Eat Clean - Beef Taquitos Delicioso !!

Finger foods! I'm really into them right now. Which actually doesn't make sense because I've been reading my friends book on etiquette and manners. Maybe she has a section on finger foods!

Chop peppers and onions small.
They cook faster and are easier to stuff into the corn tortillas.

Football season, kids packed in the living room for movie night, or just because it's Tuesday! No need for reasons to have delicious finger food!  But whatever you do, plan to make a LOT of these babies. They'll disappear before you can say "Taquitos"!

Use a potato masher to mash up the beans.
After that, a fork will do great to incorporate the other ingredients into the filling.
Kids LOVE to smash up beans. Great for any age!!

--INGREDIENTS--
20+ Corn Tortilla shells (sprouted are best - Food For Life)
1 lb. grass fed ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
S&P
2 tsp. Cumin
Red Pepper Flakes to taste - 1 tsp. for me!
2 cups pinto beans (I used my homemade beans)
1 cup whole milk cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
Cilantro

CILANTRO!
Rinse and dry before using.

STEP ONE:
Brown beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat. Add seasoning. Cool to room temperature.


STEP TWO:
Mash up 2 cups of prepared pinto beans (or black beans), sour cream (or yogurt), cilantro, shredded cheese and cooled beef mix.

Don't skip this step.
Your tortillas will crack and fall apart without
heating them in a bit of olive oil first. 

STEP THREE: 
Flash fry each corn tortilla in a skillet with a drop of olive oil. Only takes about 10 seconds to make them pliable. Do Not Skip This Step. Without it, your tortillas will end up flaking and breaking apart in the rolling process.

This is a great KID project! 

STEP FOUR: 
This is an excellent recipe to use a team approach. One person does Step Three and someone else can fill each tortilla with the beef mixture, roll them, and place seam side down on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Roll the tortillas around the filling and
place on the baking sheet Seam Side Down.

Thank you Patricia Rossi, for publishing a much needed, simple & understandable guide to proper etiquette, both common and uncommon!  I think this should be required reading for every business and high school!! Imagine what our country would be like.

Get your copy today!

Now you have all the info you need to make a delcioso snack, appetizer, lunch or dinner! 

NOW GO COOK!

And snap a picture of your family enjoying them and share it with me!

Eat Clean - Hummus

My cooking is mostly about a basic formula that I adjust according to my whim or what's available in my kitchen. 

Here is my basic hummus and several suggestions of what to add for excitement. Don't be mistaken - the basic hummus is satisfying and oh, so tasty!

2 cans rinsed and drained garbanzo beans (or make your own, like I did)

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbls almond butter

S & P

1/4 c flat leaf parsley

Juice of one lemon

Add all to a food processor - I'm sure a blender might work, too, though I've not yet tried.

If it's a bit pasty, add water to the best consistency. I prefer hummus a little bit juicy. You should be able to taste the freshness of lemon, the green parsley, the saltiness ... and of course, the richness from the garbanzo beans. 

Other EXCITING options:

Red pepper flake (spicy!)

Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (spicier!)

Kalamata olives (I wouldn't add these to the food processor, just chop)

Roasted red pepper

Sun dried tomatoes

Use traditional tahini instead of almond butter

Today, I made this my afternoon snack with some european cucumber slices and some Beef Steak tomatoes that I got yesterday from my favorite local produce market, Eli's Produce.

I enjoyed this delight on china from my husband's grandmother, Agnes Kane. She would have enjoyed this. 

 

Eat Clean - Presto PESTO!

I had a few friends over last weekend and tried out some dishes on them. My goal was to let them sample good, clean food and realize that it isn't that difficult to make.

Each friend left with a list of the recipes that they tasted. Here is the pesto that I made that didn't make the print out.

I now realize why I've never posted this recipe before. It's simply because I don't measure. I use the same or similar ingredients every time and wing it. It turns out a little different each time and equally tasty. Here goes ...

PRESTO PESTO
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, stems removed
1/4 parmesan cheese
1/4 olive oil (+/-)
1/4 walnuts (or pine nuts)
1 Tbls minced organic garlic, Spice World
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt | Pepper


ADDITIONS: Red pepper flake [for those who like it spicy] &/or 1 Roasted red pepper

Put all in a food processor. If you don't have one, I don't see why you couldn't use a blender. 

If the consistency is a little too dry, you may add a little water or more olive oil. ** If you're making pasta at the same time, use a little pasta water instead. **


BRAIN FART: I'm just now realizing that I didn't break the camera out for my beautiful buffet of deliciousness. So, I have no photo to post. Bummer. I'll just have to make it again and add later.

SERVE WITH: I served the pesto with fresh red and yellow peppers, celery and Meatless Meatballs. You may also use to top off your Butternut Squash soup or add to fresh pasta or brown rice. 

DELICIOUS TIP: If you make a huge batch, put into an ice cube tray, freeze, and transfer to a freezer safe container to use as needed. Thanks, Pat Costa, for that amazing tip!!