Fresh Squeezed Margaritas

I love a good margarita, but not the ones from pre-made mixes! It has to use real lime juice! This is the recipe I usually use when making margaritas, and it's really great.  It can be a lot of work to juice enough limes for a big crowd, but it's extremely worth it. Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 part triple sec
3 parts tequila
2 parts fresh lime juice
Ice cubes

Directions:

1. Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake to mix.
2. Pour margaritas into glasses. Serve with ice, if desired

This recipe is based on this recipe.

Garlic Roast Beef

This is a great recipe for roast beef. I love garlic, and this beef has lots of it. It is especially good in French dip sandwiches with a homemade au jus. The best French dips I've ever had!

Ingredients:

2-3 lb beef roast
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil spray
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tsp fresh or dried chopped rosemary
meat thermometer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a thin, sharp knife, pierce meat about 1/2-inch deep in several places and insert pieces of garlic in each hole, pushing in as far as possible.
3. Spray the meat with olive oil spray.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.
5. Place roast into roast pan (or pan with baking rack) and push the thermometer all the way into the center of the roast.
6. When the oven reaches 350 degrees F, place the roast in the oven.
7. Roast until the thermometer reads 125 degrees F for rare, 135 degrees F for medium rare, 145 degrees F for medium, and 150-155 degrees F for well done. The temperature will rise an additional 5 degrees as it sits. (You want the final temperatures to be 130 degrees F for rare, 140 degrees F for medium rare, 150 degrees F for medium, and 155-160 degrees F for well done.)
8. Remove the roast from the oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

This recipe was adapted from Garlic Lover's Roast Beef by Skinnytaste (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/garlic-lovers-roast-beef.html).

Baked Curry Fries

This another fun take on baked fries. These had quite a bit of spice to them, so they were awesome and unique. Definitely will make again!

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, sliced into thin fries
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoons turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Slice potatoes into thin fries and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add spices and olive oil to fries and toss to coat the fries evenly.
4. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake potatoes for approximately 30-45 minutes, turning after 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are crispy on the outside.

This recipe was adapted from http://www.notveganyet.blogspot.com/2014/05/roasted-indian-curry-fries.html.

Freezer Burritos

I'm always looking for meals I can freeze and keep around for lunches or quick dinners. Freezer burritos are an excellent option for this! When I make a big batch of taco meat for dinner, I use the leftovers to make these burritos and then freeze them. I've also made these using some of the Vigo Beans & Rice packets, as a vegetarian option. I love having these on hand for a quick lunch!

Ingredients:

8-10 Flour tortillas
1-2 lbs Cooked taco meat (I've used carnitas and ground beef, and both worked great)
2 cans black, pinto, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded cheese (I like to use a mix of cheddar and pepperjack)
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
Salsa
Wax paper
Foil

Directions:

1. In flour tortilla, layer taco meat, beans, tomatoes, salsa, and shredded cheese.
2. Roll up burrito and wrap with wax paper and then foil.
3. Freeze until ready to eat.
4. To cook, remove foil and wax paper. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, flipping the burrito once halfway through.

The freezing instructions for these burritos were based on a recipe from Taste of Home.

Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake

We've been making tons of pesto recently, thanks to a large production of basil from our garden. This is one of my favorite dishes we've made so far with our homemade pesto. The recipe I based this on had less bacon and was intended to be a side dish. However, I doubled the bacon and it made a great meal! Very tasty but not too heavy.

Ingredients:

1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked (or use whatever you have on hand)
10 oz. basil pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups cherry or sungold tomatoes, halved
1 lb. cooked and chopped bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the pan where pasta was cooked, mix pasta, pesto, bacon pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.
3. Spray casserole dish with olive oil spray (or whatever non-stick spray you have on hand). Pour pasta mixture into dish and top with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake casserole for 15-20 minutes. If cheese is not browned enough, broil for 2-4 minutes.

This recipe was adapted from Budget Bytes (http://www.budgetbytes.com/2009/11/bacon-pesto-pasta-bake/).

Indian Chicken Curry

This curry recipe is delicious, and really close to a butter chicken curry you might get in an Indian restaurant. If you like Indian curry, I highly recommend trying this recipe!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp peanut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (or ground ginger, if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 tsp white sugar
salt to taste
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili paste
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion until slightly browned.
3. Add chicken, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, garam masala, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until chicken is browned, stirring occassionally.
4. Stir in tomato paste, chili paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice, cornstarch, and cayenne pepper. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from Allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/indian-chicken-curry-ii/detail.aspx).

15-Minute Mac & Cheese

Kraft Mac & Cheese was one of my absolute favorites as a kid, and mac & cheese is still one of my favorite sides today. However, Kraft simply doesn't measure up to macaroni & cheese from scratch. I love a good stovetop mac and cheese because it is the perfect creamy consistency. I have made this many times and highly recommend! Or check out my roasted garlic mac & cheese if you prefer baked mac & cheese.

Ingredients:

8-ounces dry pasta (elbow, shells, bow-tie, etc)
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
4 tablespoons butter
8-ounces cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Cook pasta al-dente according to the package instructions. Drain.
2. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and ground mustard.
3. Add butter to the pasta pot over low heat. Add drained pasta to the pot.
4. Stir in the sauce, then the cheese. Stir the pasta until the cheese has melted and desired texture is achieved.
5. If consistency is too thin, remove a portion of the liquid and combine with cornstarch until dissolved. Recombine with mixture in pot. Stir well.

This recipe was adapted from "Quick and Easy Stove Top Mac & Cheese in 15 Minutes" from PBS (http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2013/02/28/quick-and-easy-stove-top-mac-cheese/).