Sometimes I feel like Italian food is all the same: noodle of some type, tomato base sauce with meat, and cheese. Lots of cheese. The cheese makes it yummy every time, though. (And the type of cheese can apparently have a big difference in how it tastes...go figure!) Manicotti is one of those dishes that follows all the rules. But it is soooo yummy!
16oz ricotta cheese
2 C. (8oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 C. cottage cheese
2 TBS. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package manicotti shells, uncooked
1lb. ground beef
1 jar (26oz) pasta sauce
1/2 C. water
Mix all the cheeses, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper. Fill the shells with the cheese mix. This part can be kind of hard, I've heard you can use a big Ziploc bag or an icing bag full of the cheese mixture to just squeeze the cheese into the shells. I just use a spoon and a lot of patience. Place in 9x13 pan. Brown the ground beef, add pasta sauce. I put the water into the empty sauce jar and swish it around before adding it, because it gets more of the sauce out of the jar...but you can add your water directly to the meat and sauce in the skillet if you want. Stir well, then pour over the manicotti shells. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour.
A lot of the recipes that I like to use call for 1lb of ground beef. Lately, I have been trying to cut back on the amount of meat that we eat in our home. If you want to cut back on the meat, use only 1/2lb. of ground beef. If you feel like you need to add more substance after removing half the meat, then you can saute some onions, peppers, or squash to add to the sauce, depending on the recipe that you are making (and what you think would taste best). I imagine manicotti would be delicious if you added chopped and sauteed zucchini!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Beef Enchilada Gravy on Rice
recipe submitted by my sister-in-law, Pamla
My sister-in-law sent me this recipe and told me that it is "DELISH". So, of course, I'm going to put it up as soon as possible to share it with everyone. And I think I might just have to add it to my menu for this next week, too!
1lb ground beef
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken (or a preferred cream soup)
salt, pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder; to taste
Cheese, shredded (use whatever cheese you want! Pamla says she is a sucker for mozzarella, though!)
Rice, cooked
Brown the ground beef with the spices. Add the enchilada sauce and cream soup. Serve over the rice, with cheese on top of it all!
So easy! And I imagine a side of smooth guac with tortilla chips would be divine with this!
My sister-in-law sent me this recipe and told me that it is "DELISH". So, of course, I'm going to put it up as soon as possible to share it with everyone. And I think I might just have to add it to my menu for this next week, too!
1lb ground beef
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken (or a preferred cream soup)
salt, pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder; to taste
Cheese, shredded (use whatever cheese you want! Pamla says she is a sucker for mozzarella, though!)
Rice, cooked
Brown the ground beef with the spices. Add the enchilada sauce and cream soup. Serve over the rice, with cheese on top of it all!
So easy! And I imagine a side of smooth guac with tortilla chips would be divine with this!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Aztec Chicken
I'm pretty sure I found this recipe on the Internet somewhere. But I have stored it in my brain pretty much ever since the first time I made (and loved) it. It has already evolved a bit....I think I've doubled the cumin from the original recipe....because everybody needs more cumin!
2 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless (or chicken tender equivalent)
2 cans black beans
1 can corn, drained
1 C. salsa
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 8oz block cream cheese
6 servings cooked rice
torillas, if desired
Put all the ingredients, except the cream cheese, rice and tortillas, into a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. (I actually usually put it on high for 5 hours. Right after lunch until dinner time.) Remove chicken, shred, replace into the slow cooker. Add cream cheese, stir every now and then until it is thoroughly melted. Add the rice, stir well. Now you can either serve it like mush on a plate, or burrito style (our preferred method). So yummy!
Also, you might noticed that I have a preference for Latin-inspired dishes. And spicy stuff. Or Latin, spicy stuff. That's just because it's so doggone delicious!
2 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless (or chicken tender equivalent)
2 cans black beans
1 can corn, drained
1 C. salsa
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 8oz block cream cheese
6 servings cooked rice
torillas, if desired
Put all the ingredients, except the cream cheese, rice and tortillas, into a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. (I actually usually put it on high for 5 hours. Right after lunch until dinner time.) Remove chicken, shred, replace into the slow cooker. Add cream cheese, stir every now and then until it is thoroughly melted. Add the rice, stir well. Now you can either serve it like mush on a plate, or burrito style (our preferred method). So yummy!
Also, you might noticed that I have a preference for Latin-inspired dishes. And spicy stuff. Or Latin, spicy stuff. That's just because it's so doggone delicious!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Carrot Soup
original recipe from unknown...too bad I can't claim it myself!
I don't remember where I found this recipe. It was on an Internet forum -somewhere-. I've altered it to make it really, really easy. And it is so delicious...especially with a nice, crusty (and/or dense) bread!
1 onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS. butter
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
6-8 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. bay leaf flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
4 C. chicken stock (you could also use vegetable stock for a vegetarian meal. And of course, you can also use bullion with water.)
Dump everything into a slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Before serving, blend in a blender or food processor. (Make sure to vent it, so it doesn't explode...which can happen when you blend hot things.) I leave a few carrot/potato chunks in the soup for more texture.
This just screams cool fall evening to me, but we actually had it just a couple weeks ago on a rainy, spring night, and you know what....it was just as delicious!
I don't remember where I found this recipe. It was on an Internet forum -somewhere-. I've altered it to make it really, really easy. And it is so delicious...especially with a nice, crusty (and/or dense) bread!
1 onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS. butter
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
6-8 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. bay leaf flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
4 C. chicken stock (you could also use vegetable stock for a vegetarian meal. And of course, you can also use bullion with water.)
Dump everything into a slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Before serving, blend in a blender or food processor. (Make sure to vent it, so it doesn't explode...which can happen when you blend hot things.) I leave a few carrot/potato chunks in the soup for more texture.
This just screams cool fall evening to me, but we actually had it just a couple weeks ago on a rainy, spring night, and you know what....it was just as delicious!
Sweet Potato and Lentil Burritos
original recipe found in Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Mothering Magazine
I don't care for sweet potatoes all the much...and neither does my husband. But this recipe is actually really good. And I feel good about eating it, because it is so stinkin' healthy!
2 large sweet potatoes
2 C. cooked lentils
1 C. salsa
2 C. Pepper Jack cheese (or cheddar, or Monterey Jack, or whatever strikes your fancy), shredded
1 TBS. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
salt, to taste
whole wheat tortillas
Bake the potatoes for an hour at 425 degrees F. When they come out, let them cool enough to handle (I usually skip this part...because I'm hungry and don't want to wait), peel them and mash them in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils, salsa, spices and about 1 1/2 C. of the cheese. Mix it all up really well. Put a big dollop of the mix onto a tortilla and roll it up like a burrito. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Fill the pan tightly with your rolled burritos. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and put in the oven (still at 425 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.
My husband (who, remember, doesn't like sweet potatoes) says that these taste like they are full of taco meat...with just a slightly softer texture. In other words, he likes them...except for the fact that they are sweet potatoes.
I don't care for sweet potatoes all the much...and neither does my husband. But this recipe is actually really good. And I feel good about eating it, because it is so stinkin' healthy!
2 large sweet potatoes
2 C. cooked lentils
1 C. salsa
2 C. Pepper Jack cheese (or cheddar, or Monterey Jack, or whatever strikes your fancy), shredded
1 TBS. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
salt, to taste
whole wheat tortillas
Bake the potatoes for an hour at 425 degrees F. When they come out, let them cool enough to handle (I usually skip this part...because I'm hungry and don't want to wait), peel them and mash them in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils, salsa, spices and about 1 1/2 C. of the cheese. Mix it all up really well. Put a big dollop of the mix onto a tortilla and roll it up like a burrito. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Fill the pan tightly with your rolled burritos. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and put in the oven (still at 425 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.
My husband (who, remember, doesn't like sweet potatoes) says that these taste like they are full of taco meat...with just a slightly softer texture. In other words, he likes them...except for the fact that they are sweet potatoes.
Fire Beef
original recipe from Becky Stansbury
This is the recipe that broke the camel's back....but in a good way. I have been talking to my aunt and my sister about sharing recipes for a while, and I was having a really hard time actually getting around to typing out the recipes and emailing them to whoever wanted them. Finally, while talking to my sister, I decided that I would start a blog to have an easy way to share all the recipes that I'm learning about and loving. (Also, I get another excuse to show off my love of alliteration....do you like the blog title??) This is the recipe that I really wanted to share with my sister, but I knew I had so many other recipes to share as well....and so the blog was born. I LOVE fire beef. Full of flavor and absolutely delicious! Enjoy!
2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. olive oil
1 C. water
3/4 C. sugar
1 TBS. ground ginger
2 1/2 TBS. crushed red pepper
2 TBS. garlic powder
2 TBS. dark sesame oil
1 bunch green onions (about 6)-sliced thin
2lbs flank steak
Mix all ingredients (but not the steak yet) in a large pan (I use a 9x13...or that one Pyrex that is bigger...what size is that?). Slice the steak into thin strips, add to the pan. Marinade for at least 6 hours. I usually prepare it the night before I'm planning to eat this for dinner. Fry over medium heat until brown.
I usually heat the leftover marinade enough to kill off any germies, then put in on the table along with the steak, rice and stir fried veggies. Sooooo good! But be warned, the longer this marinates, the spicier it gets!
This is the recipe that broke the camel's back....but in a good way. I have been talking to my aunt and my sister about sharing recipes for a while, and I was having a really hard time actually getting around to typing out the recipes and emailing them to whoever wanted them. Finally, while talking to my sister, I decided that I would start a blog to have an easy way to share all the recipes that I'm learning about and loving. (Also, I get another excuse to show off my love of alliteration....do you like the blog title??) This is the recipe that I really wanted to share with my sister, but I knew I had so many other recipes to share as well....and so the blog was born. I LOVE fire beef. Full of flavor and absolutely delicious! Enjoy!
2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. olive oil
1 C. water
3/4 C. sugar
1 TBS. ground ginger
2 1/2 TBS. crushed red pepper
2 TBS. garlic powder
2 TBS. dark sesame oil
1 bunch green onions (about 6)-sliced thin
2lbs flank steak
Mix all ingredients (but not the steak yet) in a large pan (I use a 9x13...or that one Pyrex that is bigger...what size is that?). Slice the steak into thin strips, add to the pan. Marinade for at least 6 hours. I usually prepare it the night before I'm planning to eat this for dinner. Fry over medium heat until brown.
I usually heat the leftover marinade enough to kill off any germies, then put in on the table along with the steak, rice and stir fried veggies. Sooooo good! But be warned, the longer this marinates, the spicier it gets!
Welcome to Tasty Thalman's
I have been working hard to organize my family meal planning. I am also trying to choose healthy meal options. And I'm trying to beat the mealtime boredom...I'm sure you all know about that! In my quest, I have gathered together dozens of recipes that I love enough to eat over and over again. Most of them are so good, that I want to share them over and over again! What better way to do that than through a public blog!?
Most of these recipes came from somewhere other than my own head, and I will try to give credit where it is due. Luckily, you can't really copyright a recipe...unless you've written a book. (And even then, it's sketchy.) I would be glad to add tried and true recipes from my readers, too. Just send me an email (thisismallory at yahoo dot com) and I will try to get it up in a timely manner.
I want the comment section to be full!!! If you try the recipe, come back and tell me how you liked it. If you have a similar recipe, let me know. If you have tweaked the recipe, share what you did! If you know how to make a recipe healthier, please advise!
Everybody has to eat, so we might as well make it enjoyable and interesting! Let's eat!
Most of these recipes came from somewhere other than my own head, and I will try to give credit where it is due. Luckily, you can't really copyright a recipe...unless you've written a book. (And even then, it's sketchy.) I would be glad to add tried and true recipes from my readers, too. Just send me an email (thisismallory at yahoo dot com) and I will try to get it up in a timely manner.
I want the comment section to be full!!! If you try the recipe, come back and tell me how you liked it. If you have a similar recipe, let me know. If you have tweaked the recipe, share what you did! If you know how to make a recipe healthier, please advise!
Everybody has to eat, so we might as well make it enjoyable and interesting! Let's eat!
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