South-of-the-Border Salisbury Steaks w/ Polenta

So when someone says Salisbury Steak I think of TV dinners with a mini meatloaf thingy swimming in cheap gravy along side mac and cheese or mashed potatoes.  Just another classic American creation.  I wondered why they call it Salisbury Steak, because obviously it is not a steak. So of course I Wikipedia'd it.

Salisbury steak is a dish made from a blend of minced beef and other ingredients, which is shaped to resemble a steak, and is usually served with gravy or brown sauce.  Salisbury steak was invented by an American physician, Dr. J. H. Salisbury (1823–1905), an early proponent of a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss; the term "Salisbury steak" has been in use in the United States since 1897. The dish is popular in the United States, where it is traditionally served with gravy and mashed potatoes or noodles.

Recap: a poor man's steak that helps cut carbs...

Anyway, the whole thing sounds a bit gross to me, so maybe I should have named the recipe something like Mexican Turkey Patties with salsa/guacamole comb alongside veggie packed polenta.  But that is wayyyyy to long of a title.  So really that is what I am going to make: a healthy, lighter, spicy and way more fun take on SS. (Which will serve about 4 people)  Make this when your tired of tacos (or chicken)!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb of ground turkey
• spices for turkey: 1 heaping tablespoon of cumin, 1 tsp of oregano, 1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder, 2 tsp of salt, couple grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1 chipolte in adobe minced
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 slices of pepper jack cheese (or cheddar is good here too)
• 1 box of quick cooking polenta**
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 cup of corn (fresh or frozen)
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1-2 jalapenos
• 1 small red onion
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup of non fat plain yogurt
• 2 limes
• salt
• more cumin for salsa

Directions

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Shape into something that looks like a steak.  About 1/2 inch thick. Kind of a like a burger, but thin.  (Some people like to add egg and breadcrumbs, I didn't find it necessary here, but do it if you like)
2. In a skillet heat some canola oil on high. Brown both sides and cook until done. (about 7 minutes each side, depending on how thick you made them)  Remember you need to cook ground turkey all the way through, if using beef you can cook until desired doneness.  As soon as almost done, top with cheese and let melt on top
3. Roast your poblano peppers over an open flame and then clean off charred skin and chop. Reserve in a bowl with the corn. (Roast them same as red peppers)
4. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, jalapenos and onion and reserve in a bowl.  Squeeze first lime over the salsa. Add salt to taste and about a 1/2 to 1 tsp of cumin. Mix to combine.
5. Another bowl add the avocado, lime juice of second lime (I used only half the lime actually) and yogurt. Combine until creamy and almost saucy. Add salt to taste.
6. Quick cooking polenta should take about 5 minutes, follow the directions on the box.  When that is done stir in your reserved poblano peppers and corn.
7. To assemble: Take a steak and top with a dollop (yea had to check the spelling lol) of guac cream, then your chunky salsa.  Serve alongside your tasty polenta!

¡Buen apetito!

**Side note about polenta: ok so if you've never had it, its like corn grits- something like grainy mashed potatoes that taste like corn. Personally, I like the hard polenta cakes that you fry then eat, but I didn't have time. Also if you can't find quick cooking polenta all you need is cornmeal.  On every package of cornmeal I've ever bought it gave you directions for polenta- pretty easy just add cornmeal, salt and water and heat on heat until thick-stirring often. Anyway, hard polenta cakes are amazing- but you need to prep a day in advance.  Make the polenta then cover and put in the fridge over night.  It sets up and then you cut and fry in a pan until golden brown on each side and warmed through. Yum. Or you could always serve with rice :)

I made it in a sauce pot, then transferred to a baking dish and popped under the broiler for about 10 minutes to get all golden on top

Beefy Southwestern Casserole

So this is basically a hamburger helper but way more delicious.  When I tasted this it was amazing.  Also super easy to make.  Originally I was making tacos but I got lazy and made a casserole instead.

Potential other names for this dish:
Beefy Burrito Casserole
Taco Pasta Casserole
Beefy Taco Casserole
and the list goes on...

If you wanted to add things like fresh peppers and onions that would be great in here too.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta- your choice.  I used half whole wheat rotini and half regular elbows
• 1 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese, plus a little more for sprinkling on top
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed- I obviously used black beans
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (usually I make my own but we all cut corners sometimes)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
2. Boil water for the pasta, cook until al dente, drain and reserve
3. (If you are adding fresh ingredients like peppers or onion cook them in the skillet before the meat.  Cook only a couple minutes then incorporate them into the meat while browning.)
4. In a skillet brown the meat and crumble.  I followed the directions on the taco seasoning packet- when the meat is brown, drain and then add the seasoning and about 1 cup of water.  Heat until thick.
5. In a big bowl or right in a large 9 x 13 casserole dish mix the pasta, meat, cheese (leave some for the top!), salsa, beans and corn.
6. Sprinkle the top with some cheese, cover and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. 
7. If you wanted a brown cheesy top- turn on your broiler, remove the foil and let it sit under the broiler a couple minutes until brown and bubbly.
8. Top with jalapenos, sour cream, more salsa etc- whatever you like on your tacos!

Spicy Mexican Stir Fry (Fajitas)

This recipe is basically a fajita recipe without the tortillas.  Fajitas are traditionally served with a tortilla so that's why I named it a stir fry instead of a fajita recipe.  I love spicy food. I even got to use my homemade pickled jalapenos to top it all off.  This recipe could seriously feed about 6 people.  If you are making for a lot of people I would probably just double the rice recipe. This is why I call it budget friendly, because with just a few ingredients and big bold flavor you can feed a bunch of people some delicious stuff.  Honestly, this is one of my go-to cheap, fast and easy recipes.  It really isn't original, but its damn tasty.  Even my boyfriend walked into the kitchen and said "FAJITAS!?" LoL.  This recipe is also wonderful because you can tweak it to your preference and you subsitute any meat (I used chicken in this one). You could add beans and/or corn to the rice to push more flavor and texture.  I actually prefer the fajita way (wrapped in a tortilla)- because it's just more fun to eat :)

Sazón: This is why the rice is orange.  It is a Latin seasoning that I used sometimes to incorporate flavor into, well really anything.  The box says you can add it to meat as a rub, or soup, or stews, or veggies- it's an all purpose seasoning.  There are different brands and blends but it usually has a bit of cilantro, paprika, saffron, garlic powder, ground cumin and salt.

Chipolte in Adobo: This little secret is just one of my favorite cooking ingredients.  They are smoked jalapenos in a sauce that is made up of tomatoes, salt, vinegar, and other spices.  I did say I liked spicy foods.  You can find these in a small little can- might have to look in the Mexican/International food aisle.  These can get spicy so start small and work your way up.  Besides the spice, you get this awesome smokey flavor. So good.

Vegetable Oil: I used vegetable oil, which is a switch-up from my usual extra virgin, but veggie oil has a higher smoke point- which means it can get way hotter then EVOO- which makes for quick cooking and brown food. Whenever making a stir-fry (Mexican or Asian influence) always use a high smoke point oil.  How do I know the smoke point? A good rule of thumb is that the lighter the color of the oil- the higher the smoke point.

Ingredients

(Tbsp= Tablespoon)
For the Stir-Fry/Fajitas Mixture:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small can of tomato sauce (8oz)
• 1 chicken bullion cube
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp of coriander
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 chipolte in adobo, chopped
• salt, pepper, vegetable oil

For the Rice:

• 1 cup of rice (I used Jasmine rice)
• 2 cups of water
• salt, pepper
• 1 packet of sazon

Directions

1. For the rice: put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about anywhere from 10-20 mins.  You could wait for the water to boil, then add the rice, but I was just being lazy, and it still turns out the same.
2. Slice the chicken into strips and prepare all your veggies.
3. Using the biggest skillet you have- put it over high heat and add the oil. Make sure the oil is super hot and throw the chicken in and season will all the spices (including the bullion cube).
4. When the chicken is almost completely done cooking throw in your veggies and garlic. Keep stirring to incorporate the spices- Using tongs helps here.
5. At the very end add the tomato sauce and chipolte in adobo.  Taste it and make sure its good and you're ready to serve along side or on top of the rice.
6. My favor garnish is pickled jalapenos and sour cream- as you can tell from the pictures.