Romaine Tacos

There are lots of reasons to love these guys. Yummy, easy, body-friendly... but my favorite? After a little bit of prep, everyone makes their own dinner! Want seconds? Head back to that lovely pile of crisp romaine and make yourself some more! Yessss. DIY dinners are the best. Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy making pretty plates of food for the people I love. But now and then the freedom to make my own and sit down just feels so nice.

So here I have instructions for prepping these lovelies *as well as* my super simple taco seasoning recipe. Now, both the tacos and the seasoning recipes are very flexible - tweak to your taste and enjoy!

YIELD 12 tacos

INGREDIENTS

For Tacos

12 whole romaine lettuce leaves

1 pound ground beef

1 tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 avocado, sliced

Salsa

Guacamole

Coconut oil for browning beef

For Taco Seasoning

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic power

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika (I like doing half and half smoked/regular paprika)

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep your veggies and seasoning and set aside

2. Add beef and half of the diced onions to a skillet with a little coconut oil and cook over medium heat until meat is browned and onions are tender

3. Turn stove off, drain fat from skillet and stir in 3 teaspoons taco seasoning (or to taste)

4. Time to build! Now I've discovered that guacamole is super handy when added to the taco right after the meat is spooned in. It helps keep it in place as well as the rest of the toppings ;) 

NOTES
The taco seasoning recipe yields roughly 2 1/2 tablespoons, and unused seasoning should be stored in a covered container.

Mini Egg-Topped Meatloaves

The other night I was in the mood for meatloaf, but really *not* in the mood for the hour+ it takes to cook. So I swapped out my loaf pan for my muffin tin and made these cute little meat muffins. Perfect. They cut the cook time in more than half!

And I don't know what led me to this next thought (probably the million eggs in the fridge), but I wondered how it would work if I baked an egg atop each little meatloaf. Well, the answer to that question is "Awesome. Tasty and awesome." How is this not a thing already? They're fantastic. And so stinkin cute. It's pictured here over some sautéed chard, with a little hot sauce. Thad ate them with ketchup. Dress them up however you like or eat them as-is, I think you'll love them too.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound beef

1/4 onion, diced (1/3 cup)

1 carrot, grated (1/2 cup)

2 large mushrooms, diced

2 teaspoons coconut aminos

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Eggs: If you cook an egg on top of each one, you'll need 13 eggs (one to mix into the meat). When I did this, I cooked eggs on about half - totally up to you.

Coconut oil for sautéing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Heat skillet on medium with a little coconut oil and sauté onions, carrots and mushrooms for a few minutes, until onions begin to get tender and translucent
3. When veggies are done sautéing, use hands to combine all ingredients with one beaten egg
4. Oil muffin tin and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop meat mixture into tins - amount should be just less than 1/4 cup, filling each little tin about 3/4 of the way (leave room for the eggs) and bake for 10 minutes
5. Next take them out and add the eggs - I find it works best to break an egg into a cup, and from there pour the egg onto the meat, one by one - it should come up just to the top of the tin, but don't worry if it overflows a tad. No biggie.
6. Put them back in the oven for 15 more minutes, until meat is no longer pink inside

Super Nachos Dip

This is one of the first dishes I learned to make after we were married. Passed down from my mother-in-law, it's a yummy Jackson family staple. This means, even though we don't eat corn chips anymore, it's definitely still on the menu. It just needed to be tweaked a bit. Biggest change: Now we use veggies to dip instead of chips (...and then sometimes we just eat it with a spoon, all fancy-like). Either way, it remains one of our favorites.

And bonus: Leftovers are awesome served with an egg and salsa the next morning for breakfast. Enjoy!

* If you're avoiding dairy, you can easily substitute a drizzle of cashew cream in place of the cheese.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound ground beef

        1 1/2 - 2 cups refried beans

        1 small onion, diced

        1 tomato, diced

        1/2 cup chopped green chiles (4 ounces)

        1/2 cup sliced black olives (4 ounces)

        3 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, finely chopped

        1/2 cup salsa verde (green salsa)

        2 cups shredded cheddar cheese OR 1/2 cup cashew cream

        Salt and pepper

        Coconut oil for sautéing

        2 to 4 cups salsa (optional)

        2 to 4 cups guacamole (optional)

        1 avocado, served on the side (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Sauté onions in a bit of coconut oil until nearly cooked/translucent

    2.    Add ground beef and cook on medium until thoroughly browned, seasoning with a little salt and pepper

    3.    Preheat oven to 350F

    4.    Spread beans in the bottom of large (3-ish qt) casserole dish

    5.    Spoon beef and onions over beans

    6.    Next layer on the chiles, tomatoes, olives, and jalapeños

    7.    Sprinkle cheese over top OR skip the cheese and drizzle cashew cream over top *after* it comes out of the oven

    8.    Drizzle salsa verde over all of it, cover and bake until cheese gets all melty, about 15-20 minutes

Fried Egg & Avocado Burger

It's the classic burger + egg combo and I love it. Oh that rich golden yolk dripping down. Yes, pleeease.

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        Burger Patties

        1 pound lean ground beef

        1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon dried parsley

        1 tablespoon minced dried onions

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1 egg, beaten

        Toppings

        4 eggs

        4 large lettuce leaves

        1 large avocado

        1 large tomato

        Mayonaise

        Black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Thoroughly combine all burger patty ingredients with hands in a mixing bowl

    3.    Shape four patties with your hands

    4.    Bake 20-25 minutes, until internal temp reaches 160F

    5.    While the burgers are baking, fry up 4 eggs, ideally leaving the yolks a bit runny

    6.    Place a couple slices of tomato on a lettuce leaf, spread burger with a touch of mayo, place on top of tomato and top with a fried egg, a few avocado slices and a sprinkle of black pepper

Loaded Burger Soup

Enjoy a big, juicy burger with all the fixings in a bowl of this savory, hearty soup! I give you ideas for "toppings" (like onions, mushrooms and bacon) in the ingredients list, but this recipe has a lot of room for play. So think up your fave burger toppings and have fun with it.

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey

        3 cups chicken stock

        2 tablespoons tomato paste

        1 small onion, diced

        1 large tomato, diced

        4 large mushrooms, sliced

        3 to 4 strips bacon, chopped

        1 1/2 teaspoon salt

        1 cup full-fat, canned coconut milk

        2 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon honey

        Salt and pepper for seasoning ground meat

        1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.     Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces, fry and set aside

    2.    Season ground meat with salt and pepper, brown in a large pot, and drain excess fat

    3.    Stir stock and coconut milk into that same frying pan with ground meat

    4.    Add the rest of your ingredients, except for bacon and cheese, and simmer until veggies are tender

    5.    Stir bacon in to warm just before serving

    6.    And for you dairy-eaters, top with shredded cheddar after dishing up (It's so good without it too though!)

Bacon Avocado Burger

A beautiful and delicious way to prepare a burger!

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        Burger Patties

        1 pound lean ground beef

        1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon dried parsley

        1 tablespoon minced dried onions

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1 egg, beaten

        Toppings

        8 pieces of bacon, fried

        4 large lettuce leaves

        1 large avocado, sliced

        1 large tomato, sliced

        Mayonaise

        Red pepper flakes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Thoroughly combine all burger patty ingredients with hands in a mixing bowl

    3.    Shape four patties with your hands and bake 20-25 minutes, until internal temp reaches 160F

    4.    Place a couple slices of tomato on a lettuce leaf, spread burger with a touch of mayo, place on top of tomato and top with a few avocado slices, a couple pieces of bacon and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if that's your thing (it's my thing)

Simple Stuffed Peppers

I am such a fan of stuffing delicious veggies with more delicious veggies, and peppers are my favorite. It's easy, so tasty and body-friendly! Here's my basic (but awesome) stuffed pepper recipe. And like a lot of the dishes on this site, there's room for some flexibility with the ingredients. Have some leftover tomatoes? Dice and toss them in. Black olives? Yes, please. Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, peas... you get it. Just be sure that, if you're adding to the recipe, you make allowances and subtract from the called-for ingredients so your peppers don't end up overflowing.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 medium bell peppers

        1 pound ground beef

        4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

        1/2 medium onion, diced

        1 stalk celery, diced

        4 large mushrooms (2 chopped, 2 sliced)

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        2 teaspoons coconut oil (for sautéing)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Fill a large pot (large enough to hold the peppers, nearly submerged) with water - heat to boiling

    3.    While you're waiting for the water, wash peppers, cut tops off and hollow out seeds and white membranes - place in boiling water for 2-3 minutes

    4.    In a bit of oil, sauté garlic, mushrooms, onions and celery until onions are nearly cooked and translucent

    5.    Next add ground beef to veggies and brown thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper

    6.    Place peppers into a large casserole dish, shaving a bit of their bottoms if they're not standing upright on their own

    7.    Stir a cup of marinara into beef/veggies mixture and spoon into peppers

    8.    Top with remaining marinara sauce and bake 15-20 minutes, or until peppers are tender

    9.    While they're baking sauté the sliced mushrooms in a little oil, salt and pepper and top peppers when they're done baking