On the Road Again

A running related post, at last!
Ok, so I have been trying to figure out a way to walk/run outside in the winter. I am not a huge fan of the treadmill for some reason and need to find something. So I was reading a friend's blog and came across these. Icespikes, I was sold! I had read and heard good reviews for them and Can't wait to order some. I watched the little video on them and will post when I have actually used them. I am super stoked!

Cooking Challenge #2

Ok, for this challenge I want you to try a recipe with me. I love looking at food blogs and finding new recipe's to try. This week we are going to try a pasta dish. Please remember, you can sub any type of pasta and use what you like, white for wheat, and so forth. The point of these challenges is not only to find something new, but come up with you own way to cook and share with others.
 This recipe comes from Angela's Oh She Glows website. It is a vegan casserole and looks amazing! I have tweaked the recipe with non-vegan ingredients on here. If you are interested in the exact recipe click here.

Naughty & Nice Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Yield: One (2-quart) casserole
Ingredients:

• 8-ounces dry pasta (3.5 cups dry noodles or half a 16-oz package)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow), chopped
• 1-3 tbsp taco seasoning mix *to taste
• 1 can black beans (or 2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 1.5-2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1/3-1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 20 tortilla chips (about 2 handfuls), crushed
• Avocado, salsa, sour cream, etc, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350F . Add dry pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook for 7-8 minutes. *Be careful not to overcook the pasta or it will get mushy in the casserole. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion, jalapeno, and peppers in the olive oil over medium heat for about 7-8 mins.
3. Add the taco seasoning, drained and rinsed black beans, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir well and cook for another 5 mins.
4. Stir in the cheese and chopped green onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish. Scoop on the skillet mixture and spread out evenly. Spoon on the rest of the sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake for 15-20 mins at 350F until heated through. Sprinkle with crushed nacho chips, chopped avocado, salsa, and sour cream if desired just before serving.

I will be making this for dinner sometime this week. Please, join with me in trying this recipe.
*For those of you with smaller families, half the recipe if you don't do left-overs*

Cooking Challenge #1

 I would like to thank everyone who commented or emailed me about Challenge #1 for Burgers. I am trying to encourage people to comment on the Blog instead of emailing me so that all my readers can get the feedback I do and we can share ideas.

 

 I made a classic burger this week. I used a onion kaiser roll for the bun. I brushed a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on each side and broiled it for a few minutes. This gives it just enough crunch and flavor. I use lean ground beef (97/3). I chopped up some jalapenos and mashed them up into the patty. My husband loved it! Topped this with mustard, lettuce, pepper-jack cheese, and tomato. I usually make homemade fries but this time settled for some onion rings (not homemade). Another burger I like is a western. You use whatever burger and bun you like. Add some cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, and onions rings (Yes, in the burger.) That is it and it is Oh So Good!
 Others ideas there were shared with me included Hamburger Salad (thanks Melissa). This is a fun recipe I have done before. You make up your salad with burger ingredients, toast up the buns like croutons and use ketchup and mustard as your dressing. A fun way to make burger night a little different. I wanted to get around to trying a veggie burger recipe I found but haven't had time to go to the store for the ingredients yet. I will post when I make it.