One thing you won’t find a shortage of when you eat dinner Mexican-style is protein. Whether you love beef, chicken, pork, or fish, you can find healthy dishes with any of the three. The key here is staying away from the fattier cuts of meat.

Many Mexican restaurants today offer healthy choices. Choose grilled meats whenever you can for burritos and tacos.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25-oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (16-oz.) can refried beans
1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
5 (10-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend, divided
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce

Toppings: chopped plum tomatoes, chopped green onions, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped avocado.

Preheat oven to 425°. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 6 to 7 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thick.

Stir together refried beans and pinto beans.

Place 1 tortilla on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Top tortilla with half of meat mixture and 1/2 cup cheese; top with another tortilla, half of refried bean mixture, half of enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with another tortilla, and repeat layers once. Top with remaining tortilla.

Bake at 425° for 16 to 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated and browned. Top tortilla with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; and bake 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges, and serve with desired toppings.

Time to drag out another gadget if you've placed it on your non-essential shelve in the kitchen these past few months.

If you are at home quarantined with Corona Virus, this is an easy wholesome dinner fix that will bring rave reviews and uplift spirits.  And, let me tell you, it is one of the best of tried so far!


3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Minced Ginger, minced
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes


Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and make sure it's to your liking. Place legs in bowl.  Let sit 10 minutes.

Place 5 at a time in the Air Fryer.

Click the "drumstick" fry button.

That is 370 degrees for 18 minutes.

Flip, set timer for an additional 3 minutes.
.
Serve immediately.  

These are just precious.  They are low in the amount of sugar usually required.  Best of all they are packed with apples, butterscotch morsels, and oats.

While you're in with COVID-19 restrictions, try to make your trips to the store less.  I still have friends who are out there everyday doing their normal shopping.  It's just crazy.  Why not make wholesome snacks at home so you can bypass the germs?

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) cook and served butterscotch pudding
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped.
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and pudding mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs; mix well. Beat in applesauce. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oats and apple.


Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes. Serve warm or remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Freeze option: Freeze cookies in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, thaw before serving.

If you're on the Corona sanitizing binge, then what better way to take care of dinner than to place all ingredients in a slow cooker and press "low". 

Once you've completed all those necessary duties by disinfecting, you can sit and enjoy a delicious meal with your family.  


2 c baby carrots
5 potatoes peeled,  halved
4 lb beef chuck roast
garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 c water
1 oz pkg onion soup mix


Spray your crock pot with cooking spray
Put your carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your crock pot 
Put your roast on top of your carrots and potatoes
Sprinkle your salt, pepper and garlic on top of your roast
Mix together your water and soup mix in a separate bowl and pour over your roast
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
See dumpling recipe for instructions
Serve dumplings with roast, potatoes and carrots

Dumplings2 c all-purpose flour
½ t salt
3 T baking powder
1 c light cream

InstructionsSift all of your dry ingredients. Add your cream and mix together swiftly making a medium-soft batter. Drain off most of your broth from your crock pot into a large pot. Bring your broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Take a teaspoon of dumpling batter and drop into your boiling broth, repeat with all dumpling batter

Cover and cook for 15 minutes

Walmart: Click on image: $14.96

With the advent of the Corona Virus, you need to be looking into meals that are thrifty and have the ability to last awhile.

Keeping our shopping trips to a minimum should be the key, and when you do go out, it's imperative you stock your shelves for awhile.

If you are one of those who likes to shop, grabbing a few items several times a week, I'd put that idea on the shelf.  

Think of your shopping in 1-2 week spans. Grab larger meats to make delicious meals like this that will last for days.  

• 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (5 to 6 pounds)

4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 large onions, sliced
1 cup orange juice
1 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

SANDWICHES:
4 loaves (1 pound each) French bread
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 to 1 cup yellow mustard
24 thin sandwich pickle slices
2-1/4 pounds sliced deli ham
2-1/4 pounds Swiss cheese, sliced

Cut sixteen 1-in. slits in pork; insert garlic slices. In a large bowl, combine the onions, orange juice, lime juice and seasonings. Pour 1-1/2 cups marinade into another large bowl; add pork and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, turning pork occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain pork, discarding drained marinade. Place pork and reserved marinade in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 350° until tender, 3-1/2 to 4 hours, basting occasionally. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise; flatten slightly. Spread cut side with butter; spread crust side with mustard. Cut pork into thin slices. Layer pickles, pork, ham and cheese over the mustard. Replace tops so buttered side is outward. Cut each loaf into sixths.
Cook in batches on a panini maker or indoor grill for 4-5 minutes or until bread is browned and cheese is melted.

What could be better than a brownie crust layered with chocolate cheesecake and topped with chocolate ganache? These cheesecake bars will satisfy even the biggest chocolate lovers out there.

Feeling a little decadent tonight? Then give these easy bars a try.

1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

CHEESECAKE LAYER:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

GANACHE:
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides; grease foil. In a microwave, melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add egg; blend well. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir just until combined. Spread into a thin layer into prepared pan. Bake until top appears dry, 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate chips. Add beaten eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Spread over brownie layer. Bake until filling is set, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

For ganache, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla; cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Pour over cheesecake layer; cool in pan on a wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Lifting with foil, remove brownies from pan. Cut into bars.

No one would guess this elegant entree is a snap to prepare at the last minute. To save even more prep time, use frozen mixed veggies instead of fresh. Sometimes I substitute chicken, chicken bouillon and curry for the beef, beef bouillon and ginger.

This beef base can be utilized in many variations. So save this one in your favorites.  It will rival any
Chinese restaurant take out.

1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 pound beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 large green pepper, julienned
1 cup julienned carrots or sliced celery
5 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Hot cooked rice

Dissolve bouillon in water. Combine the cornstarch and soy sauce until smooth; add to bouillon. Set aside. Toss beef with garlic, ginger and pepper. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until meat is no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil; stir-fry vegetables until crisp-tender. Stir soy sauce mixture and add to the skillet; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Return meat to pan and heat through. Serve with rice.

I use everything, and I mean everything whenever I cook.  This is so even when I cook a luscious turkey.  Once we've feasted on that delectable bird, I will save the carcass for soup and Tupperware the extra meat servings.  

This last turkey gave me several staples: a soul-satisfying dinner, homemade turkey soup from the carcass, and this new Cream of Turkey and Wild Rice Soup that I just had to share with you.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Minced fresh parsley

n a large saucepan, saute onion and mushrooms in butter until onion is tender. Add water, broth and rice mix with seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in turkey and cream and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

This slow cooker meal is one of my favorites because it is one of those meals where you pretty much just pop all the ingredients in the crock pot, put the lid on, set it and go. It’s also one of those meals my whole family likes and it doesn’t take a lot of ingredients. This is definitely up there in our favorites!


3 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
4 chicken breasts, halved
1 cup of water
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Pepper, to taste
2 pkg. chicken gravy mix
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup sour cream

​Place carrots, potatoes, and onion in bottom of crock pot.

Arrange chicken breast pieces over vegetables and sprinkle with seasonings, and salt & pepper.

Combine water and gravy mix. Pour over mixture

Cover, cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, stirring once during cooking.
​
Stir in sour cream.

Serve over rice or pasta or egg noodles.

Who would have thought of placing a whole chuck roast into a crock pot and coming out with a delicious French dip recipe?  I was always in the know concerning a good quality roast beef with a packet of Au Jus sauce slapped in a pot and cooked quickly.

Well, let me bend your ear on this one!  This makes a high-quality roast that has the essence of bold Au Jus throughout the meat.  Let's not forget there are no nasty, extra, unpronounceable ingredients!


3 pound beef chuck roast
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
3 - 4 whole peppercorns
8 French rolls

Place all ingredients except rolls in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Remove roast.  Shred with forks and place meat make in slow cooker.  Discard bay leaf and server on rolls. 

Serve juice Au Jus on side for dipping