AMERICANIZED Taco Salad!

My mom fixed us a version of this when I was a kid! I loved it when she did! Typically, she fixed it in the summer--my family ate hot food exclusively in the fall and winter--but I fixed it all year round. Everybody liked it, including whatever drop-in guests that we had! And I usually had all the "fixings" hanging around, so it was no big deal! And what an impact!

And even I know that this bears absolutely NO resemblance to the current taco salads--or any Mexican food, period! It's great-tasting, though, if you're in the mood for a fun-food lunch or dinner! I usually made it without the meat, although my mom's version had 1 lb. ground beef or turkey, fried until it was done. She didn't add any seasonings to it, other than salt and pepper, and it made this salad very filling!

If you're in the mood for spicy, you can add Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper to the dressing or to the soy meat. The addition of spices to the soy meat, or meat, is more contained than the dressing addition. Also, I've tossed in stray bits of jicama and/or corn I have sitting around, which adds sweetness and crunch. This is good, but the original version, left alone, is better! Ha!

For the salad:

Optional: 12 oz. package soy meat, plain

Optional: 1/4 tsp. salt

Optional: 1/4 tsp. pepper

1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2"-3/4" dice

1 medium brown, white, or red onion--it depends on what I have!--chopped or diced

1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more, if you like)

1 small can chopped ripe olives (Jenna won't remember this; I hate olives, so I never added them!)

1 6-8 oz. package good quality yellow corn chips, crushed, but not pulverized!

If you're using it, brown the meat with the salt and pepper, or the soy meat with the pepper.

You can cut stuff up during this time, or you can do it later, while the meat is chilling. To chill the meat quicker, put it on a paper towel on a plate in the freezer. Check it every 20 minutes, or so, because it actually will start to freeze fairly quickly! I learned this the hard way! Ha!

For the dressing:

You can make your own, or you can just buy 8 oz. (we like more) of thousand island dressing.

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup catsup

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

Optional: few drops of Tabasco sauce

Optional: 1/8 tsp. or more cayenne pepper

Mix everything together in a container. For best results, refrigerate it for a couple of hours. On the other hand, I never plan that far ahead, and I generally use it immediately. Nobody's ever complained! Ha!

To assemble:

Put the lettuce in a large bowl--large enough to toss everything without spilling! Put the meat, or soy meat--if you're using it, obviously!, tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, cheddar cheese, and olives in pie-slice-shaped wedges around the salad. Put it on the table, so everyone can see your artistry! Now, pour the crushed chips over the top. Add the dressing, starting with about half the above recipe, and toss it to coat everything. I think this is a bit dry, so I add more dressing--like, the rest of it! I'm the type who likes a little salad with her dressing! Ha! Serve IMMEDIATELY, since the chips will absorb the dressing and get soggy pretty quickly!

To serve later: do the lettuce and the "pie wedges," cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to eat. Add the chips and dressing, and toss!

This is so good; I'm really looking forward to dinner! Ha! MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Stuffed Zucchini with Lime

Sorry about the late time!  I tried to schedule it, since I knew I wouldn't be around to post it today!  Obviously, I still have a lot to learn!  Ha!

This isn't hard to do, if you have a grapefruit spoon!  They're inexpensive, and they're in grocery stores, so they're easy to acquire!  I really like the varied tastes and textures of this!

Nezu, this fits your criteria, I think!  And Emily, if you add quartered orange slices as "sails," your guys might like it, too.  Also, if I'm serving it to young kids, I omit the lime juice in the mix, instead serving the boats with lime wedges.  Squeezing the juice over the cooked stuffed zucchini appeals to adults but not always to kids!  I'm often surprised, though!  Ha!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 cup slivered, or sliced, almonds

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and scooped out, being sure to leave enough on the sides so the zucchini boats don't collapse!  Reserve pulp, and chop it.

6 Morningstar Farms breakfast sausage patties, diced  (This is in frozen foods in most grocery stores with other meatless "meats," like Boca burgers.  It doesn't have as much soy!)

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large, pre-sprayed skillet, cook the almonds on low heat for just a couple of minutes until they're lightly browned, and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbs. canola oil.  Sauté onions until they're soft.  Add the garlic.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the zucchini pulp, and cook it until the water has evaporated, 20-30 minutes.  Add sausage, oregano, lime juice, and toasted almonds.  Heat through, and fill the zucchini shells.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the stuffed zucchini boats.  Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Sort of Asian Soup!

This is for Nezu, who asked me for something without eggplant, tomatoes, or pepper of any kind.  Okay, this has red pepper flakes, but you could certainly delete them and substitute more ginger!  I'm sure, Nezu, that you have other ideas for spicing things up, since you've lived with this forever!  Might horseradish work?  If you use this, I think I'd omit the thyme, but you'd have to taste it to know!)  As for me, I really love this soup! And I buy a large head of my vegetable choice, and I use the rest for Kung Pao, as in "Kung Pao Cabbage," e.g.  MMMMM! 

1 Tbl. canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diagonally sliced

1 bunch green onions, sliced into 3/4" - 1" pieces

4 cans vegetable broth (I use Swanson's)

1 Tbl. freshly grated (or finely minced) ginger--about 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" of a 1" diameter root (Marste introduced me to a microplane grater!  Boy, does this make life easier!  Ha!)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh!)  (I know this sounds odd--just trust me!)

3 Tbl. soy sauce

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (mild; 1/4-medium; 1/2 hot!)

1 small head bok choy, Chinese cabbage, or green cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 lb. frozen vegetarian meatballs

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

OPTIONAL:  1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained (adds crunch)

1 15-oz. can baby corn, drained (adds color and fun!)

Heat oil in a soup pot.  Add the onion, and cook over medium heat until it's soft.  Add garlic and celery, and continue cooking until the celery is soft.  Add the green onions and broth.  Add the ginger thyme, soy sauce, and pepper flakes (or other spicy seasoning, Nezu!  :)).  Simmer until it's fragrant.

Add the cabbage-family vegetable, and cook until it's crisp-tender.  Add the meatballs, and cook until they're thawed and heated through--if the broth is bubbling, it's heated!  Turn off the heat, and add the oil and cilantro, stir them in, and serve.

This is a thick soup because of the vegetables and meatballs.  If you like a thinner soup, add a can, or two, of broth!

Quick Almost Lasagna

*8 oz. rotelle (this is fun to see in the cut casserole, so it's my favorite!), macaroni, bowties, or any other 1/2 packages of pasta that are lurking in your cupboard!  (*NOTE:  see below for non-pasta option!)

1 12-oz. chub "Gimme Lean" veggie protein, Ground Sausage Style.  (This is in the refrigerated section in grocery stores.  In our area, there is also "Smart Meat," and I've never used it, but another daughter has, and she really likes it!)

2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. basil leaves, crushed as adding

1 tsp. fennel seeds (the "sausage" has some of this, but this addition gives it a real kick)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup water

12 oz. green beans (I use frozen, but any will work)

16 oz. cottage cheese

8 oz. grated cheese--any will work!  Mozzarella, jack, cheddar, Velveeta, etc.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook and drain your pasta.

In a large skillet (sprayed with vegetable oil spray), brown the "meat."  (Veggie meat is sticky, so don't expect it to act like "real" meat!  I don't usually add oil, but it does make the browning process easier!)

Add the tomato sauce, spices, water, and green beans, and cook until the green beans are done, about 15-20 minutes.

In a 9x9 baking dish, layer 1/2 the pasta, 1/2 the "meat" sauce, 1/2 the cottage cheese, and 1/2 the "your choice" cheese.  Repeat the layers.  

Put the casserole dish on a foil-covered and sprayed (veg. spray) cookie sheet to avoid spills and clean-ups!  Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.  

4 generous or 6 medium servings.  Add salad with a vinaigrette dressing and garlic bread for hearty eaters or more people!  MMMMM!

*NOTE:  If you don't want pasta, increase the green bean amount to 1 1/2 lbs (24 oz.), cook them separately, and use them as pasta!  It's really good, and it's how I usually make this!  Still MMMMMM!