Our version of Tacos!

     My family LOVES tacos!  We have been making tacos at home for soooooooooooooo many years, and the recipe has evolved over time, however, this version has become the ultimate way we enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS:

*ground beef (we usually use 80-20)  substitute ground turkey or ground turkey, or build up the base with pinto and/or dark red kidney beans if you would like it to be non-meat. For a large amount I use 3 pounds of meat.
*one large onion, chopped
*one small can green chiles chopped (4.5 oz)
*1 tsp. olive oil
*cumin
*garlic - (1 clove, minced or 1 tsp. powdered)
*chili powder
*salt
*pepper
* 1/2 cup salsa of your choice
*tortillas  (your choice, flour, whole wheat or corn)
*1 can of black beans - do not drain or rinse

Toppings:
chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, diced mango, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese (we like the mexican style), sour cream, sliced avocados or guacamole and more salsa of your choice.  We also like to add 1 can of black beans to our toppings, just heat in a small pan right before serving time.

In a large heavy skillet add 1 tsp. olive oil, the onions and the green chiles and saute over medium heat until moderately tender, stirring often. 

Add the ground meat and start to break it up and cook.

You can see from the above picture that I have added the spices.  We use spices generously as we all like our food really spicy.  I think in this batch I used almost 3 large teaspoons of the ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of chile powder, several shakes of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and the garlic.  Continue cooking the ground meat until it is all cooked through and broken up into small pieces.  If the meat is overly fatty you can skim off some of the fat before you add the spices.  When the meat is cooked through add the salsa into the mixture and mix thoroughly.

Prepare all the toppings and garnishes into individual bowls or separated serving platters and start your tortillas. 

We like to heat our tortillas in a large skillet sprayed with a vegetable spray on medium heat.  I flip the tortillas over after a few minutes and serve immediately.  I cook the tortillas just until they start to puff up a bit.  They might have just a bit of browning on the edges.  Layer the tortillas with the ground meat and black beans then the cheese and garnish to your liking!   Enjoy!

Tamale Pie

This recipe is absolutely fantastic!  I had forgotten how great it is, and how forgiving it is as a recipe; you can make more or less by adjusting the amount of main ingredients without worrying about the effects, it will still come out great.  You can flavor it hot and spicy or mild.  

This is what you need to have on hand:

Ground round or sirloin (Try 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
Canned, frozen or fresh kernel corn (lots!)
1 can of ripe black olives (sliced)
12-16 ounces of shredded cheese with a good cheddar base (Mexican or fiesta style is great)
chopped or diced tomatoes (the large can)
Salsa - if desired (your style and heat preference)
1 large onion, chopped
chili powder
garlic powder
yellow corn meal to make the "mush" to line the casserole and cover the top for baking

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a glass, ceramic or pottery style casserole (I used a deep dish glass pie
plate which worked great).  Presentation is a plus!

Make up the corn meal "mush"..Basic recipe:  In a sauce pan, place 1 1/4 cups corn meal, 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cook over medium heat on stove top, stirring frequently, until it starts to thicken.  Set aside.

Brown the meat with the onions in a skillet.  Drain off the excess fat.  Mix in the tomatoes (drained), salsa, cheese, corn, olives, and ample chili powder and garlic powder.  I used a cup of salsa, about 2 cups of fresh frozen corn and a good 2 tablespoons of chili powder and a tablespoon of garlic powder.  You want this mixture to be thick because it will gain  juice as it cooks.

Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next line your casserole with the cornmeal mush, yet save enough to cover the top.  I layered mine about 1/4 inch thick this time and I liked it better than when I layered it 1/2 inch thick a few weeks ago, but this can be to your preference.  After you spread the bottom with the corn meal, spoon in your meat and cheese mixture and cover it evenly.  Spread the remaining mush over the top and poke a hole in the very center for the steam and juices to ooze out.  Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.  Let it cool a few minutes.  Garnish with a combination of salsa, sour cream, cilantro, cheese, avocado slices.....

Salmon, fruit salsa, veggies, new potatoes, salad, ciabatta, and a Happy Birthday to me, Simply!

Cooking something beautiful and fantastic can be easy.  On my birthday a few weeks ago, my wish was to have a simple dinner at home.  So this is what we did!

We bought salmon steaks and wrapped them individually in foil and gave them each a dollop of butter, garlic powder, a slight touch of olive oil, and a good squeeze of lemon.

Next we sliced up a yellow crook neck squash and a zucchini and placed the slices in a foil bag with the same seasonings as above.  We closed up the foil bags tight then placed the salmon and veggies on the grill and closed the lid to let them simmer and steam.  Then came the fruit salsa,

This time we sliced up mango, strawberries, tomato, red onion, fresh mint, a delicate splash of lemon, and some apple cider vinegar. Pretty much anything goes.  Fresh pineapple too, I almost forgot!

I had some leftover boiled new potatoes which a sliced up in chunks and pan fried them in a little olive oil and garlic.  Then made up a green salad, and voila!  Simple absolutely delicious dinner!

So this is it!

This is the first post in my food blog which will initially be dedicated to my Hall Family Cookbook which has been in the works for over a decade.  At first I just wanted to compile all the recipes that I grew up with in my own family.  Not too long after I decided that, I realized it would be cool to ask for recipes from my husband's side of the family, and to ask my sisters and their kids to send me any favorite recipes that they had.  I started to get recipes coming in from around the country and found that there were so many different types of recipes coming in.  My love for drawing and art work led me to decide to hand letter and illustrate each recipe.  I am now over 100 recipes in to the cookbook and as I look over each page I have created my heart is filled with great memories and an appreciation for how cooking can thread together a family in so many ways. 

The kitchen has always been the centerpiece to our home for as long as I can remember.  The family dinner table was a tradition that created a time for our family to come together (usually in peace as I can recall) and eat our last meal of the day together.  My mom was an avid cook and baker, and my dad got into it too with a few favorite recipes of his, and of course he was in charge of the barbecue.  I feel that my parents left a legacy that all of us kids (there were 6 of us) inherited and are passing on to our own children, and hopefully to future generations to come.

The other day I amused myself at the thought of creating a food blog, going through each recipe I am compiling in my cookbook and dedicate myself to cooking and blogging about one recipe a week.  I don't know how Julie of the Julie and Julia project managed to do all those recipes in one year!  I am giving myself more space aka less stress! 

The recipes are a mixture of old style, traditional, and newly inspired dishes, baked goods, desserts, and even some drinks.  I am sure you will find recipes that you want to try and they just might become a family favorite for you too!  Enjoy!