Meaty Stuffed Poblanos

Sometimes we just need a little spice in our lives. Am I right? I make several different types of stuffed poblanos; this is the meat version and has received the stamp of guy approval. Who am I kidding though. This is my favorite version as well!

This dish is spicy. Seriously. So you may want to have a glass of milk around in case smoke starts blowing out of your ears. I may be living in Nebraska right now but don't think this native Texan is foolin'...

Meaty Stuffed Poblanos
servings: 3, serving size: 1 stuffed pepper
calories: 303, fat: 12.6g, carbohydrates: 8.3g, fiber: 0.8g, protein: 29.9g

Ingredients:
3 poblano peppers
8 oz 90% lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium tomato
1/2 c white onion
1/2 t cayenne (also called red chili pepper)
1 jalapeno
2 T salsa (medium or hot depending on your taste buds)
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
*optional: fontina or Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet saute the garlic and onion until the onion becomes translucent. Add in the ground beef and cook until well done.

While the beef is cooking, coursely chop the tomato and put it in the blender along with the cayenne, salt and pepper. Set tomato mixture aside. Finely chop the jalapeno and set aside. Cut each poblano and remove the membrane and seeds. If you enjoy a little more zip then you will want to leave some of the membrane since this is where the spiciness is in peppers. My vote is to leave some membrane. Be adventurous. (Ha, no peer pressure here!)

Add tomato mixture and jalapeno to skillet once beef is fully cooked. Allow to heat up for 5 minutes. Fill poblanos with mixture. I chose to add a sprinkle of fontina cheese (I'm trying to get it out of the fridge before it goes bad) but I don't usually do this.

Bake for 30 minutes or until pepper is tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then serve. Enjoy!

Texas Sheet Cake

My sweet tooth got the best of me today. I made this Texas Sheet Cake for no reason at all. Usually I make this for a shower or other type of event I'm going to but not today! So now I'm gonna need someone to come save me from myself before I eat the whole thing.

Ha, y'all know I'm not even joking right now.

Normally I try to create lighter versions of my favorite foods but this is a total splurge and I don't even want to change a thing about it. It's that good. My advice to you: keep portions small and don't sneak back in to the kitchen for that second serving.

Texas Sheet Cake
servings: 16 pieces, serving size: 1 piece
calories: 443, fat: 20.9g, carbohydrates: 62g, fiber: 1.9g, protein: 3.9g

Ingredients for the cake:
cooking spray
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
2 sticks butter, unsalted
1 c water
4 T cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

Ingredients for the frosting:
1 stick butter, unsalted
4 T cocoa
6 T milk
3 c powdered sugar
2 oz pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Sift flour and sugar in a large bowl. Sifting helps to create a more uniform base and gets rid of any large chunks that may not mix as well later. Set aside.

In a medium pan bring to a boil the butter, water and cocoa. Once it has reached a slow rolling boil, remove from heat and pour over dry mixture. Add in the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

When cake is finished, heat all of the ingredients for the icing until melted. Remove from heat and pour on to warm cake. Top with pecans and allow to cool completely before serving.

Mini Italian Quiche!



One of my favorite things about making homemade pizza is the leftover pepperoni that is in the fridge. But this is a huge problem for me cause I could eat it straight out of the package. Seriously! So this morning, before I gave in to the overwhelming craving of eating the leftover pepperoni, I decided to use it in a quiche recipe. And because I was wanting something bite-size and cute, I made mini quiches.

Admit it, they're awfully adorable-looking...you're probably wishing you had shown up for breakfast at my place this morning.

Okay, before I completely digress, here's the recipe.

Mini Italian Quiche
servings: 12, serving size: 4 mini quiches
calories: 95, fat: 6.1g, carbohydrates: 0.9g, fiber: 0g, protein: 8.7g

Ingredients:
cooking spray
8 large eggs
1/2 c 1% milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
2 T dried parsley
4 oz turkey pepperoni
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Finely chop pepperoni slices and grate cheese. Add parsley, pepperoni and cheese to egg mixture. Mix until combined.

Isn't that pretty?!

Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Add about 1 tablespoon of mixture to each tin. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

I think they're best served warm but my roommates used to eat the leftovers without warming them up. Enjoy!

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Homemade Pizza Sauce
servings: about 4 cups, serving size: 1 cup
calories: 24, fat: 0.3g, carbohydrates: 5.7g, fiber: 1.8g, protein: 1.2g

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t oregano, dried (more if you use fresh)
1/2 t crushed red pepper
*optional: 1/2 c fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Begin by slicing the tomatoes and putting them in a food processor or blender. Add in garlic and spices. Blend well.

If using the sauce for pasta you will pour it in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.

If using for pizza, there is no need to warm in a sauce pan; simply add to the crust along with the toppings.

Enjoy!