You will never reach for a packet of taco seasoning again after tasting how easy & delicious this is (and with far less sodium). All natural, baby!

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2-1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika (no, it isn’t just for deviled eggs)

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2/3 c. water

1 lb. ground beef-browned & drained & returned to skillet

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 handful fresh cilantro

splash of Sriracha chili sauce

In a small bowl, combine first 11 ingredients (garlic powder through ground black pepper) and add the 2/3 c. water. Mix well. Pour over browned ground beef. Mix well. Simmer until mixture has most of the water cooked out and is good consistency to put on tortillas. Add lime juice, cilantro, and Sriracha (if using, but it is so tasty don’t leave it out). Stir to combine.

**You can adjust the hotter elements (cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and Sriracha) to taste. These are not overwhelmingly hot, but for kids you may want to tone it down or make one batch for the adults and one milder one for the kids.

Then, the sky is the limit. You can use this for burritos, tacos, taco salad, or a burrito bowl with all the fixin’s minus the tortilla. Pair this up with our recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice and you are set! Enjoy!

Cake batter:

1 1/2 c. granulated (white) sugar

1/4 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 egg white

1 1/4 c. low-fat, plain yogurt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Streusel filling:

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. butter, chilled & cut into small pieces

1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)

dusting of powdered sugar

OPTIONAL:  You can make 1 1/2 batches of streusel filling and reserve about 1/3 of it to sprinkle over the top of the coffee cake just before you pop it in the oven. This will add a tad more to the caloric total.

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

For the cake:

Combine white sugar and 1/4 c. softened butter in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Beat in yogurt and vanilla.

Add remaining ingredients, mix well.

For the streusel filling:
In a food processor, place all of the streusel filling ingredients and combine for about 15-30 seconds, or until the butter looks like small pebbles in the flour mixture.  (if you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter in by hand using 2 knives—but Target sells a Hamilton Beach one relatively inexpensively and I use it ALL the time, they’re worth the money ).

Pour 1/2 the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula. Distribute the streusel filling over the batter. Top with remaining cake batter and do your best to smooth it out over the streusel. This step is a little tricky as the batter tries to stick to your spatula—you can try lightly spraying your spatula with cooking spray. If the batter doesn’t make it all the way to the edges, that’s fine…just don’t leave it all clumped up in the middle. It helps if you sort of make big drops of batter in various spots over the pan before smoothing out—and it will spread out some while baking.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Leave in pan, place pan on cooling rack. When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving (if you sprinkle the whole coffee cake, the sugar will sometimes dissolve and disappear).

20 organic strawberries (organic being tend to always be sweet and juicy, even when they aren’t in season in February) $6.90/carton at Whole Foods

**do not remove green tops

6 oz. Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate (Whole Food’s sells it in bulk, they cut it for you, 6 oz= about $7.00, so worth it)

3 oz. white chocolate (optional, but fun)

That’s it…so simple! Regarding the chocolate, if you are going to make a special treat, you might as well splurge on the chocolate and  strawberries…it will make all the difference. You CAN use chocolate chips, but they contain stabilizers, so they won’t melt quite the same and won’t be quite as decadent.

The trick to making good chocolate covered strawberries is the technique. You want to wash your strawberries in a bowl of water and fruit & veggie cleaner. Rinse well. Spread strawberries out on paper towel, pat dry, and let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. You want to make sure they are VERY dry before you begin with the chocolate or the chocolate won’t adhere to the strawberry.

Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a glass, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir with a wooden or metal spoon (plastic could melt), cook for another 30 seconds. Continue this until chocolate is melted. Make sure you stir between cook times as this really helps to distribute the heat well and prevents burned spots. When chocolate is smooth and silky with no lumps, you are ready to dip the berries.

Hold strawberry by green top, dip about 2/3 of strawberry into chocolate. Place on sheet of waxed paper. Allow chocolate to solidify.

Melt white chocolate the same way you did the semi-sweet. When melted, dip metal spoon into chocolate, drizzle white chocolate in zig-zag pattern over the semi-sweet chocolate. Allow to solidify.

Serve with sparkling white grape juice or champagne and enjoy a romantic dessert with your sweetie or make it a family affair and let the kids enjoy this delicious dessert with you.

Pepperoni  Cheese

Mushroom, basil, onion, & mozzarella

Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, onion, and BBQ sauce

1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)

—store yeast in freezer to prolong shelf life. Costco sells a large bag for under $4.00

1 c. warm water (105-115 deg)

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 tsp. olive oil

2 1/2-3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 c. sauce (I like Classico organic, tomato-basil spaghetti sauce)

Toppings: mozzarella, pepperoni, pre-cooked Italian sausage, green pepper strips, onion strips, sliced cremini mushrooms, zucchini, pineapple, artichoke hearts, etc.

To make dough:

In large glass or metal measuring bowl, place yeast and honey in warm water. Whisk to combine well. Let sit for about 5 minutes until top is foamy.

Place 2 c. flour, salt, yeast mixture, olive oil, and salt in large mixer bowl (I use a stand mixer), fitted with dough hook. Combine well.

**If mixing by hand, use hand mixer for this step, then a strong wooden spoon to add in extra flour in the following step.

Add additional flour by 1/2 c. increments. Stop adding flour when dough is just slightly tacky (barely sticky).

Knead in mixer for 2 minutes OR by hand for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Coat large bowl lightly with olive oil. Toss dough ball so it is evenly coated. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let rise in draft-free place for 1 hour (or until doubled in bulk).

**You can also preheat your oven to 170 (or the lowest setting). Turn off oven. Put bowl of dough covered with clean towel in oven. Close door. Let rise.

To assemble pizza:

Preheat oven to 450 deg.

If using a baking stone (which is all I ever use), preheat stone in oven for about 5 minutes. No need to grease unless the stone is new (then use cooking spray and dust pan with cornmeal).

**If you don’t preheat stone, middle of pizza will not cook all the way.

If using metal pan, use cooking spray and dusting of cornmeal. Set aside.

On floured surface, roll dough into 15” circle or 3-4 personal size circles.

Remove preheated stone from oven and place on heatproof surface. Place dough in middle of pan. Spread sauce evenly, leaving 1” rim for crust.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over sauce. Top with favorite toppings. If using meat, pre-cook before placing on pizza. If using tomatoes, remove seeds and pulp as it will add too much moisture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

**You can cook 2 pans of pizza at one time, baking time remains the same. If needed, rotate pans halfway through cooking for even heating.

—At this point, you can cool the baked pizza, cut it in half, and store halves in zip-top gallon freezer bags. Follow instructions below to reheat.

To Reheat Frozen Pizza:

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove pizza from zip-top bag and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

See! Just as tasty as the first time around.

(Ingredients: OJ, strawberries, blueberries, lime juice, low-fat plain yogurt)

3/4 c. orange juice

10 frozen strawberries, +/- depending on size  (I use the Kirkland brand from Costco)

1 tsp. lime juice                                                                                                                                                                                     

Optional add ins:

1 c. low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 c. frozen blueberries

1 banana

1 scoop soy protein powder (add about 1/4 c. more OJ if using this)

Since you are using frozen fruit, you don’t need to add ice.

You really need a blender for this as a food processor will NOT process ice or frozen fruit (it will break the blade, unless your instruction manual specifically states it can handle ice). If using a food process, defrost the fruit until slightly soft and go from there. You may not need as much OJ as the defrosted fruit lends a bit more water.

**Place all items in a blender and combine until smooth. Add a bit more OJ if blender stops blending due to mixture becoming too thick. Blueberries cause the mixture to thicken, so adjust OJ as needed. **

To store prepared smoothies:

Place a zip-top sandwich bag in a short cup (this will hold the bag for you while you pour. Keep zip-top area clean as it won’t be a tight seal if messy.  Press to seal and place in freezer for an easy breakfast. Store in a bowl for space-efficiency.

3 flavors…no problem!

To clean blender:

Pour in hot water and dish soap. Replace top. Blend for a couple of seconds. Dismantle blender as you rinse off soap (careful—blade is SUPER sharp) and place in strainer to dry. Easy!

Hold on…soap suds=lid flies off

Excluding lime, all items purchased at Costco

SAUCE:

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, diced finely

2 c. tomato sauce

3 c. water

3 Tbsp. chili powder

4 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot

splash of Sriracha

BURRITOS:

2 c. jasmine rice, cooked

2 Tbsp. lime juice

handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt

3 c. cooked black beans or pinto beans (either canned or cooked yourself)

1 c. corn (fresh or frozen, no need to defrost frozen)

1 can chopped, green chilies

4-5 green onions, chopped + 2-3 more for top of burritos

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

12 tortillas

**Preheat oven to 350 deg.

For the Sauce:

In medium saucepan,over medium-high heat– heat the oil, add garlic and onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, whisk well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Using a whisk, stir often.

For the Burritos:

In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, green chilies, and 5 green onions. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine rice, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mix well.

To assemble:

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Spread about 2 Tbsp. bean mixture down the middle of a tortilla. Place about 2 Tbsp. rice mixture in a long strip on top of the rice. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Fold tortilla over mixture, secure with a toothpick (remove before serving). Place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas, placing them side by side in pan.

Cover burritos with moderate amount of sauce (you may not use it all, it depends on how much you like). Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and remaining green onions.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.

{adapted from cookbook “How it all Vegan!”…an awesome, must-have vegan cookbook}

2 c. water

1 c. jasmine rice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 green onions, chopped (white parts & some of the green)

2 c. kale, roughly chopped (Whole Foods sells lacinato kale, which is what I use)

1-2 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2-1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce (I use 1 Tbsp.)

2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (works w/the kale, don’t omit)

handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

** In a covered, medium pot—combine rice & water, stir, and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook for about 20-25 minutes. (Do not stir while it is simmering)

While rice is cooking, wash kale leaves well, dry with paper towels. Cut each leaf in half (cutting out tough middle stem), then chop into pieces (a little larger than bite size, shrinks when cooked).

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat–heat olive oil, add green onions and garlic, saute for about 3 minutes. Add kale, curry powder, Sriracha, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Cook, stirring often,  just until kale becomes slightly tender and cooks down a bit. Add cooked rice. Combine well. Add cilantro. Stir to combine.

{This recipe is adapted from a recipe on the Taste of Home website}

1/2 c. granulated, white sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch Kosher salt

1/3 cup HOT water

4 c. fat-free milk (or 2 c. fat-free and 2 c. 1/2 & 1/2)

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. peppermint extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk in hot water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-high heat, cook for 2 minutes—stirring constantly with whisk.

Add milk all at once. Heat just until hot (stirring often), do not boil or milk will taste scalded and unpleasant.

REMOVE from heat. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts. Stir to combine. (If you add these while cooking, some of the flavor evaporates out).

6 oz. fresh brewed coffee (I prefer a strong brew, Seattle’s Best Henry’s blend is great!)

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. white sugar

1/4-1/2 c. half and half or milk (or to taste)

Optional: very small splash of peppermint extract or pure vanilla extract (a very little goes a very long way!)

Add the cocoa powder and sugar to hot coffee…stir well to combine. Add the milk or half & half and peppermint, if using.

Enjoy! I honestly can’t tell the difference and LOVE that I can make this myself!

Before you leave the house, set aside about a half hour or so to prepare. Check what you HAVE in the house, before you go out to buy more. Look in the pantry, in your spice cabinet, in the freezer and fridge…and you might be surprised how much you take off your list before you even leave the house.

Create a simple, printable document on your computer with grocery store categories like “Meat, frozen, beverage, boxed/canned/jar, dairy, & misc”. This will help prevent you from making zig zag trips across the store because you forgot something “when you were just over there”. Make a few simple, printable documents entitled “Pantry”, “Fridge”, and “Freezer”. Take a few minutes to jot down what you have in those places, and you might just be able to create  a few meals out of things you forgot were in there. This also helps you utilize the food you have before it expires (even canned food has an expiration date).

Take the final few moments to browse the sales circulars that come in the mail and get some coupons together. Even if you aren’t Ms. Super Couponer, which I am not, using  some coupons (which I do) and looking at the store sales circulars (which I also do) makes you a much better equipped shopper and saves you money! Who doesn’t need to save money?

Finally, take your completed grocery list AND a calculator & embark on your grocery shopping. EATING before you go + shopping alone (if possible)= saving money & buying only from your list.    I have gone  to the store many a time at 10pm because we are blessed to have so many 24 hour stores here and I went when my hubs was home. If it’s not on your list, DON’T buy it and DON’T fall for the Impulse Items at the register. Those will get ya every time. Happy shopping!