Tamale Pie

As long as I can remember I have heard that my Dad's favorite dish was tamale pie. I have never had it before and had no idea what it was - although visions of very yummy tamales did come to mind for obvious reasons. When he was out visiting us I set my mind to making tamale pie. I thought it was going to be hard but rather it was a casserole! HA! How easy is that?!?!? So I called my mom got the recipe and mixed this bad boy up. Just by reading the recipe you can tell it is an old recipe created in the casserole hay days of yester year. I was surprised it was so healthy, easy and that my entire family enjoyed it. I think we will eat this on my dad's birthday every year to honor him. Corny I know but it will make me happy to do so. :) When I served it to my dad he said he thought it was an Asian dish. It made me laugh but I didn't correct him - its not really Mexican either. Lets face it, its American.

1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 lb. ground turkey or if you must ground beef
2 cups milk
2 small cans or one large can tomato sauce
1 can corn (15 oz)
1 cup corn meal
1 little can diced olives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder

1.) In a large frying pan saute the onion and pepper until softened then add the garlic and heat until fragrant then add the ground turkey (Sprinkle the turkey with a little salt if you are salt feigned like me). Saute until the meat is cooked through.

2.) Then mix in the other ingredients. Stir well. Pour it into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes.

* I added two large cans of tomato sauce so ours was very soft. I really liked it though.

On Break

I am on a food break. My tummy is really messed up lately. Everyday I have stomach aches and some of my favorite foods are the triggers so I am having to really watch what I eat. Bummer. Plus to be honest I am cooked/baked out. This time of year I care very little about cooking...I just want to be outside and when I do eat its generally something I just whip up. A fast fresh soup, salad, a sandwich, an orange, whatever is fresh and fast. So here is to a baking and food break.

Emily's Vegan Food

Stewart's Cousin stayed with us on his journey out to California. He is vegan and I wanted to cook something that would be fitting for his diet. So I made some dishes that were not crazy or weird though still vegan...well I did try some vegan muffins which were weird and not my favorite but other then that I made normal dishes that are naturally vegan.

Now you must realize now how I cook - its very different from how I bake - I don't usually follow a recipe, never ever exactly. I add a little of this and a little of that and taste as I go until I am happy with it. So I am writing a recipe but know I am really just guessing here. I might have really used 1 TB oil - I really have no idea I just poured until it looked "right". So take this more as a recommendation and then make it your own. For me that is what cooking is all about.

Mexican Noodle Soup

2 TB olive oil
1 med onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
4 medium tomatoes diced small
4 TB fresh cilantro
dash of dried basil
1/2 to 1 cup small noddles like Mexican style broken vermicelli or orzo
5 cups vegetable stock - if you want you can use chicken stock
salt and pepper

heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Push onion to the side of pot and add the noodles. Saute until they start to get a nice golden brown color. Then add the garlic and cook just until fragrant. add the diced tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. Stir and let cook a little while. Then add the broth and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until the noodles are tender but still firm and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese (if not being served to a vegan), diced avocado, lime wedges, warm tortillas, and chopped cilantro.

Lentil Curry

1 large onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 TB olive oil
1 large red pepper chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 cups mushrooms minced
1/2 TB salt
pepper
red curry powder to taste
yellow curry powder to taste
cumin
citric acid to taste (a little goes a long way, if you don't have this used lime or lemon juice in its place)
1 - 1 1/2 cup lentils
5 to 7 cups vegetable broth
1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut milk

heat oil, add onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, and carrots and cook for a couple minutes then add minced mushrooms and seasonings. Stir in rinsed lentils and coconut milk and broth. taste soup to adjust he seasoning. let simmer until the lentils are soft. I served with rice and I put cheese on the kids because it was "too spicy!" :) but I liked it best by itself.