Taco Cornbread Casserole

I found this on Debbi Does Dinner's blog -- tweaked it a bit to suit my family.  (see link for her original recipe) Very good, they loved it - I'll be making it again for sure!

Serves 4-6
1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 lb (approx) cooked ground beef, seasoned as for tacos (I used salt, pepper, cumin, a dash of chili powder, and 1/2 cup hot salsa)
1 can beans*  (original recipe used black beans, I used chili beans)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup colby jack, cheddar or mexican cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 can sliced olives (optional, I forgot)

In a large bowl, combine the corn bread mix, butter, egg and milk until blended.  Spread into an 8 x 8 pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.   -- Or short version:  Prepare according to package directions. 
Brown ground beef, and season well.  Drain.
Combine meat, beans and 3/4 cup cheese and spread over corn bread.  
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.  
Combine sour cream and onion.  
Serve topped with the sour cream/onion mixture and sprinkled liberally with tomato, lettuce and remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. 
***
Changes for next time & other notes:
Saute onion, add to ground beef
Cook meat ahead to save time.
Add a can of ro-tel to the meat instead of salsa.
Use green onion in sour cream
Add red and/or green bell pepper to lettuce and tomato --the color and crunch would be great!
Remember the olives!
Serve with salsa, if desired
Beans -- black beans would be great, but P isn't a fan. Chili beans worked very well,  and their seasoned "juice" was a good addition to the meat.  Could use pinto or red beans tho may need additional seasoning.
Might try with jalapeno cornbread for an added "kick."
Might also try with corn added to the taco meat for added color and as another veggie.

Apple Flognarde

Found this at Chicho's Kitchen blog - very easy, very fast, very yummy!  Great for a quick dessert, and it's good hot or cold.

Ingredients (serves 6):
3 apples
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup + 1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven at 400ºF.

Peel and core the apples then cut into chunks.

Grease a tart tin or pie plate with butter and sprinkle some flour. Place on a baking sheet.  Place apples in the prepared tart tine or pie plate.

Gently heat the milk until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended and foamy. Add the sugar, flour, oil and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

Using a ladle, carefully pour the liquid batter over the apple chunks, filling up to the rim.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until the flognarde is puffed and golden. 

****

Notes:

I cut the apples into a large dice instead of chunks.

Expect that it will deflate a bit after you remove it from oven.

Pizza!

I've tried several no-yeast pizza "doughs" and they just didn't pass muster.  I've recently been experimenting with yeast doughs and this one has had rave reviews from two teen boys as well as P!

This makes 1 14-inch thick crust pizza or 2 12-inch thin crust
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal


Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt. Stir very warm water and olive oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.  Note:  I mix this in my KitchenAid mixer w/ dough hook = very little kneading by hand.
2. Lightly oil 1 (14-inch) or 2 (12-inch) round pizza pan(s). Sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape dough into smooth ball. Divide and roll dough to fit desired pan(s). Top pizza as desired.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Baking time depends on size and thickness of crust and selected toppings.

Ideas to try...Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough:  add 2 tsp of dried basil, oregano or rosemary and 1 clove finely minced garlic along with dry ingredients.  Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:  replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour.

Pork Loin in Red Wine

This recipe was modified from MaryAnn Esposito's - Ciao Italia recipe for Pork Loin in Barolo Wine.
I used a good red wine (Barolo is a bit expensive -- $40+), and dried rosemary rather than fresh.
I wasn't sure how this would go over with P, since he's not a fan of rosemary, but he loved it!  Tonight he's taking several leftover slices to make sandwiches for dinner at work.


2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary OR 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
5-pound boneless pork loin roast
2 cups Barolo wine (or other good red wine)*
1/2 cup tomato paste

Mince the garlic and rosemary together. Place the mixture in a small bowl and add salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork roast.

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the roast and let it brown in its own fat. (*Note:  I had to add about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil).  Lower the heat to simmer, pour in 1 cup of the wine, cover and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Turn the meat once or twice halfway through the cooking process.

Combine the tomato paste with the remaining wine and add it to the pot. Cover and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, until the meat thermometer registers 155-160, and meat is tender.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board; allow it to rest, covered loosely by aluminum foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut the roast into 1/4-inch slices. Return the slices to the pot and reheat; serve with some of the pan juices.

From the original recipe:  Note: This roast may also be made in a slow cooker. After browning the roast, set the cooker on LOW, put in the roast and leave it cooking for 8 hours. Add the rest of the wine and the tomato paste after 1 1/2 hours have elapsed.

Serves 12 to 16.

I served this with fettucine alfredo, as requested, but want to try the Broccoli Rape with Olives she made on that episode.

*I may  try a Zinfindel next time -- the jammy, spicy flavors could go well with pork...or, perhaps, a Merlot due to it's rich flavors of blackberry, plum and cherry.

My Lasagna

Here's the recipe for my "standby" lasagna -- basic, hearty, quick to put together.
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage (bulk sausage)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 to 1 lb sliced mushrooms, sauteed
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1-3/4 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg slightly beaten
several (depending on your taste) fresh basil leaves, chopped  (or 1/2 tsp dried)
several fresh oregano leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
handful Italian parsley, chopped
9-12 pieces oven ready lasagna noodles, uncooked
16 oz. (4 c.) mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute mushrooms.  Set aside.
Saute onion, garlic; add ground beef.  Cook until browned, drain.  Cook Italian sausage, drain if needed.  Add onion and ground beef to sausage.
Stir in spaghetti sauce, spinach, and mushrooms.
In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, basil, oregano, parsley.
In a 13x9x2 baking dish, spread 3/4 cup meat sauce.
Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna crosswise over sauce.
Spread about 2/3 cup ricotta mixture evenly over pasta.  Spread 3/4 cup meat sauce evenly over ricotta covering pasta completely; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Repeat above steps two more times.
Top with remaining 3 pasta pieces.  Spread remaining meat sauce completely over pasta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes, remove foil.  Bake 10-15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Makes 10 to 12 servings

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