Turkey Tacos

We love taco night in this house.  Any kind of tacos...beef, shredded pork, shrimp, fish, and a new addition...turkey.  These tasty, spicy, crunchy tacos are the perfect fix for when you're feeling like a quick taco night at home.  Using ground turkey instead of beef cuts back the typical grease and fat that usually comes along with tacos, making this a quick and satisfying meal you can feel good about eating.  Try these out on Super Bowl Sunday and you won't feel so guilty while everyone else is munching on wings dripping in ranch...trust me!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ small onion, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon chili con limon

1 tablespoon oregano

Salt and pepper

1 cup water

Cilantro, grated cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, sour cream for topping

Directions:

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.  Add ground turkey and brown.  Once the meat is browned add all the seasonings.  Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.  Add water, turn heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Don't forget to add some Guacamole and chips to complete the meal!

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Check out more ideas for Super Bowl Sunday at Eat Yourself Skinny

Guacamole

Guacamole is easy to make...take some ripe avocados and mash them up with different seasonings and what not.  I've made lots of guacamole, but getting the perfect spicy, citrus, seasoning combination has taken some trial and error.  This recipe however, has just the right amount of everything .  Whip some up for a tasty addition to tacos or burritos, or enjoy as a healthy dip with chips or taquitos on Super Bowl Sunday...knock yourself out!

Ingredients:

4 avocados

1 jalapeño, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Scoop out avocado into a small bowl.  Add chopped jalapeño, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice.  Mix well, mashing the avocado with a fork.  Add seasonings to taste and mix well.

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Buffalo Sliders

You might expect ground buffalo meat (otherwise known as bison) to taste gamey but don't knock it till you try it!  It has a slightly sweeter taste than beef and is tender and juicy.  According to the USDA, it also has some added health benefits when compared with beef including less calories, fat, and cholesterol. It is also higher in protein and contains 69% more iron than beef.

These buffalo sliders are packed with flavor and are perfect for game night or a fun weeknight meal.

  

Makes 6-8 sliders

Ingredients:

1 pound ground buffalo

½ of a medium onion, sliced into rings

Cheddar cheese slices

Salt and pepper

Slider buns

Homemade Thousand Island (See recipe below)

Homemade Thousand Island:

Mix one part ketchup with three parts mayonnaise and a dash of white vinegar.  Add chopped pickles. Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk together until incorporated.

Directions:

Caramelize onions with olive oil in a small pan over low heat.  Meanwhile, form buffalo meat into slider sized patties.  Season well with salt and pepper.   

Heat a grill over high heat and sear sliders until cooked through (about 3 minutes each side).  Top each patty with desired cheddar cheese slices after flipping once.  Remove sliders from grill and add buns to toast (about 1 minute).

Assemble sliders with caramelized onions and homemade thousand island.  Enjoy!

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Potato Cheese Soup

I have to admit that cold and gloomy weather is my favorite.  I love when everything looks dreary outside and I can hear the sound of raindrops on the roof, just as much as I love spending a rainy afternoon in the kitchen making warm and comforting soup.  This potato cheese soup is one of my favorites for a rainy day, or any kind of day for that matter.  Chunks of potatoes, leeks, onion, and garlic swimming in lots of gooey cheese...yes please!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 pound potatoes, cubed

1 quart chicken broth

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, and leeks in butter until tender.   

 Add potatoes and chicken broth.  Cover pot and bring to a boil.  When potatoes are tender, add milk.  Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth.  Stir in cheese, and season. 

Top with more cheese and bacon.

 

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Sunrise Muffins

This weekend the hubs and I took some time to reflect on our last work week.  We were both tired, hungry, and cranky when we got home from work...no bueno.  Neither of us wants to fuss with making dinner or cleaning up, and picking up takeout always seems like a great alternative.  Again...not good,  considering the fact that we've both been trying to eat healthier and save money.  The solution?  I decided to sit down and try my hand at meal planning for the upcoming week.  Shopping with a plan has never really been my thing.  I'm the kind of girl that goes to the store hungry (I really don't suggest this) and buys whatever sounds good.  The problem...I end up with a lot of food I don't use and still have no idea what to make for dinner.  So, this week I'm going to plan out my meals, use an actual shopping list, and begin prepping meals for the week in advance.

Another issue...the hubs and I hardly ever wake up early enough during the week day to eat a good breakfast before work.  This is a real problem not only because it's unhealthy, but it's really no fun showing up to work with a million emails and phone calls to attend to on an empty stomach.  So, first on my list of things to prepare this weekend and enjoy during the week are these perfectly balanced and tasty breakfast muffins...sunrise muffins to be exact.  

These muffins are the perfect size to eat on the go or take with you to work for a quick, hassle free, healthy breakfast.  Just bake them on the weekend, pop in the microwave for a minute, and enjoy any day of the week! You can throw in any ingredients you like and really make these your own!

*I only made 6 muffins to try out, but next time I would double this recipe to make a full dozen!

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients:

¼ cup roasted red peppers, chopped

¼ cup onion, chopped

½ cup cheddar cheese

4 strips cooked bacon, chopped

6 eggs

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray (*Use a lot of cooking spray so that muffins won’t stick).

Sauté onion and roasted peppers in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add bacon to pan and cook for about 2 minutes.  Take pan off heat.

In a medium bowl, lightly scramble 6 eggs.  Add ¼ cup cheese to eggs and mix to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add onion, pepper, and bacon mixture into eggs.  Stir to combine.

Spoon egg mixture into prepared muffin tins.  Top with remaining ¼ cup of cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until eggs are no longer runny and muffins have puffed up a little and solidified.

 

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Lavender and Honey Cupcakes

What can I say about these lavender and honey cupcakes?  What can't I say about them!  They are AMAZING!  Hands down the best thing I've ever baked.  I love using lavender in cooking, it has such a surprising and unexpected flavor.  So when I found these lavender and honey cupcakes from Better Homes and Gardens I knew that I had to try them for myself.

These cupcakes have such a sweet smell and delicate floral taste, and you definitely can't have just one!  If you make these for a friend...I'm warning you...you will want them all for yourself!

Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons dried lavender

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup milk

Honey Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, the 2 teaspoons lavender, and the salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, honey, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

Honey Frosting:

½ of an 8-ounce package of cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Allow cream cheese and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat  cream cheese, butter, honey, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping or spreading consistency.

Pipe or spread with Honey Frosting. If desired, sprinkle with additional lavender. 

Recipe from BHG

I added these cupcakes to the Mrs. Fox's Sweets Party come check it out!

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