Taco Spaghetti Squash

This is a fantastic meal idea that we borrowed from a friend of ours and tweaked a bit.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped
olives - for topping
sour cream - for topping
salsa - for topping
guacamole/avocado - for topping

Directions:
1. Cut the squash in half, scooping out the seeds.
2. Place cut-side down on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about an hour. Bake until the squash is tender and cam be shredded with a fork, but not so much that it is mushy.
3. Brown the ground beef and onion in a medium skillet, draining off the fat if you desire.
4. Remove the squash from the oven and shred with a fork.
5. Stir in the taco seasoning, the shredded squash, and 1/2 of the cheddar cheese with the ground beef/onion mixture.
6. After it is mixed, put it into a greased 2 quart casserole dish and top with the other 1/2 of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and serve over a bed of lettuce and top with tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole or avocados, and salsa if desired.

Here's the link to my friend Rachel's blog that has the original recipe she made.

Green Salsa Chicken Breasts

Here's an excellent meal that tastes a bit like a combination of chicken taco salad and a kind of soup. Very simple yet tasty.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2-3 tbsp butter/oil

2 2/3 cups green salsa

1 cup chicken stock

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 fresh green chili or other pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup sour cream

romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

3-5 scallions, finely chopped

coarsely chopped cilantro

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season the chicken w/salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter and/or oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken breasts. Cook until they are browned, but not cooked through as they will finish cooking later in the sauce.

3. Remove chicken from the pan and reserve.

4. Place salsa, stock, garlic, cilantro, chili (or hot peppers), and cumin in a pan and bring to a boil. Quickly reduce to a low simmer and add the chicken back in, spooning the sauce over the chicken.

5. Serve the chicken on a bed of lettuce and topped with sour cream, scallions, and cilantro if desired.

I changed it up a bit and put the scallions in the sauce and didn't top with any scallions or cilantro. Instead, I just topped with sour cream, some chipotle seasoning, mozzarella cheese, and some green Tabasco sauce. The sauce doesn't have much kick, so it could use a bit more.

Recipe was from the Greatest Ever LC Recipe Book. (It's not actually the greatest ever, that's just the name.) :o)

Beef Fajitas

A simple beef fajita meal that doesn't take much to prepare, but is very tasty.

Ingredients:

For Marinade:
1/2 cup chicken broth or lite beer
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 small onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic

Rest of Ingredients:
2 lbs of skirt steak or any other steak you want to use.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thick
1 green pepper, sliced

Toppings:
Guacamole (We love Wholly Guacamole)
Salsa (Mrs. Renfro's is wonderful and most varieties have no sugar added)
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
1. Mix together marinade ingredients.
2. Put steak in a big zip lock bag and marinade in the fridge for a few hours. The tougher the steak, the longer you should let it marinade.
3. When ready to cook, remove steak from bag, saving a few tbsp of the marinade.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil.
5. Add in steak, peppers, and onion when the oil is hot.
6. When the meat is done and the veggies are tender, add in the reserved marinade.
7. Serve on tortilla or plate and top with the guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese

This recipe was based on one from Dana Carpenders 501 LC Recipes

Note that the tougher the steak, the longer to let it marinade.