cheap cuts of meat. There are many methods to make the roast tender, and you get lots of meals out of one piece of meat. It's economical to the nth degree. Not to mention, you can usually prepare them in the crock pot aka the lazy cook's best friend. In fact, I made a crockpot meal yesterday and was remarking to the hubby how much I love the crockpot. I love doing all the work in the morning, when I have the most energy anyway. There are many days that by the time evening rolls around, I'm too tired to cook. It's those days I wish I knew ahead of time so I could have planned a crock pot meal that day. Plus, those crockpot days open the door to leftover recipes, like this one. Having prepared meat at your fingertips gives you almost endless dinner options, and quick ones too. Pulled pork taco filling is one of my all-time favorite crockpot recipes.

Have I convinced you to make pulled pork yet? Seriously peeps. The initial meal will be good, but the meal possibilities are endless after that. Casseroles (like this one!), pizza, hash, enchiladas, sandwiches, salads, etc... I could go on for a long time :)

Have a fantastic day friends!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

2 cups prepared Pulled Pork

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch thick strips

1/2 cup salsa, plus more for serving

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

sour cream, lime wedges, and sliced avocado (for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. To assemble the casserole, spread a thin layer of pulled pork into the casserole pan. Spread a layer of refried beans over the pork, followed by a layer of green chiles, and then cheese. Top cheese layer with 4 tortilla strips. Repeat layers. Top 2nd layer of tortilla strips with more cheese, and then more salsa.

3. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, lime wedges, sliced avocado, and more salsa.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Eat, Live, Run.

Looking for other casserole recipes? Try these!

Cheesy Eggplant and Orzo Casserole

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Turkey Taco Casserole

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Treasure Box Tuesdays

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Lime Sour Crema

Let me tell you, it's an almost impossible task to feed me tacos I don't like. I'm not picky, I've eaten them from everywhere, all over the country. While I eat them all, I do know a good taco when I come across one. There's a very modern taco shop in Huntington, WV called Black Sheep that I love. They are one of those places that serve unlikely taco combinations like duck with pickled blackberries (to die for) and brisket with blueberry sauce (drool). There's just so much flavor in their creative tacos. And speaking of flavor...

These tacos are packed with flavor. That was the first comment the hubby made after trying them. Actually, it was just that one comment and then these tacos were magically gone from his plate. He's not the lover of Mexican dishes that I am, so I was pleasantly surprised. There's only a couple of spices that flavor the shrimp, but those few flavors pack a punch. Top the shrimp off with crunchy cabbage and fresh made salsa, guacamole, and lime sour crema? Holy good guacamole!

And now I feel I must share this injustice with my readers. My favorite Mexican restaurant in town closed! They had amazing fish-bowl sized Patron margaritas that could knock your socks off. The type of margaritas that make any dinner taste amazing. Sigh. Just like Chinese food, I'm now relegated to only getting my Mexican fix by my own hands. It's just not the same when you have to prepare it and clean up the kitchen that looks like it's had a bomb dropped on it. 

So in the meantime, I'll continue to wait patiently for a new Mexican restaurant in town and keep my fingers crossed it's decent. On the other hand, dear readers, if any of you know a restauranteur looking for a new market, there's a HUGE niche where I live due to the complete lack of options. And please hurry- must. have. enchiladas.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Ingredients:

Lime Sour Crema-
1/3 cup fat free sour cream
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder

Chipotle Shrimp-
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp canola oil

Tacos-
tortillas or crunchy taco shells
thinly sliced cabbage
salsa
guacamole
cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. To make lime sour crema- combine sour cream, lime juice, and chile powder in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.
2. To prepare shrimp- combine shrimp with chile powders and salt. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat canola oil in a large skillet. When warm, add shrimp. Cook 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.
3. To prepare tacos- spoon shrimp onto tortilla. Top with lime sour crema, cabbage, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

*Recipe adapted from Heather Christo

Linked to: Weekend Potluck