Shrimp Tacos

These are yummy! Even if you think you don't like fish tacos because they sound weird, you'll like these. I was one of those people and I *love* them. 


Shrimp Tacos

• 1 lb of frozen shrimp, defrosted, peeled, & deveined

• 6 oz sour cream

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 package shredded cabbage

• 8 corn tortillas

• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix yogurt, cayenne, lime juice, cilantro, & salt in a small bowl, set aside. Cut shrimp into thirds. Sauté in two teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper over medium heat just until done. (I also added a splash of white wine because I had it.)  They cook up in just a few minutes… so be sure to watch them! Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Build your taco!  Place a scoop of cabbage on the warmed tortillas taco, then top with shrimp, and cilantro sauce. Add salsa and extra cilantro if desired.


Adapted from CLEAN AND DELICIOUS


Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ***
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I'm always on the lookout for good Mexican food dishes because Brad *loves* Mexican food and I have a hard time with it. This was easy and pretty darn good. Probably not real authentic (Tex-Mex or otherwise), but still yummy!


Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1/2 cup green chili enchilada sauce (I used THIS brand)

1 container frozen, chopped green chilies, defrosted and drained (I used THESE)
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup jarred salsa verde
8 white corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together enchilada sauce, green chilies, sour cream, salsa, corn tortillas, chicken, and seasonings. Taste the "sauce" to adjust seasoning. Pour into a greased 2 qt. casserole dish (or 8x8 inch baking pan). Top with cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.

Adapted from IOWA GIRL EATS

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Roasted Vegetable and Smoked Sausage Pasta

An easy pasta recipe that used some of those early summer veggies we'd been drooling over in the store.


Roasted Vegetable and Smoked Sausage Pasta
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch slices
1 lb penne
2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced 
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half 
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the side of a knife
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground pepper



Preheat your oven to 375º. Mix all of the vegetables, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper well in a large mixing bowl. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly on a large sheet pan. Roast the vegetables on the middle oven rack for 15 minutes. Add the sausage to the top of the vegetables and roast another 20 minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Turn the oven to broil, crack the oven door, and continue roasting the sausage and vegetables another five minutes. Remove the vegetables and sausage and set the pan aside. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the roasting pan, smash to a paste with the side of a knife and add to the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in over medium heat. Add the butter, wine, reserved cooking water, sausage and vegetables to the pasta. Stir the pasta gently and cook until the liquid is about 3/4 absorbed. Serve immediately.


Adapted from PATIO DADDIO BBQ


Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Pizza Quesadillas

I haven't forgotten this little blog, either. We've been eating a lot of "summer stand-by" meals (when I've actually been cooking!) and so there have only been a handful of new recipes. I'm going to try to get them posted "soonish", though, starting with this one. I actually made it for lunch because I tend to cook more lunches in the summer since we're home more then and that's why Brad didn't give it a rating. We all really loved it, and I've made it a few times this summer already.


Pizza Quesadillas
flour tortillas (two for each quesadilla you're making)
shredded mozzarella cheese
pepperoni slices (about 4 or 5 for each quesadilla)
spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce (you'll just need a little of this)

Brush each tortilla with a thin amount of the sauce (so thin that if you turned it over, none would drip). Top half the tortillas with some cheese, pepperoni, and then a little more cheese. Place the remaining tortillas on top of the cheese. Grill in a pan (with or without butter) on each side until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Cut into wedges.

Adapted from SNIXY KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Rating: 14/15