Customizable quick soft tacos

I often have this for lunch. I love Mexican food and this is the perfect lunch for me when my husband is at work.

I usually add sour cream but was out of it the day I took this photo. If I am hungry and in a hurry like I was the day I made this photo, then I just put the tortilla in a plate, put a big heaping spoon of black beans and cover in cheese and microwave for about 45 seconds or until the cheese is melted and add the rest of the ingredients just as they are.

You can customize your soft taco anyway you would like based on what you have on hand and enjoy.

Some of the things I have used are chicken, hamburger, steak or without meat using black beans and corn as the main ingredients and then I add tomato, lettuce, onion and cheese. If you have avocados those would be delicious too.

In the picture above I added this combination:

Black beans

Onions, chopped

lettuce

Tomatoes, chopped

Shredded cheese (Mexican blend)

Salsa

Basic Cake Recipe

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts or powdered sugar (optional)

Mix together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs; mix well. Add flour and baking powder; mix well.

Transfer into greased and floured 8 x 8 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until done (check center with toothpick).

Scalloped Potatoes with Mozzarella Cheese

• 4 peeled potatoes, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, into tiny pieces
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an oven-safe dish.
2. Cook potato slices in salted boiling water for 3 minutes over high heat.
3. Drain and cool potato slices.
4. Arrange half of cooled potato slices on buttered oven-safe dish; add salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle potato slices with flour; dot with half of butter.
6. Top with remaining potato slices; dot with the remaining butter, add salt and pepper.
7. Heat milk and pour all over potato slices.
8. Sprinkle top of mixture all over with grated Mozzarella cheese.
9. Brown in preheated oven for 30 minutes, then brown under oven broiler (if needed).
10. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Pancakes

Pancakes
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan on medium heat. Pour or scoop in approximately 3 tablespoons of batter. Brown on both sides.

Makes approximately 8 pancakes.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

• 2/3 cup nuts (pecans, almonds, or walnuts)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Topping: 1 cup powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together 1 cup butter and 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

2. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring.

3. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and gradually stir in your 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

4. Mix in 2/3 cups of nuts.

5. Refrigerate dough until firm. When firm, roll into little balls (a little more than a teaspoon size) and flatten or make them into little crescent shapes. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes, until cookies are brown around edges. (It took about 20 minutes in our oven, but original recipe called for 12-15 minutes.

7. Let cool for 5 minutes, then roll in sifted confectioner's sugar. You can roll it twice if you want them well-covered. Store in an air tight container. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Salmon with mozzarella and tomato

• 2 packages of fresh salmon (enough for people being served)
• 1 8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2-3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Oregano

1. Peel the skin from salmon and rinse the salmon.

2. Cut salmon into pieces. Place it in a baking pan.

3. Salt the salmon to taste.

4. Peel and thinly slice tomatoes.

5. Place the tomatoes directly on top of the salmon.

6. Sprinkle oregano on top of the tomatoes.

7. Cover the top of the tomatoes and salmon with shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the salmon is cooked thoroughly.

Beef Salad

• Beef Stew meat (Enough for amount of people)
• Lemon Juice
• Oil
• Salt
• Romaine Lettuce (or your favorite salad mix)

1. Place oil in a pan and let it get hot. Add beef stew meat and season with salt. Fry until the meat is browned nicely.

2. Place salad in a large bowl or in separate bowls for each individual. Squeeze lemon juice over salad and add oil (about 1 teaspoon full of oil per bowl). Season with salt and mix it all to blend.

3. Add the beef stew meat to the salad and mix. You can squeeze more lemon over it if you would like. Enjoy!

Great Granola

• Cooking Oil Spray
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1 1/2 cups lightly lightly packed light brown sugar
• 6 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant oatmeal)
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
• 1 cup wheat germ (optional)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries or cherries

1. Place oven racks in the two center positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 17 x 11-inch jelly roll pans with cooking oil spray.

2. Combine the oil, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high power until the sugar starts to melt, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave oven and whish until any lumps dissolve.

3. Combine the oats, nuts, wheat germ (if using), and coconut in a 3-quart or larger bowl. Toss to mix well. Pour the syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well mixed. Spread evenly onto the jelly-roll pans.

4. Place a pan on each oven rack and bake for 10 minutes. Taking note of which pan was on the top rack, remove the pans from the oven, stir the granola, and return it to the oven, rotating each pan to the opposite rack. (If your oven will accommodate the two pans side-by -side on the same rack, it is not necessary to rotate them.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, taking care not to let the granola get too brown.

5. Cool the granola in the pans until it reaches room temperature, about 1 hour. Sprinkle the raisins and dried cranberries (if using) over each pan, dividing them evenly. Stir to mix well. Store in air tight containers, preferably glass jars or tins, for up to 2 weeks.

6. (You can increase the raisins or cranberries to 2 cups instead of using both ingredients if you prefer. It makes 13 cups total.)

California Roll Sushi

• Salmon or Crab Meat
• Avocado (cut into strips)
• Cream Cheese
• Optional: Carrots, Celery, Mozzarella Cheese (cut into strips)
• Nori/ Seaweed Sheets ( 1 large package)
• Sushi Rice
• Masago or Sesame Seeds (for coating outside layer)
• Sushi rolling mat
• 1 knife
• Bowl of water

1. To see how to prepare sushi rice, go to this website: http://www.ehow.com/how_3262_make-chicken-long.html or watch a video here: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-sushi-rice

2. Cover your sushi rolling mat with cling wrap for easy cleaning. Set the rolling mat on an even surface.

3. Lay the Nori/Seaweed on the mat. Lay it on the top edge that is nearest to you.

4. Moisten your hands in the bowl of water. Then spread a thin layer of the sushi rice on top of the Nori. Make sure the rice is covering evenly and pressed down firmly to make sure it is sticking to the nori.

5. Flip the nori over, making sure it is rice side down. Now you are ready to start adding your fillings.

6. Lay the avocado strips horizontally across the center of your nori. Remember to spread the ingredients as evenly as possible for this will make a better roll in the end.Spread some cream cheese next to the avocado in a line. Arrange the crab or salmon on top of the cream cheese. If you are adding carrots, celery and cheese, add them in there too. Sometimes we like to make some with different ingredients and switch it up a bit.

7. Sushi R-R-Roll

8. Time to do the sushi roll. Carefully lift up the side of the mat nearest you and fold it over to make a cylinder/tube shape. Tuck in the edge of your nori with your fingers to make a complete roll.

19. Continue pressing with your fingers and pushing to shape as you roll. Make sure not to push too hard on it but do ensure it is of a good even size.

10. To finish up your roll, place your roll of sushi into a bowl of masago or sesame seeds and keep turning it until it is coated well.

11. Slice it. Note: It is helpful to dip your knife into water to ensure easier/cleaner cutting of the roll. Cut the roll in two, then lay those two sides parallel. Slice it into six pieces.

12. Eat it

13. To present your sushi, place the sushi onto a platter or container on its side, allowing the beautiful colors of the sushi to shine through. Serve it with soy sauce.

14. You can be creative and add or try different fillings based on your personal tastes.

Easy Italian Sausage Pie

Makes 8 servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes


Bake at 375F for 1 hour, 15 minutes

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 5 eggs

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, drained

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crusts

• 1 egg beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon water



1. Heat oven to 375F. Place sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes, until browned on all sides.

2. In a large bowl, combine sausage, 5 eggs, spinach, mozzarella cheese, ricotta, shallot, pepper, garlic powder and salt. Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 of the pie crusts. Spoon in the sausage-and-spinach mixture. Top with the remaining pie crust; seal and crimp edges. Poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust and brush with the egg-water mixture.

3. Bake at 375F for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

From: Family Circle Magazine - November 1, 2009