Mexican Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you're rested and ready for a short work week.  I am also looking forward to Thanksgiving and seeing our family.  I'm making appetizers for this Thanksgiving and have been creating some great appetizer boards on Pinterest. Here is what Bill and I had for dinner tonight..I didn't feel like going to the store and had a lot of things on hand so here is what I came up with.  I had bought the pasta shells awhile back to make an Italian dish but I had more of the ingredients for a Mexican theme. We loved them and you will too with the countless variations you can create. They are a repeat meal! (And a freezer meal)

Mexican Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells 

Mexican Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

preheat oven to 375
boil 1 large pot of water
Serves 8 

Ingredients:
1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells
1 lb cooked lean ground beef or turkey
1 package taco seasoning
4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups red salsa
1 cup taco sauce (or enchilada sauce works too)
1 chopped chipotle pepper in sauce (optional)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
9X13 greased baking dish

Garnish:
Woodall's Secret Sauce ( 1/2 c salsa, 1/2 c mayo, 1/2 sour cream)
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Avocado
Limes


Directions: 
1.  Boil a large pot of water and cook jumbo shells according to package directions.

2. Drain pasta and place on a non-stick surface so shells wont stick together. 

3. While pasta is cooking start cooking your ground meat, drain fat, add taco seasoning and cook according 

to instructions on package, then add cream cheese and blend into meat. Add chipotle pepper if using at this time too.   

4. Pam your baking dish, Dump 1-2 cups of salsa into the bottom of the dish and begin to stuff 1-2 tablespoons mixture into each shell arranging standing up in the dish.

**Total 30 pasta shells  20 fit in the baking dish. I used an extra baking dish 8X8 for the extra 10 shells and froze them**

5. Finally add cheese:

6. Bake for 30-40 mins until cheese is melted and browning

7. Garnish on individual plate and enjoy!

 

Happy Cinco De Mayo: Easy Shrimp Tacos with Homemade Chips and Guacamole

Easy Shrimp Tacos with Homemade Chips and Guacamole

I made this post on Saturday and forgot to post it!  Here is to Cinco De Mayo - A few days late. 
If you're still looking for something quick to make for dinner tonight or to celebrate Mexican Independence these easy little tacos will hit the spot. Today is the best excuse to eat Mexican food.  ( Not that I even need an excuse to cook/eat and talk about Mexican food)

There are 3 recipes in this quick little meal so let me know if you have any questions.

Ingredient List:
preheat oven to 400 
Serves 4 

Shrimp Tacos:
1 Box Gordon's Popcorn Shrimp
1 bag of shredded Mexican cheese
1 bag shredded cabbage ( i used a coleslaw mix)
1/4 C house ranch sauce
1/4 C sour cream
2 jalapenos chopped and seeded ( optional)
4 tbls white vinegar
1 package small - hand made corn tortillas ( I used Pace Corn/Wheat blend)
2 chopped tomatoes
1 red onion ( 1/2 chopped 1/2 sliced)
Cilantro
Salt

Guacamole:
2 avocados - smashed
1 tsp salt
1 chopped jalapeno
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbls chopped cilantro
1 lime


Homemade Tortillas:
3-4 10 or 12 inch soft tortillas ( you can use anything you have on hand)
2 tbls canola oil
1/2 juice of a limes
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
salt


Directions and Picture Tutorial:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 and put full box of frozen shrimp into the oven.  ( 25-30 mins until crisp)

 2. meanwhile start to make your taco fixings.
Bowl 1: Mix ranch, sour cream and 2 tbls of white vinegar and one jalapenos together in a small bowl set aside. ( add more vinegar if you're looking to thin out the taco sauce) 


Bowl 2: In another bowl mix chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, 1 chopped jalapeno, 2 tbls white vinegar, salt to taste and set aside. 


3. Now prepare your guacamole.
Mix avocados, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic powder, juice of one lime. 

4. Now you have your sauces made make we are going to make tortilla chips. Cut your soft tortillas into 6 pieces or 8.  

Then mix oil, lime juice, chili powder, salt, cayenne ( together) 

Spread out on cookie sheet :  Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 mins - flip 1/2 way through.  

finished tortillas 

5. Put your tortillas and guacamole together on a plate. 

6. Pull your cooked shrimp out of the oven - check to make sure 

add cheese to the shrimps on tortillas  and broil for 3-4 mins 

7. Plate and sever - Dress with cabbage and red onion - serve hot and enjoy!

 

Baked Chicken Taquitos

I am pretty excited about this post.  Taquitos have always been something I seek out on a menu regardless if it's a Mexican restaurant or a bar appetizer. I will also admit when I'm shopping at Costco and hungry, I sneak in a box of frozen taquitos into the cart.  I love taquitos! When I saw this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything's blog I thought about it for a week before I made it.  ( I am still thinking about them)  This recipe was fun, versatile and not fried! Delicious results, creamy, flavorful and easy! I made these with 20 flour tortillas and a few of  corn ( gluten free option, but the flour was better :) 

Baked Chicken Taquitos 

Recipe and Tutorial 
Make 20 Taquitos 
Prep time 30 mins 
bake time 
1 package cream cheese ( I used reduced fat) 
1 cup salsa ( green or red)  
1  fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Tablespoons sliced green onions
3 cups shredded cooked chicken ( about 3 cooked chicken breast or 1 rotisserie chicken) 
2 cup grated pepperjack cheese ( or cheddar) 
1 small can fire roasted jalapenos peppers 
about 24 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
kosher salt
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line baking dishes or cookie sheets with Pam or a silpat. Start by mixing cream cheese, salsa, lime, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder together in your mixer. 

** I used red salsa**

2. Add in cilantro, onions, chicken and cheese - until mixed 

** Do not over-mix**

3.  Next put tortillas in microwave for 20 sections with a wet paper-towel over them to make them easy to work with ( Work in batches of 5-6). Spray Pam on one side of tortilla then place 4 tbls mixture on one side and tightly roll. 

Roll then place in baking dish ( Do not let them touch) Place seam side down.   Pam side will be on the outside. 

4. Bake in oven until golden brown at 425 for about 25 - 30 mins ( check after 20mins) Some mixture will fall out but you can easily stuff back in. 

let cool on cooling rack. 

5. Plate and serve!  Or store in fridge and warm for 10 mins in oven to reheat. These also freeze beautifully too! 

Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole!  Enjoy. 

Love Lydia  

Ahi Tuna Fish Tacos with Creme Fraiche and Handmade Tortillas

You will love these wonderful fish tacos any time of the year. You can change out the fish - or even chicken but I love Ahi and Mahi-Mahi . Trader Joe's has a lot of options in the frozen fish area.   I also am going to include the recipes for how to make Baja Rice and Cuban Beans that we had as side dishes.  Enjoy!  

Bill cooked tonight and this is what we got! 

Ahi Tuna Fish Tacos with Creme Fraiche and Handmade Tortillas 

With Cuban Beans and Baja Rice 

Ingredients and Tutorial 

Marinade and Fish 

1 lb Ahi Tuna ( or any kind of favorite fish)  

1/4 cup oil

1 Serrano pepper

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 lime juiced

2 Tbls honey

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Tortillas

8 corn tortillas 

vegetable oil 

Creme Fraiche  ( mix all together- set aside) 

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 juice lime 

dash salt

1/2 tsp cumin 

Baja Rice

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

1 tsp cumin

1 chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 bunch chopped green onion

1 bell pepper ( any color) 

1/2 juice lime

salt and pepper to taste

Cuban Style Black Beans

1 can ( Trader Joe's) Black Cuban Beans

1 chopped jalapeno

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1.   Bill was in the kitchen tonight!  Go Bill!  He is an amazing cook and has the best knife skills.  

Start with letting your fish thaw ( if needed. Then combine marinade in small dish) 

add oil,chopped pepper, chopped garlic, cumin, chili powder, honey and lime. Stir. 

Put fish and marinade in a non-reactive glass dish or bowl or bag to marinade for 30 mins.  Pre-heat oven here to 500.  It needs to be hot! 

2. While fish is in marinade start your rice.

Put water, cumin and rice in a pot and simmer for 20 mins.  Wait until rice is fully cooked turn off heat. Mix in tomato, cilantro, green onions, pepper, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste . Cover rice and let rest until you're ready to serve.  

3.  Put fish in the oven - Be sure your oven is at hot at least for 10 mins prior to putting your fish in the oven. It will cook quickly and you want to "sear" the fish. I like mine medium rare and the tuna steaks only took about 10 mins total cooking time.  Ours looked like this below:

 

4.Cook tortillas:  I get the ones from Trader Joe's but any corn ones will do.
Put a 1/2 tsp or less ( Pam works too) in a non stick sauce pan and warm on both sides for 3-mins then fold in half and keep warm.

Warm and fold in 1/2 to make taco shells 

5. Cuban Bean - There are easy!  Can dump in bowl, with all ingredients above and put in microwave for 3 mins. That is it! You're done.

Assemble......Enjoy!!!