Roswell Adventures

During the crazy-busy summers, it can be challenging to figure out what to make for dinner. One day last week I realized I had mushrooms and sour cream, as well as our staples of ground beef (we purchase a quarter of grass-fed beef at least once a year) and gluten-free pasta. Stroganoff it is. One slight issue - I needed a recipe. After looking around at several options, ranging from no seasoning to a rather extravagant preparation, I found this recipe for Best One-Pot Beef Stroganoff Ever . Since I only use gluten-free pasta, I adapted the preparation to an almost-one-pot, as I cooked the pasta al dente and added it for just the last few minutes of cooking. I played with the ingredients a bit (as usual), and here is what I came up with. With a side of veggies, this made three meals for Chuck and me. Sorry - there are no pictures, because writing this was an after-thought :) (Almost) One-Pot Stroganoff Ingredients ~2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I just swirl some into th...

These tacos are AMAZING!!! I also use this filling for stuffed peppers, to stir into scrambled eggs and more. Adjust the heat by adjusting what kind of chili powder and salsa you use.   Tater Tacos - Just one option :)                  Lentil Tacos   Ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped onion 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 cup salsa 12 taco shells 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce 1 cup chopped fresh tomato 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 6 tablespoons sour cream Directions: 1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Red...

I found this in Parade Magazine, and it is fabulous. I didn't change the original recipe much, but I make a few adjustments, which are reflected below. I have also included links to my favorite spices. You can use what you have at home - these are just my preferences. JAMBALAYA Ingredients 1 lb organic, skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tsp sea salt, divided ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (about 20 grinds) ¾ tsp smoked paprika 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium shallots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 medium yellow, orange or red bell pepper, chopped 1½ tsp roasted granulated garlic Dash of ground chipotle 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed (you can substitute water or boiling water mixed with 3/4 teaspoon Chicken Better Than Bouillon) 1/2 cup canned tomato puree OR crushed tomatoes simmered until thick 8 oz smoked Andouille sausage, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices 1 lb la...

So much squash...so little time. And another post without pictures... Un-Stuffed Squash 3 slices bacon, chopped 1 lb ground beef 2 onions, chopped 2 cups tomatoes 4 cups sliced summer squash 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups prepared rice 1/4 c sour cream 3/4 tsp green chile powder In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until mostly cooked. Add onions and beef. Cook until onions are tender and beef is cooked through. Add in garlic. Cook for one minute more. Add squash and tomatoes. Cook until squash is al dente.  Stir in rice and cook until rice is hot.  Mix sour cream and powdered green chile to use as a topping. Serve quash dish with green chile sour cream.

Cold weather means it is time for soup! I love this soup because it is quick, easy, and delicious. Look below recipe for tips on making your soup even easier to make. Ham & Potato Cream Cheese Soup 6 c. water 6 tsp. Chicken Better than Bouillon 2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, cut in small cubes 4 c. peeled potatoes, diced 1 ½ c. fully cooked ham, diced same size as potatoes 1 tsp olive oil 3/4 c. finely chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp. roasted garlic granules ) 1 tsp. dill weed Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. While onions are cooking, bring water to a boil and whisk in Better than Bouillon. Reduce heat to medium. Continue whisking while adding cream cheese. Heat until melted. When cheese is melted, add garlic to onion and cook one minute longer. Add onion mix and all remaining ingredients to the sauce pan and simmer ~15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. "Make it quicker" Tips: B...

I fell in love with green sauce when I first tried huevos rancheros - green at what has become my favorite restaurant - El Mirador in Deming, NM. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! It has been a while since our travels coincided with their open hours, but the next time they do, I will be having my favorite breakfast and likely bringing a quart of sauce home. But I digress... One of my first tasks upon moving to New Mexico was to develop a recipe for green sauce so we could have "huevos rancheros green" on a regular basis. I remember asking a friend, a native New Mexican for help - and she laughed at me because she didn't cook. I think that has changed over the years, but I couldn't wait for her to develop a passion for cooking and somehow channel the perfect green chile sauce recipe, so I began hunting around for ideas and tweaking them.  I have included two versions of what I came up with - large batch (which I usually make) and small batch, for those d...

Soup season is upon us! Chances are most of us have some odds and ends in our kitchen and fridge that we could make into soup. This is what happened with me on a recent Saturday. I had small sandwich bags with cauliflower and celery left from a lunch that day. I decided to dig through the fridge to see what else to add it, and here is what I came up with. By the way, if you are one of those people who thoroughly dislike when you are not given exact measurements for recipes, I apologize in advance. I also apologize for lack of pictures. We didn't plan well and kind of chowed down without taking any. Cheesy Vegetable Soup Vegetable Base Ingredients Cauliflower , chopped into florets then thinly sliced (about 1 cup) ~ 8 baby carrots , sliced thinly 3 veggie-try sized pieces of celery, chopped 1/ 2 onion, chopped  ~1/2 cups finely chopped green chiles ~1-inch wide str...