Turkey Taco Burgers with Green Chile Sour Cream

These burgers were a really nice change to your regular summer burger, and perfect for Taco Tuesday! They're super easy to make with an addition of taco seasoning and a few spices. But the thing that takes them over the top is the green chile sour cream and the guacamole. Top 'em off with your classic lettuce, tomato and onion and you've got yourself a dang good burger and a quick and easy week-night meal. (Recipe and picture adapted from Sweet Treats and More)

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of McCormick's Hamburger seasoning (optional)
• 4-6 whole wheat hamburger buns
• 4-6 slices cheese

Toppings:

• Lettuce, Sliced Tomato, Sliced Onion, Cheese, Avocado/Guacamole

Green Chile Sour Cream

• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 3 Tbsp. diced green chiles
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 5-6 drops hot sauce (to taste)

In a medium bowl, mix the ground turkey, taco seasoning and spices together. Form into 4-6 patties and place on a hot grill. Cook until cooked through, flipping once. (You can also cook the burgers in the oven and broil each side for 7-8 minutes until browned and cooked through). Top each patty with a slice of cheese and leave until melted.

For the sauce: mix together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

To assemble: spread the green chile sour cream on the buns, then assemble hamburgers with your choice of toppings.

 
 
 



Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Peach Barbeque Sauce

A few weeks ago I had my first Georgia peach I've ever had. I was actually a little skeptical when I saw peaches in the grocery store becaue it seemed so early! Growing up in Utah our peach season didn't usually start until late summer so I thought surely they would be tart and hard. But what started with a single Georgia peach turned into literally dozens within just a couple of weeks. I can't get enough of the sweet juicy taste that each peach holds! Peaches are by far my favorite fruit. I even dressed up as Georgia Peach for Halloween one year, with a satin peach colored hoop skirt and white sandals. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this recipe was with fresh summer peaches. The June 2012 issue of Southern Living had an entire section dedicated to peach recipes and this was the first one I tried. I'm planning to try each and every one of them, by the way...

Back to the recipe: The pork chops are marinated in a brown sugar ice water and they pick up just a hint of sweetness that pairs perfectly with the peach barbeque sauce. The flavors of the barbeque sauce mesh together wonderfully: ginger, garlic, and onions are lightly sauteed, then mixed together with a mixture of ketchup, peach preserves and peaches that makes for a sweet and tangy sauce. This is the perfect summer recipe and makes for a unique and delicious twist on your basic grilled pork chops, or even chicken! Next time you have a bbq try this sauce out. I promise you won't be disappointed! And for all you fellow peach lovers, don't worry - there are many more peach recipes to come! (Picture and recipe courtesy of Southern Living)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups ice cubes
• 4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 2lbs.)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup peach preserves or jam
• 2 large peaches, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add boiling water, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in ice cubes to cool mixture. Add pork chops; cover and chill 30 minutes. Meanwhile, saute onion in hot oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, 45 to 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add ketchup, peach preserves and peaches. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add vinegar; season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Remove pork from the brine. Rinse pork well and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium high) heat. Pour half of peach mixture into a bowl; reserve remaining mixture. Grill pork, covered with grill lid, 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop registers 145 degrees. Baste pork occasionally with peach mixture in bowl. Remove pork from grill. Serve with reserved peach mixture.

Strawberry-Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

Well it was Sunday dessert time and after a dinner at my in-laws, my sister-in-law Lauren and I threw out ideas with the ingredients we had and came up with these babies! And I am SO glad we did.. The cupcake itself is soft, moist and cakey with chunks of fresh strawberries and chocolate chips. Then top it all off with a homemade whipped cream frosting and it honestly doesn't get any better than that! I love all the yummy fruits this time of year - especially berries and peaches.  My mom was in town this weekend and we went to a local farmer's market where they were selling huge blackberries, blueberries and buckets and buckets of peaches - my favorite fruit ever. I love summer desserts with fresh fruit and these cupcakes fit right in. I loved the sweet-tart flavor of the strawberries mixed with the deep chocolate flavor. And the frosting is so simple, but tastes perfect mixed with the sweetness of the muffins. After all, who doesn't love homemade whipped cream? (Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats; Picture courtesy of Lemons & Anchovies)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
• 1 cup milk
• 2 2/1 cups finely chopped strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Frosting:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3-4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition until incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter between paper liners, filling about 3/4 full. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling, mix the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer until thick and spreadable, but stop before it turns into a stiff buttery substance. Pipe or frost onto cupcakes after they are completely cooled. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Creamy Chocolate Ice Cream

I think everybody needs a basic chocolate ice cream recipe. Just think of all the possibilities you can do with it: Rocky Road, brownie chunks, Reese's cups, Chocolate-Strawberry, Caramel... and all of you more creative people can think of dozens of other flavors and add-ins to try. Or, if you like to keep it simple, just leave it plain and you'll be left with a creamy, thick ice cream that melts in your mouth. My mother-in-law and I made this up along with some strawberry ice cream to eat after a hot day of swimming, BBQ and yard games. I can't think of a more perfect ending to one of those days than homemade ice cream. This is a very basic ice cream recipe that literally comes together in less than 10 minutes. The tricky part is just waiting for it to cool so you can add it into your ice cream maker to enjoy the result. I'm looking forward to the summer months ahead to try out more flavors and new mix-ins... there really isn't anything that can compare to the taste and texture of homemade ice cream!! (Picture courtesy of Amanda's cookin') 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in whipping cream and vanilla just until combined. Pour milk mixture into a medium saucepan and add in chocolate chips. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate chips melt into the milk mixture. Remove from heat and let cool 15-20 minutes. Put pan in fridge and let cool completely (about 1 hour). When mixture is cold, pour into ice cream maker and proceed following manufacturer's instructions.

(Note: if you prefer your ice cream to be harder, simply transfer to a Tupperware and put in freezer for 1-2 hours or until it hardens to your preference.)

Smoky Bacon Pork Chops (or Chicken)

When I moved to Tennessee a couple of years ago I was nervous and anxious about a lot of things such as living among complete strangers and environments, being away from my family and friends, finding a good job that would support Neal and I while Neal finished school, and finding a good grocery store. I know, I'm such a nerd.. but grocery shopping is very important to me! I look forward to my weekly trips and finding new ingredients and recipes to try. When we moved here I tried 3 or 4 different stores that were close to where we lived and finally settled on Kroger for the majority of my shopping. Overall, it's a great grocery store and has everything I need and want at a good price. Then a few months ago, we moved to a town home a few miles down the road and all my grocery store options changed. The nearest Kroger was now completely out of the way and I absolutely hated the layout of the store and the lack of items that they carried. It's funny how two of the same stores can be so different.
So, from the recommendation of my mother-in-law, I tried Publix which was literally 1/2 a mile from our new home. Tried it and loved it!! I'll spare you all of the reasons why I'm addicted to shopping there, but one of the things I love is that they have one similar characteristic to Costco. Any guesses? Free samples! They have a mini kitchen type of set-up near the front of the store where they cook 2 or 3 new items every week for you to try out. There's also a rack of recent recipes they've made that you can look through for ideas and get all the ingredients while you're in the store. These smoky bacon pork chops were one those recipes that I tried while looking at the cereal aisle. I took the first bite and walked right back to the recipe rack to grab the recipe card and gather the ingredients. Neal loved it and scooped the leftover topping out of the bowl with a spoon. The pork chops or chicken breasts are topped with a creamy, cheesy and smoky sauce that adds fantastic flavor to the meat. It's a cinch to throw together and it can easily go from a quick weeknight meal to a Sunday dinner with guests. No, it's definitely not the healthiest dish (at all), but try substituting turkey bacon and light mayonnaise and you won't feel nearly as guilty. Served with a green salad and some warm bread and you've got yourself a quick and easy meal! (Picture and recipe courtesy of Publix) (And sorry for the lengthy description.. It really is delicious! :) )

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped bacon pieces
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce
• 2 tsp. McCormick GrillMates Mesquite seasoning
• 4 pork chops or chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Season pork chops/chicken breasts with mesquite seasoning and place on baking sheet. Combine cheese, onions, bacon, mayonnaise and hot sauce in a small bowl. Spread cheese mixture evenly over the meat. Place on middle rack of oven. Cook pork chops 8-9 minutes, or chicken 20-25 minutes, or until no longer pink. Increase oven heat to broil and broil 2-3 more minutes or until cheese is lightly browned (Be careful to watch as you broil the meat so nothing is burned). Serve warm from the oven.

Oreo Pudding Cookies

Maybe I'm a bit behind in the way of cooking, but I have never used pudding in cookies before! I have tried it in cakes and loved the soft and moist results, so of course I thought I should love it in cookies too, right? Right! These were fantastic. So soft and moist and I loved the addition of the Hershey Cookies 'n Cream bars. Ive only tried the Oreo pudding in these cookies, but I'm sure you could mix and match pudding flavors and mix-ins that would have excellent results. Some versions that are on my list to try: Chocolate pudding and chopped Reese's cups, or lemon pudding with white chocolate chips. So if you're looking to make some cookies but want something different from your regular chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, try these! They're just as easy but have a unique taste and everybody will love them. (Recipe and picture courtesy of Sweet Treats and More)

Ingredients:

•  1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (4 oz) package Oreo pudding mix
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Hershey's Cookies & Cream bars, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl, set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in pudding mix until blended, then eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and soda mixture. Stir in the Cookies & Cream bars and chocolate chips. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched lightly. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on size.

 

Glazed Mini Meatloaves

I'm back!!! No, I'm not dead, and no I have definitely not given up on this blog! And I have a whole bucketload of recipes that I've tried and loved over the past few months that I'm so excited about sharing! And all of them are very easy and quick which is always a good thing. I haven't had much time (if I've had time at all) over the past few months to plan or cook anything big or time consuming, so get ready for a bunch of simple but delicious dinner recipes to try out.
This first one went over really, really well. Is it just me or is everything better when it's mini-sized? Example: Cupcakes vs. Cakes. There's no guilt in a little cupcake! Riiiight..  Keep telling yourself that Mer. Another example: Sliders. My current favorite slider: the salmon patty sliders at Ruby Tuesday. Small and packed full of yummy flavor! These mini meatloaves fit right in to the "mini" category that seems to be everywhere lately. I had all of the ingredients for these meatloaves in my pantry and fridge which meant one less trip to the grocery store - Score! I loved how tender and juicy these meatloaves turned out. But my favorite part was definitely the glaze. Who knew 3 ingredients could taste so great together? I love the down-home taste and flavor of this meal. It's definitely going down as one of our regular meals from now on. (Picture and recipe courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients:

• 17-20 Salting crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup minced parsley
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/1 pounds ground meat (I used ground pork, but ground beef or a combination would work great!)

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tsp. cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Stick cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.  Crumble ground meat over and combined until uniform.  Shape mixture into oval loaves and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf, reserving about 1/3 of the glaze for dipping. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center of the loaf is no longer pink or registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Oatmeal Snack Cake

First of all, in case you haven't already noticed, I'm not the best at posting recipes consistently. Especially now that I'm in the midst of tax season again. Finding and trying out new recipes usually doesn't happen as much during this time of year simply because I usually go for the simplest and easiest meals, usually the ones I have in my memory that I can whip out in no time. So let me apologize before-hand for the next couple of months and the lack of recipes that are sure to follow. :)


This cake was the exception. I found myself on yet another Sunday, craving something sweet and something different. I had my eye on this oatmeal cake for several weeks and had never found the time to make it. But you all know my philosophy: Sunday evenings are best lived when there's something sweet in the kitchen. I absolutely loved this cake. L-O-V-E-D it. I think I justified eating it every day for breakfast this week since it had oatmeal in it. That's kind of healthy, right??? I love this cake for its simplicity, good texture and even better taste. The oatmeal in this cake gives it more of a substance rather than a taste, so if you're not a big oatmeal fan, don't worry! This bears no resemblance to the thick bowl you're used to eating (or avoiding) in the mornings. The coconut and pecans in the icing remind me of a German chocolate type of frosting, but not so thick. It's extremely quick and easy to throw it all together and before you know it you have cake for dessert! And for breakfast for the next several days.. (Recipe and picture courtesy of Annie's Eats/Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients:
For the cake:

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats (not the old-fashioned kind)


• 3/4 cup water, at room temperature


• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp. baking soda


• 1/2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon


• Dash of ground nutmeg


• 4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature


• 1/2 cup granulated sugar


• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar


• 1 large egg


• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Icing:

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar


• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled


• 3 Tbsp. milk


• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut


• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the oats and water. Stir together and let sit until absorbed, about 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter and sugars together on high until light and fluffy - about 2-4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture in two additions and mix just until incorporated. Add in the soaked oats until combined, about 15 seconds.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and tap lightly against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Smooth with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan, about 10 minutes.

While the cake cools, heat the broiler in the oven. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, butter and milk. Stir in the coconut and chopped pecans. Pour and spread the mixture evenly over the cake. Return the pan to the oven and broil until the topping is bubbling and golden, about 1-2 minutes. Watch the pan cake carefully to ensure the topping doesn't burn!!! Let cool in the pan at least 1-hour. Slice and serve.

Oreo Brownie Trifle

I used to hate Oreos. I know, I know... Please don't hate me, but I did. My grandma used to keep them in a snowman cookie jar in her kitchen and they were the first things my brothers would go for whenever we visited her. But not me. I would always take a Dum Dum sucker or some crackers before I would go for an Oreo. Luckily, somewhere along my path of life, things changed. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but all of the sudden I loved Oreos. I could literally eat an entire package in one sitting if I really wanted to! To this day I still can't quite understand why I hated them so much, but I do know that I missed out on a lot of creamy, chocolaty goodness in my younger years. Thank goodness my tastes have changed! I made this trifle in honor of one of my good friends for her baby shower. I knew how much she loved oreos and anything chocolate, so I decided to combine the two flavors and make a rich, gooey dessert. I had to laugh every time someone asked me for the recipe at the shower because it is so simple. Unbelievably simple. As in 4 ingredients simple. I've always loved trifles and this one is not an exception. Oh, and did you know that there was an Oreo pudding mix you could buy? Just keep the calories coming baby! (So much for my "Healthy Year" resolution.. But I can cheat once or twice, right...?) (Picture courtesy of Love from the Oven)

Ingredients:

• 1 box of brownie mix


• 1 box Oreo pudding mix


• 1 cup heavy whipping cream


• 2-3 Tbsp. sugar


• 1 package of Oreos

Bake brownie mix in a 9x13 pan according to the box instructions, let cool completely. In the meantime, make up the Oreo pudding according to the box instructions and refrigerate. With an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer), whip the whipping cream and sugar together on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form. Put half of the Oreos into a Ziploc bag and seal it tightly. Crush into small chunks using a hammer, rolling pin, tin can, etc. - use your imagination! Once the brownies are cooled, cut them into small squares and crumble half of them in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Scoop half of the Oreo pudding mix over the brownies and smooth over so all of the brownies are covered. Scoop half of the whipped cream over the oreo mix and smooth to the edges of the bowl. Sprinkle half of the crushed Oreos all over the whipped cream. Repeat the process again, layering with the remaining brownies, pudding, whipped cream and crushed Oreos. Decorate with whole Oreo cookies along top of the trifle. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

As of yesterday, my husband and I decided to go on a very healthy diet and start working out more often. I guess you could say we just started our New Year's resolution a week early. One of my goals for this year is to plan and cook healthy dinners and this recipe falls right into that category. Have you ever eaten a spaghetti squash? Or better yet, have you ever cooked one and then witnessed the miracle when it turns from a regular summer squash look to stringy spaghetti?! I think I spent a good 10 minutes in awe that I could lightly touch the squash with my fork and it would somehow transform into a form of noodles! I then proceeded to tell my sweet husband every detail of the process.. Poor thing. Always has to listen to my food stories. :) I was extremely surprised at how good this meal tasted. Neal commented that if he didn't know it was squash, he would have thought it was regular pasta noodles! It is an extremely easy meal and took me about 20 minutes to put it all together. Dinner made and on the table in under 30 minutes is a HUGE bonus in my book! I used basic ingredients for the squash: ground chicken, mushrooms, spinach, spaghetti sauce and cheese. Just keep it simple. And don't worry, when everything is put together, it makes a lot of food. Serve with a side salad and some garlic bread and you've got yourself a pretty darn good meal. Let me know if you've ever had any fun experiences with spaghetti squash!! (Picture courtesy of My Kitchen Addiction)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash


• 1 pound ground chicken (or beef)


• 2 Tbsp. butter


• 1 cup diced mushrooms


• 1/2 cup frozen spinach


• 2 cups spaghetti sauce


• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the spaghetti squash in half (I found it was easiest to stick the point of my knife in first, and then push down the rest of the knife. Continue all the way around until cut in half). Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Place squash halves cut-side down on a plate and microwave for 10-12 minutes, or until soft. Using a fork, scrape out the inside of the squash, forming spaghetti-like strands. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground chicken until cooked through. Drain the grease and set aside in a small bowl. In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms and spinach until softened. Add back in the ground chicken and the shredded squash. Pour the spaghetti sauce over everything and stir to combine. Spoon the squash mixture back into the squash halves and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Place squash halves on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Serve immediately.