{charmed earth}

The Lifestyle blog of Katie Storms.: something simple, something sweet, something styled.

26 March 2012

{something 5 ways} mexican supper week

I am really excited to start this new feature: Cooking 5 Ways because I enjoy cooking. Really, I do. I like the prep work, I like the freshness of a home-cooked meal, and I like being able to sit down with JV and just enjoy light conversation over supper after a long day at work.

But what I don't like is when cooking becomes a lot of work. And I don't like when cooking becomes expensive either. One way I've found around both of my frustrations with cooking a homemade supper is to make most of my ingredients on a Sunday afternoon or evening. And to have a thread all week long.

Some cooks or families may not be up for Mexican or Italian all week long, but we usually don't mind it. With that said, a few of the recipes I put together are very freezer friendly. So you could easily freeze some of the items to vary the week more.

This week: Mexican 5 Ways.

Shopping List:
2# lean ground beef, ground turkey, or soy crumbles
1 large cucumber
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 container of Greek Yogurt
1 medium can of sliced black olives
2 cans of Rotel
2 bags of dried black beans OR 4 cans of black beans+1 can black refried beans
3+ avocados {1 per night you wish to eat}
1 bag of tortilla chips
1 bunch of cilantro {optional}
16 oz. shredded cheese
1 package of 20+ flour tortillas, small

Pantry List:
chicken or vegetable stock
onions
cumin
taco seasoning
salt
pepper
olive oil
salsa

Saturday:Grocery shop. Eat dinner out with your love, friends, or family. Soak your black beans overnight.


Sunday:Taco Night. This night is also the biggest prep night.
For the Black Bean Soup: In a large pot, bring your soaked black beans to a boil in a mixture of water and the stock. Once beans are tender, {follow the instructions} drain them. Rinse out your pot and heat 2T olive oil and 1 small or medium diced onion. Saute the onions until they are tender. Add 4-6 cups of the cooked black beans, one can of Rotel, and enough stock to just cover the beans. Heat well. Add cumin and salt to taste. After the beans are heated through, remove 1 cup of beans. Reserve them in a bowl. Then, using an immersion blender, blend the beans until the soup is the consistency you like. At this point, you can add more hot water to thin the soup. Add the reserved beans. Serve with Greek yogurt and cilantro.

For the Refried Beans: In a blender or food processor, add the remaining black beans. Process the beans {adding small amounts of hot water or stock} with cumin and salt until they reach a thick consistency. Put beans in a glass container in the fridge.


For the Tacos: Brown your 2 pounds of ground meat in a skillet {you will use this for your burritos and quesadillas later in the week. You can also freeze the meat after it's cooked and seasoned}. Drain the meat. Add 1 can of the Rotel and taco seasoning to taste, following any package directions. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.

While the taco meat simmers, slice and mash the avocado. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Chop your cucumbers. Arrange your other ingredients {olives, lettuce, salsa, Greek yogurt, avocados, and cucumbers}.


Monday: Quesadilla Night.
For the Quesadillas: Reheat some of the ground meat leftover from the tacos in a small skillet or the microwave. In a skillet, heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil. Add a tortilla to the pan and hear it sizzle. Top the tortilla with about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon of meat. Cook until cheese melts. Remove the tortilla from the skillet and fold it over. Cut each quesadilla into three triangles. Serve with your toppings--avocado, olives, Greek yogurt, lettuce, salsa, cucumbers


Tuesday: Black Bean Soup Night
Reheat your Black Bean Soup on the stove top. Enjoy with toppings. Serve it with the fine China.


Wednesday: Nacho Dip Night
For the Nacho Dip: In a heat safe dish, spoon 1/2-2/3 cup of the refried black beans. Smooth the beans into a nice layer. Top the beans with some of the remaining taco meat. Top the meat with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Heat nacho dip in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve the dip with your toppings: avocados, Greek yogurt, lettuce, cucumbers, olives--and tortilla chips.

Thursday: Taco Night Repeat or Black Bean Soup Repeat or Cereal Night or Dine Out Night


Friday: Toquito or Burrito Night
For the Toquitos or Burritos: Heat your tortillas in the microwave for 30-seconds. This makes them hug around the filling more easily. Layer each tortilla with refried beans, about a tablespoon of the meat {optional}, and a tablespoon or two of the cheese. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can without splitting it. Repeat until you have as many tortilla rolls as you want. Heat a teaspoon or two or three of olive oil in your skillet. Add the tortillas, seam side down. Allow them to brown and crisp lightly. Then flip them on all four sides. Once each side has a golden brown color, transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake them for another 10 minutes or so, just so that the cheese is melty and delicious. Serve with your toppings.


Wow. That was a lot. I sure hope that my next week of dinners is just as filling for you.

xo
katie


2 comments:

  1. I love the idea of a Mexican 5 way dinner! Everything looks YUM

    ReplyDelete