Potato Chili- DELICIOUS and EASY!

Potato Chili… yep, that is what was for supper.  I can’t even explain to you how much my younger daughter enjoyed it!  She had it all over her face and was LICKING her plate when she was done!  What is even better is the fact it was very EASY to make! So what does potato chili include?  You need:  1 lb. ground beef, small white onion, 5 baking potatoes, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 3 cans tomato soup, 1 can Red Kidney beans, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, cumin, basil, seasoning salt, and Italian seasonings. 

First, dice up ½ of a small white onion.  Brown the ground beef and diced onion together and season the meat with garlic powder and cumin.  .  As the meat is cooking , peel and cut the potatoes into small, even chunks (you don’t want some to cook faster than others).   Add the can of zesty diced tomatoes to the meat when it is almost done cooking.  Spray the bottom of a cake pan and add the potatoes.  Season them with seasoning salt. Rinse a can of kidney beans and add to the potatoes. Next, add the meat mixture on top.  Pour the three cans of tomato soup over it and stir. Add basil, Italian seasoning, cumin and garlic powder.  Cover and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes (or until potatoes are done).  Add the mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese is crunchy on top. 

This dish came out great this way!  Some ideas for you to make it easier- you can always use frozen potatoes/ hashbrowns instead.  If you would like it spicy, add jalapenos.  Sour cream is could give it a different twist as well. 

Happy cooking!

Blackened Ahi Tuna Steaks

Wow, it has been a long time between the last post and now.   I know I am busy working, but that is not even the excuse.  I have tried a few recipes, but they just have not turned out the best…. The food was edible, but not “blog standard”!  Tonight, my husband didn’t even speak as he ate supper.  I guess it was a meal that he and I enjoyed that much.  What did I make?  Blackened Ahi Tuna.  It was easy and turned out great.  I do make another tuna that is blackened, but I make it differently and with a mango salsa. This recipe makes it taste completely different. 

What do you need:  Four Ahi Tuna steaks, 3 lemons, ½ cup orange juice, 1 dry Italian dressing packet, garlic powder, basil, cayenne pepper, thyme, and olive oil. 

Take the four Ahi tuna steaks and pour the orange juice over the top.  Take two lemons and squeeze the juice all over the fish.  Let marinate for a half hour.  Season one side of all tuna steaks with about half of the dressing packet.  Then season one side of the fish with the garlic powder, thyme, and basil.  Throw a dash of the cayenne pepper on it.  Pour a few table spoons of olive oil into a pan and let heat.  When a little bit of the smoke starts to rise, add the tuna steaks with the seasoned side down.  Cook it for about seven minutes. The Ahi tuna steak will be visible cook and change colors and look cooked about half way up the side.  Put the fish on a plate cooked side down.  Season the tuna steaks the same way as before.   Allow the oil to reheat to a smoking stage again.  Place the freshly seasoned side into the oil and cook for about five to seven minutes more.  Make sure you do not overcook because it will turn dry. Squeeze the juice  of the last lemon all over the Ahi tuna steaks.  I served it with asparagus and corn.  Dinner was great!!!
Happy Cooking!

Egg Casserole (great dish for Father's Day)

Wow, I just got done eating an egg casserole and it turned out great! Do you plan on making breakfast for Father’s Day?  This is a nice hearty dish to make!  Don’t just limit it to a breakfast dish- we just ate it for lunch!  I am excited to share this recipe, because my girls did well eating it and they had no clue they were eating a bunch of vegetables!  If you have a pampered chef chopper, it definitely comes in handy with this recipe!  I saw a recipe for hash and another for an egg casserole.  They both sounded good, so I combined the recipes to something I thought sounded good!

Brown a 1 lb. of ground beef (you can use ground turkey if you want). Season the meat with garlic and seasoning salt.  Add a can of chopped mushrooms and one cup of red, yellow, and green peppers (I used frozen since they are already sliced up into small pieces). You can always add more vegetables if you would like.  If you want a little spicier dish, you can add diced jalapenos and onions to the mixture. When the meat is almost done cooking, add one cup of Italian Bread crumbs.  Let cook until completely browned and pour off any excess grease. 

Peel 5 baking potatoes.  Chop into small pieces.  Put them across the bottom of a cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  You may want to salt the potatoes (I don’t use a lot of salt, so I didn’t).  Take the meat mixture and pour over the potatoes.  Mix up. 

 In a large bowl, put in 6-8 eggs.  Add enough milk as you would to make scrambled eggs.  Season the eggs with garlic, pepper, and a dash of salt.  Then, add a cup of shredded cheese to the eggs and stir (I used Mexican Style by Kraft).   Pour over the potato/ meat mixture.  Stir all together.  Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes. Add one more cup of cheese spread all over the top of the dish.  Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. 

My girls loved it with ketchup on top.  You can add salsa and a little sour cream for a different twist. 

Happy cooking!

Enchilada Casserole

An easy meal for your family:  enchilada casserole!!!  It goes in the crock pot and turns out delicious!  Right now, my husband is even eating the leftovers a few hours after supper.  You will need three boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces, olive oil, small white onion, garlic, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, tortillas ( I used wheat) , Mexican shredded cheese, Ranch Style Black Beans, Ranch Style Pinto Beans with jalapenos, corn, and Goya Seasoning Packets(Tomato and Coriander). 

First, dice one small white onion. Brown it with two tablespoons of minced garlic in a splash of olive oil.  Add a can of tomato sauce, can of enchilada sauce, and three tablespoons of cream cheese.  Put two packets of Goya in the mixture and stir.  Bring to a boil.  After rinsing the both beans and corn, stir together in bowl.  Take tortilla and lay it across the bottom.  Add a third of bean mixture.  Put a third of chicken chunks on the beans mixture.  Pour a third of the sauce on top of the chicken.  Sprinkle about two ounces of the cheese over the top of the sauce.  Put a tortilla on top and repeat adding all of the ingredients two more times.  At the end, there should be three full layers.  Cook in crock pot on low for 7 or 8 hours (until chicken is done).  Stir and serve.  You can always add crushed tortilla chips and a spoonful of sour cream when serving. 

Happy cooking!

Salmon Pasta

A new salmon dish similar to my lemon chicken pasta was created in my kitchen.  I thought about how good the chicken tasted and decided to try something similar with salmon and the meal was excellent!  It is amazing how different the meals tasted with using similar recipes!  This was a dish I will definitely make again.  What you need:  3 salmon filets, 4 lemons, 1 box fettuccini pasta,  1 cup milk,  1 jar marinated artichoke hearts , 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 1 can oregano and garlic diced tomatoes, garlic powder, dried basil, flour, 1 diced small white onion, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese!

Start off with the pasta since that can take awhile!  Marinate the salmon in 2 tablespoons minced garlic and two juiced lemons. Make sure you get the garlic on both sides.  Dice a jar of artichoke hearts and a small white onion.  Brown in the oil from the jar of artichoke hearts.  When the artichoke hearts and onion are almost done browning, add the salmon.  Brown for about four or five minutes on each side and cook until done.  Take the salmon out when done and set to the side.  In a cup, mix one cup of milk and two large tablespoons of flour.  Add the milk mixture to the onions and artichoke hearts.  Then stir in the can of tomato sauce and both diced tomatoes.  Add more flour if needed to make it thicker.  Cut the salmon into bite size chunks and add back to pan.  Add the juice from two more lemons.  Season to taste with garlic powder and basil.  Pour entire mixture over the cooked pasta and stir.  Serve with a dash of parmesan cheese on top. 

Happy Cooking!!

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Another great meal has transpired in my kitchen!  Lemon Chicken Pasta…. It may sound a tad bland to you, but it was anything but bland.  What you need:  3 chicken breasts, 4 lemons, fettuccini pasta,  1 cup milk,  1 can black sliced olives, 1 can mushrooms, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 1 can oregano and garlic diced tomatoes, garlic powder, dried basil, flour, 1 diced small white onion, olive oil, and minced garlic.  Don’t forget parmesan cheese too!

Start the pasta first! Cut the three chicken breasts into chunks.  Marinate the chicken in 2 tablespoons minced garlic and two juiced lemons.  Brown the onions and mushrooms in a dash of olive oil.  Add the chicken chunks and continue to cook.  In a cup, mix one cup of milk and two large tablespoons of flour.  When the chicken is done, add the milk mixture.  Then stir in the can of tomato sauce, both diced tomatoes, and black olives.  Add more flour if needed to make it thicker.  Add the juice from two more lemons.  Season to taste with garlic powder and basil.  Cook on high until boiling and then cook on low for another five minutes.   Pour entire mixture over the cooked pasta and stir.  Serve with a dash of parmesan cheese on top.  Happy Cooking!!

The best dish ever!

Do you think you hate seafood?  If the answer is yes or no… just keep reading!!! My dinner was amazing!!!!!   For dinner tonight, I made Blackened Ahi Tuna Steaks .  It turned out to be one of the best dishes I have ever made! My husband even said that the dish could easily be served at some of the fancy seafood places we have been to before.  I have to be honest and let you know that I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I tweaked it to my liking!  I made the dish in three parts: marinade, mango salsa, and the seasonings. 

For the marinade, use two Ahi Tuna steaks and rub a little olive oil on both sides of each steak.  Then add two minced garlic cloves and rub on both sides.  Squeeze a lime on each of them and then pour about ¼ cup of orange juice over the tuna. Leave it in the refrigerator for about three hours to marinate.

Next, comes the mango salsa.  Chop up one small white onion and put in a small bowl.  Next, add about ¼ of a chopped mango. Chop up a few pieces of jalapeno.  Then add the juice out of three limes and stir it up.  Put in about ¼ cup of chopped cilantro.  Finally, add a dash of salt.  Stir it all up.  Chill it for about one hour. 

The last thing is the seasoning mix.  The mix includes:  2 T paprika, 1 T cayenne pepper, 1 T garlic powder, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, 1 t dried thyme, 1 t dried basil, and  1 t dried oregano.  Stir the seasonings all together.  Dredge the tuna through the seasoning and make sure all sides are covered. 

Pour about two tablespoons of  olive oil into a pan on med high heat.  Wait to add the tuna until the olive oil starts smoke.  Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes until it is blackened. Then take and put on a plate.  Add two more tablespoons of olive oil.  Wait until the olive oil starts to smoke again and  then put the tuna back in to blacken on the other side.  Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes.  Take out and serve with ½ of the mango salsa on each of the tuna steaks.  You now have a meal that would make a top chef jealous!!! 

Happy cooking!!!