Graham Crackers.

pic from veganyumyum.com

We love the cinnamon graham goldfish... here's a vegan take on them that we found yummy! I'm going to try to have these on hand for Coco to have at church. Thank you veganyumyum... they're yum. {be sure to watch her videos... way cute.}

2 1/2 cups graham flour* or stoneground flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup earth balance margarine
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar (or a little more sugar mixed with water)
3/4 cup water

Mix the all the dry ingredients together. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar. Add vanilla and agave and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add a little of the flour and a little of the water to the earth balance/sugar mixture and combine. Continue adding in flour and water, a little at a time, until all flour and water is added. Work the dough with your hands until everything is evenly combined.

Divide dough in half and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 11″x15″. Trim edges. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles (I cut mine into 1′x1′ squares). Prick the squares with a fork.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325º F or until the crackers are turning golden brown around the edges. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the crackers during the last 10 minutes of baking if you like.

Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

*Make your own graham flour: 

1 cup~= 2/3 cup white flour + 1/3 cup wheat bran + 1.5 teaspoons wheat germ

Mint Chocolate Cake {almost Vegan}

{i so wish I could take better pictures... this does not do this justice!!}

Have you ever had a friend rave to you about something so yummy, you started dreaming about it?!? Well, enough was enough when Carrie kept forgetting to send me the recipe after she salivated all over me after telling me she made it again. My Dad was coming over for dinner, and he loves chocolate cake... so I thought it would be the perfect time to make it.

After I'd been hearing about it for so long, I was a little worried that it wouldn't deliver... but no worries, this baby sure did deliver. Yum. And it delivered even in almost-vegan form! Everything but the eggs.

2 cups sugar (1 cup agave nectar)
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup coco powder, packed
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk (almond milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (safflower oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Mix dry ingredients. Beat wet ingredients in a separate bowl for 2 minutes. Add to dry mixture. Stir in boiling water. The batter will be really thin and runny. Grease 2 - 9 inch round cake pans. Pour batter in... bake 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool in pan, then take out and frost. Super, super YUMMY!!!

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened (vegan)
2/3 cocoa powder, packed
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk (almond milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon mint (i used peppermint b/c that's what I had, and it was yummy... although I hear just plain 'mint' is yummy too)

Cream butter and sugar, add in the rest.

Cashew Cream

I was totally excited when I checked out the conscious cook by tal ronnen from the library... After seeing him on Oprah, I knew I wanted to give his stuff a whirl. And then when I saw his vegan solution to cream... I couldn't wait to try it. I've made his mashed potatoes and they were scrumpy. I've had success with substituting it in soups when called for cream. It's great in cream based pastas. The whipped cashew cream for desserts is heavenly! Use anywhere you use whipping cream for desserts.

regular and thick cashew cream

2 cups cashews, raw (not pieces, which are often dry) rinsed very well under cold water

Put the cahsews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. (I've found this isn't necessary, you just blend a little longer)

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minuts until very smooth. (If you're not using a professional high-speed blender, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

To make thick cashew cream, simply reduce the amount of water in the blender, so that the water just covers the cashews.

makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream

prep tims: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight

whipped cashew cream

1 cup thick cashew cream (above)

1/4 cup light agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup refined coconut oil, warmed until liquid

Place the cashew cream in a blender and add the agave nectar, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Blend until thoroughly combined.

With the blender running, slowly drizzle the coconut oil in through the hole in the blender lid. Blend until emulsified.

Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours. Stir before serving.

makes about 2 cups

prep time: 5 mintues, plus 2 hours chilling

The Conscious Cook

Tal Ronnen

Spiced Lentil Tacos.

from Lugubrious Delights

These are a family favorite... and we eat them like every other week. The leftovers are awesome too. A great meal to feed to your meat eating buddies... they usually like it and don't ask lame questions like, "Where's the meat?" or "Is this it?".

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning or make your own
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce finely chopped (can be omitted if you don't want it too spicy)
tortillas, warmed

The fixings...
corn
shredded lettuce or cabbage
diced tomatoes
sliced avocado or guacamole
salsa
cilantro
vegan ranch

Warm about 1 tablspoon of water in a large skillet or sauce pan (or enough water to form a thin layer on the bottom). Let that warm up then add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are frgrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth and chipotle chilies; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tneder, 25 to 30 minutes.

OR, better yet... throw it all into your crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Serve with lettuce (or cabbage), tomatoes, avocado, corn, cilantro, lime wedges, olives, rice, black beans, salsa, vegan ranch --whatever fixings you like on your tacos. Or make into a taco salad and crunch up some tortilla chips.

a great side: Tex-Mex Fried Rice

love this stuff! i added some black beans to it this time. love the hominy

Rollover Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapple

3 red onions, roughly chopped and divided

4 cloves garlic
1 bunch scallions
Juice of 2 limes
2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon (about a palmful) sweet paprika
1 tablespoon (about a palmful) cumin
2 teaspoons (about 2/3 palmful) allspice
1 teaspoon (about 1/3 palmful) cinnamon
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place one red onion, the garlic, scallions, lime juice, jalapeño peppers, red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. While running, stream in the EVOO to form a thick paste.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub the paste on the chicken and place in the oven to cook. About 25 minutes. 

Place the pineapple, bell peppers and 2 red onions on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with some EVOO. Place tray in the oven with chicken. 

I serve over brown rice. The 'paste' make more then I need for my family, so I freeze the leftover to use again. This last time I made it I put the chicken in the crockpot, with the peppers and onions on top, then poured the paste over the top. Cooked 3+ hours on high during church. Then I added the pineapple to the crockpot, shredded the chicken and served it all over brown rice. It was super easy and pretty good crock-potted. Although I prefer the roasted ones.

adapted from Rachael Ray

Carrie's Whole Wheat Pancakes

My friend Carrie gave this recipe to me with some whole wheat flour she ground herself. She said the freshly ground flour made the cakes.... they sure did! Inspired me to bust into my food storage, go grind some wheat at her house and make them again and again. I am almost ashamed to say that for my family, we doubled this and only had 6 left over.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs yolks, reserve egg whites

Combine all ingredients except egg whites. Whip 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into pancakes mixture. And cook away.

Syrup: I nuked some frozen strawberries and blueberries in the microwave, smooshed with a fork and then mixed in some cinnamon.

To eat: I put my pancakes down, sprinkled some nut dust on and then poured on the syrup. Soooooooooo heavenly!! I owe you big-time Carrie for this one!!

Roasted Garlic Pasta alla Norma

I've tried eggplant twice, and it's bombed real bad each time. So, it's now my yearly try eggplant time of year so... I did. And let me just say - roasting eggplant and adding roasted garlic to it is the only way to eat eggplant. This was YUMMY!!!

from Rachael Ray

i didn't use the wedge ricotta salata, just used a little parmesan

Chicken Fajita Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 bag white corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.

While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Rachael Ray

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and Curry Condiments

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and Curry Condiments

i've strayed from RR and did an Ina Garten! SO proud of myself!!

(corynn & i loved!, shayne 'ok', ava & nolan - no thanks!)

Cornbread from Bon appetit

not anything special, so I'm not even going to bother wit the link!

Barbecue Burger Deluxe

Barbecue Burger Deluxe
topped with sprouts, avocado and pepper jack cheese

roasted corn

steak fries

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (organic ground beef from Costco)
2 garlic cloves
1 small red onion, half finely chopped, half thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar {i used half}
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat.

Place the beef in a bowl with the garlic and the finely chopped onions. In a small bowl, mix the liquid smoke, worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and grill seasoning. Pour the mixture over the meat and add a drizzle of EVOO. Combine the ingredients and form 4 1-inch thick patties.

Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Place meat on toasted roll bottoms and top with your favorite burger toppings. We topped with sprouts, avocado and pepper jack cheese.

adapted from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Our Favorite Cupcakes.

These are "My Favorite Cupcakes" from Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet. Which have now turned into Our Favorite Cupcakes. They're the ones I made for Corynn's first birthday that are super yummy. I was totally worried trying them out for her big day for the very first time. But thought, what the heck... if they're a bomb Braum's is just down the road and it'd be a fun story to tell.

Bomb? Not at all. They are SO good! The kids devoured them, Shayne was pleasantly surprised and I was beaming with pride thinking we can so do this healthy eating thing.

Since her birthday, I've made them a bunch and I usually double the cupcakes because this recipe for frosting will frost 24 cupcakes - in my not-huge-frosting-lovers house. I usually make the 24 and freeze half. They're really good out of the freezer. I just let them sit on the counter for a bit to thaw. So awesome! I've even found Shayne sneaking out to the freezer to snag one a time or two.

From her book... I love cupcakes... is there anyone out there who doesn't? These are light, springy, and delicious with a decadent fudgy frosting. These are best eated right after they're made.

Cupcakes
2/3 cup hemp or soy milk (I've used almond or rice milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup safflower oil (or coconut oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (i usually use all ww pastry)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of fine sea salt

Fudge Frosting
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Earth Balance butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup soy milk powder (*if you don't have this, the frosting will be just fine, maybe-just a little runnier)

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (Alicia uses unbleached, recycled cupcake liners by a company called If You Car, available at Whole Foods.)

Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium bowl, and set aside for at least 5 minutes or until it bubbles a little. If it doesn't bubble, keep stirring the mixture until it does. Add the agave nectar, oil and vanilla and stir.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean and the tops are slightly springy when pressed. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then cool completely on a baking rack before frosting.

To make the Fudge Frosting, use a mixer to cream the butter together with the agave nectar in a mixing bowl until very smooth. Add the vanilla extract and about half the cocoa powder, mix on low speed to combine, then add the remaining cocoa powder. Add in the soy milk powder, and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. If it is runny, refrigerate the frosting until it sets up a little.

The Kind Diet
Alicia Silverstone

Autumn Harvest Chili

I love, love this vegetarian meal. Ava & Corynn too. Nolan & Shayne will eat it, but don't roll their eyes up in the back of their head like Ava and I. It's super healthy. Serving it in half of the butternut squash is totally cute presentation too. Although this was a HUGE butternut squash...

2 cups vegetable stock

1 large or 2 small dried ancho cili peppers, stems and seeds removed
2 small butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
4 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive OIl
Salt and black pepper
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 small zucchini, diced 1/2 inch
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano, 1/3 palmful
1 scant tablespoon smoked sweet paprika, a light palmful
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder, a couple of rounded palmfuls
1 10-ounce box frozen corn or 2 ears of corn, kernels scraped
1 14-ounce can black beans, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Negra Modela or other beer of choice {i omit, add more veggie broth}
1 healthy tablespoon honey
2 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese {i omit for a vegan meal - and never used that much!}
Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Place butternut squash cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons EVOO and some salt and pepper. Roast squash in oven until tender, about 45 minutes. When they've finished roasting, turn off the oven and turn on the broiler.

While the squash is in the oven, place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Add the mushrooms and brown 5 minutes alone, then add onion, garlic, peppers and zucchini to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are tender, about 8-10 minutes more. Puree softened ancho chili peppers in food processor or blender with vegetable stock. {I add all the other veggies into the food processor... my kids are way more likely to eat things if they don't know what's in them}

Add the spices, corn, black beans and tomato paste to the pan and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add the beer to the pan, stir then add ancho stock {and veggies} then simmer over low heat until ready to serve.

Scoop the finished chili over the butternut squash halves and sprinkle with the cheese. Place the squash under the broiler to melt the cheese then serve.

a Rachael Ray

Apple Walnut Surprise.

This is a great snack. The first time I made this, I did it exactly as the recipe calls for - with the raisins. The kids weren't a fan. Tried again - sans raisins - and sans day-ahead prep time, and they love it! After I make it, I keep them in little rubbermaid containers so they can grab one for a snack. Perfect!

1 cup raisins or currents

1/2 cup water

8-10 apples, peeled and cored

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

4 heaping tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 1/2 heaping tablespoons ground cinnamon

Soak raisins or currents in the water in a container with a closed top overnight in the refrigerator to soften.

Next day: pour off the water into a pot with a tight lid and add the peeled and cored apples. Let simmer over a low flam for 7 minutes. Pour the apples and the little liquid that remains off into a chopping bowl or hand chopper and dice up the softened apples into small pieces.

Mix the apples, raisins, walnuts, flax seeds, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Store in refrigerator to serve for meals and snacks.

Disease-Proof Your Child, pg 204

Ginger-Garlic Fish in Parchment

I had this the week before I had Corynn and thought I was in heaven it was so good. I was a little worried that post pregnancy taste buds wouldn't think it was so good, but it was even better.

Parchment paper
4 (6 to 7-ounce) portions sea bass {$$$, I use a cheaper but still yummy Tilapia}

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces on an angle

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

3 to 4-inch knob ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

4 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons tamari sauce {bragg's liquid aminios}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rip off 4 pieces of parchment to form packets each about 12-inches long. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place a piece of parchment in a shallow dish then in the center of the paper stack 1/4 of the scallions and shiitakes, layer with slices of ginger and garlic and top with fish.

Combine the honey, vinegar and tamari and pour 1/4 of the sauce over fish. Fold over the top of the parchment then roll the sides in to form a sealed pouch. Repeat with remaining parchment and ingredients.

Arrange the pouches on a baking sheet and roast in hot oven 12 to 14 minutes.

Rachael (b/c by now, we're on a first name basis) puts a Lemon Chive Noodle with this, which I've never made. I just cook up some thin spaghetti whole wheat noodles and dump the packet of fish, shrooms and juices on top of it. All the juices from the pack works perfectly for a sauce. Amazing. Plain and Simple.

a Rachael Ray

Mexican Spaghetti

This is SO yummy!! Defiantly going into the rotation!

2 ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded {i found a big bag of them at Wal-mart}
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound fresh chorizo {i used soyrizo - couldn't taste the difference at all - neither could Shayne and it's way healthier!}
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pasted (finely chopped then mashed with salt) or grated
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
2 pinches cinnamon {i omited}
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 12-ounce bottle Mexican beer, such as Dos Equis {i used beef stock}1 pound spaghetti or whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup grated queso asadero, cotija or Jack cheese, plus more to pass at table
Finely chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, to garnish

Simmer peppers in stock for 15 minutes to reconstitute, then purée stock and softened peppers in a food processor.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and chorizo, brown 12-15 minutes then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cook 8-10 more. Sprinkle in a little cinnamon then add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Add beer {stock}, stir a minute more then add the stock and pepper purée. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

While sauce simmers, bring water to boil for spaghetti. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: save a cup of starchy cooking water just before draining. {i didn't need this, my sauce was the right thickness for us}

Toss pasta with reserved water, half of the sauce and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.

Serve in bowls with extra sauce on top, garnished with more cheese, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Rachael Ray

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I had some red peppers and cream that I needed to use up and found this yummy Pioneer Women dish. I'm still on the fence if I'll do it again... if I'm gonna do cream in a dish I'd rather have chicken scallipine - my all time favorite. But with all the good antioxidents of the red peppers, doesn't it balance out all of the cream? It was still really good, and she was right about the salt. I needed to put more salt in then I normally do to make it taste right.

3 red bell peppers

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.

Roast red peppers, then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.

Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Asian Steak Tacos with Spicy Mushroom Salsa

When I saw these in my bon appetit magazine I seriously drooled onto the page... I kid you not. I made them, and they totally lived up to each salivatory drop. Only next time I'll make a few changes to appease mine and my husband's taste buds.

UPDATE: After going plant-based, I just make the mushroom salsa
ASIAN STEAK TACOS
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1 teaspoon Sicilian sea salt
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)

SPICY MUSHROOM SALSA
1/2 pound shiitake or crimini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
2 large shallots, sliced into rings
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix oil, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic, ginger, lemon peel and sea salt in a small bowl until well blended. Place steak in a glass dish. Rub seasoning mixture all over steak. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour, or longer for extra flavor.

Meanwhile, for the Salsa, heat oil in large skillet on high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 4 minutes or until golden brown. Add shallots and chipotle chile pepper; cook and stir 3 minutes or until shallots begin to brown. Spoon mushroom mixture into a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients; toss lightly. Set aside.

Grill steak on medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes per side or until medium-rare doneness. Remove steak to cutting board. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

To serve, slice steak across the grain into thin slices. Serve in warmed flour tortillas topped with Spicy Mushroom Salsa, black beans & smooshed avocado.

Yum.

It's actually a Cat Cora recipe, promoting McCormick Gourmet spices.

Chili's Salsa

Out of all the restaurant salsa's out there - Chili's and Uncle Julio's are my favorites... This taste's just like Chili's, so I thought I'd share. Sidenote: Why does Chili's have better salsa then On the Border? Same company - you'd think they'd give the better salsa recipe to the Mexican restaurant. Next challenge is to find a match for Uncle Julio's salsa.

I got this off of recipezaar and made a couple adjustments for a fresher taste (the cilantro and lime). It's been a hit every time I've made it... which has been quite a bit lately.

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)

4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned,diced, not pickled)

1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)

1/2-3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1 t. lime juice

1. In food processor place jalapenos and onions.

2. Process for just a few seconds.

3. Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, cumin, cilantro and lime juice.

4. Pulse all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.

5. Place in covered container and chill.

A couple hours of chilling helps blend the flavors, and gets better tasting each hour it sits.

Smoky Corn Salsa

I got this from my Bon Appetit magazine... soooo yummy! I love it as a side or with chips. I added a diced avocado too.

makes about 4 cups
2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
3 ears of fresh corn, husked
1 bunch green onions, trimmed
4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon bottled chipotle hot sauce
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

ROAST IN THE OVEN: Turn oven onto 425*. Put corn, peppers, onions on baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray... sprinkle with little salt & pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes.

ON THE GRILL...Prepare barbecue (high heat). Brush bell peppers, corn, and green onions with some olive oil. Grill vegetables until well charred in spots, turning occasionally with tongs and removing pieces as they brown, 5 minutes for green onions, 10 to 15 minutes for bell peppers and corn. Cool slightly. Cut bell peppers and green onions into 1/3-inch pieces. Cut corn off cob.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; sauté until garlic begins to sizzle but does not brown, about 30 seconds. Pour into large bowl; mix in lime juice and hot sauce. Mix in vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely; mix in cilantro.

Tamalie Pie

I use to make this all the time when I first started cooking. It was when I thought that casseroles were the only form of cooking I could handle. Why I stopped making it, I'll never know because it is goood! But it's for sure going back into the rotation.

PIE
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 c. sliced black olives {i omit, not a fan}
I clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese {i use 1/2 c., and it's plenty}

CORNMEAL TOPPING
¾ c. yellow cornmeal
½ tsp. salt
2 c. cold water
1 T. butter

- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cook ground beef, onion and green pepper in skillet until beef is browned. Pour off excess fat.
- Add tomatoes, corn, olives, garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt.
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add cheese, stir until it melts.
- Meanwhile, stir cornmeal and salt into cold water in saucepan. Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Turn meat mixture into greased 9x9 casserole dish {or I'm assuming a pie dish would work, hence the name}. Top with cornmeal mush.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.