Taco Pasta

I randomly stumbled across Christy's blog one day and pretty much love everything she posts.  And I especially loved THIS recipe and when she said her kids loved it, I knew it had to be a winner.  And she was right...this was SO GOOD.

Taco Pasta
Adapted slightly from adapted slightly from Fake Ginger, as seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything,

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey (you could use beef if you wanted)
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup) (I used half a large onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (I did not drain mine...whoops.  I just used less pasta water.  And I agree with Christy: If making this for kids, go the plain diced tomato route.  It was almost too spicy for Alexys)
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
Directions
-Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
-Ia large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
-Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water (I didn't need much because I left the juice in my tomatoes), and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.
-Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor.

Tortilla Pinwheels

I have to perfect my rolling techniques for these guys because they happen to always come unrolled for me. But they are a light, yummy treat for any party. Prepare ahead of time to let the flavors of the cream cheese and salsa meld together and so the roll will hold up when you slice them.

Tortilla Roll-Ups
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Salsa (to the consistency you desire; I use a little less than half of a jar)
Fresh baby spinach
Thin slices of turkey and ham (from the deli)
Flour tortillas

Directions
-Mix cream cheese and salsa together. Using a hand blender is helpful, or make sure your cream cheese is VERY soft. Make sure the mixture is not too runny.
-Spread mixture on a tortilla. Layer with baby spinach then the turkey/ham
-Starting at one end, tightly roll up tortilla, keeping it tight as you go. Wrap tightly (can I say tightly any more?) with plastic wrap and store in fridge.
-Right before serving, slice thinly using a serrated knife.

Taco Junk

Looking for an easy, filling crock pot meal for the week?  Well, here is an excellent one!  Full of ground turkey and beans, a small serving is super filling!  I like to serve it over tortilla chips and lettuce, like a taco salad or in tortilla shells with light sour cream, salsa, and reduced-fat cheese.

Taco Junk

a Weight Watchers-friendly recipe from somewhere on the internet

2 points for 1/2 C

1 pound ground turkey, cooked, rinsed, drained if necessary

1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 oz) can Great Northern (or any white) bean, drained and rinsed

2 packages ranch salad dressing mix (the dry kind); I only use one package

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 (16 oz) jar salsa (whatever heat you like)

Mix all ingredients together.  Place in crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6).  Serve with tortilla chips, in a taco salad, over refried beans, with sour cream and lettuce...however you want!  Makes a TON, so have containers for leftovers.

With cheese...yum!

Easy Sausage and Peppers

Here is one of my weeknight meal standbys. Sausage and peppers is a favorite of C's so I try to make it once a month for him.

1 package Honeysuckle hot Italian turkey sausage (usually 5 sausages)

3 green peppers, sliced

2 onions, sliced

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350. Dump everything in a 9x13 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. It just doesn't get any easier!

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Here is my husband's favorite meal!

Classic Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Weight Watchers
6 servings, 5 points per serving

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 C fat free sour cream
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 C onion, chopped
2 medium carrot(s), diced
2 medium stalk celery, diced
1 lb uncooked ground turkey breast
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp rosemary, fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 C canned chicken broth (or beef broth)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  
  
• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes, transfer to a large bowl and add sour cream and margarine; mash until smooth, season to taste with salt and set aside.
  
  
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add flour, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer; simmer until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
  
  
• Transfer turkey mixture to a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate. Spread mashed potatoes over top and using the back of a spoon, make decorative swirls over the top. Bake until potatoes are golden, about 30 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.