Pork Tostadas are open faced sandwiches made on a crispy fried tortilla. Tostada = toasted. Anything that can go on a taco can also be found on a Tostada. You know I am a wimp when it comes to spicy and to me Mexican food meant spicy. Wrong! How did I find out? Last spring I noticed our local grocery offered cooking sessions. Always looking for new dishes and ways to make our meals healthy and varied, I signed up immediately. I’ve added to our food rotation things like Pork Tostadas and more. I love it! For many reasons! HyVee is a regional, employee owned grocery that opened a few months before we bought our home and was a factor in our choosing where to live. Contrary to what some people think, residents of the Great Plains do not shop at trading posts or dingy general ... [Read More]
Main Dish
Chicken and Orzo Skillet
Orzo and Chicken Skillet is a quick fix with full flavor. Tender chicken with a whisper of garlic, delicate orzo cooked in broth with healthy zucchini and tomatoes. On the table in about 30 minutes. All you need is a hearty salad to make it a full meal. Maybe a hard roll or a slice of garlic bread, for the bigger appetites. This can be prepped ahead of time. Be sure to choose smaller chicken breasts – about the size of a deck of cards -- so they cook evenly. Dice the zucchini and bag it in a sandwich or quart bag with the Italian seasoning. Place four chicken breasts and minced garlic in a large zip bag, add the bag of zucchini and freeze. Pull a can of chicken broth and a can of tomato soup, mark them for “Chicken Skillet” Measure the orzo into a small bag and tape it to one ... [Read More]
How to make a burrito
Today's post is a Bytes Bite - where Bytes shares his tips for quick and easy meals. I like having food that's easy to grab and microwave. I've made a pile of Burritos and kept them in the fridge to eat whenever I wanted. Making burritos at home are cheaper than buying the frozen eight packs. If you don’t mind spending the time. Or making a mess. There are three key things to remember when making burritos. First, don't over fill them. Tortillas have a capacity limit, And it’s smaller then you think. If you go over that limit then you just made a mess. A sure sign you over filled is having a hard time folding and rolling. Burritos are easy to roll when you’ve got the right amount of fillers. It’s one of those things you get with practice. Second, use water to seal it up. If ... [Read More]
Orange Glazed Pork Chops
Orange Glazed Pork Chops has been a go-to company meal forevah in our house. When sister Kay called a couple weeks ago and said “if you guys are going to be home, we’ll stop by in an hour”, I said “great, I’ll make dinner” and tossed a pan of these in the oven. When sister Bee and hubs came to celebrate our anniversary with us last Saturday, these were on the menu. That’s why we moved 1000 miles! Not to make pork chops but to share meals and laughter with family whenever we want! I realized I hadn’t shared this oldie but goodie with y’all. The recipe came from an old cookbook -- one of those community compiled books with everyone’s favorite and best recipes. I actually looked up the recipe this morning to give you the real measurements instead of my haphazard memory ones. And ... [Read More]
Salmon Patties with Creamy Dill Sauce
Salmon patties are a favorite way to take advantage of excellent nutritional value offered by salmon, especially Omega 3 and protein. While fresh salmon is available in many areas only on a seasonal basis, canned salmon is available all year round and also wins over fresh or frozen cost wise. Removing the bones from canned salmon is an option, however leaving them in will add calcium and up the Omega 3 fattty acids available. The canning process softens the bones which makes them edible. It is also not necessary to drain canned salmon – just mix all the ingredients together. Make patties in your left hand (if you’re righthanded). Just scoop salmon mixture into the slightly cupped hand and shape with spoon. Add more salmon mixture as needed to make patty uniform depth. Gently ... [Read More]
Wicked Easy Meatloaf
A quick 5 minutes of wicked easy preparation gets this meatloaf in the oven. An hour later, a delicious meatloaf is on the table. Almost magic . . . and the flavor is so good! Monday evening is Bytes turn to cook. He’s developed his own repertoire of recipes that are quick, easy and tasty. He offered to share some of them with you because -- goodness knows -- we all can use a quick and easy dinner that is super yummy. Nothing fancy – just a meal that is quick to prepare and clean up and move on to the evening’s activity. Without further ado, here is the first in a (sort of random) series titled “Bytes Bites” Psssst -- It’s our little secret – but this tastes way better than the meatloaf I used to make! Wicked Easy Meatloaf Print Prep time 5 mins Cook ... [Read More]