Twist on the ol' taco

On this particular night, I didn't document anything about my process. As a result, the only picture I have to share is one of the plated meal. I chose not to take any process pictures for two reasons.

The first, laziness. Unlike many of my food blogging heroes (who seem to love photography as much as they love cooking), on my best days I love the cooking parts and kind of like taking the pictures. Don't get me wrong, in general, I love taking pictures. My problem is that I am a novice chef and taking the appropriate "time out" to snap a photograph can, at times, be overwhelming. Especially if it means that in the meantime, my garlic burns or something boils over. Perhaps my food blogging idols do a lot more staging and a lot less real time picture taking of the cooking process...perhaps I shall never know!

The second, I was experimenting with an idea in my own head. I was not following a recipe and my brain can only be used for so many tasks at one time.

This turned out to be a delicious, easy and quick meal to make! You should try it some night. Some night when you're hungry, your husband (or wife) is hungry, your kids are hungry and time is not on your side.

 
Here's what you need:

1 fresh Poblano pepper, diced
2 fresh green chilies, diced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 pound lean, ground turkey
1 pack taco seasoning
or the combination of spices below; measurements will vary depending on personal preference & freshness of spices
-ground cumin
-chili powder
-Cayenne pepper powder
-dried oregano
-salt 
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large flour tortilla
1/2 16 oz can refried beans
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 jalapeno, sliced 
1 avocado, sliced  
some dollops of Daisy
a large handful of lettuce

Here's what you do: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Dice 1/2 a large onion, 1 Poblano pepper, and two green chilies. You can remove some of the seeds and pith (white stuff) to reduce the heat in the peppers if you want. I, obviously, left most of it in tact. Set cut vegetables aside.

Brown ground turkey in medium hot skillet. Once the meat is browned, add the diced onion, Poplano pepper, and green chilies. Cook for a few minutes, until the peppers have softened. Add one pack of taco seasoning or make your own, which is what I always do by combining the above ingredients to taste. Because the meat is so lean, it tends to start looking a little dry. Add chicken broth to skillet and allow meat mixture to simmer until the liquid is gone. Set meat mixture aside.

Place large flour tortilla on baking pan/pizza pan. The pan does not need to be greased or sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon refried beans onto tortilla, spreading a thing layer on the tortilla like tomato sauce on a pizza. Add meat mixture on top of beans like toppings on a pizza. Sprinkle cheese blend on top of meat. 

Pop the whole thing into the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Cut and serve topped with sliced, fresh jalapenos, sliced avocado, a few dollops of Daisy, and a heaping pile of lettuce. 

You're probably going to need a knife and fork for this one. 

A neighborly nudge

Altus has issues. Water issues. About a year ago, we received notice in the mail informing us that long-term consumption of Altusian water can be dangerous to one's health. When we received that notice, we took steps to investigate our options for accessing clean drinking water. The absolute best choice is the instillation of a reverse-osmosis water system, which we are not interested in doing at this point. We opted to install a Brita water filter on our sink. Since that time, we've been informed that the filter really only reduces the strong smell of chlorine, but that the dangerous byproducts are still very much present in our drinking water. Back to the drawing board we went... 

I recently realized that there is a reverse-osmosis water system on base where I can refill plastic bottles. Since that time, I've been making weekly trips to fill gallons of water from the watering hole on base and haul it home. This simple (albeit tedious when you grow up taking drinking water for granted) task reminds me of days past or of days present depending on your country of residence/socioeconomic status. 

Anyway, I digress. I tell you that so I can tell you this story:

The other day as I filled my car with my empty water receptacles (I cant bring myself to write "jugs") in preparation for my weekly watering hole adventure, my neighbor across the street hollered, 

"I knocked on your door, you didn't answer, I thought you were asleep! Come over here, I have something for you."

"For me? Golly, this is an exciting turn of events," I thought to myself as I crossed the street. I walked into her kitchen and was immediately taken aback by a delightful scene.

An entire sushi factory neatly sprawled across her counter top.  Sushi ingredients and rolls at various stages of production. I felt like I'd stumbled upon heaven.

"Do you like it?" She asked me. 

"Do I like it?! I love it! We love it! Oh my gosh, this is so exciting." I replied.

She placed two rolls on a plate, sliced them into pieces and sent me on my way.

"Have a great day!" she exclaimed as I walked back across the street. She had no idea how great our day had just gotten. Have I mentioned we love sushi? 

Eric and I devoured a delicious lunch.

And because my momma taught me never to return an empty plate, I spent this morning baking!

Originally, I had planned on making a recipe for Butterfinger cookies that I'd come across on Pinterest. However, upon realizing I'd forgotten my shopping list when I got to Walmart, I turned to an oldie but goodie. You can always count on Nestle Toll House.

Shout out to another lovely neighbor who saved the day when I realized I didn't have vanilla extract!

 
Even though this entry is primarily about things other than sushi, it was my desire to celebrate sushi that inspired me to write. Thanks to our lovely neighbor for a delicious lunch, which also gave me the push I needed to get back in the blogging saddle.

More to come! Just because I haven't been writing doesn't mean I haven't been cooking!