Cheddar Cheese Taco Shells (Keto)

A few weeks ago, we had some wonderful teases of spring weather.  I was super excited to take my dog for a long walk and drink in the sun.  I got out some shorts and -- gasp!  Uncomfortably snug.  It was obvious that I packed on some winter bulk over the long, cold months while hibernating in my home.  I had been avoiding the scale... avoiding exercise... but not avoiding 1/2 price donuts.  Oh, glorious donuts, how I sought after thee.  *End sob story*

I decided to drastically cut carbs and sugar from my diet to kick-start some weight loss, and it's really been working quite well!  The first several days were very difficult, but now it's pretty much been smooth sailing!  I've been experimenting with all kinds of low-carb recipes, and I stumbled across this idea from Pinterest.  I honestly was debating on whether or not to post this because it's not technically a "recipe", but it's too good not to share!  It's also very easy.

Storage:  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Harvest Salsa

Well, we're heading into our third week of homeschooling already!  I love spending the extra time with my little sous chef and also the freedom that we have in our schedule.  Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons, but I have a feeling that homeschooling is going to top my list this year!  Speaking of fall, it's not quite here yet, but it sure has felt like it for some time now.  This has got to be the mildest (and wettest) summer that I can remember!  I've only had to water my garden three or four times this year because of how much rain we've had!  Not that I'm complaining.  My garden is bursting at the seams, and I've been trying my best to not waste anything and use the things that I have in excess in creative ways.  Last week, I made some Cinnamon White Chocolate and Zucchini Cookies, and they were ahhhmazing!  Unfortunately, they didn't last long enough for me to blog about them.

This week, I found myself with a lot of extra corn and tomatoes, so I decided to make a salsa to go along with blackened chicken and rice for dinner.  This salsa is bright, refreshing, and uses ingredients straight from the garden.  While the avocado is optional, it really adds a lovely creamy contrast to the crunchy texture of the salsa.  Serve it with tortilla chips, chicken, beef, or seafood!

Chipotle Quinoa & Summer Harvest Salad with Smoked Gouda

I can never relate to the parent that says they're happy to shove their kids back on the school bus and get them out of their hair when school starts back up.  For me, it's a sad time.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited that my little sous chef is getting bigger and starting 4th grade, but I really do enjoy those precious moments of summer break with her each day!  If you haven't noticed, I've haven't posted a new recipe for nearly a month.  This is mainly because the last month of summer is always a super busy time for us.  Now that school has started and our schedules have become a lot more structured, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things and start posting on a weekly basis again.

One of the things that has really kept us busy over the last month is processing harvested vegetables from the garden.  I had some green pepper, tomato, and corn that I needed to use up from all that harvesting, so I decided to make this warm, spicy quinoa salad with freshly harvested garden vegetables, topped with smoked gouda.  It's delicious, guilt-free and packed with flavor!  

Southwestern Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms for Breakfast

Organic heirloom tomatoes are given a Southwestern flare, stuffed in a hearty portobello mushroom, and topped with an egg.  It's a healthy and delicious vegetarian breakfast with a little bit of a spicy kick.  If you're not into the whole vegetarian thing, cooked bacon or ham are lovely additions.  Happy Friday!  

Pan-seared Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

Mahi Mahi is one of my favorite fish to eat.  It's a hearty, yet delicate, mild-flavored fish with a slight sweetness to it.  In this recipe, I pan-seared it in a little butter and garlic, and then topped it with a fresh and crunchy homemade mango salsa.  Light, healthy, bursting with flavor, and ready in 20 minutes - yet another perfect summer dish!  

Our Favorite Guacamole

The first time I introduced my husband to guacamole, he was not a fan of it.  At.  All.  I, on the other hand, am a self-proclaimed guacamoholic.  It's very healthy, but I try hard not to overindulge because of the high calorie count.  A few years back, we fell in love with these beautiful salads at a local Mexican restaurant that included a little side of guacamole.  I don't know if it was because they used less lime than we were used to, but my husband was hooked... and so was my little sous chef!  This recipe is my copycat version, and it's pretty darn close.  It's delicious, creamy, and very easy to make.  We like our guacamole smooth and creamy with a few chunks here and there, but if you prefer it chunky, just mash less.  

Skillet Mexican Pie with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I'll be dreaming of this Skillet Mexican Pie for a while!  It was a gorgeous, sunny weekend, but we spent the better half of it indoors because my little sous chef came down with a fever.  While she napped, I found myself with a few spare hours to play around in the kitchen.  I had a lot of cilantro, avocado, and tomato, so I used those ingredients to create this Mexican dish.  It packs in intense Mexican flavor in each bite - a fiesta for your mouth!  There's no need to fire up your oven because it's all done on the stovetop in just one skillet.  Multigrain tortillas are layered with an easy & delicious homemade enchilada sauce, seasoned beef and pork, black beans, corn, and cheese!  Garnish it with avocado, cilantro, tomato, and sour cream and you have a little slice of heaven on a plate! 

Note:  To kick up the spice a bit, substitute the mozzarella cheese with pepper jack.  You can also leave the seeds in the jalapeno for an extra punch.  

Vegetarian Mexican-Style Stuffed Mini Peppers

Give your taste buds a fun ride with these vegetarian stuffed mini sweet peppers!  They are given a Mexican spin using cilantro, lime, black beans, rice, corn, tomatoes, onions, and even a little splash of tequila.  The sweetness of the peppers are beautifully balanced by the spice from the jalapeno, cayenne, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Tequila Nachos Supreme with Ground Beef

Whether it's for a large party or a fun family night in, these nachos are easy to make and will be a hit!  Crispy nachos covered in seasoned ground beef are topped in a delicious tomato and bean mixture that is soaked in tequila.  

Celeste's Chili

Every stinking week we have another snowstorm!  10 inches of snow today and another 4-to-6 inches in the forecast for tomorrow.  Please, make it stop!  While I wasn't keen on shoveling the heavy, wet snow from my car, it was rather lovely to have a lazy snow day home with family.  While we out in the snow shoveling, sledding, and sculpting Olaf to life (Disney's Frozen), I had a large pot of chili simmering on the stove.  There's really nothing better than indulging in a hot bowl of chili after an excursion in the icy snow.  I have tinkered with different variations of chili over the years, and my family has determined that this is, by far, our all-time favorite.  

Crock Pot Chipotle Steak Taco Salad Bowls

Dump it, set it, forget it!  These chipotle steak taco bowls are not only easy to make, but they're bursting with flavor and require very little effort on your part.  Simply add the ingredients to your crock pot in the morning, turn the heat on low, and come home to the ahh-mazing smell of chipotle steak.  Your mouth will be happy - I promise!  

Southwestern Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I don't know where you live, but out here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I'm pretty sure I measured 10 inches of snow!  Yesterday was a school snow day, today is another snow day... these kids are going to be attending school well into July at this rate!  I work out of my home as a transcriptionist, so I can thankfully stay home with my little sous chef while working in my sweatpants and I don't have to venture out into the cold.  I had a nice pork tenderloin waiting in the fridge that I had planned to use for dinner along with some leftover corn.  I decided to give my pork a little Mexican flare and came up with this healthy dish.  I served this over brown rice with a side of green beans from the garden.

Succulent Southwestern Pork Chops ~ Ready in 15 Minutes!

I am constantly finding myself in the mood to make something a little different for dinner.  We have an overabundance of tomatoes from the garden, so I decided to use them to make a Southwestern topping to go along with our pork chops.  If you're looking for something a little different that's also tasty, quick, and healthy, you'll want to try this Southwestern spin on your pork chops.  They're succulent, bursting with flavor, packed with protein, and can be ready in 15 minutes!  

Grilled Zesty Haddock & Vegetable Foil Packets

We spent a few hours working in the garden with friends and family a few days ago and found ourselves nearly overwhelmed with how much we had harvested in just one day.  I decided to use some of the freshly picked vegetables in foil packs with some haddock for dinner last night.  Foil packets are perfect for camping and grilling.  Not only are they a cinch to clean up, they also seal in flavor and lock in nutrients.    

Note:  I can't stress this enough.  When the packets are finished cooking, remove them from the grill with tongs or a pot holder because they will be hot.  Also, be very careful when opening the packets as the steam trapped inside could burn when released. 

    

Southwestern Stuffed Pepper Burgers

Grilling out tonight?  Try this delicious new twist on a burger!  Stuffed peppers are grilled, topped with spicy pepper jack cheese, and then paired with a creamy, tangy cilantro-lime dressing.  These burgers are bursting with flavor!  

Quick & Easy Queso

We love our queso!  This recipe may not be "authentic" but it's quick, easy and oh, so tasty!

Southwestern Omelette with Pepper Jack & Black Beans

Lazy Saturdays.  I live for those few-and-far-between days when we can sleep in until 9:00, wear our pajamas until noon, and not have a commitment until the evening.  While making brunch for my family in my pajamas with Blake Shelton serenading me in the kitchen, I decided to put a little Mexican twist on our omelettes.  Yum!  Fresh, spicy, cheesy and delicious!  

Mexican Rice & Black Beans

This is one of my favorite Mexican side dishes!  It is spicy, garlicy and very flavorful.  I made Chipotle Shrimp Tacos for my family the other night and it was the perfect complement to them.  If you're a vegetarian, you can serve this as a main dish.  A word of caution:  A little bit goes a long way - it is very filling!  

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Black Bean Pico de Gallo

I've been in quite the Mexican food mood recently.  After making that delicious Black bean Pico de Gallo, I decided to use it as a topping with some chipotle shrimp tacos for dinner one night.  These are definitely a contender for my favorite taco!  The tangy Pico de Gallo is a perfect complement to the smoky and slightly spicy shrimp.  I served this with a side of Mexican rice (recipe to come).  

Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Fresh, tangy, slightly sweet, spicy, crunchy, healthy, low in calories... the perfect condiment to dip your tortilla chips into or top your tacos with!  Pico de Gallo is an uncooked Mexican condiment that contains much less liquid than salsa, so it can be used as a main ingredient in your favorite Mexican dishes.  It's very versatile, so you can add or subtract ingredients to your own taste.