Oven Tacos

Thought we'd give these oven tacos a try, something new. Actually the thought of having it half way assembled sounded pretty good, it's hard to fill a taco shell sometimes, especially little hands. This way the meat mixture and cheese is baked into the shell so spillage is eliminated. A bonus to these delicious tacos is the shell doesn't crack all over the place when eating either. I read in comments that some turned out soggy, but mine did not, I guess I let the meat mixture cook down a little more? The shells will be softer but not in a bad way. We loved them, the meat mixture was very good.


Oven Tacos
adapted from Blog Chef

2 lbs ground beef (or turkey/chicken)
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 recipe for Homemade taco seasoning (below)
1 (8 ounce) can low sodium tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can fat free refried beans
2 cups shredded reduced fat Colby-jack cheese
18-20 hard taco shells {if gluten free, be sure they are}

Optional Condiments-
Lettuce (shredded)
Tomato (diced)
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Olives, sliced 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (OR check out The Taco Rack), standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through.
Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.

Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix all together. Store in an airtight container.
I used all of this on 2 lbs of ground meat with a little water mixed in.

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Mexican Stuffed Shells

I finally found some gluten free pasta shells, so I kept them in mind until I knew which recipe I wanted them for. When I saw this version of stuffed shells, I knew it was it. Mexican food always goes over well for all of us. I'm glad I found this recipe because it was a hit. I could eat the meat and cheese mixture by itself, Mmm.


Mexican Stuffed Shells
adapted from The Way To His Heart

1 lb. ground turkey
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (or 2 Tbl of our fave homemade version)
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells (can use gluten free)
2 cups salsa, divided
1 cup taco sauce (see here)
2 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
4 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°.
Pour 1 1/2 cups salsa on bottom of a sprayed 9×13 baking dish, set aside.
In a frying pan cook ground turkey; add taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup water to bring it all together. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa 1/4 cup shredded cheese, blend well. Set aside and cool completely. While ground turkey is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells open side up into prepared dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture (a good heaping tablespoon amount). Cover shells with taco sauce, cheese and green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil last 5 minutes to brown up a little.
Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa and olives.

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Turkey and Bean Tostadas {Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly}

Hello all. I have yet another change to my blog. An even healthier change. Aside from posting about gluten free recipes I will be adding in diabetic friendly recipes now. I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Gee, I wonder why, I have posted lots of yummy recipes here. I am OK knowing I have it I have accepted it, I am exercising at least 30 minutes every day and eating healthier and still gluten free. I am very happy to say that I have LOST 15 lbs since Oct., when I went gluten free. I have started charting my daily workouts on dailymile.com so feel free to workout/follow along with me and we can keep each other motivated =) . You can see my little mile tracker in my side bar there.

Anyways, now I'm really on the hunt for healthy diabetic AND gluten free friendly recipes. If any of you can offer advice, tips, recipe links, etc...that would be great. I am so new to all this and feel lost sometimes. I will be taking nutrition classes soon to help as well.

I was given a few recipe books to get me started, and that's where these Turkey and Bean Tostadas came from. I made them gluten free by using corn shell tostadas, and the chili beans were gluten free. Please note the nutritional info is for flour tortillas (I am learning about that as well for everything I eat). These were really good, everyone ate them and Mr. said he even enjoyed them. That means it's a keeper. BUT, I think I'll make them hard tacos, eating a "flat taco" tostada is a little tricky, especially with the little ones. =)

Turkey and Bean Tostadas {Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly}
 Taste of Home's Diabetic Cookbook 2004.
Makes 6 servings

6 8" flour tortillas (I used corn to be gluten free)
1 Lb. lean Ground Turkey Breast
1 can (15 ounces) chili beans in chili sauce, undrained (be sure it's gluten free)

3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, if desired

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 350'. Place tortillas on baking sheet, bake 7 minutes or until crisp. Keep covered and warm.

Heat large skillet, add turkey and cook until browned, drain if needed. Add beans and chili powder to skillet, cook 5 minutes.

Divide turkey mixture evenly among tortillas. Top with remaining ingredients. Serve.

Nutrition information per serving (note: based on flour tortillas): 1 tostada with toppings

Calories 288
Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2 g )
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 494mg
Total Carbohydrate 34g
Protein 19g
Fiber 2g

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Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

Are you tired of your same old meatloaf recipe? If so give this one a try. I made it gluten free but you can use regular breadcrumbs if you're not. The flavors were great in this with the Italian flavors. We particularly like how the meatloaf held up, it wasn't really dense, it was tender and stayed together, it didn't crumble when sliced. I was also thinking next time I will try layering the meatloaf with some sauce and cheese in the middle for more Mmm. What do you think? Do you prepare meatloaf different ways sometimes?

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

slightly adapted from Full Bellies Make Happy Kids

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce (homemade here, minus the meat)
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan (I used a regular glass loaf dish as in the photo above) with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

*(new cooking time added, mine usually takes 1 hr for 2 lbs meat)

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Fajita Turkey Burgers {Gluten Free}

Here's a great twist on a plain turkey burger. Amp it up by making them into Fajita Burgers. Topped with a tomatillo salsa gives them that "Oooh!" factor, and Mr. raved about them. I've added my gluten free changes to the ingredients. As for the finely chopped veggies, I just threw them in my food processor. These are much too soft to grill so a hot pan works great.


Fajita Turkey Burgers {Gluten Free}
adapted from Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light July 2006

1/4 cup bottled tomatillo salsa

2 tablespoons chopped avocado (I used smashed avocado)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 (1-ounce) slices white bread (I used my gluten free bread)

Cooking spray

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, divided (I used Amazing Taste it's gluten free)

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 egg white
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted (I used gluten free buns for mine)

Preparation
Combine tomatillo salsa, chopped avocado, and cilantro; set aside.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until crumbs measure 1 cup.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

Combine breadcrumbs, onion mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, turkey, and egg white in a large bowl. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Heat pan over medium heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa mixture; top with remaining halves of buns.

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Hoisin Glazed Turkey Meatballs

Once again another Asian style recipe, oh how I love thee. These are for simple flavorful meatballs to serve as is or over rice. I served them with a stir fry veggie mix also. Now these call for ground turkey, I used ground turkey (dark meat) which is a softer texture than the ground turkey breast. Mr. and I both agreed that either ground turkey breast or even ground beef (or chicken) would be better for these as they were really soft. But the flavor of these was really great. I made these up earlier in the morning so the flavors would really come through the turkey.

Hoisin-Glazed Turkey Meatballs
from healthy seasonal recipes

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 scallions, minced plus sliced scallion greens for garnish, divided
1/2 cup finely drained, chopped water chestnuts

1 pound lean ground turkey (you could also use beef)

1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce (below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
black and/or white sesame seeds, for garnish


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sambal and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Stir in 2 minced scallions and water chestnuts. Stir in turkey until completely combined.

Drop turkey mixture by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, gently re-shaping into ball shapes if necessary. Lightly coat the balls with cooking spray and transfer to the oven. Bake until the meat is cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes.
Stir Hoisin sauce, cilantro and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the cooked meatballs and gently stir to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve hot.


Hoisin Sauce
adapted from food.com

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon black bean paste
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 tsp Sambal Oelek
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it emulsifies. Use as directed in recipe.

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Mom's Sloppy Joes

These are mentioned on my other URL but had to bring them here in case anyone is looking for them. These are a tried and true recipe, a fave around here. A simply recipe I grew up with, even Mr. loves them.

Mom's Sloppy Joe's

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
2 TBLwhite vinegar
2 TBL water
2 TBL mustard
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce (gluten free)
2 TBL granulated sugar
24 oz. bottle of ketchup

Brown meat and drain. Mix in remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on buns (gluten free).


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Skillet Lasagna

Here's an easy recipe for a weeknight dinner, no need for the oven it's an all in one dish for the stovetop. Use your favorite small pasta shape (I thought a big swirl pasta would be neat, but they just grew in size and was too big for this, lol). Don't freak out about the cottage cheese either, it kind of dissolves into this, or you could also do what I did, when combining Parm and cottage cheese, smash it up with the back of the spoon to break down those curds. Served with a salad, it's a great meal.

Skillet Lasagna

adapted from allrecipes

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water (may need more while cooking)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups uncooked small shaped pasta (I used a big Trottole shape)
3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, parsley, oregano and salt; mix well. Stir in pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, may need to add more water if it seems dry and uncooked.
Combine cheeses; drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto pasta mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

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Saucy Meatballs

I made these to snack on from the crock-pot on Christmas day. These would be a great appetizer for a party. I adapted these recipes a little, using 3 pounds of ground meat for lots of meatballs, and kept them warm in the crock-pot. We loved them!

Saucy Meatballs
slightly adapted from allrecipes

2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 dash garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper
3 pounds fully cooked meatballs (recipe below)

In a deep sauce pan, combine the first nine ingredients, Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Add meatballs and sauce to a crock-pot and keep warm on a low/warm setting to serve.


Homemade Meatballs
adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver

12 saltine crackers, crushed
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 large eggs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400'.
Combine the ground beef and turkey with the crackers, mustard, oregano, eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently toss and mix until well combined. Using a small scoop (mine is a 1 TBL size) form meatballs. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Use in recipe above.

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Christmas Day Snackin'

What we're snacking on today for Christmas 'linner: Saucy Meatballs, Savory Ham & Gruyère Palmiers and Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Watch for these recipes to be posted very soon! Merry Christmas blog Fans!

PS. these would be great for a New Year's Eve party too!

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