Dorito Taco Salad

No picture for this, but too yummy to not post the recipe!

1lb ground beef (or bison or turkey)

1 envelope taco seasoning

15oz kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 or 4 tomatoes, diced

1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

2c shredded cheese (colby jack or cheddar)

Nacho Doritos, crushed

Kens Country Frech salad dressing

optional: sour cream

optional: avacado, black olives, onions, peppers

Cook beef and add taco seasoning while cooking. (Do NOT add water to the beef mix) Place in a lg bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Add beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, doritos, and any other ingredients. Mix well.

Cover with salad dressing. Mix well again. Serve immediately. Top with sour cream if desired.

*I like to use grape tomatoes and quarter them*

Goat Cheese with Chipotle and Roasted Red Pepper

This one was a hit with my bunco friends:)

1t cumin seeds

1 11-oz log soft fresh goat cheese

1c drained roasted red pepper strips from jar

1/4c extra-virgin olive oil

2t chipotle hot sauce

1 sm garlic clove, pressed

1/4c chopped fresh cilantro

2T toasted salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

toasted bagyette slices or crackers

Toast cumin seeds in sm skillet over med heat until fragrant, stirring often, about 2 min. Cool.

Place goat cheese log on platter. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into lg rectangle (approx 8x3 in) Sprinke with cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix roasted red peppers, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, and chopped cilantro in a bowl. Spoon topping over goast cheese. Top with pumpkin seeds. Serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers

*I couldn't find the pumpkin seeds so I skipped them*

Sautéed Scallps with Sweet Chili-Lime Butter

Like always, sooooo good and sooooo easy!!!

2 lg limes

3T unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2T Asian sweet chili sauce

1T minced green onion

salt

pepper

12 sea scallops, side muscles removed, patted dry

Using microplane, finely grate enough peel from limes to measure 2t. Cut one lime into wedges and reserve.

Mix butter, chili sauce, green onion, and lime peel in sm bowl. Season to tast with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Melt 1T butter mixture in lg nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add scallops and cook just until opaque in center, about 2-3min per side.

Divide scallops onto plates and drop butter mix in sm dollops over scallops on each plate and squeeze lime wedges over.

* I used about 1T of chili sauce this time to make sure it wasn't too spicy:)

Cooked Pears with Greek Yogurt

This is a perfect afternoon or evening snack!

Cut two pears in half lengthwise leaving stems intact. Remove core and seeds with a melon baller or spoon.

Place the fruit in a small baking dish and brush with a mixture of 1T agave nectar (or maple syrup), 1/8t cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.

Bake uncovered at 375° for 30min or until softened. Fill core with 1T plain Greek yogurt and top with cinnamon. YUM!

Basil Chicken Meatballs with Ponzu Sauce

The first time I made these I made the sauce also, but skipped it the second time. They are great plain or with a drizzle of soy sauce!

Meatballs

2/3c panko breadcrumbs

1/3c flaked sweetened coconut

1/4c chopped green onions

1/4c chopped fresh basil

2T sweet chili sauce

2t minced garlic

1 1/2t fish sauce

1 1/2lb ground chicken or turkey

2 lg egg whites, lightly beaten

cooking spray

Sauce

1/4c lower sodium soy sauce

2T small basil leaves

1T chopped green onions

2T fresh orange juice

1T fresh lemon juice

1 1/2t mirin (sweet rice wine)

Dash of crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 425°

To prepare meatballs, combine first 9 ingredients in lg bowl. Shape mix into 16 (1 1/2inch) meatballs

Heat a lg nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 8 meatballs to pan, and cook for 6 min, browning on all sides. Remove meatballs from pan, and arrange on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining 8 meatballs.

Bake for 7 min or until done.

To prepare sauce: combine soy sauce, basil leaves, onions, juices, 1 1/2t water, mirin and red pepper in a small bowl. Serve sauce with meatballs.

Roasted Cauliflower

Another healthy, yummy vegetable:) Oh, and EASY!!

• 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

optional:

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting.

optional:

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

Afternoon Snack with My Picky Little Man!

Which picky little man......Logan, of course! Its hard to find things that Logan gets excited about helping with in the kitchen, but he thought this sounded pretty good!

Chocolate and Sprinkle Bananas

3 large bananas

1c chocolate chips

sprinkles

wax paper

popsicle sticks

Peel and cut bananas into halves. Insert popsicle sticks into the cut end. Melt chocolate chips int he microwave for 30 sec on High. Stir and repeat until chips are melted. Brush melted chocolate over bananas.

Add sprinkles!

YUM!! Logan picked the Jayhawk colored sprinkles:)

*I forgot to get popsicle sticks so we skipped them. A little messy, but it worked!