Tekesha, Author at The Eat More Food Project

Thai Style Beef Salad

August 1, 2014 By Tekesha 2 Comments

Let us pretend that I’m not completely running out of ideas for these intro photo badges. I mean, you HAVE to try this recipe. It’s postively . . . celestial. Okay, moving right along.

Prior to a couple of years ago, most of my exposure to Thai food was limited to curries and noodle dishes. One day we were dead tired after work and looking for something to order outside of the typical Chinese or pizza. We found a Thai place that delivered and ordered a few meaty sounding salads, including a version of this called yum nua.

Since that time, I’ve seen this made several different ways, with all kinds of ingredients. I’ve experimented with making it with heavier dressings and different cuts of steak, but this version is our favorite and super easy to make. It’s adapted from a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated Best 30 Minute Recipes to fit our tastes.

Gather up:

2 ribeye steaks
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1 cubanelle pepper, de-seeded and sliced into thin rings
1/2 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
4 tsp brown sugar
1/3 cup of fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 romaine hearts, torn into large chunks (for serving, optional)

Slice your onion, cubanelle pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and basil.

Heat a grill pan on medium high heat and spray with a light coating of nonstick spray.

Season your steaks with a little salt and pepper on each side.

Cook your steaks for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip them over and cook for 3-6 minutes on the second side, depending on your desired level of doneness. (The less time on the second side, the more rare the steaks will be.)

Remove steaks from pan and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix lime juice…

fish sauce…

and brown sugar.

Divide this lime juice mixture between two bowls.

Thinly slice your steak and add it to one of the bowls with the lime mixture.

Toss your sliced veggies and herbs into the other bowl with the lime mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl with the veggies and herbs.

Use your hands to vigorously mix the ingredients together so the flavors start to meld.

Let both components marinate in their respective lime mixtures for at least 10 minutes.

Remove steak from lime mixture and discard the marinade.

Remove veggies from lime mixture and discard the marinade.

You can serve this as is, with steak on the bottom and seasoned veggies on top.

Or you can serve both on top of torn romaine lettuce. There’s no need to add any dressing because the meat and the vegetables will have sucked up and still be coated with the delicious marinade.

Either way, it’s delicious!

Thai Style Beef Salad

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

Thai-inspired steak salad with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and peppers steeped in a light and crisp marinade.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 ribeye steaks
¼ red onion, sliced thin
1 cubanelle pepper, de-seeded and sliced into thin rings
½ cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
4 tsp brown sugar
⅓ cup of fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 romaine hearts, torn into large chunks (for serving, optional)

Instructions

Slice your onion, cubanelle pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and basil.
Heat a grill pan on medium high heat and spray with a light coating of nonstick spray.
Season your steaks with a little salt and pepper on each side.
Cook your steaks for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip them over and cook for 3-6 minutes on the second side, depending on your desired level of doneness. (The less time on the second side, the more rare the steaks will be.)
Remove steaks from pan and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Divide this lime juice mixture between two bowls.
Thinly slice your steak and add it to one of the bowls with the lime mixture.
Toss your sliced veggies and herbs into the other bowl with the lime mixture.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to this bowl with the veggies and herbs.
Use your hands to vigorously mix the ingredients together so the flavors start to meld.
Let both components marinate in their respective lime mixtures for at least 10 minutes.
Remove steak from lime mixture and discard the marinade.
Remove veggies from lime mixture and discard the marinade.
You can serve this as is, with steak on the bottom and seasoned veggies on top.
Or you can serve both on top of torn romaine lettuce.

Notes

Nutrition information provided includes the lime marinade, even though it is not consumed in the final dish.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 213 Fat: 15 Carbohydrates: 9 Sugar: 6 Sodium: 2193 Protein: 13

Sausage Peppers and Onions

July 25, 2014 By Tekesha 11 Comments

I adore Italian food – pizza, pasta, sausage and peppers, garlic knots, you name it! During college, my family went on a trip to Rome. I spent most of the time leading up to the trip mapping out the location of restaurants near our hotel, that’s how excited I was to eat authentic Italian food. I imagined it would be like New York City food-wise, only with everyone speaking Italian. Imagine my surprise when I first laid eyes on a piece of Roman pizza. I was baffled to see that pizza in Rome was served in a square shape and eaten like a sandwich with two slices stacked on top of each other. I was expecting the giant, thin crust pies with slices as big as my head like they serve in Brooklyn. And I thought I knew the texture of good al dente pasta, but the pasta there was almost crunchy. Ha! It was my first lesson in “authentic” food not meaning the same thing all over the globe. Sometimes you just want what you’re used to.

So this is my version of sausage and peppers and onions. I won’t say it’s authentic Italian, authentic Italian-American, or even authentic for New York City. It’s simply the way we like to eat it! 🙂

Get out:

1 package Hot Italian Sausage
1 package Mild Italian Sausage
2 Red Bell Peppers
3 small Yellow Onions
1 can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 tbsp Splenda
1/2 cup White Wine
1 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper

Place your sausages in a large nonstick pan.

Brown them on both sides. You do not need to cook them through, you just want the outside to get a nice color and sear.

Remove from the pan and cut each link in half.

Slice your bell peppers and onions into thick slices.

Add peppers and onions to a large pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Cook on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You just want the veggies to start to soften.

Snuggle your italian sausages back into the pan with the onions and peppers.

Pour in your diced tomatoes and white wine. Sprinkle with Splenda.

Reduce heat to medium.

Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the sausages and veggies are completely cooked through.

Remove the cover, raise the heat to medium high, and continue cooking for approximately 10 minutes. During this step, we want to reduce the gravy by half, so the flavors are concentrated and the volume doesn’t drown out the other ingredients.

Serve.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Sausage Peppers and Onions

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

40 mins

Spicy and sweet italian sausages in a mellow tomato-wine sauce with sliced bell peppers and juicy onions.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 package Hot Italian Sausage
1 package Mild Italian Sausage
2 Red Bell Peppers
3 small Yellow Onions
1 can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
2 tbsp Splenda
½ cup White Wine
1 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Place your sausages in a large nonstick pan.
Brown them on both sides. You do not need to cook them through, you just want the outside to get a nice color and sear.
Remove from the pan and cut each link in half.
Slice your bell peppers and onions into thick slices.
Add peppers and onions to a large pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Cook on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You just want the veggies to start to soften.
Snuggle your italian sausages back into the pan with the onions and peppers.
Pour in your diced tomatoes and white wine. Sprinkle with Splenda.
Reduce heat to medium.
Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the sausages and veggies are completely cooked through.
Remove the cover, raise the heat to medium high, and continue cooking for approximately 10 minutes. During this step, we want to reduce the gravy by half, so the flavors are concentrated and the volume doesn't drown out the other ingredients.
Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 708 Fat: 49 Carbohydrates: 19 Sugar: 11 Sodium: 1595 Protein: 42

Old Bay Wings

July 18, 2014 By Tekesha 7 Comments

I’ve mentioned before on the blog that I’m allergic to shellfish. However, steamed crab with a ton of Old Bay Seasoning is one of things that I will torture myself with a few bites of despite my allergy. I was browsing around the internet the other day and came across Serious Eats’ recipe for Old Bay Wings. I can’t believe it never occurred to me before to put delicious Old Bay Seasoning on things other than seafood! I had to try it.

They were super good! The wings are baked in the oven with a secret ingredient that makes them super crispy on the outside and then brushed or tossed with a fiery glaze. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly to make more wings and to account for my love of Old Bay.

You’ll need:

4 lbs chicken wings
4 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Trim the tips off your wings and separate them into drumettes and flats. I usually put my tips in a plastic bag in the freezer and save them for making chicken stock.

Place your drumettes and flats in a large bowl.

Add your baking powder and Old Bay Seasoning to the wings.

Mix thoroughly.

Arrange wings on a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet.

You can bake immediately or let this marinate up to overnight.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes.

Set aside about a quarter of the wings right now. These wings have a SUPER CRISPY, Old Bay crust that you will love eating all on their own.

We’re going to take the remaining wings and brush them in a spicy, savory sauce.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, add butter, Worcestershire sauce, and Frank’s Hot sauce.

Heat in the microwave until the butter is melted, approximately 15 seconds.

Brush the mixture over the wings or toss the wings in a bowl with the sauce.

Serve.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Old Bay Wings

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

45 mins

Crispy, oven-fried chicken wings soaked in Old Bay seasoning and lightly brushed with a spicy Worcestershire glaze.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 lbs chicken wings
4 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp Frank's Hot Sauce

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Trim the tips off your wings and separate them into drumettes and flats. (I usually put my tips in a plastic bag in the freezer and save them for making chicken stock.)
Place your drumettes and flats in a large bowl.
Add your baking powder and Old Bay Seasoning to the wings.
Mix thoroughly.
Arrange wings on a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. (You can bake immediately or let this marinate up to overnight.)
Bake for 25 minutes.
Flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes.
Set aside about a quarter of the wings right now. These wings have a super crispy Old Bay crust that you will love.
We're going to take the remaining wings and brush them in a spicy, savory sauce.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, add butter, Worcestershire sauce, and Frank's Hot sauce.
Heat in the microwave until the butter is melted, approximately 15 seconds.
Brush the mixture over the wings or toss the wings in a bowl with the sauce.
Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1002 Fat: 79 Carbohydrates: 5 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 3272 Protein: 84

Coq Au Riesling

July 11, 2014 By Tekesha 8 Comments

As a kid, my parents would reward me for good behavior by taking me to this restaurant called Le Coq Au Vin in Orlando. The best thing on the menu was, naturally, coq au vin, followed closely by a crème brulee dessert that you had to order as soon as you sat down because it took so long prepare. It felt so fancy! I still associate coq au vin with pressed linen cloths, fancy clothes and impeccable table manners.

This recipe originates from Nigel Slater’s book, Real Food. I learned about it from Alida Ryder, a successful South African author and blogger who made a mouth-watering version on her site Simply Delicious Food. I think it’s an interesting twist to use a sweet Riesling instead of a red wine. It makes the dish feel more homey and accessible to me.

I adapted it slightly because I didn’t have any mushrooms and I wanted to make a smaller portion.

5 chicken drumsticks
1/2 onion, chopped
2 strips of bacon, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp oil
1 cup of Riesling wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Chop your onion, bacon and parsley and mince your garlic. PRO TIP: Use kitchen shears to easily cut bacon into small strips. It’s a lot faster than using a knife.

Melt butter and oil in a sauté pan.

Lightly brown your chicken drumsticks in the butter and oil on all sides…

and remove from the pan.

Add your onion, bacon and garlic to the pan.

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The smell of this is so good!

Drain off all but about a tablespoon of the oil in the pan.

Place your chicken pieces back into the pan.

Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil.

Drop the heat back down to medium, partially cover with a lid, and let cook for 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and add your heavy cream.

Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Coq Au Riesling

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

52 mins

Modified version of Nigel Slater's Coq Au Riesling -- chicken simmered with smoky bacon, wine, and cream.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 2

Ingredients

5 chicken drumsticks
½ onion, chopped
2 strips of bacon, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup butter
1 tsp oil
1 cup of Riesling wine
½ cup of heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

Chop your onion, bacon and parsley and mince your garlic.
Melt butter and oil in a sauté pan.
Lightly brown your chicken drumsticks in the butter and oil on all sides and remove from the pan.
Add your onion, bacon and garlic to the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain off all but about a tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
Snuggle your chicken pieces back into the pan.
Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil.
Drop the heat back down to medium, partially cover with a lid, and let cook for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and add your heavy cream.
Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve.

Notes

Nutrition information includes fats used in cooking, even though it is not consumed in the finished product.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 779 Fat: 61 Carbohydrates: 12 Sugar: 1 Sodium: 549 Protein: 30

Cheesy Sweet Potato Pesto Lasagna Rolls

July 4, 2014 By Tekesha 8 Comments

My brother-in-law is a vegetarian, so I am always on the lookout for cool vegetarian dishes that I can make when I see him and his family. He is very easy going about it and has no trouble finding things to suit his needs, but I can get a little obsessed about making sure he has enough options. I plan — actually “worry” is more accurate — to an absolutely absurd degree. As a result, even though I am not a vegetarian, I have a list of vegetarian friendly restaurants for every city I’ve been in with my brother-in-law. It’s ludicrous! 🙂 Seriously, if you want to know the vegetarian offerings in Charleston, South Carolina; Pensacola Beach, Florida; or Atlanta, Georgia, I’ve got you covered.

As soon as I saw this recipe from Joanne of Eats Well With Others for Sweet Potato Spinach Pesto Lasagna Rolls, I had to make it. I love that it’s vegetarian, but not the standard grilled vegetables or tofu concoction. And I like that even though it uses sweet potatoes, it is savory rather than sweet! I’ve adapted it slightly from her original to scale down the amount and suit my tastes.

8 lasagna noodles
2 sweet potatoes
1 cup ricotta cheese
5 tbsp pesto
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
2 cups of tomato basil sauce, divided (I use Newman’s Own)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350.

Add 1 cup of tomato basil sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. (I’m using an 8-inch round pan.)

Pierce 2 sweet potatoes all over with a fork…

wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.

Let potatoes cool.

In a large bowl, add sweet potato flesh, ricotta cheese, pesto, and asiago cheese.

Mix very well with a fork…

or in the food processor.

Season sweet potato mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil 8 lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente, approximately 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles and lay them out on a baking sheet.

Spread some of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons) onto each cooked lasagna noodle…

and loosely roll it up.

Place the rolls seam-side down in the baking dish.

Cover with the remaining 1 cup of sauce…

and the mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Serve.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cheesy Sweet Potato Pesto Lasagna Rolls

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Easy, vegetarian-friendly lasagna roll-ups filled with sweet potato, pesto and asiago cheese and baked in tomato basil sauce.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 8

Ingredients

8 lasagna noodles
2 sweet potatoes
1 cup ricotta cheese
5 tbsp pesto
½ cup shredded asiago cheese
2 cups of tomato basil sauce, divided
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Add 1 cup of tomato basil sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. (I'm using an 8-inch round pan.)
Pierce 2 sweet potatoes all over with a fork, wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
Let potatoes cool.
In a large bowl, add sweet potato flesh, ricotta cheese, pesto, and asiago cheese.
Mix very well with a fork or in the food processor.
Season sweet potato mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
Boil 8 lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente, approximately 10 minutes.
Drain the noodles and lay them out on a baking sheet.
Spread some of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons) onto each cooked lasagna noodle and loosely roll it up.
Place the rolls seam-side down in the baking dish.
Cover with the remaining 1 cup of sauce and the mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Serve.

Notes

I know that a serving size of 1 roll seems ridiculous, but these are surprisingly filling!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 334 Fat: 16 Carbohydrates: 34 Sugar: 7 Sodium: 663 Protein: 14

Curry Chicken Thighs with Butter Beans

June 27, 2014 By Tekesha 9 Comments

When I was younger, I was really self-conscious about my family being different and eating “unusual” things for dinner. I would beg my mother to make mac and cheese or spaghetti for dinner like all my friends ate. As soon as I left home for college, I missed those Jamaican dishes TERRIBLY.

I would send my parents a list and they would cook huge batches of all the foods I missed, freeze it, pack it, and ship it off to me at school. I requested this dish every single time. (Though the version my Dad makes uses pig’s feet instead of chicken thighs.) Not only that, but I would ask my parents to make it for me every time I came home on a break. I am looooong out of college and my parents STILL make this for me every time I come home to visit. I know it will be warm and waiting for me on the stove no matter what time I arrive. That’s being loved your parents! 🙂

It is, quite simply, my favorite dish.

10 chicken thighs
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp curry powder
3 stalks of scallion, minced
2 cans of butter beans, drained
1 cup of water
Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper your chicken thighs. I also de-bone my thighs so I can eat the chicken more quickly, using Olga from Olga’s Flavor Factory’s method, but feel free to leave the bone in or use boneless, skinless thighs.

Add oil, curry powder, and scallion to a large skillet.

Sauté on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until all the oil is infused with curry (about 2 minutes).

Place the thighs skin side down and let them sear in the curry oil for about 5 minutes.

Flip them over and let them cook in the curry oil for another 5 minutes.

Add your water and drop the heat down to medium.

Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add your butter beans and gently stir so the butter beans get down into the curry.

Leave uncovered and cook for an additional 15 minutes. The butter beans will sort of cook out partially into a nice, thick curry sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Curry Chicken Thighs with Butter Beans

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

47 mins

Total time

57 mins

Jamaican curry chicken cooked with tender butter beans

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 5

Ingredients

10 chicken thighs, deboned
¼ cup oil
2 tbsp curry powder
3 stalks of scallion, minced
2 cans of butter beans, drained
1 cup of water
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Salt and pepper your chicken thighs.
Add oil, curry powder, and scallion to a large skillet.
Sauté on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until all the oil is infused with curry (about 2 minutes).
Place the thighs skin side down and let them sear in the curry oil for about 5 minutes.
Flip them over and let them cook in the curry oil for another 5 minutes.
Add your water and drop the heat down to medium.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add your butter beans and gently stir so the butter beans get down into the curry.
Leave uncovered and cook for an additional 15 minutes. The butter beans will sort of cook out partially into a nice, thick curry sauce.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 474 Fat: 29 Carbohydrates: 29 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 747 Protein: 27

Chocolate Ginger Orange Chili

June 20, 2014 By Tekesha 9 Comments

Have you ever gone down an internet rabbit hole? That’s where you stumble across something on the internet and it unexpectedly captures ALL of your time and attention.

When I was in college, I used to post on a website called Fametracker. It was a place to go and discuss/skewer various celebrities and movies and things of that sort. The moderators were known to be very, very strict.

I came home from class one day, logged on, and saw all of these outlandish thread titles in the celebrity section. I quickly learned the website was shutting down and the boards were going to be un-moderated until the site closed. Thread title after thread title ripping into the mods, religion, society, you-name-it!

My eyes got as big as dinner plates and a huge smile spread across my face. DIS GON B GUUUD!!! I grabbed my jacket and ran out to get the ingredients to make chili – tomato sauce, ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and spice packet. I dashed back home and I spent the rest of the night eating bowl after bowl of chili and reading each delicious little thread.

It is the perfect food for curling up in front of your computer and getting lost in something!

This one, inspired by Ed’s Chicago Cocoa Chili, has a sweet and tangy twist thanks to the flavor combination of chocolate, ginger, and orange. I came up with it after consulting my Flavor Bible.

You’ll need:

2 lbs lean ground beef
2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced
1 orange, juiced
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper

Chop your bell pepper, onion, celery, and jalapeno.

Juice your orange.

Get your cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground thyme, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.

In a large pot on high heat, brown your ground beef.

Drop the heat down to medium.

Toss your chopped vegetables into the pan…

… and cook until onions are partially translucent (approximately 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add in your bowl of spices, cocoa, and sugar.

Stir the pot to make sure the spices are coating the meat and vegetables.

Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and the orange juice.

Partially cover your pot with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

A big bowl would go wonderfully with any of the following really interesting, long articles: The Welfare Queen; The Long, Fake Life of J.S. Dirr: A Decade-Long Internet Cancer Hoax Unravels, and The Child Exchange: Inside America’s Underground Market for Adopted Children.

Chocolate Ginger Orange Chili

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

40 mins

Hearty chili infused with the flavors of chocolate, ginger, and orange. It's sweet, spicy, savory and incredibly comforting.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef
2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced
1 orange, juiced
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Chop your bell pepper, onion, celery, and jalapeno.
Juice your orange.
Get your cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground thyme, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
In a large pot on high heat, brown your ground beef.
Drop the heat down to medium.
Toss your chopped vegetables into the pan and cook until onions are partially translucent (approximately 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add in your bowl of spices, cocoa, and sugar.
Stir the pot to make sure the spices are coating the meat and vegetables.
Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and the orange juice.
Partially cover your pot with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 317 Fat: 12 Carbohydrates: 24 Sugar: 13 Sodium: 596 Protein: 27

Taco Pasta Salad

June 13, 2014 By Tekesha 4 Comments

This recipe is slightly adapted from Dan of Food in my Beard’s Leftovers Pasta Salad, one of my favorite bloggers. (He actually has a book out called Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook that is really unique, just like his blog.) I came across his blog a long time ago while looking at recipes for making fresh pasta. I always thought I should wait to make fresh pasta until I had the perfect kitchen with tons of space and all the fancy gadgets. Then I saw Dan (actually Mandi) making pasta on a small coffee table, with pasta sheets drying all over the bed, and I realized that I needed to seize the day! No need to wait for a fancy kitchen! We made fresh pasta that very day. He is my adventurous food hero and I’m inspired by all the unusual flavor combinations he puts together.

The best way to describe this pasta salad is BRIGHT. There are a lot of taco pasta salads out there that use mayo or bottled dressings to bring it all together and this one doesn’t have any of that. You really get to taste the flavors of the fresh ingredients.

Here’s what you need:

1 lb taco meat (ground beef cooked in taco seasoning), cooled
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped finely
1 tomato, de-seeded and chopped finely
1 cup romaine, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chunky salsa (I use Chi-Chi’s Mild Thick and Chunky, which is made with all-natural ingredients)
2 stalks of scallion, chopped finely
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
1 lb fusilli pasta, cooked
Juice of 1 lime

Either use leftover taco meat or brown 1 lb of ground beef, drain the oil, and add taco seasoning. Let this mixture cool completely. You REALLY need to wait for it to cool completely, otherwise the cheese and lettuce we are mixing it with will immediately melt and wilt. It’s also really important that you drain the beef before adding your seasonings. Cold oil looks and tastes terrible and you will ruin the salad.

In a large bowl, combine bell peppers…

tomato…

romaine lettuce…

cheddar cheese…

chunky salsa…

scallion…

cilantro…

and sour cream.

By this time, your taco meat should be cool if you made it fresh. Add it to the other ingredients in the bowl. If you want to keep this low carb, you can stop right here and mix everything together. It is wicked good!

If not, proceed by boiling water and cooking your fusilli noodles.

Drain and rinse them under cold water until they are cool. I know Italian grandmothers everywhere are probably turning in their graves over that last statement about rinsing pasta, but it helps to cool the pasta down quickly so you can mix it with the other ingredients and get your grub on.

Add the cooled pasta to the other ingredients in the bowl…

squeeze a lime on top of the pasta…

and give everything a nice mix.

On the second day, I warm it up slightly (about 30 seconds in the microwave) to take the chill on the beef down a notch. It’s super good with jalapeno tabasco. Or chipotle tabasco. Or both, lol (pictured below)!

Taco Pasta Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

Refreshing pasta salad with bright, Mexican flavors.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 lb taco meat (ground beef cooked in taco seasonings), cooled
½ green bell pepper, chopped finely
½ orange bell pepper, chopped finely
1 tomato, de-seeded and chopped finely
1 cup romaine, chopped
½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
½ cup chunky salsa (I use Chi-Chi's Mild Thick and Chunky)
2 stalks of scallion, chopped finely
¼ cup cilantro, minced
¼ cup sour cream
1 lb fusilli pasta, cooked
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Either use leftover taco meat or brown 1 lb of ground beef, drain the oil, and add taco seasoning. Let this mixture cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine bell peppers, tomato, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, chunky salsa, scallion, cilantro, and sour cream.
Add your taco meat to the bowl.
Fill a large pot with water and cook your fusilli noodles.
Drain and rinse your noodles under cold water until they are cool.
Add the cooled pasta to the other ingredients in the bowl.
Squeeze a lime on top of the pasta.
Mix everything together and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 367 Fat: 19 Carbohydrates: 48 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 164 Protein: 21

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

June 6, 2014 By Tekesha 8 Comments

My brother Cardo is totally against burgers cooked in the oven. He was at our house one time and I was in the kitchen seasoning burger patties and putting them onto a baking tray. He saw what I was doing and said TWICE “I am absolutely against that. I do not eat burgers from ovens.” I continued with what I was doing and he said “Seriously. I am totally against what you are doing right now.” Ha ha ha! He was very relieved when I explained that we just needed something to use to transport the meat to the grill.

Well, THESE burgers are cooked in the oven, after marinating in a ton of soy sauce and spices, and I think even my brother would love them. They are salty and juicy and after sitting in the marinade, the onions seem to almost caramelize in the oven. Give them a try!

Gather up:

4 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 15-oz bottle of soy sauce
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce with the onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, ground ginger, and paprika. I had a picture of this, but you really couldn’t see what was happening because the soy sauce is so dark.

In a very large bowl, toss in your ground beef.

Chop your onion and add it to the ground beef. I leave my onion pieces kind of large (about 1 inch in length) because I like them to still have a bite after the burgers are cooked. If you don’t like onions with even a little bit of crunch, I would sauté the onion in some water until fully cooked, let it cool, and then add it to the burger mixture.

Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bowl with the ground beef.

There will be a lot of soy sauce swimming in the bowl. That is perfectly okay at this stage.

Gently mix the meat and onion with the soy sauce so everything is coated.

Leave beef to soak up the soy mixture for 30 minutes, gently mixing the meat occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The soy marinade should be totally absorbed into the meat at this point.

Line a baking tray with foil and a rack.

Shape your burgers into patties and place them on the rack. Because the soy sauce mixture has soaked into the meat, these burgers will be a little dark. They almost look like they are already cooked.

Use a knife to poke 3 holes into each burger. This step will prevent the burgers from puffing up into giant meatballs in the oven.

Bake for 1 hour. I cannot even really describe to you what your house will smell like while this is baking. It is heavenly.

Serve open-faced…

wrapped in lettuce leaves…

or on a soft bun…

Yum!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Oven-Baked Salty Onion Burgers

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 2 mins

Salty, juicy burgers packed with fresh onion and baked in the oven.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 12

Ingredients

4 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 15-oz bottle of soy sauce
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika

Instructions

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce with the onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, ground ginger, and paprika.
In a very large bowl, toss in your ground beef.
Chop your onion and add it to the ground beef.
Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bowl with the ground beef.
Gently mix the meat and onion with the soy sauce so everything is coated.
Leave beef to soak up the soy mixture for 30 minutes, gently mixing the meat occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
The soy marinade should be totally absorbed into the meat at this point.
Line a baking tray with foil and a rack.
Shape your burgers into patties and use a knife to poke 3 holes into each burger. This step will prevent the burgers from puffing up into giant meatballs in the oven.
Place each burger on the rack.
Bake for 1 hour.
Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Nutrition information provided is for the burgers only and does not include condiments, lettuce or buns.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 362 Fat: 23 Carbohydrates: 7 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 2497 Protein: 31

Grilled Strip Steak

May 30, 2014 By Tekesha 6 Comments

One of the few recipes my husband has passed on to me has been for crazy delicious steaks. He learned it from a friend and it couldn’t be simpler. Just steaks left to marinate in a bottle of Dale’s Seasoning (a blend of soy sauce, sugar and seasonings) for a few hours and tossed on the grill. The dark soy sauce just soaks into the meat and every bite is perfectly seasoned all the way through.

When I saw Kookie’s The Best Steak Marinade in Existence, I knew I had to give it a try with some strip steaks. It’s got the same soy sauce base, but no added sugar. The lemon and the hot sauce also give it a spicy tang. I’ve slightly adapted the ingredients to accommodate finishing the steaks in the oven like The Kitchen Whisperer’s Better-Than-Restaurant-Quality New York Strip Steaks.

You’ll need:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp ground white pepper
3 tbsp dried basil
1/4 tsp Frank’s hot sauce
2 1-inch strip steaks, trimmed
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter, divided

Grab your strip steaks…

and trim off all the fat from the edges.

Get out your soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, and hot sauce.

Put your steaks in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients into the bag and seal.

Let the steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Get out a cast iron skillet or any other oven-safe pan and put it on the stove top at high heat.

Once the skillet is hot, remove your steaks from the marinade and place them in the hot skillet. Discard the marinade.

Do not move them for 4 minutes. This will allow a nice sear to develop on the steaks.

Get out your fresh thyme and your 2 tbsp of butter, divided into a tbsp each.

Flip your steaks over in the skillet and turn off the stove top.

Place a sprig of thyme and a tbsp of butter on top of each steak.

Put the skillet with the steaks in the oven and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and put the steaks on a plate to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Slice thinly and serve.

This is wonderful with scrambled eggs for breakfast, on top of a spinach salad for lunch, or even just with a little drizzle of chimichurri sauce (pictured below).

5.0 from 1 reviews

Grilled Strip Steak

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

Lean strip steaks marinated in spicy soy sauce, seared, and finished in the oven with butter and thyme.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp ground white pepper
3 tbsp dried basil
¼ tsp Frank's hot sauce
2 1-inch strip steaks, trimmed
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter, divided

Instructions

Trim all the fat from around your strip steak.
Place steaks in a large ziploc bag.
Pour the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, and hot sauce into the bag with the steaks and seal the bag.
Let the steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Get out a cast iron skillet or any other oven-safe pan and put it on the stove top at high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, remove your steaks from the marinade and place them in the hot skillet. Discard the marinade.
Do not move them for 4 minutes. This will allow a nice sear to develop on the steaks.
Get out your fresh thyme and your 2 tbsp of butter, divided into a tbsp each.
Flip your steaks over in the skillet and turn off the stove top.
Place a sprig of thyme and a tbsp of butter on top of each steak.
Put the skillet with the steaks in the oven and cook for 6 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and put the steaks on a plate to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Slice thinly and serve.

Notes

NOTE: The nutrition information included below includes the estimates for the marinade, even though the marinade is not consumed in the final dish.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 380 Fat: 29 Carbohydrates: 9 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 1311 Protein: 22

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