The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

The first time my (now) husband cooked for me, it was a pretty interesting experience. I politely cleaned my plate, but I made a mental note then and there to always think carefully before accepting any future offers of a homemade meal. Luckily, a lot changes in eight years. My husband, after years of being subjected to my foodie mindset, hours upon hours of the Food Network, and a little trial and error of his own, has turned into quite the cook and I almost never worry about what he’s up to in the kitchen. That’s right ladies, now I’ve got the awesome guy who can cook, too–I’m a lucky girl!

This recipe is all his. It stretches a pound of meat into a very generous (and filling) eight servings and it’s easy to pull together from staples that many of us have in our pantries and freezers. It doesn’t require a packet of taco seasoning, so you get to control not only the spice but the amount of salt in your meal. You can pack it full with as many fresh veggies as your heart desires or you can go crazy with the sour cream and cheese. My favorite part, though, is the homemade tortilla chips. We season them in a dozen different ways: plain, salted, spicy, smoky, ranch, lime and pepper, etc. They’re so easy to customize according to your mood and what you’re serving them with — we haven’t had to buy a bag of tortilla chips in months!

Next time you’re craving a big, crunchy taco salad give this one a try. Invite some friends and family over to help you devour it or pack up the leftovers for lunches. This would be a nice communal meal served on the deck or patio for Memorial Day Weekend gatherings – and a nice break from burgers and dogs. ¡Olé!

Fiesta Salad with Homemade Tortilla Chips
1 pound lean ground beef, ground turkey, or boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces frozen corn
1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 16 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon lime juice
16 white or yellow corn tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Topping Ideas:
Salsa
Sour Cream
Avocado
Green Onions
Lime Wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush tortillas lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay tortillas in a single layer on two cookie sheets and bake for 6-9 minutes until crispy, flipping halfway through (watch them closely or they’ll burn). Remove from oven and cool slightly before handling.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, cumin, salt, and black and red pepper to pan and cook until meat is no longer pink. If necessary, drain off any fat. Add onion and garlic to the meat and cook 3-4 minutes until soft. Reduce heat slightly and add corn, tomatoes, beans and lime juice. Cook another 5-6 minutes until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Break tortillas into quarters and place on a dinner plate. Top with one cup of shredded lettuce, a heaping cup of the meat mixture, tomatoes and two tablespoons cheese. Garnish with toppings as desired.

yield: 8 servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

I have a confession: I love to watch The Biggest Loser. I have another confession: I love to watch The Biggest Loser while eating dessert. There’s probably something very revealing about me in that statement. In fact, it’s highly likely that Jillian and Bob would have a heyday with punishing that out of me. (By the way, the mere thought of that scares the daylights out of me and makes me want to eat more ice cream.)

Anyway, this isn’t about ice cream (though maybe we should do that soon). It’s actually about a recipe I stumbled upon not long ago that originated from The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start. I don’t love it because it’s “healthy” and I’m certainly not on any fitness jump start. No… I love it because it’s hearty, it’s flavorful, and with my modifications to the recipe I can have avocado, sour cream and real cheese (none of that 2% or fat free stuff) without giving it a second thought. These are the sorts of things that make me happy. Well, that and ice cream.

Black Bean Burritos
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup canned fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
ground black pepper to taste
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or mexican blend cheese
2 avocados, chopped
1 cup salsa
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/2 cup sour cream

Add the olive oil to a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Carefully add the broth and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thickened and most of the broth has evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep the bean mixture warm.

Transfer tortillas one at a time to a nonstick skillet over low heat and heat them for several seconds on each side to soften and warm them. Transfer them to your work surface.

Sprinkle each warm tortilla with 2 Tbs of the cheese. Top with 1/2 cup hot bean filling in the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/4 avocado. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla in over the bean filling, then roll up the burrito from an unfolded edge. Top with salsa, sour cream and scallions.

Yield: 8 burritos

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com