Taco Joes

When Jessie first shared this recipe with me, I thought these taco joes sounded like a quick and delicious dinner that I knew I had to try. But I was still blown away by how good these actually were when I finally got around to making them. This recipe calls for so few ingredients, but those ingredients come together to make a truly fantastic twist on sloppy joes. I halved the recipe, but I wish I wouldn't have. I could have eaten this all week long and been very happy about it.

We topped ours with shredded Monterey Jack and avocado, and I combined sour cream with some chopped cilantro and used that as a spread for the sandwiches (although a little bit of this dressing would have been delicious on them too). This became an instant family favorite, and Joe's already asked me twice to make them again. I highly recommend these for a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight supper. Yum!

**UPDATE**

A couple of people have asked whether we ate these as sandwiches or in tortillas. I think they'd be good either way, but we ate them as sandwiches, true sloppy joe style. I may try the tortilla thing next time, though; that's a great idea!

Taco Joes
Source: adapted from Foodie with Family

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 of a medium-sized red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
3 ounces tomato paste (half of a small can)
1 packet dry enchilada sauce seasoning mix
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional taco toppings for serving: avocado, shredded cheese, diced tomato and onion, lettuce, sour cream, etc.

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium high heat. When almost all of the pink is gone, add the onion.

2. When onion is softenend and the beef is entirely cooked through, stir in water, tomato paste, and enchilada sauce mix. Bring to a boil and lower heat.

3. Simmer until thick, about 20 minutes.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I have been so excited to cook out of Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. Not only are the photos absolutely stunning, but every single recipe in the entire cookbook sounds amazingly good. I was looking for something to go with these turkey burgers, and sweet potato fries sounded like the perfect accompaniment. Turkey and sweet potatoes, in May! It's a party on a plate.

Flavor-wise, these were absolutely amazing, with a nice balance of sweet and savory. Both of the men in my life (Joe and Andrew) are sweet potato guys, and neither of them could get enough of these. I liked them, too, but the problem I had is that they just weren't crispy enough. I even cooked them about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for, and they still weren't crispy. They were definitely flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but I wish they would have had more crunch.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Source: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes.

3. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

I saw Ellie Krieger make these burgers on her Food Network show a couple of years ago, and they sounded like something I'd really enjoy. I completely forgot about them, but I was pleased to find them in her cookbook when I was looking through it recently. I've had it for a while and never cooked from it, but once I rediscovered these turkey burgers I knew I had to make them ASAP.

I made a compound mayonnaise to spread on the burgers, using the leftover roasted red pepper, some chopped flat-leaf parsley, and salt and pepper. Since the burgers themselves were already so healthy, I didn't feel too bad about butter-grilling the buns and spreading them with the mayonnaise. I'm glad I made those concessions, too, because without them I think the burgers might have been a little bland. Mozzarella is such a mild cheese that its flavor doesn't really come through. I'll surely make these again, but next time I may add some parmesan to the meat itself in addition to the mozzarella to give the burgers a little more flavor. I liked these burgers, though, and Joe did too -- and that's saying something, because he's always said that a burger made with turkey is not really a burger.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Source: The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger; recipe also found on Food Network's website

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, divided
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total.

2. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons each of roasted red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

3. Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

I have a confession to make: I love, love, love frozen taquitos. I love them. We always have a box in the freezer, and whenever I'm feeling lazy and unmotivated they're one of my go-to meals. I've never made them from scratch, though, because I try to avoid deep-frying as much as possible (it's so messy, and more importantly so unhealthy). When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try these. All the deliciousness of a homemade taquito, without the mess of deep-frying? Sign me up!

These were delicious and turned out nice and crispy, just as they would have had they been fried. They were super easy to make, especially since I made the filling ahead of time. We dipped 'em in this dressing and were both very, very happy.

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
Source: Our Best Bites

1/3 cup (3 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (I used garlic powder)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced green onions (I used finely-chopped red onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
Small corn tortillas
Kosher salt
Cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking.

4. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and roll as tightly as you can.

5. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp with golden brown ends.

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that my love of cilantro runs deep. I use it as a garnish for pretty much every South of the Border-ish recipe I make. So when this dressing popped up in my Google Reader, I knew I had to make it as soon as possible.

This is seriously one delicious dressing. We used it as a dip for taquitos, and used the remainder to dress a simple salad of romaine hearts, corn, black beans and avocado. It would also be a great dip for chicken fingers or thick steak fries. The ranch flavor is definitely there, but it doesn't overpower the cilantro and the lime. The original recipe calls for hot sauce, but I bought a green salsa with a medium heat level, which gave it just the right amount of spice. This is my new favorite dressing, without a doubt.

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing
Source: Our Best Bites

1 1-ounce envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and combine. Make several hours ahead of time to allow for thickening.