Cheeseburger in a Bowl

Here is a wonderfully easy recipe that takes relatively little prep time and utilizes ingredients that I usually have on hand in my kitchen. It's very forgiving and substitutes and omissions can be made without a problem. I'm not a fan of kale, but this is a painless way to get some of that leafy green goodness into a dish.

Ingredients

1 pound grass fed ground beef
4 potatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch kale, ripped into bite sized pieces
1 cup chicken stock
Worchestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Sea Salt
Pepper
1/4 grass fed cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef and onion in a heavy skillet. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.. Remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Turn heat on skillet to medium. Add the potatoes, kale, and stock to the skillet and cover. Cook until potatoes are tender. Make sure your stock doesn't run dry.

3. When the potatoes are done, add the beef and onion mixture back in, along with a splash of worchestershire sauce. Turn off the heat and mix it all together. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and add the lid for a another minute until melted.

Mom Tips

* If you don't have stock, you can use water. If you don't have kale you can use spinach (but don't add it in until the last two minutes of cooking the potatoes). I've accidentally left out the worchestershire sauce on several occasions and it turns out just fine. Purple potatoes make this dish quite pretty!

Chili

This recipe is so simple, but the family devours it every time I make it. In fact, there are fights over who gets the leftovers for lunch the next day. I prepare it in the morning and let it simmer in the crockpot all day so it's nice and thick by the time we eat it.

Ingredients

Oil
1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
1 Lb Ground Beef (or turkey)
2+ Cloves Garlic
Chili Powder, to taste
Salt
1/4 Tsp Paprika
1/8 Tsp Pepper
1 Carton Pomi Chopped Tomatoes or 4-5 tomatoes, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 C Cornmeal
1/4 C Flaxseed Meal
1/2 C Dry Kidney Beans, soaked overnight in filtered water and 1 Tbsp whey
1/2 C Dry Cannellini Beans, soaked overnight in filtered water and 1 Tbsp whey

Directions

1. Saute the onions and garlic in oil, then add the turkey and spices and brown it until cooked through.

2. Combine the turkey mixture with the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot and cook all day.

3. Serve with cheese or sour cream on top.

*Serve with cornbread, or cous cous, or over baked potatoes.

Mom Tips

* Dad doesn't like beans so I often make extra beans, puree them, and sneak it into the pot. You can also puree almost any kind of vegetable and sneak it in there if you want to. Carrots and red peppers work well.

* If it's summer and you have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute chopped tomatoes for Pomi, but who wants chili in summer? I don't buy canned tomatoes because of the BPA in the cans. Pomi tomatoes come in a carton and are imported from Italy. Although they're not organic, they're grown using sustainable practices. Whole Foods has the best price on them around here - surprise, surprise!

* I like to make my spice mixture ahead of time. I just quadruple the recipe and keep it on hand labeled "chili.". Then I add a heaping tablespoon to the pot.

Fajitas

We heart fajitas!

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts or 12 oz of Steak, cut into strips

6 Flour Tortillas

1 Medium Bell Pepper, cut into strips

1 Medium Onion, sliced

1 Medium Tomato, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Seasoning Ingredients

1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 Tsp Oregano

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Ground Red Pepper

1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/8 Tsp Onion Powder

Directions

1. Place meat in a bowl and sprinkle the seasoning over the top. Chill for at least half an hour.

2. Heat an iron skillet to medium-high and add some oil. Add the peppers, garlic, and onions and cook for about three minutes. They should still be slightly crisp. Remove mixture from the skillet.

3. Add more oil to the skillet and put the meat in. Cook through. Add the onion mixture back into the skillet, as well as the tomatoes. Cook and stir until heated through, about one minute. Add the lime juice and stir.

*Serve in warm tortillas with black beans, Mexican rice, avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

Mom Tips

I do all the prep work for this meal during the day so I can just throw it together at dinner time. I slice and chop the veggies, and cut the meat and add the spices to it. It comes together really quickly. Then later, while I'm cooking on the oven, I wrap some tortillas in some foil and heat them in the oven on about 300 degrees until I'm done.

You can also make this recipe with steak. Use about 12 ounces. I like to order our beef from Hearst Ranch because it's grass-fed. You can always find great coupon codes and free shipping, and the beef is excellent. Once you order for the first time, they start sending you great deals on free meat. They have fajita packs, which means I don't have to slice the beef myself!

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair

I don't really follow measurements for this recipe, I just throw it together. The ingredients below are estimates, and you can make it your own by varying the amounts of the ingredients or trying out different spices. You can make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken - just as delicious! Dad likes a lot of onions and I like a lot of garlic, so ours is usually heavy on those two ingredients. The secret to this dish is tossing it with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end - heavenly!

Ingredients

1 8 Oz Package Angel Hair Pasta

Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, chopped

3 Cloves Garlic

2 Large Tomatoes, chopped

2-3 Chicken Breasts, cubed and cooked

1 Handful Fresh Basil, chopped

1 Pinch Salt

1 Pinch Crushed Red Peppers

1 Splash Balsamic Vinegar

Shredded Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet on medium-high, add oil. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt, and crushed red peppers. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot.

2. While mixture is simmering, prepare angel hair.

3. Add mixture to pasta. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Penne With Sausage & Peppers

*I adapted this recipe from one I found in Parents magazine, January 2010.

Ingredients

2 tsp Oil
12 oz Sausage (I use this one from Whole Foods)
1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Medium Bell Peppers, cut into strips (I like to use red or yellow)
1 c water
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/8 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 lb Dried Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (Trader Joe's has an affordable, whole wheat organic penne)

Directions

1. Heat a pan on medium-high. Add oil and sausage; cook until brown on all sides, 4 minutes. Stir in onion & garlic; saute for 1 minute. Add peppers, water, tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper, and Worcestershire. Cover; bring ingredients to a boil. Lower heat, simmer 10 minutes.

2. Remove sausages; slice. Return to pan and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until liquid is slightly thickened. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Toss sausage mixture with pasta.

*Serve with a salad and Herb Focaccia Bread with oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping - yum!

Tips

Buy the organic bell peppers and the sausage in bulk when you can find them on sale; slice the peppers into strips and freeze them for later use.