Simple Saturdays: Turkey Taco Salad

We've been experiencing this crazy hot summer along with the rest of the country. The humidity is out of control and our lack of air conditioning has made it downright unbearable at times. I've started taking cold showers- several times a day. This has made for super crazy hair.

The heat changes our eating habits. Instead of stews, chilis, homemade breads, and other big heavy meals, we look for lighter foods. Something that doesn't require the oven and takes minimal prep time.

That's not to say I haven't been baking- I have. Bikram baking. However, at the moment my camera is indisposed (read: lost). Pictures of recent cooking adventures- including campfire Quik-E pies to come.

This recipe is simple and easily adaptable. Change up the ingredients and seasoning to create your own customized salad!

Turkey Taco Salad

2 tsp olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 can black beans (I get the Cuban Style black beans from Trader Joes)
1 medium onion (red or yellow), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
3 dashes hot sauce, optional
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 bell pepper, diced
2 lime wedges
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Start by preheating a pan and olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey, onion, and garlic. Saute until turkey is browned and onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the black beans, with their juice. Toss in chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a bubble and then reduce heat to low, to keep warm while you make your salad.

On a plate, combine lettuce, bell pepper, and any other vegetable you like. Squeeze the lime wedges over the salad. Top with a hearty scoop of turkey/black bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Simple Saturdays Fake Out Tamales

Simple Saturdays features easy to make, easy to eat recipes. This week's Simple Saturday post features a leftover transformation: fake out tamales.

I should start this post with a disclaimer: these are NOT real tamales. They should not be served under the name of tamales. Real tamales have pork or beef filling surrounded by a savory corn masa dough. Real tamales are steamed in corn husks. These are NOT real tamales. But they are very tasty.

Every couple of weeks I should go through my pantry, freezer, and fridge and take inventory. I then buy only a few perishable and eat my way through what I have. This minimizes waste and cuts down the grocery budget, but also can inspire creativity.

Such was the case with fake out tamales. A few weeks ago I made a big batch of beef chili with beans and bell pepper. Since I am incapable of making a small amount of chili (or anything), I portioned out two smaller servings (enough for two big bowls each) and froze them separately in freezer bags.

This could have been the end of the story. Those bags of chili could have sat in my freezer for upwards of year only to be thrown out in a cleaning frenzy. They were saved from that cool fate (get it? cool fate, instead of cruel fate- I am hilarious!) by an inventory. One bag became a delicious, Mexican-ish casserole. A quick easy weeknight meal!


Cast of characters: jar of salsa (whatever you like), shredded cheese, corn tortillas, and leftover chili (~3 cups)

Preheat your oven to 350. Take out an 8x8 glass Pyrex dish. Don't grease.


Reheat the chili over medium heat. Taste and adjust/add your seasonings. When you freeze food, the flavors can get a bit dulled, so this step is not to be skipped. I added some salt, cumin, and chili powder.


Once it's fully defrosted, let it bubble 5-10 minutes so it reduces and gets thicker. This step keeps your casserole from being too watery. Turn off heat.


Coat the bottom of your baking dish with 1/4 cup salsa.

To assemble, first prepare the tortillas. If you have a microwave, microwave the tortillas wrapped in paper towels 2 minutes or until soft and pliable. This doesn't take long. If you don't have a microwave (like me), you can throw them in the oven directly on the rack while it's preheating. This doesn't create super soft tortillas, but does help minimize breakage.


Top one tortilla with 2-3 large tablespoons of chili. Add a tablespoon of shredded cheese.


Roll the tortilla carefully and place in the baking dish seam side down. See the cracks down the side of the tortilla? This won't happen if you microwave them.



Repeat with remaining tortillas. I managed to fit 5 "tamales" in my 8x8 baking dish. I made another tin foil pan of 5 "tamales", wrapped it in plastic wrap & then aluminum foil and froze for next week. I like to get a lot of mileage out of my meals and these "tamales" are super filling. Use a 9x13 dish if you're feeding a crowd and want to get all 10 into one dish.

Top with cheese, making sure to cover the tortillas completely.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until cheese it golden brown and casserole is hot throughout.


Serve hot, alongside a simple salad or vegetable.


Fake Out Tamales

1 cup salsa, use your favorite brand
3 cups chili, frozen or use your favorite canned variety
Spices to revive your chili, chili powder, salt, & cumin recommended
2 cups shredded cheese
10 corn tortillas, microwaved ~2 minutes

Preheat oven to 350. Take out 8x8 dish or 9x13 dish and do not grease.

Reheat chili over medium heat and season. Once fully defrosted, let bubble 5-10 minutes and reduce until very thick.

Coat the bottom of your baking dish with salsa.

Assemble "tamales" by layering 2-3 large tablespoons of chili, topping with a sprinkle of cheese, rolling, and placing seam side down in the dish. Repeat with all tortillas.

Top with salsa and cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Simple Saturdays Quinoa Salad

Simple Saturdays will feature easy to make, easy to eat recipes. For the first Simple Saturday post, get ready to whip up a tasty vegetarian dish.


For dinner last night, I served this delicious quinoa salad alongside some roasted sweet potatoes. They are SO good they deserve their own post, so look for that later.

While working on the quinoa salad and sweet potatoes, I added the vegetable peelings to my compost bin. We transfer this bin into the larger one outside where we make our own dirt! How cool is that??

This is what the compost bin looks like when you bump it off the counter. See all the items you can compost! I spy: coffee grounds and filter, eggshells, and sweet potato peelings. Makes great dirt and an even better mess on your kitchen floor!

I spent last week visiting my home state of Texas and enjoying all the pork products and salt the Lone Star State has to offer! Cream gravy atop a fluffy biscuit beside crisp, thick bacon is enjoyed by cowboys and cowgirls alike.

After a week of indulgence and conservative politics, nothing restores your sense of virtue and liberal self-righteousness better than a hearty vegetarian meal. To enhance the granola vibe, turn on some Jack Johnson, slide into your Birkenstocks, and embrace your inner dirty hippie.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 small bell peppers, diced
2-3 oz. goat cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp chives, chopped finely
salt & pepper to taste

In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, dice up the bell peppers and crumble the goat cheese in a bowl. Once the quinoa is done, put it on top of the bell pepper and goat cheese. Drizzle the quinoa with olive and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Add in chives and toss to combine. The heat of the quinoa will melt the goat cheese and create a creamy dressing for the quinoa and peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You won't need much as the goat cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice add lots of flavor.