Simple Saturday: Terrific Tacos

Make-ahead tacos are not only a fun meal that kids can assemble themselves (thereby making it more delicious to them, of course!), but it's also a great way to ensure your dinner includes some veggies, as vegetables don't always freeze well.  This dish focuses on veggies that will freeze!

Ingredients

Taco stands make taco night
even more fun!

• 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey for a lighter meal)
• 1 T Fiesta Party Dip Mix
• 1 T Onion Onion
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1-1/4 cups diced tomato
• 1 T fresh chopped cilantro
• 2/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 T lime juice
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar or mexi-blend cheese
• 6 (or more) tortillas or taco shells

Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a large skillet, combine ground beef, Fiesta Party Dip Mix, and Onion Onion.  Saute until meat is browned and cook through.  Drain fat.
• Stir in tomato sauce, water, and cumin.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Let cool, and transfer meat mixture to freezer container.
• In another freezer container, combine tomato, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and salt.
• Measure cheese into a third freezer container.
• Pack all containers into one, label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely in refrigerator.
• Place meat mixture in a large skillet.  Heat on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
• Assemble tacos, with each one having: 1 tortilla or shell; 1/6 of meat mixture; generous 1/4 cup salsa; and 1 T shredded cheese.
• Or, for a "fun" meal, create a taco assembly line on the kitchen counter!

Have you tried a taco assembly line with your kids?  Does it help them stay interested in dinner?

Simple Saturday: Honey Apple Ribs

This grill sauce goes great with chicken,
steaks, pork chops, and more.

This weekend, we're spending our time getting ready for our annual Memorial Day Camping Trip next weekend.  Because I hate chopping, dicing, and general prep work while camping, among other things, I'm spending the weekend making-ahead all of our camping meals.  One recipe I can't wait to dig into around the campfire are these Honey Apple Ribs, made using Tastefully Simple Honey Apple Grill Sauce.

Ingredients
1-2 Racks Pork Ribs
1 Jar Tastefully Simple Honey Apple Grill Sauce
1/2 Onion, chopped

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Place raw ribs in a 6-qt slow cooker.
• Pour 1/4 jar Honey Apple Grill Sauce into small freezer bag; set aside.
• Sprinkle on onion, and pour remaining Honey Apple Grill Sauce over all ingredients.
• Cook on low 7-8 hours.
• Let cool.  Place entire contents of slow cooker in a freezer bag.  Place rib bag plus bag of sauce into another bag and freeze.

To Serve

• Pre-heat gas or campfire grill.
• Place ribs on grill; brush frequently with remaining sauce from rib bag.  Cook until heated through.
• Use extra bag of sauce for spreading or dipping.

Here's what else we'll be enjoying at camping this weekend:

Grandma Peterson's Flank Steak Marinade

White Chicken Chili

Chipotle Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Need equipment?  Check out some of our favorites:

Coleman All-In-One Cooking System

Magma Nestable Non-Stick Cookware

Simple Saturday: Simple Beef Stroganoff

This is a great meal to make-ahead and toss in your slow cooker in the morning, for a great dinner all ready when you get home.  Or, make this a 15-minute meal by browning the beef in a skillet, then mixing in the other ingredients.  Either way, it will be simple and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 T Onion Onion
• 1 T Garlic Garlic
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1.5 lbs cubed beef stew meat
• 14.5 oz can beef broth
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 7.3 oz jar sliced mushrooms
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 c egg noodles, uncooked

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Combine Onion Onion through pepper in a gallon-sized freezer bag.
• Measure sour cream into a sandwich-sized freezer bag.
• Measure egg noodles into sandwich-sized freezer bag.
• Combine all bags into another - seal and freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely.
• Place beef mixture into a greased slow cooker.  Cook on low 8 hours (or more, up to 10).
• Stir in sour cream just before serving.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Spoon beef mixture over cooked noodles and enjoy.

Serves: 4

White Chicken Chili

This is a great chili for the upcoming cold weather. I love to pour my chili over fresh cornbread!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of chicken, cut up into cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 (4-oz) can, chopped (can substitute fresh chilis)

8 green onions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour (can substitute 2 Tbsp cornstarch for gluten-free preparation)

2 cups chicken broth

2 (14-oz) cans white northern beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from pan.
• Saute onion, red and yellow pepper, chili peppers, and garlic in the same skillet. Return the chicken and add ginger, salt, sage, cumin, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly. Allow to cool, and transfer to freezer bag or container; set aside.
• In a separate dish or pan, melt butter and add the flour to make a roux. Whisk in the chicken broth. Stir this mixture into the freezer container with the sauteed vegetables and chicken.
• Add the beans with the liquid to the freezer container. (If you like it thicker I suggest that you don't put in the liquid from the beans.) Seal and freeze.

To Serve

• Stovetop: Thaw in refrigerator. Bring to a simmer in a medium pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and serve.
• Slow Cooker: Can cook from thawed or frozen. Place meal in slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours).

Winter Squash Chili

It's been awhile since I've posted any recipes, so it's about time that I contribute. Speaking of time, it is now the time of the year to start thinking about using squash in weekly meal planning. Here is a great recipe that I got from a squash farmer a few years ago; every time I make it, I just can't get over how easy and tasty the recipe is.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups celery, sliced

2 cups carrots, sliced

1 clove minced garlic

3 cups cubed squash

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 (14-oz) cans stewed or diced tomatoes

2 cans undrained black beans

1 (4-oz) can mild chopped green chilis

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Brown onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Place in plastic freezer bag.
• In a second freezer bag, combine remaining ingredients. Add both freezer bags to another bag (so they don't get separated in the freezer), label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Combine all ingredients in a stew pot. Simmer on low for 30 minutes (or longer if cooking from frozen instead of thawed).

Garnish each serving with cilantro and sour cream; tortilla chips or hot crusty bread are great to add on the side. This recipes yields quite a bit of soup, but luckily, it freezes well so you can have an easy make-ahead meal later.

Enjoy!

Jessica Finger, RD, CD

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2-1/4 cups gluten-free biscuit mix (divided; 1/4 and 2 cups)
10 cups chicken broth
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a large non-stick pot coated with non-stick cooking spray over medium heat, stir chicken and onion about 5 minutes or until chicken is browned.
• Add celery, and sauté several minutes longer.
• Sprinkle chicken mixture with 1/4 cup flour and gradually stir in broth, carrots and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heated, stirring occasionally until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dumplings as follows: In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups flour and baking powder. Stir in buttermilk and season with salt and pepper.
• Drop dumplings into soup by tablespoonfuls. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until dumplings are done.
• Serve immediately, or to freeze: allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer container, label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Defrost in refrigerator.
• Re-heat over low heat in a non-stick pan.

Calories: 307, protein 54g, carbohydrate 35g, fat2g, calories from fat (96) 7, saturated fat 1g, dietary fiber 4g, cholesterol 67 mg, sodium766 mg, diabetic exchange 3.5.

Check out more recipes from the book: Trim and Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals

Cherry Skillet Chicken

This chicken is excellent chopped over salad with red grapes, blue cheese, and sunflower seeds. Or try serving over rice.

Makes 3 entrees 4-6 servings each

Ingredients
6 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chopped dried sweet cherries
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
wax paper
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

On hand for cooking each entree:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Rinse and trim chicken as desired.
• Lay each piece of chicken, smooth side down, between two sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer, pound each chicken piece to 1 inch thick. Divide chicken evenly among the three freezer bags.
• Put cherries in a small bowl and cover with hot water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Measure 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into each freezer bag with chicken.
• Drain cherries. Divide cherries equally into the freezer bags with the chicken. Seal and gently shake bag to distribute cherries.
• Freeze

To Serve

• Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and pour cherries and juice over chicken. Cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes.

Richard's Seafood Pasta

Today's recipe comes via my husband, who had a culinary epiphany one evening when I left him to his own devices with one simple rule: Have dinner for the family ready by the time Bugger (our one-year-old) and I got home from our run.  At first I wasn't sure what to expect, but after my husband improvised this recipe, we were anything but disappointed.

Pasta Fresca

For busy weeknights, nothing beats the ease of a one-dish meal.  This pasta salad, filled with flavorful sausage and all varieties of color (translation = vitamins!) will stash in the freezer for weeks and still deliver a healthy and fresh-tasting meal in minutes.

Simple Saturday: Sweet Pepper Salmon with Garlic Broccolini

It was a glorious summer day, (one of the few we've had in the Northwest,) and we were determined to grill something both delicious and healthy.  This grilled salmon and broccolini dinner was a delight, and simple to whip up in just a few minutes!

Ingredients
Salmon:
2 lb wild salmon filet, with skin
1/2 jar (about 2/3 cup) Tastefully Simple Sweet Pepper Jalapeño Jam
Broccolini:
2 bunches broccolini
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic

Preparation

• In a shallow bowl, combine broccolini, Garlic Infused Olive Oil, and Garlic Garlic.  Toss well.  Set aside.
• Preheat grill on high heat.  Spread approximately 1/4 of the jam on meaty side of salmon.  Grill, meaty side down, for approximately two minutes until jam begins to caramelize.
• Turn grill down to medium-high heat.  Flip salmon over so that the scaly side is down.  Add broccolini to grill, (on upper rack if available,) pouring any remaining liquids on top.  (Careful - pouring too much oil on a hot grill at once can cause it to flame up, so pour slowly.)
• Spread approximately 1/2 of the remaining jam on top of salmon.  Cover and cook for several minutes, then add remaining jam and continue cooking.  Meanwhile, turn broccolini every few minutes so that it becomes tender, and not blackened.
• Cook broccolini until tender.  Cook salmon until opaque and flaky.

Serves: 8

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

Other Posts You Might Like:

Pesto Salmon

Sweet and Sour Pork with Coconut Rice

Agave Citrus Kebabs

Southwest Meatloaf

Done right, meatloaf is a delicious and kid-friendly meal packed with nutrients.  Add a Southwestern kick, and suddenly your meatloaf goes from drab to fab in under 60 seconds (or as long as it takes to chop the southwest vegetables, I suppose).  Here is a recipe for moist and delicious make-ahead meatloaf that will put an end to the chorus of, "Meatloaf AGAIN?!"

Cabbage Soup

Soups are a great way to get all your vegetables into one delicious make-ahead meal.  This soup is loaded with healthy veggies, but also plenty of flavor.  Thanks to my mom for this recipe, and for teaching us to eat healthy!

Aunt Laurie's Unrolled Cabbage Rolls

I absolutely love cloves.  But aside from putting them in my chai, I'm never quite sure what to do with them. Here is a delicious way to make a one-dish meal featuring cloves.  Whats more, this dinner is loaded with fiber, meat and grain proteins, and just a tiny bit of sugar, which means that for a small amount of calories you'll stay feeling satisfied for longer.

Simple Saturday: Ginger Lime No-Bake Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)

Most of our recipes are pretty healthy.  But, every now and then you need a treat.  Here's a quick and simple one that you can whip and have ready in just a few minutes, or keep in the freezer to have ready and available.

Simple Saturday: Asparagus Rolls

These delicious asparagus rolls are a great make-ahead appetizer for parties.  Whether it's a cocktail party or a kid's birthday party, these are sure to be a hit.  Make the day before, or a month or more and freeze.

Ingredients
12 medium stalks asparagus (approx. 1 lb)
8 oz. neufchatel cheese
2 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
12 slices (approx. 1/3 lb) medium-sliced black forest ham

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Blanch asparagus.
• Soften cheese.  In a small bowl, combine cheese and Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
• Lay ham out flat.  Using a soft (e.g. silicone) spatula, gently spread cheese on ham, all the way to the edges.
• Place one stalk of asparagus on each slice of ham, along the long edge.  Roll ham with asparagus inside.
• Slice each piece of ham in thirds.  Tip:  If you're squishing the rolls while trying to slice, place the rolls in the freezer for an hour or so and then slice.
• Place in freezer container and store in freezer.

To Serve

• Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• Serve cold, as a finger food or with toothpicks.

Makes 36 appetizers.

Weight Watchers Points Value: 1

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

Simple Saturday: Pesto Salmon

Last weekend, we had company over with only an hour's advance notice.  The baby was still napping and so I couldn't run to the store.  My best option: raid the freezer!  Ah, the freezer never lets me down.  So I opened up the door, dove in, and resurfaced a few moments later with frozen, individually wrapped wild salmon fillets from Costco.  Perfect!  I then proceeded to wow and delight with this simple little recipe:

Ingredients
4 4- to 6-oz salmon fillets (fresh or thawed)
4 tbsp Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar

Preparation

• Preheat grill to medium-high.
• Arrange salmon fillets on a plate.
• In a small bowl, combine Pesto Mix, water, and olive oil.
• Microwave on high for 30 seconds, until liquids boil.  (Not a fan of the microwave?  Then combine mix and olive oil in a dish and add 4 tbsp boiling water.)  Tip:  Do this step just a few minutes before your guests arrive; they'll be in awe of the marvelous aroma that will fill your kitchen!
• Spoon or brush pesto over salmon fillets.
• Place salmon directly on grill, skin side down.  (If your fillets don't have skin, place a sheet of foil on grill and coat with grill-safe non-stick spray, and place salmon on the foil.)
• With the grill lid on, grill for approximately 5-8 minutes (or longer, depending on thickness), until salmon is opaque and flaky.  Tip:  Don't overcook salmon.  Like steak, it's generally fine to leave is slightly pink in the middle.

This dinner earned rave reviews from our guests, and it only took about 10 minutes to prepare!  What do you do with your Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix?

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

Squash Soup

We all know how important it is that our families get enough vegetables in their diets.  We also know how hard doing so can be.  With this squash soup recipe, however, things just got simpler.  Make this soup ahead and freeze in portion-sized containers, for a great make-ahead snack or at-work lunch.  Or, make a big batch for dinner, or simply to have on-hand after dinner when you start to feel the munchies coming on.  Yet another option for this filling yet healthy, low-cal soup is to have a cup of it before each meal, and you'll find that you eat much less in a sitting.  No matter how you use this soup, chances are you'll be reaping its many health benefits for both you and your family.

Mediterranean Quinoa

We tend to post quite a few make-ahead main dishes around here.  But, let's not forget about the importance of make-ahead sides.  Often, preparing a healthy side dish can be just as time-consuming as making a main dish from scratch.  Here is a great side dish that you can make ahead.  Its versatility makes it a match for your favorite summer main dishes.  Try pairing this dish with our Agave Citrus Kebab Medley.  Simply use this quinoa as a bed for the kebab meat and veggies, and you have what may be the perfect summertime meal!  I guarantee both family and guests will be impressed.

Mojito Melon Salad

The mint dressing complements all kinds of fruit.

Fruit salad is always a healthy treat.  This recipe adds a new twist - mint - to turn that traditional fruit salad into a dish that will really stand out.

Jack Daniels Glazed Ribs

Nothing quite says summer grilling like glazed barbecue ribs.  This make-ahead recipe can get you those perfectly glazed ribs in a snap, whether you're making just a few for the family, or enough to feed a small army.