Chili

The Recipe: From Cook This; Not That.

The Food: Husband doesn't even like chili, but he likes this.

What You Need:
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 heaping T chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
2 T tomato paste
1 oz dark chocolate (1 piece)
1 bottle or can of beer
1 can diced tomatoes, with juices (I like the petite diced)
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Your Turn:
Chop the onion and toss it into a large stock pot in which your olive oil is already heating up. Mince the garlic and add that too.

Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 2 heaping T chili powder, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and 2 bay leaves. Cook until fragrant, about 3 more minutes.

Add ground turkey and 2 T tomato paste and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 oz dark chocolate, 1 bottle beer, and the can of diced tomatoes. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer about 30 - 45 minutes.

After it's cooked at least 30 minutes, it's a good time to throw it in the crock pot for a few hours if you have the time. Add the beans and corn, drained and rinsed, and let it cook in the crock pot on low for as long as you're able. (You can add any combination of beans and/or corn, as you prefer. Husband doesn't like beans, so I only do one can of pinto along with a can of corn. Substituting black beans for one of the types - or even just adding it - would be really good too!) An hour or two is good; all day works too. If you can't manage this, just add the beans and corn at this point, and simmer on low for a little longer, until it's all hot through.

Add salt and pepper. (Don't forget this like I often do!) Start with a small amount, taste, and add more as needed. You can also add hot sauce, if you like.

Serve over hot white rice with shredded cheddar cheese on top. Also yummy with tortilla chips!

Meatball and Pasta Casserole

The Recipe: A variation of Baked Ziti... which I've never actually made.

How it Went: This was tasty. Husband thought it was a bit strange to have the onions and peppers in there. Kind of like a cheesesteak, he said. But I thought it was quite a tasty meal. Also, it made a lot of food!

What You Need:
one box pasta (any shape you like, but I used medium shells)
one jar pasta sauce (Francesco Rinaldi, Tomato & Basil is good)
one half bag of frozen meatballs
one yellow onion
one half green pepper
one half package shredded mozzerella
one half package shredded Parmesan 

Your Turn:
Boil water and cook the box of pasta to al dente.

Chop one yellow onion and half of a green bell pepper into small pieces. Heat a bit of butter in a small skillet and saute the onion and pepper until tender.

In a large saucepan, heat the jar of sauce and about 30-35 small meatballs. (It's not as many as you think. I promise.)

In a large casserole dish, greased with butter (I actually ended up using two medium dishes), layer cooked pasta, peppers and onions, sauce and meatballs, and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Taco Casserole

The Occasion: Satisfying that taco craving, but with a new twist.

The Recipe: From Pillsbury's Annual Recipes 2009 cookbook.

How it Went: This seemed like an easy thing to make, but you can never be sure with something this straightforward. Sometimes the easy things are actually too easy for their own good and end up tasting totally blah. Also, Husband is never too thrilled when I set out to try something new, and I know he was nervous about this one. However, when I brought it piping hot to the table, and the taco-y aroma wafted through the room, I had a feeling it was all going to be OK. We both loved it.

What You Need:
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 can refried beans
1 jar medium salsa
1 package taco seasoning mix
tortilla chips
1/2 green bell pepper
4 scallions
1-2 tomatoes, depending on your tomato preference
1 C shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack or something similar)
1/4 C sliced black olives
shredded lettuce
sour cream

Your Turn:
Chop 1/2 green bell pepper. Slice 4 scallions from the white end about halfway up the green part. Dice up 1 or 2 tomatoes. I used just one, but if you like tomatoes more than me, use two. Set this mixture aside.

Cook 1 lb ground beef or turkey in a large skillet until brown. Drain fat.

Reduce heat to medium, then stir in 1 can refried beans, 1 jar medium salsa, and 1 package taco seasoning mix.

Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

In the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish, crumble about 2 C tortilla chips. You basically want to cover the bottom of the dish completely. Top this with the meat and bean mixture from the skillet.

Over this, scatter your vegetable mixture.

Sprinkle 1 C shredded cheese, and 1/4 C chopped black olives on top of this.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and additional tortilla chips.

Grilled Teriyaki Sesame Chicken

The Occasion: Husband does the grilling around here, although he prefers to grill burgers rather than chicken. But I thought having him make this would be an easy way to get out of making a dinner this week. Ha.

The Recipe: From Betty Crocker's 2009 Annual Recipes cookbook.

How it Went: I was quite pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. I really wasn't sure how it would work, but it was very flavorful! I will make this again for sure. I guess it mostly had to do with how Husby grilled the chicken, but I like to think I contributed.

What You Need:
1 T sesame seeds
2 T teriyaki sauce or marinade
1 tsp ground ginger
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lb angel hair pasta

Your Turn:
I was lucky for this meal because I had leftover angel hair, already cooked, from a meal earlier in the week. If you're not so lucky, boil about 1/2 a lb of angel hair pasta. Toss it with a bit of soft butter when it's cooked, to keep it from sticking.

For grilling chicken, I find it easiest to slice the breasts lengthwise, like a hamburger bun, to make them thinner. This allows them to cook more quickly and with greater chance of being done all the way through. It's actually very easy to cut chicken breasts in this way if they are partially frozen. I took my package of chicken out of the freezer in the morning, stuck it in the fridge, and then did a quick defrost in the microwave when I got home from work. This softened it enough that it was no longer frozen solid, but it was still firm enough to cut easily.

In a small bowl, pour 2 T teriyaki sauce (I used a 30-minute marinade) and add 1 tsp ground ginger.

Toast 1 T of sesame seeds in small skillet over medium heat. It won't take long at all, and they burn much sooner than you'd expect so don't walk away and leave them unattended. When they just barely start to brown, they're ready. Toss them in with the teriyaki sauce and ginger and mix well.

Put vegetable oil on a paper towel and wipe over grill rack. Then place the chicken breasts (or halves of breasts, really) on the rack. I slathered them with some additional teriyaki sauce first, smeared it around on them in a large ziploc bag. You can do that, or not. Once they're on the grill, brush them with the teriyaki sauce mixture you made.

Grill about 5 minutes, then rotate 45 degrees to create some pretty grill lines. Grill 5 more minutes in this position, then flip. Brush the second side with the sauce. Grill 5 minutes in this position, then rotate 45 degrees and grill another 5 minutes. Check periodically for burning. About 20 minutes total should do the trick, but slice through the thickest piece and make sure it's no longer pink inside if you want to be sure they're done.

Discard remaining sauce mixture.

Serve with hot angel hair pasta and a veggie. Fresh green beans from a friend's garden were perfect with this summery dinner! Husby liked soy sauce on his pasta.

Penne with Basil Rosa Sauce and Bacon

The Occasion: It was Saturday night, a night I don't normally cook an organized meal. I had no plan and we were both hungry; I needed an easy meal with ingredients I already had. 

The Recipe: Pasta is a no-brainer for a night like this. I had some penne and some twirly egg noodles. It's probably frowned upon by real pasta eaters, but I blended the two. (Don't tell.) I didn't have a jar of tomato or alfredo sauce, so homemade sauce was a necessity. I wanted to make rosa sauce, something I'd first tried and loved at our favorite Italian restaurant (Giovanni's in Spring City). I found this recipe for penne with rosa sauce and used it as a springboard to create my own sauce. When I served it at the kitchen table, Husband remembered we had some cooked bacon in the fridge. He got it out and we added it to the pasta. It was this spontaneous ingredient, this last-minute addition that made the most significant difference in this meal.

How it Went: I didn't have extremely high hopes for this. It was pretty much made up and although I knew it would be edible, I doubted that it would be exceptionally tasty. To my surprise, Husby and I both loved this! The bacon, as I've said, was the key ingredient. So Husband gets 100% credit on this one. It was fabulous: a perfect blend of flavors. This might even be the central character on the table at our dinner party next weekend.

What You Need:
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 and 1/2 C milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 slice provolone cheese
grated Parmesan cheese (the kind in the shaky bottle)
6-8 leaves fresh basil
1 box (1 lb) penne pasta
6 (or more) slices cooked bacon

Your Turn:
Cook 1 lb of penne. When it's done, toss in some olive oil or butter to keep it from sticking.

Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut 6-8 fresh basil leaves into small pieces. You'll need these later, so set them aside.

Melt 3 T butter in a large saucepan.

Whisk in 3 T flour when the butter is melted.

When smooth, add 1 and 1/2 C milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Simmer over low heat, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.

Now, tear up your slice of provolone cheese and add the pieces, while whisking to allow them to melt in. Shake a few shakes of Parmesan cheese in.

Dump 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes into your blender and give it a few whizzes. Add the processed tomatoes to the sauce.

Now, carefully stir in your basil leaves.

Serve sauce over penne with crumbled bacon on top. Add additional Parmesan cheese on top.

Start-to-Finish Weekday Chicken Pot Pie

The Occasion: I didn't plan on making pot pie this week, but I seemed to have all the right ingredients and it's a meal that lasts a few days, so it was perfect for a busy week.

The Recipe: Mostly the same as the one I posted here before, from Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2011. But I wanted to share the step-by-steps this time. Not only is it helpful, but I've shared some tips that help you conserve ingredients and make the most of your hard work!

How it Went: I love this pot pie. Husband doesn't like it quite as much, but it's mostly because he doesn't like biscuits like the ones baked into the top of this. I think it's scrumptious!

What You Need:
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 chicken breasts
dashes of thyme, black pepper, and coriander
2 russet potatoes
1 C baby carrots
4 stalks celery
3/4 C frozen green beans
2 T butter
6 T flour
1 C milk + 1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 C Bisquick
2/3 C milk

Your Turn:
In the morning, before leaving for work, boil some water. Put two chicken bouillon cubes in a glass measuring cup. When the water boils, pour two cups over the cubes and stir well to dissolve.

Place three raw chicken breasts in a crock pot. Sprinkle with black pepper, thyme, and coriander, or a blend of poultry seasonings. Pour the two cups of chicken broth on top. Set to low.

Peel 2 russet potatoes, rinse off, and cut into small cubes.

Chop 1 C baby carrots into small cubes.

Wash and dice up 4 stalks of celery.

Bring about 2 inches of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the vegetables you chopped, plus 3/4 C frozen green beans.

When these are tender, after about 10-15 minutes, drain the water into the crock pot with your chicken. All the nutrients are in the water, so don't wash it down the drain.

Now, spoon out the veggies into a large dish, cover, and refrigerate.

Go to work.

When you get home, remove your cooked chicken breasts from the crock pot and place them in your upright mixer. With the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low. The chicken will shred like a dream!

Set aside 1 C of the crock pot chicken broth. You'll need it. Strain the rest of the broth through a cheesecloth over a funnel into a few jars to be saved for a future soup or something.

Melt 2 T butter in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium-low. Add 6 T flour and whisk to blend until smooth and bubbly. Add 1 C milk and the 1 C broth you saved. Whisk constantly until it boils and thickens. You want it pretty thick, but not quite as thick as a cream of chicken soup from a can would be.

Pour the cream base you just made into a large mixing bowl. Add another 1/2 C milk. Also add 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir well.

To this, add the vegetables you cooked this morning, and 1 and 1/2 C of the shredded chicken. Put the rest away for chicken salad or another casserole or something.

Combine 1 & 1/2 C Bisquick and 2/3 C milk in a bowl and whisk. Distribute evenly in 12 biscuits over the top of the pot pie. 

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until filling is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.

Not only will you have a marvelous pot pie, which is quite a feast, but you've also made yourself about 15 ounces of flavorful chicken broth and a few cups of delicious shredded chicken!

Chicken Fried Rice

The Occasion: Nothing special, but we love Chinese take-out and this looked like a fun alternative to try.

The Recipe: From Cook This; Not That cookbook

How it Went: We both thought this was great. It felt like a much more wholesome version of Chinese take out. And it felt safer, somehow, than the stuff from the white origami box. 

What You Need:

1 T vegetable oil

4 scallions

Dash grated ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1 zucchini

1 C baby carrots

1 crown broccoli

1 & 1/2 breasts chicken, cooked

4 C cooked rice (brown or white)

2 T soy sauce

2 eggs

Your Turn:
[Cook the rice and chicken ahead of time.]

Chop the 4 scallions and separate the greens from the whites.

Chop

· 1 zucchini (into disks, then quartered)

· About 1 C baby carrots (quartered lengthwise)

· 1 crown broccoli (into small florets)

In a large skillet, heat 1 T vegetable (or peanut or olive) oil over medium-high heat.

Once it’s hot, add the scallion whites, dash ginger and minced garlic clove.

Cook 30 seconds or so. Then add the zucchini, carrots, and broccoli. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring. Add chicken and stir to blend evenly and warm.

Stir in 4 C rice and 2 T soy sauce. Cook about 5 minutes. Allow the rice to become crispy on the bottom.

Create an empty space in the middle of the pan.

Gently beat 2 eggs, then pour into the space in the skillet. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scramble the eggs in the middle of the pan. Once they’re cooked, stir them together with the rest of the ingredients.

 

Serve, garnished with scallion greens.

Ugly Chicken Casserole

The Date: 9 April 2012

The Occasion: Monday night comfort food dinner.

The Recipe: A hodgepodge inspired by various chicken casserole recipes.

How it Went:

This was actually wonderful. This time I layered it into the casserole dish, and I think next time I’d mix it all together and put it in the dish all together. (I'll try to make it again and take a decent picture.)

What You Need:

4 red potatoes, peeled

12-15 baby carrots

1 medium broccoli crown

1 C dry rice

2 cooked chicken breasts

2 T butter

3 T flour

1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 C milk

Thyme

Garlic powder

Coriander

Salt & Pepper

3/4 C sour cream

1/4 C mayonnaise

1/2 onion

Your turn:

Bring 2 C water and 1 C rice to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 18 minutes.

Chop 4 potatoes, 12-15 baby carrots, and 1 broccoli crown into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook them in an inch of boiling water until tender.

To make cream base, melt 2 T butter in a sauce pan. Add 3 T flour and stir until bubbly. Add 1/2 C chicken broth, 1/2 C milk, 1/2 tsp thyme, a dash garlic powder, and a dash coriander and stir until thickened.

In a medium bowl, combine

· Cooked chicken

· Steamed vegetables

· Cooked rice

In a large bowl, mix

· Cream mixture

· 3/4 C sour cream

· 1/4 C mayonnaise

· 1 tsp salt

· 1/4 tsp black pepper

· 1/2 onion very finely diced

Combine two mixtures and spoon into casserole dish. Bake at 350 about 40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Honey Mustard Salmon

The Occasion: My first daring attempt at cooking fish. Ever.

The Recipe: From Cook This, Not That cookbook.

How it went: Well, we liked it! It was easy: only took about 15 minutes total. It was a little tough, I think because I left it in the oven while the risotto was cooking. (Boxed risotto; no recipe for that.) I also added some extra honey to mine.

What You Need:

Salmon

Butter

Brown sugar

Dijon mustard

Honey

Soy sauce

Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Your Turn:
Heat oven to 400.

Melt

· 1 T butter

· 1 T brown sugar

in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Stir in

· 2 T Dijon mustard

· 1 T honey

· 1 T soy sauce

Heat about 1/2 T olive oil in a skillet over high heat.

Season salmon fillets (I used two, but the sauce will be enough for four) with salt and pepper. Place flesh-side down in the skillet. Cook 3-4 minute, until fully browned, then flip.

Brush with glaze and put in an oven-safe dish in the oven at 400. (If you’re lucky enough to have an oven-proof skillet, cook the salmon in that, then transfer it to the oven.) Cook about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with additional glaze.

Serve with steamed veggies and rice.

Creamy Pesto-Chicken Casserole

The Date: 29 March 2012

The Occasion: Thursday night

The Recipe: From Betty Crocker’s Annual Recipes

How it went: Yum! Loved this. I’d like to try my own version of it with broccoli and a homemade alfredo sauce. I think I could concoct a more from-scratch version that would be really good. I’ll get back to you if I do.

What You Need:

2 cups uncooked “fancy” pasta (Recipe calls for radiatore. I couldn’t find that so I used cavatappi. Campanelle would also be good)

1/2 C roasted red bell peppers from jar (I omitted these)

1/3 C basil pesto

1/4 C milk

10 oz jarred alfredo sauce

12-16 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked

1/4 C shredded Italian or parmesan cheese

Your Turn:
Cook the chicken. As I’ve said before, the best way I’ve found to do this is to cook it in the crock pot all day. For something that’s going to be pesto flavored, like this recipe, cook the chicken in broth with basil and garlic to start those flavors going.

When you get home, or when your chicken is done, cook the 2 C pasta until al dente. Drain.

Mix pasta in a large bowl with

· the cooked chicken

· 1/3 C basil pesto

· 1/4 C milk

· 10 oz jarred alfredo sauce

· 1/2 C roasted bell peppers (optional)

 

Spoon into a square 8x8 baking dish.

Bake 25 minutes at 350.

Cover with aluminum foil, then bake another 10 minutes.

When you remove it from the oven, sprinkle with 1/4 C shredded Italian cheese. (I sprinkled this on before I baked it. Oops!)

Enjoy with steamed fresh broccoli or green beans.

Lemon and Thyme Chicken Stir Fry

The Date: 1 March 2012

The Occasion: I love stir fry, especially with chicken and veggies, and I hadn’t made one in a while. This was a recipe I tried first about a year ago and I wanted to make it again.

The Recipe: From Betty Crocker’s 2010 Annual Recipes Cookbook

How it went: A few things about cooking tonight were not ideal. My lemon pepper had gotten moist or something. The texture was all wrong. But I used it anyway and it tasted fine. I also forgot to get crunchy noodles as topping for the stir fry but I used sunflower seeds instead which added the texture I was looking for. 

The recipe calls for angel hair pasta, which I’ve used before, but tonight I did it with white rice. Either one is good. I omit the cherry tomatoes but add water chestnuts. You can add snap peas, zucchini, cauliflower, or any other veggies you’d like.

What You Need:

2-3 chicken breasts

1 onion

1 medium crown broccoli

1 green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1 C baby carrots, quartered

1 can water chestnuts

1 C chicken broth

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 tsp grated lemon peel or lemon juice

4 tsp corn starch

1 & 1/2 tsp lemon pepper

3-4 C cooked angel hair pasta or rice

Your turn:
Cook rice or pasta as directed.

Cut broccoli, peppers, and carrots. Set aside in large bowl. Add water chestnuts.

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Slice onion into wedges. Cook together in olive or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with some salt.

Add vegetables and cover. Cook about 10 minutes over low-medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Whisk together

· 1 C chicken broth

· 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

· 1 tsp grated lemon peel or lemon juice

· 4 tsp corn starch

· 1 & 1/2 tsp lemon pepper

Add to chicken mixture, when the vegetables are cooked, and stir. Let simmer, covered, several more minutes, until sauce thickens and everything is coated.

Serve over rice or pasta with crunchy noodles, peanuts, or sunflower seeds on top.

Cilantro-Lime Pork Enchiladas

The Date: 18 February 2012

The Occasion: Saturday night dinner

The Recipe: From Pillsbury 2009 Annual Recipes cookbook

How it went: I did this differently from the recipe’s instructions. I’ve never had luck with cooking pork in a skillet, which is what this recipe suggests. So I slow-cooked this in the crock pot all day. It was only supposed to be marinated for 1/2 - 2 hours, but I cooked it for probably 9 or 10 hours. I think this made the pork really tender and good. I've written the recipe below the way I did it, but the original recipe can be found here.

What You Need:

Vegetable broth or bouillon 

One lime

Cilantro

Garlic clove

Crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb boneless pork loin chops

2 small onions

1 can refried beans

Flour tortillas (about 6)

Shredded cheese (Mexican flavor, or Monterey Jack is good)

Salsa

Sour cream

Your Turn:

In a crock pot, place 1 lb boneless pork loin chops.

Add

· 2 C vegetable broth (I use 2 C boiling water over 2 vegetable bouillon cubes)

· The grated peel of the lime

· As much lime juice as you can squeeze from one half of the lime

· The other half of the lime, with the skin cut off

· 1 minced garlic clove

· 1 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped (more, if you love cilantro like we do)

· 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Let cook 7 or more hours on low.

When you’re ready to assemble the enchiladas, you can drain the pork and discard the marinade (or I guess you could save it for something else, if you wish). Chop 2 small onions and sauté in oil or butter until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Open a can of refried beans, empty them into a bowl and zap for 1 minute or so in the microwave until warm. Prepared some shredded cheese, Mexican blend or another type of your choice.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. 

Assemble enchiladas as follows:

On a tortilla, spoon a few tablespoons of refried beans down the center. Top with some pork, onions, and shredded cheese. Roll up and place, seam side down, in the casserole dish. (I bet this would also be great with some rice in each enchilada!) I only made 5 enchiladas, but how many you can make depends how full you stuff them. Sprinkle additional cheese, and any onions you have left, over the top of the enchiladas. Bake 18-24 minutes at 375, until edges are golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream. 

Hawaiin Stir Fry

The Date: 6 February 2012

The Occasion: Weeknight dinner

The Recipe: From Taste of Home’s 2011 Annual Recipes Cookbook. It was in the “Cooking for One or Two” section. Perfect of us, you would think. But I doubled it, and therefore defeated the whole purpose of the recipe. But it lasts longer this way.

How it went: This is a pretty good meal. A little strange, maybe, but it’s tastier than you might think. 

I added some Orange Ginger Sugar
from this set of gourmet sugars
Mom got me for Christmas.
Quite yummy!!

What You Need:
1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 onion

2 or 3 stalks celery

1/2 green pepper

Garlic

Butter or oil

1 can (12 oz) pineapple chunks

1/2 C brown sugar

2 T flour

2 T vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Cooked white rice

Your turn:
In a skillet, cook the ground meat until no longer pink.

Drain grease and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté

· 1 onion, diced

· 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

· 1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

· The pineapple from a 12 oz can (save the juice—you’ll need it later!)

· Some fresh minced or dried minced garlic, to your liking

in butter or oil until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

To the pineapple juice you’ve saved, add

· Enough water to measure 1 C

· 1/2 C brown sugar

· 2 T white flour

· 2 T white wine or rice vinegar (I tried it with apple cider vinegar, but it made the whole thing too cidery)

· 1/2 tsp salt

Whisk until smooth. 

Add to veggies in skillet and bring to a boil. Cook and stir over medium heat about 2 minutes. Add meat back to the skillet and stir to heat everything through.

Serve with white rice, and (optional) cilantro!