Day 8: Mexican tortillas stack ups pg 188

So you guys get two posts today! Yay!

I've been on a Mexican food kick lately.. that's why A lot of the recipes I'm gonna post in the next couple of days are Mexican :-) I hope you guys enjoy these.

Mexican tortillas stack ups pg 188 (makes about 6 servings)

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed ( I made mine from scratch)

They may not look like much, but they are good!

1 can of diced tomatoes (14 1/2 oz)
1 cup frozen corn
1 (1 1/4 oz) gluten free taco seasoning mix (Taco Bell's seasoning is NOT gluten free)
6 ( 6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 oz) taco flavored shredded cheese
1 cup water (Idk why, this was a weird part of the recipe
sliced olives (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish  with nonstick cooking spray
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat . Add onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until tender.

Add beans, tomatoes, corn and taco seasoning mix. Bring it to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low. simmer for 5 mins.

3.Place 2 tortillas side by side in prepared dish. Top each tortilla with about 1/2 cup bean mixture. Sprinkle evenly with one third of cheese.

 repeat layers twice, creating 2 tortilla stacks each 3 high.

Now the directions say to pour water all around, but I don't know why... The water just made the tortillas all weird.. I would just skip this step. or maybe put like a 1/4 cup.

4. cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 to 35 mins or until they are heated through. top with black olives.







These were gooood. I like these. This is a recipe that I am making again. Next time I would maybe not add the whole package of taco seasoning since it was a tad salty, but still delicious. Not hard to make and kinda fun actually. I give it 8 out of 10 yummy stars.

Day 2: Southwestern meat loaf pg 174

So on non-food related news, my mom fractured her arm on Tuesday night. :-(

I've been super busy helping her blow-dry her hair and stuff. It's amazing the kind of stuff you can't do without your right arm. The good news is that they gave her some very powerful drugs. The bad news is that she hasn't done anything cooky yet, which I was greatly looking forward to. But alas, she still has a week or so left of drugs, so my fingers are crossed.

So on to cooking now.

I made some meat loaf!

Southwestern meat loaf pg 174

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion (I learned the hard way that this is important. chop it finely. very finely unless you'll end up with chunks of onions in your meat loaf. You might think that it's not a big deal, but believe me it is.)
1/2 cup pf cornmeal
1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chiles, drained ( ... I might have not used these at all, it might have been like 10 pm when I went to the store and I couldn't find them and gave up...)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, divided


1. preheat your ovens, people. 350 F is your magic number. Spray a 13x9 pan with something nonstick.

2. combine your beef, onion, cornmeal, cilantro, Chiles (if you used them....), egg, cumin, salt, pepper and half the tomato sauce in a large bowl. Mix it. Go at it. I just did it with my hands. It was a good stress reliever. Take the rest of the tomato sauce and combine it with ketchup in a little bowl.
3. shape your meat into a 6x9 inch oval (or like half a football, but a little less football-ee...) put it in the the greased pan.  Pour the small bowl of tomato-ee goodness over it. Stick this meat bun in the oven.  The directions said 55 mins, I did about 65 mins.

4. let your meat loaf stand for about 5 mins before slicing it. I might wait ten. it kinda solidifies as it cools.


So what was the verdict, you ask?

Let me start of by saying I am a meat loaf lover. I never understood people's dislike towards them. what did meat loaf ever do to you, people of America??? All it did was sit there and offer its meaty goodness to fill your empty bellies. It's ok though, meat loaf is a forgiving type of meat. Seek reconciliation friends. Meatloaf is waiting there, with it's metaphorical arms wide open.

 Anyways.

This meatloaf was pretty good. It wasn't the best meat loaf I've ever had. Maybe it's because I didn't add the chiles. The price I pay for going to Publix tired. It could have used a tad bit more flavor, but it was pretty decent. I give it 6.75 yummy stars about of 10.  It didn't stay together very good when I first sliced it, but later it stayed together better, I just think it needed more time to cool.



I made delicious corn and mashed potatoes to accompany my meat loaf. They were pretty good.