Muy Bueno!

I was a little nervous about how this recipe would turn out, but it was really good!!  It wasn't hard to make, but it took a little time because the spaghetti squash needed to cook for 45 minutes.  While it cooked, I got everything else cooked, chopped, drained, and ready to go.  I didn't put all the filling in the squash because it would have been way too much for one meal.  We have enough of the filling for another meal or you could put the mixture in individual baking bowls and feed 4 - 5 people.  Another good thing about this meal is that there is not a lot to clean up.  PLUS, it's less calories than tacos!  No tortilla in this meal!  These bonuses actually makes it MUCHO muy bueno!

*If you are doing food prep for the freezer, scrape out the spaghetti squash and mix all the ingredients together at the end.  You can put these in aluminum pans from Dollar Tree and store them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.  This makes for a quick, complete, and easy dinner!

Spaghetti Squash Taco Bowls

1 medium spaghetti squash, halved, seeds removed

Olive oil

Filling:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1medium onion, chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 lb. ground beef

½ pkg. taco seasoning mix

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 diced tomatoes

1 can corn, drained

1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack, plus more for the topping

Sour cream, optional

Shredded lettuce, optional

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut spaghetti squash in half, length wise.  Scrape out stringy stuff and seeds.  Pierce outside of squash with a fork or knife multiple times.  Drizzle cut sides of spaghetti squash with oil. Place cut side down on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Using a fork, shred squash into strands.

Filling: Cook ground beef and break into small pieces.  Set aside on paper towels to absorb fat from the meat.  In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for a minute more. Add ground beef and let simmer for a few minutes as you stir it all together.  Stir in taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, corn and cheese. Mix in shredded spaghetti squash.

Fill each spaghetti squash shell with the beef mixture.  Top with a little more cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.   Add sour cream and shredded lettuce if desired.

Two Thumbs Up

A Face Book friend posted this recipe from Tried and True today.  I must admit, I tried it and it was truly good.  The hubby told me three times how good it was.  Then he asked me how hard it was to make.  I told him it would be a weekend meal during the school year unless I could do some prep work in advance.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you had all the ingredients on hand, but I didn't so I had to go to the grocery store ... on a Saturday.  I had just bought groceries yesterday.  Now I must admit, I don't mind going to the grocery store during the day if it's during the week, but weekends, well, yuk!  The nice thing about this recipe is that it's a complete meal in one pan. I made a couple of changes to the recipe and the way I prepared it.  Nothing drastic, just making it more to my taste and easier clean up.

 I was also making 3 other items while I was working on this so it's really hard to say how much trouble it was.  It probably wouldn't be bad if you go ahead and clean and slice the chicken before hand and slice up the zucchini in advance.  I also made a crustless spinach quiche (which makes it gluten free), shrimp and avocado salad, and lima beans today too.  If I haven't already posted the quiche and salad, I will.

Anyways, I give this one a 2 thumbs up!

Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini

·       2 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half

·       8 tablespoons butter, divided

·       ½ cup Italian Bread Crumbs

·       ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

·       ¼ cup plain flour or gluten free flour

·       3 medium zucchini, sliced

·       2 tsp. minced garlic 

*    water, if needed 

1. In a large pan melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. To make the chicken: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In a plastic bag or ziploc bag mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and flour. Dip the chicken in the butter, put them in the bread crumb mixture, shake to coat, and place in the skillet.  Add left over butter to skillet.
2. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. You may need to add a little water if the coating becomes too dark.  Set aside on a  plate.
3. Put zucchini in the bag with remaining bread crumb mixture and shake.
4. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the skillet and saute the minced garlic for a minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet, cover, and saute until tender.  You can also add a little water to help steam the zucchini.  Add two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Return the chicken back to the skillet on top of the zucchini, cover, and heat for a couple more minutes.

Essential Oils and Food

Some people may not know you can cook with doTERRA Essential Oils.  You can!  I wouldn't cook with any other brand though. doTERRA oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) oils.  Plus you should only consume the ones that have a Nutritional Supplement on the bottle.  

Today I planned a class to teach others about the benefits of doTERRA Essential Oils and when I do that, I always have snacks.  One of the snacks I made was hummus with lemon and rosemary essential oil added.  It is delicious!  If you've never tried it, you should.  Another reason to try it is because it's SIMPLE and will be great snack for the hot summer that is coming.  All you need is a container of plain hummus, 1 drop of rosemary and 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  Place hummus in a bowl that is not plastic.  Mix well and serve with the chips of your choice, celery, or carrots. 

 If you'd like to learn more about essential oils, please contact me.  I love educating people on the benefits of essential oils!

Baby Food Part 2

This is a continuation from the "Baby Food" post.

Not only was yesterday a baby shower, it was a reunion of Meadowcreek friends.  Many of our Meadowcreek Elementary friends have moved on to other opportunities, but we still love to get together.  It is always a joy to spend time together.  If my Meadowcreek friends are reading this, know that I miss you all and look forward to our future gatherings.

As with most gatherings, there is plenty of food.  In addition to the Garden Pasta Salad I just posted, I brought a Spinach Artichoke Dip.  It was really good and I hope you like this recipe as much as I do.

      Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 12 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
• 12 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed out)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Mix everything saving about 1/2 cup Monterrey cheese. Spread in 1 qt baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 min.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Baby Food :)

Yesterday, I helped with a baby shower for a friend I worked with for a number of years.  She waited until she found the perfect man for her  and the same for him.  They are a perfect match!  They have been married for a couple of years and now are they are going to receive the blessing of a child.  I am so happy for the two of them.  They are going to make great parents.  Several people came together to create this special occasion and here is the recipe for the pasta salad I took.  I'll post the recipe for the spinach artichoke dip after this one.

Garden Pasta Salad

12 ounces tri-color pasta (cook according to package directions)

·       1 can black olives (drained and quartered)

·       1 large cucumber, diced

·       1 pint grape tomatoes (washed and halved)

·       16 ounces fresh mozzarella

·       2 cups  Italian dressing

      Cook pasta according to package.  Drain.  Add olives, cucumber, tomatoes.  Mix well.  Let cool.  Add cheese and dressing.  Refrigerate overnight.  Stir and serve.  

      

      * You can also add broccoli to the mix if you'd like.