Floating Taco Bowls with Creamy Lime Dressing

 Ingredients

Tacos:

• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can (6-ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (15-ounces) tomato sauce
• 3 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
• ½ cup long grain, basmati, or jasmine white or brown rice
• 1 can (15-ounces) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (see note)
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Creamy Lime Dressing:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 4 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of black pepper

Toppings:

• Corn chips, lightly crushed
• Shredded cheese
• Chopped lettuce
• Chopped tomatoes
• Sliced olives
• Sliced or chopped avocados

Instructions 

• Stovetop Directions: In a deep 12-inch skillet, electric skillet, or saucepan set over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey, onion, and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks; continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease and return to the heat.
• Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender. Stir often and moderate heat to prevent sticking.
• Slow Cooker Directions: brown the ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic the same as in step #1 above. Transfer the mixture to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
• For the dressing: combine all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.
• Serve the taco meat over crushed corn chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, dressing, and any additional toppings your heart desires (like, tomatoes, olives, avocados, etc).
   
  Mel's Kitchen Cafe
  

Slow Cooker Posole

 Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or avocado oil
• 2-3 pounds pork roast cut into 1-inch cubes (see note)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 can (19-ounces) red or green enchilada sauce (see note)
• 1 jar (16-ounces) salsa verde, regular or thick 'n chunky
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (4-ounces) green chiles
• 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) white hominy, drained
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Season the pork pieces lightly with salt and pepper. Add the pork in a single layer and brown on all sides (may need to do this in batches so the pan doesn’t get crowded – otherwise the meat steams instead of browning nicely). Transfer the meat to a 6- or 8-quart slow cooker.
• To the skillet, add the onions and cook on medium-low or medium heat until the onions start to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Transfer the onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
• Add the enchilada sauce, salsa verde, broth, green chiles, drained hominy, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper. Give the mixture a good stir.
• Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours (or low for 8-9 hours) until the pork is fall apart tender. Thin with broth, if desired, and heat through.
• Stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, fresh lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, etc. Mel's Kitchen Cafe
  

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 Ingredients

• 20 ounces green enchilada sauce
• 12 ounces salsa verde
• 4 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 14 white or yellow corn tortillas, cut in half
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Whisk together the enchilada sauce and salsa verde.
• Toss the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer eight tortilla halves across the sauce (see pictures in the post for a visual). Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the tortillas followed by 1/2 of the chicken. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce.
• Layer another eight tortilla halves, 1/3 of the cheese, last 1/2 of the chicken, another 8-9 tortilla halves, remaining 1/3 cheese and remaining sauce.
• Cover with greased foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until bubbly and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Let rest for 10-15 minutes (it will set up and be less runny as it rests) before serving.

Baked Brown Rice

 

Yield: 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes.

Notes

Doubling: this recipe doubles beautifully for a 9X13-inch pan.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Asian-Style Meatballs with Sweet Chili Sauce

 Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground meat, beef, pork, turkey or a combo – (see note)
• 1 cup panko or regular bread crumbs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, I use low-sodium
• 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger, or ginger paste
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Zest from 1 lime, about a teaspoon
• Pinch of crushed red pepper, more or less to taste (optional)

Sauce:

• ⅓ cup soy sauce, I use low-sodium
• ⅓ cup sweet chili sauce (see note)
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice, from 2-3 limes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, add the ground meat. Add all the other meatball ingredients and mix until well-combined (I just dig in there with my hands). Roll 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into meatballs and place 1/2-inch apart or so on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F in the middle of a meatball).
• While the meatballs cook, whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan and heat until simmering.
• Using tongs or a spatula, remove the meatballs from the baking sheet onto a plate or tray. Drizzle the cooked meatballs with the warm sauce and garnish with additional green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve the meatballs on their own or over brown rice, white rice, quinoa, etc.

Crunchy Topped Swiss Chicken Bake

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste if needed
• Pinch of dried parsley
• Pinch of paprika
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Chicken and Cheese:

• 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 5-6 large slices Swiss cheese

Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Hot, cooked rice or quinoa for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan.
2. For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, bring the broth and all the seasonings to a simmer. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, vigorously whisk the milk and flour together until smooth. While whisking the broth, slowly pour in the flour/milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to stir and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add additional salt and pepper to taste as needed.
3. Pat the chicken dry and lightly season with salt and pepper on each side. Place the chicken in a single layer in the baking pan - it's ok if the chicken is crammed in side-by-side as long as it isn't overlapping much.
4. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on every chicken breast. Pour the sauce evenly over the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. While baking, make the topping: in a ziploc bag or in a bowl, toss together the panko, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix to combine.
6. After the first 30 minutes of baking, remove the pan from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with the topping mixture. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the chicken is cooked through.
7. Let the casserole rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve over hot, cooked rice or quinoa, if desired.  Picture and recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
   

Brown Bread

 2 1/2 Cups Warm Water

1 1/2 T Yeast

2/3 Cup Honey

Put in mixer, mix and let sit for 10 minutes

Add 1/4 Cup melted coconut oil

1/3 Cup molasses

2 T cocoa powder

1 T salt

4 Cups whole wheat flour

4 Cups white flour

Mix, knead for 10 minutes.  Let double.  Punch down and form into loaves and let rise until double.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.