1. Quasi Chili Tacos

    December 24, 2008

    I had a zillion tortillas, one pound of frozen ground beef, a can of beans, a can of corn, and half a packet of taco seasoning. Voila!

    1 pound of ground beef (I thawed mine out in a hot-water bath)
    1 can kidney beans, drained (black beans work also!)
    1 can white & yellow corn, drained
    1 packet taco seasoning (or half packet & additional spices)
    1/2 cup water
    salt
    6 flour tortillas
    taco sauce

    Brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Return to the stove and reduce heat (I used low-ish). Add 1/2 cup water, kidney beans, corn, and taco seasoning. Stir and add salt, to taste. Let it hang out and bubble for a few minutes.

    Stack the tortillas on a plate, covered by a damp paper towel. Zap for 15 seconds on HIGH in your microwave. Leave them in there with the door closed until ready to serve.

    When you’ve let the creation bubble for a bit and it looks ready to consume, spoon a generous portion onto a tortilla. Eat rolled up or open face. REALLY excellent with taco sauce poured on top. Easy to heat up the leftovers the next day.

    Serves 4-6, depending on hunger levels.

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  2. Macadamia Nut Encrusted Chicken with Warm Cranberry Sauce

    I had a bag of macadamia nuts in the kitchen, chicken and cranberries in the fridge. This resulted.

    4 chicken cutlets
    handful of macadamia nuts, finely chopped
    1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
    1 egg
    vegetable oil (your frying favorite)
    salt and pepper to taste

    For cranberry sauce
    1/2 bag fresh cranberries
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/2 cup water

    In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves, then add cranberries (be careful – this can splash you). Put a lid on the saucepan for the first two minutes, or until all cranberries have popped, otherwise you’ll have red juice on your shirt and stovetop. Once the cranberries have popped, uncover and let simmer for another eight minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.

    In large frying pan, heat a thin layer of oil, generous enough for pan frying, but certainly not high enough to engulf the chicken cutlets. I use medium to medium-high heat.

    In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and macadamia nuts. In a second bowl, whisk one egg with fork tines. Dip each cutlet in egg wash and coat both sides thoroughly with breadcrumb mixture.

    When oil is hot, place the chicken in the frying pan (use tongs – you don’t want to get burned by the oil). I fry the chicken for about four minutes on the first side, then turn it over and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Feel free to turn once more to complete cooking, if necessary. Once the meat is done, transfer to a clean plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

    Serve each cutlet with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

    Serves 2 or 4, depending on hunger level and side dishes!

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  3. Winter Squash Soup

    This is a beautiful soup I threw together on a really cold afternoon when I had zero food in the house. Its flavors are reminiscent of pumpkin pie. I made a sweet soup, but you could always use red pepper flakes or bacon crumbles.

    12oz frozen cooked winter squash
    2 cups chicken stock
    2 tbs butter
    2 tbs good maple syrup
    1/2 tsp nutmeg
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    pinch of fresh orange zest
    salt and pepper to taste

    In a medium sauce pan over low heat, warm frozen squash in chicken stock until it can be broken up with a wooden spoon. Turn heat to medium and add nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange zest. Stir and allow to come to a simmer. Temper with butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place a lid, partially off, on the pan and let simmer for a half hour or until thickened.

    Serve with crusty bread or a toasted English muffin in a shallow bowl.

    Serves 4.

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