Veggie Chicken Fajita Pasta

This is a great dish to make ahead or to throw together on a week night. I made this dish on Monday night, while making and cleaning up that night’s dinner, and reheated it for dinner last night. It reheated well but it is super quick and easy to make if you have 30 minutes to make before serving. The girls loved it and so did we. We did kick up the spice for ours though – adding the crushed red pepper. For Lillian’s we separated out the veggie chick’n from the pasta as she seems to prefer her foods “separated” these days:)

Ingredients

12 oz. egg noodles
8 oz. low fat sour cream
½ cup adobo sauce or enchilada sauce (depending on how much heat you want)
2 T lime juice
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
½ t crushed red pepper (more or less depending on how much heat you want)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Anaheim chile pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
12 oz. Veggie chick’n strips (like Morningstar Farms Meal Starters)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In large bowl, combine sour cream, adobo sauce or enchilada sauce, lime juice and spices. We added the crushed red pepper to individual bowls after so the girls’ wouldn’t be too spicy.
3. Sauté the onion and peppers in olive oil for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chick’n strips and cook until lightly browned.
4. Stir together the pasta, sour cream sauce and veggies and chick’n and serve!

Labor Day Mac-n-Cheese

This post is a little late (today is actually October 1) but I'll try to catch up on some September recipes so we can dig in to some yummy fall recipes this month - I am so excited for squash and other fall vegetables at the farmer's market!

I made this Mac-n-Cheese recipe for a barbecue we had on Labor Day. After people left that afternoon, I found myself wondering when we transitioned from parties that lasted until 3 am to backyard barbecues with the kids that ended by 3 pm? Probably about the same time we started serving dishes like this one . . .

I have this recipe scrawled on a piece of paper and I have to admit I am not exactly sure where it came from. I thought it was from Celia Rivenbark's Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank (Hilarious book!) but I don't think that's right. It may be from The Sweet Potato Queens' First Big Ass Novel by Jill Conner Browne. In any case, if you are looking for a tasty way to step-up your baked macaroni and cheese, check this out.

Macaroni-n-Cheese

12 oz. pasta (shells or rotini)
1 stick butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
Salt & Pepper
1 lb cheddar or monterey jack + 1 c cheddar, grated
1 medium onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Tater tots
Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta.
2. Sauté diced onions and sliced mushrooms.
3. Melt butter in the microwave and stir in flour.
4. Heat milk on stove until hot but not boiling and stir into butter and flour. Add a dash of salt and some pepper to taste.
5. Stir until thickens and gradually add the 1 cup of cheddar.
6. In large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, onions and mushrooms, and cheese sauce. Stir in the remaining cheese.
7. Pour into 13x9 pan and cover with a layer of tater tots. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

The tater tots sound over the top but it is delicious!

Eggplant Bulgur Casserole

I love casseroles because 1) it’s all in one – easy to serve, easy to clean-up; 2) it’s a great way to get more vegetables in my kids' diets; and 3) I am from the Midwest – doesn’t everyone from the Midwest love a casserole?

This is a great recipe for mid-week. I made it the night before I wanted to serve it for dinner and then we took it later in the week for lunch. The eggplants and tomatoes are from the local farmer’s market. Bulgur is a great whole grain that has a slightly nutty flavor. It is available by other grains and flours in most grocery stores. Instead of the Indian spices, you could use Italian herbs. We served it with goat cheese sprinkled over the top. Yum!

Eggplant Bulgur Casserole

2 medium eggplants, chopped into 1 inch square pieces
4 tomatoes
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 cup bulgur
2 cups water

1. Add mustard seeds to 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot and sauté over medium high heat until the seeds start to pop.
2. Turn down to medium heat and add onions and sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add the eggplant, tomato, cumin, turmeric and coriander and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes – eggplant should be starting to soften and skin may be browning.
4. Mix in the bulgur and cook for a few more minutes before adding the water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.