Something Quick: Samye's Taco Salad

Chase's mom Samye came up to visit us in September (was it really that long ago?) and one night she made this for dinner. Chase of course had eaten it many times before, but I hadn't. I was skeptical of 1000 Island dressing on taco fixin's, although it explained why Chase dips his tacos in it. And yet ... IT WAS DELICIOUS.

Then again, you can't really go wrong with Fritos and a mom's cooking.

I had been craving it since then, and I finally broke one day a couple of weeks ago and told Chase we were having it for dinner. He did not protest.

We use a bit less 1000 Island than Samye does, but it's a recipe that's easily made to any taste.

And just easily made.

Happy cooking!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Samye's Taco Salad

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat

½ - 1 cup 1000 Island dressing

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can black beans, drained

1 can black olives, chopped

1 cup chopped lettuce

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 10-oz bag Fritos

1 packet taco seasoning

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat and season with taco seasoning according to package directions.

2. For the vegetarian version, use

½ packet of taco seasoning mixed into the drained black beans.

3. In a large mixing bowl, toss lettuce, tomato, olives, beans and cheese.

4. Add half of the bag of Fritos to the veggie mix, crunching the chips slightly in your hands as you add them.

5. Toss the veggie mix in the 1000 Island.

6. Stir about two-thirds of the taco meat into the mix.

7. To serve, place a handful of the remaining Fritos on a plate. Top with a heaping scoop of the salad mix and sprinkle with extra taco meat.

8. As always, enjoy!

Salad mix, all mixed.

Ready for eating. It's just that easy.

Now that's some happy cooking! :)

Something Extra: Cucumber Hummus

This Christmas, I got a food processor and one of the first things that Chase and I did with it was attempt to make hummus. The first attempts were satisfying enough (we certainly ate it all), but we couldn't quite get the texture right.

Finally, in a stroke of genius, Chase suggested we add cucumber to the mix. It worked! Granted, the flavor is a little untraditional, but it's absolutely delicious.

We also used peanut butter instead of tahini, a traditional ingredient that's about 10 dollars for a tiny jar. For us, the peanut butter substitution was great, but if you happen to have tahini or gobs of food money laying around, give tahini a try.

Have a great weekend and happy cooking!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cucumber Hummus

Ingredients

1 can chick peas

½ cucumber, peeled

1 Tbsp peanut butter

½ tsp basil

½ tsp oregano

1 clove garlic, chopped (brown in skillet first for a milder flavor)

approx. 1 Tbsp lemon juice

approx. ½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toasted pita bread or pita chips

Directions

1. Add chickpeas, peanut butter, garlic, basil, and oregano to food processor. Blend until mixed.

2. With the food processor running, add about half of the olive oil into the processor through the tube and mix.

3. Add lemon juice and cucumber, cut into small chunks, into the food processor. Blend until the cucumber is processed and blended in.

4. With the food processor running, add the remaining olive oil into processor, until the mixture becomes smooth. Add a little more or less oil to get to your desired consistency.

5. Add salt, pepper, and additional lemon or spices to taste and blend.

6. Serve with toasted pita bread or pita chips.

Something New: Dad's Five-Bean Chili

First new recipe of the year!

My dad concocted this recipe sometime when I was a kid, combining lots of beans for flavor and taking the chocolate idea from the Skyline chili he ate in Cincinnati back in his residency days. It all comes full circle back to Ohio!

Then, while Chase and I were in Oklahoma over Christmas break, we made this recipe for his Mema & Pa and family. I hope this becomes a tradition: last Christmas, Chase and I made soup for his family, too! Food is a happy gift to give.

(To the Bolligs: Sorry it took a couple weeks to get the recipe up!)

This recipe can also be done in a slow cooker. Cook sausage in a large skillet, throw everything into a crock pot, and cook all day on low. Easy as that.

Happy cooking to all!

ps- The recipe for the bread pictured can be found here.

pps- Because this is a bean-heavy chili, it's easily vegetarian. Just skip the pork!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dad's Five-Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 lb country-style ground pork sausage

2 32-oz cans diced tomatoes

1 can black beans (16 oz for all beans)

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 can white northern beans

1 can chili beans

1 Tbsp chicken bouillon crystals, or 2 bouillon cubes

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp chili powder

1-2 tsp dried onion flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp garlic powder

2 squares Dove dark chocolate

Shredded cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook sausage through.

2. Add tomatoes, beans and all liquid in cans (Do not drain!) to the pot.

3. Mix in spices.

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered at a simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until thick.

5. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

It took two pots to feed the Bolligs!

The secret weapon: chocolate!

Happy cooking!

Something New: Old Fashioned Bean Soup

Since it's been snowing for a straight week now in Columbus, I knew that this week's new recipe had to be soup. Mostly because I wanted to make soup. This recipe was the first to fall into my hands when I was flipping through the cookbooks, and while I had to wait 20 hours between starting time and eating time, it was worth it. Nothing was complicated. That's just the nature of soaking beans and running the crock pot.

My grandma made this for all the cousins when she'd have us over for game days. We could smell the soup cooking all day as we played cards (caddy!), and then near dinner time our parents would come over so they could eat soup too.

So this chilly week, stay in and eat soup!

Happy cooking!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old Fashioned Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 lb dry navy beans

1 meaty ham bone (I used a 1.5 lb bone-in ham shank)

1 cup chopped onion

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 quarts (8 cups) water

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight according to package directions.

2. The next morning, drain and discard the soaking water (not the same thing as the 2 quarts water).

3. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover.

4. Cook on high for about 8 hours.

5. Remove ham from cooker and debone. Shred the ham or cut to bite-sized pieces.

6. Stir the ham back into the soup. Serve.

Beans in a pot for their overnight soak.

Yes, this will turn into soup.

Ham off the bone (it fell off itself), waiting for shredding.

Delicious pile of slow-cooked shredded ham.

Happy cooking!