Crock on with your Good self--Crock Pot Beef Fajitas

I love cooking in a crock pot...basically we ran holiday errands yesterday while dinner cooked itself.  You could do this on a week night if you either prepped the night before or got up 10 minutes earlier in the morning.  The flavor slow cooks in all day and the beef is fall apart tender when it is ready.

Katie W...this one is for you.

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak cut into 4 pieces
1 medium onion chopped
1 green pepper sliced
1 red pepper sliced
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs cilantro
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp cumin
1 Tbs lime juice
1 10oz can dice tomatoes with green chilis (I used Rotel mild, use regular Rotel for more heat and spice)

Tortillas
Cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa

Place steak in a slow cooker; top with onions and remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
Remove meat and shred.  Serve in tortillas with toppings. 

To make Better add one element of organic steak, organic, garden grown or farmer's market onions and pepper or whole grain tortillas.  To make Best add multiple elements of  organic steak, organic, garden grown or farmer's market onions and pepper or whole grain tortillas.

Now...if you happen to have any left overs...you can turn this into the Best Beef Tortilla Soup.

Take the steak and cut into small pieces and put into a stock pot.
Dump the remaining left overs from the crock pot into the stock pot.
Add one carton of beef stock.
Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy the Best food!
Patty

0

Simply the Best-Sausage, mushroom and chestnut dressing

This dressing does take some work, so it is only for special occassions...but it is simply the Best!

1 lb fresh chestnuts
4 onions thinly sliced
2-4 Tbs olive oil
16 oz. mushrooms (I used a combo of white button and baby bellas) chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs butter
2 lbs sweet italian sausage, removed from the casings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Score each chestnut with a deep X and place on a baking sheet.
Roast chesnuts for about 15 minutes. 
Let cool until cool enough to handle.  Once cooled remove shell of chestnuts and put the chestnut meats aside in a bowl.

Saute onions in olive oil over medium low heat until carmelized, about 30 minutes.
Turn heat up to medium high and add mushrooms.
Saute mushrooms for about 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Turn heat to high and add white wine.  Let the wine cook off for a few minutes.  Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in butter 1 Tb at a time.  Remove from heat.
Add chestnuts to the onion and mushroom mixture.

In a large skillet brown sausage for 5-7 minutes until cooked through .  Add to mushroom mixture.

You may now serve as dressing along side your turkey or roast chicken.  You could also stuff your turkey or chicken with the mixture as you would a bread stuffing.  I served this as a side.

To make Better add one element of organic or farmers market onions or mushrooms or use organic sausage.  To make Best add multiple elements of organic or farmers market onion and mushrooms and organic sausage.

Have the Best holidays with the Best food!
Patty

0

Thanksgiving with Good Better Best

After Christmas, which is my favorite holiday for so many reasons, Thanksgiving is my other favorite holiday.  While we all love being together with family, the real star of Thanksgiving is the food.  It's the perfect Good Better Best holiday.

So as you start to prep your meal planning, and maybe you have already started, there are simple ways to incorporate Good Better Best into the Thanksgiving meal.  Here are some ideas....

Turkey (the super star of the meal)-think about getting an organic turkey this year.  You can't beat the flavor.

Stuffing-use a whole grain bread or organic corn bread.  This year I am making a non-bread stuffing with organic sweet italian chicken sausage and I a roasting chestnuts to put in it for the first time ever!  Thanks to Lisa M. and Marisa for your chestnut roasting tips.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Potatoes/sweet potatoes-use organic or get these at the farmer's market.

Root vegetables-butternut and acorn squash add wonderful elements to the meal especially when organic or from the farmer's market.

Cranberries-go organic.

Pumpkin pie-use organic pumpkin and think about making a whole wheat crust.

Kitchen basics-organic chicken broth, organic eggs, fresh herbs from your garden or windowsill.

I hope that the ideas are flowing with Good Better Best as you prepare for the biggest food holiday there is!

Wishing you the Best Thanksgiving.
Patty

0

Apple and Shallot Turkey Burgers

My husband aka Run Daddy has now run 22 marathons as of yesterday completing the 2010 Marine Corp Marathon.  Before a big race, and after the carbo load, he needs to eat something mild.  But mild does not need to be bland and before the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon in September I made Run Daddy these turkey burgers and then again on Saturday night before Marine Corp.  The apples and the shallots keep them from drying out and give them great flavor and you can enjoy them whether you run marathons or not.

Good Recipe-Apple and Shallot Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey
1 small apple
1 large shallot
1 tsp poultry

Peel and core apple.  Chop apple into small pieces. 
Chop shallot into small pieces.
Combine ground turkey, apple and shallot in a bowl.  Add poultry seasoning all are well combined.
Make medium sized burgers, this should make around 6 burgers.
Add burgers to a preheated grill and cook until well done and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Serve on a burger bun.

Better: Add one element of organic ground turkey, organic/farmers market apple or shallot or serve on a whole grain bun.

Best: Add multiple elements of organic ground turkey, organic/farmers market apple or shallot or serve on a whole grain bun.

Enjoy the Best Food!
Patty

0