thanks to Charlotte for suggesting I include my learn to cook dude!

This is one of Ryan and my favorite, go-to, weeknight dinner recipes. Ryan loves Mexican flavors. I love rice and beans. It’s a great meal. But even so, I’ve been debating about posting this. I even made a pros and cons list. Here it is:

Cons –

• Creates a lot of dishes and that’s annoying
• Requires some finesse and timing. Lots of things are cooking at the same time, which can be stressful

Pros –

• Takes less than 45 minutes to make everything
• Tasty and filling
• It’s easy to make a lot, so it’s great for guests or if you want some to take for lunch
• There’s lots of options for making this even faster or even more homemade (more on that below)
• There’s lots of options for adding all the toppings and add-on foods that you like

So the pros outweigh the cons, which means you all get a nice recipe. Before we get started let me tell you about some of the options to amp up or amp down this recipe.

I use canned beans, frozen sofrito, and a taco seasoning packet. I prefer using these products because they still taste great and they decrease my prep time. Specifically, I liked Goya pink beans or any brand’s pinto beans. But of course you could use black beans, re-fried beans, or whatever kind of beans you like. If you don’t like canned beans, by all means use dried beans. People tell me they are much better, but I grew up often eating canned beans so I like them just fine.

You can also make your own sofrito. If you’re not familiar, it’s a tomato based seasoning blend. I prefer not to make it because it requires a lot of ingredients, some of which can be hard to find. If you are so inclined, a recipe I like is from Wilo Benet’s book Puerto Rico True Flavors. You can also do some Googling, and find a recipe you like. But the Goya frozen sofrito is great because it’s such a big tub and it keeps for a long time.

Finally, I buy taco seasoning packets. Again, it’s because taco seasoning is made up of a lot of ingredients and not all of which are already in my spice cabinet. However, when I’ve found myself without a seasoning packet, I’ve used this recipe.

Now, for the rice. I’m going to give you the recipe for making rice on the stove. I don’t have a rice cooker so I don’t know how that works, but go ahead and use it if you have it. If you really want to save yourself time, go ahead and use Uncle Ben’s 90 second rice – but I’ll be judging you a little bit. And I’ll be judging only because I think you should try stove making rice before you go to prepared rice. I’ve totally had Uncle Ben’s 90 second rice (sorry Mom), but the bag doesn’t make much and it’s not cost effective. I like making rice myself because it’s largely passive cooking, it makes a ton, and it’s cheap. Seriously a 2 pound bag of rice cost about $2 and will last a long time.

Just a few more notes and we’ll get to cooking. I never use tortillas when Ryan and I make taco salad. This is largely because I feel guilty about waste. I buy a bag of tortillas, we use about 6 and then they go stale and I feel bad about throwing them away. Usually Ryan and I make a taco salad heap and then use chips to scoop up the food. Feel free to use taco shells, tortillas, chips, or just a fork. Make it your own.

You’ll have three things going at once. I like rice on the back burner and beans and veggies/meat on the front two. This way, when you stir, you aren’t reaching over anything.

And the last thing about “make it your own,” is that this meal allows for you to put whatever you like on top of it. We usually add at least cheese and salsa, but there’s so many more options and I’ll list some below.

That’s enough background, let’s get to cooking. With this recipe you’ll be cooking 3 things. The directions will be all together, and I’m doing this because it should allow you get all 3 dishes finished at the same time. And that’s what you want because then you can serve everything hot.

Ingredients you don’t have to cook and can use as toppings:

salsa

chopped tomatoes

shredded cheese

sour cream

lettuce

guacamole

Ingredients (for the cooking-part):

1 cup long grain white rice (you can also use other types of rice if you prefer)

2 cups water

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion

1 can Goya pink beans

1/4 cup Goya frozen sofrito

1-2 bell peppers (any color you like)

1 tbsp and 1 tsp (or 4 tsp) taco seasoning

1 lb ground turkey (or beef if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Start with the rice. I recommend following the package instructions, but I’ll also give you my instructions. Use a back burner, this is important because you need 2 other burners and the rice will be largely left alone so it shouldn’t be in the front. Anyway, add 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and 1 tbsp of butter to a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  I recommend you set a timer for 20 minutes and use it to help you synchronize the rest of your cooking. Below is the rice mid-cook.

2. While you’re waiting for the rice. Chop the bell pepper and onion in strips.

3. When you have about 15 minutes left on your rice timer, heat a large pan (on a front burner) on medium. Once it gets hot enough, saute your onions and pepper strips until they are browned and soft. This takes about 5-7 minutes.

4. At about 12 minutes left on your rice timer, put the beans (and the liquid in the can) in a small pot. Add the sofrito. (Note: if you’re using frozen sofrito, microwave the tub for 30 seconds and then scrape out 1/4 cup. It’s not serious if you have more or less). Simmer the beans on medium for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Beans are done when they are tender and hot throughout.

5. Ok, once your peppers and onions are soft, remove them from the pan and set aside. You should have about 8-10 minutes left on your rice timer. Add the ground turkey to the hot pan. Stir in the taco seasoning. Cook until the meat isn’t pink. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Stir the onions and peppers back in. (Note: You don’t have to mix the onions and peppers in with the meat, but I like to because it ensures we eat our vegetables).

6. Put a paper towel on a plate. Pour the cooked ground turkey on the paper towel plate and let the grease drain.

7. Your timer should be going off! Check the rice! Take off the lid, use a fork and push aside the rice so you can see the bottom of the pan. Is there water? The rice isn’t done. Is it dry and does the rice look fluffy? Then it’s done! Fluff it up and serve. (Note: Technically you shouldn’t open the lid while you’re cooking rice but if you’re new to this, I suggest checking on the rice maybe 5-7 minutes before it’s supposed to be done. This will help you gauge if the rice is cooking too fast (the water is already gone) or if there is some water left then things are going well).

8. Turn off all your burners and you should be ready to serve! I like rice on the bottom, then beans with their juices, then meat, then toppings. But you should plate however you like!

Messy level – This is a three spoon recipe because of the amount of dishes this makes. You’re going to use 2 pots, 1 pan, a knife, and a cutting board. And if you put all your toppings in serving bowls, you’ve got yourself quite the mess. But, in terms of cooking, this doesn’t make much of a mess. The technique is pretty much heat, stir, serve so there’s no splatter or craziness. I think it’s worth the mess. And Ryan’s my resident dish washer and requests this meal, so the dishes can’t be that bad… right?

This past weekend, Ryan and I had dinner with our friend Shane and his girlfriend, Molly. Shane told me he had been binge-reading my blog. I was so touched, and I told him I’d give him a shout out in my next post. So here it is: Hi Shane!! Thank you for reading my blog!

Want a shout out of your own? Post a comment about something food related and the next shout out could be yours. Tell me about your favorite meal, favorite dish you’ve had on vacation, childhood favorite, a food you’re afraid of, or whatever you want. If I like the post, I’ll give you a shout out. 

The post Taco Salad appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

My mom recently read an article on how people in their 20’s and early 30’s don’t know how to cook. She also sent me this article, which just hurt my brain. How could anyone, even if it is just 11% of people, think that eggs come from wheat? My mom suggested that I could use my blog as a place to teach young people how to cook. And it’s a good idea, I’m twenty-something and I make my living teaching and explaining things to people.

My college friends and me cooking up a storm!

But I didn’t really believe that it was true, so I decided to talk to my friends. I felt sure that my friends knew how to cook. My college friends and I used to do a cooking blog together. And I was sure I had either eaten something, or seen my friends eat something, that they themselves had made. So imagine my surprise when some of my friends did say they didn’t know how to cook!

However, it sort of seems to me, they think they don’t know how to cook, because what it means to cook means different things to different people. People said cooking was something more than putting prepared ingredients together. It’s making the inedible, edible. It usually means using heat. For some people it was knowing how to improvise and go off from the recipe. And it’s putting largely raw/basic/unprocessed ingredient together so that the finished product is better than the individual parts. It’s not a super clear definition; because is a sandwich from a panini press cooking? Is making a salad cooking? Opinions were mixed, but what’s obvious is that cooking is on a spectrum. I mean, I would say I know how to cook, but I haven’t been doing it for very long and I’m no celebrity chef. I know how to do many things, but I don’t know how to cook everything! Ultimately, what it means to cook is varied. For my friends who say they can’t cook, I hope this is encouraging and might make you feel like you can cook. Or, at the very least, maybe I can help you find some recipes you’re comfortable with.

I’d also like to say, that in considering this topic, I went a little overboard. I asked my friends a bunch of questions, I sought out articles, I thought about this all the time, and I wrote pages and pages of single-spaced commentary. I was getting consumed with the ideas of why people didn’t cook, regardless of their cooking ability. But I felt like I was getting crazy and somehow moving off track. What I want from this blog, is to have a place to share what I’m cooking. I want to share my learning experiences. I don’t know everything and I’m trying to challenge myself to make good meals, and to try to cook things that I only ever thought I’d buy at the grocery store.

This funny guy is from Microsoft Word Clip Art

And that’s when I realized I should definitely take my mom’s advice and make an effort to share some great recipes. I want novice cooks to have some recipes where they can learn and challenge themselves. I get excited with myself when I make something new and  it tastes good. I’d like to help other people have that feeling. So, I’m going to mark beginner recipes at the start of a post using this funny picture of a chef. He looks like he’s marching boldly forward into new cooking terrain. And that’s what I’m trying to do with this blog, and I hope it’s what you’ll do if you want to learn to cook. And I think recipes that are good for new cooks are those that have some combination of the following:

1. Ingredients you probably already have in the house

2. That have simple techniques, but also might push you to learn new skills

3. That take less than an hour to make

4. Are so darn delicious that you just gotta get out of your comfort zone and try it.

Today’s recipe, has 1, 2, and 3. I mean, it’s also delicious but it’s not likely to be hugely out of your comfort zone. Something I think would be a good #4 is the post I did on Pad Thai Inspired Noodles.

Also, before we get on to the recipe, I wanted to share the reasons why I cook. These reasons make me happy and maybe something will resonate with you.

My reasons:

1. Makes me feel healthy – Being healthy means a lot of different things. I don’t always cook nutritious and low-calorie foods, because I love sweets and cheese. Cooking makes me feel healthy because the number of ingredients in prepared foods makes me nervous. I like knowing what’s in my meals.
2. Cost – I get to have yummy leftovers for lunch and so don’t have to go out to eat all the time.
3. Spending time with my Family – I grew up every night eating home cooked dinners with my family. Yes, we could have had the same experience over pizza but there’s something special about cooking. My parents would experiment and try new dishes and see how it played with the family. And cooking at home builds anticipation! There’s bubbling sounds of soups and the yummy smell of baking cookies. There’s also the less good sound of a shrieking fire alarm and the smell of a smoky kitchen. But even when it goes a little wrong, it’s funny later and makes for a good memory.
4. I like shopping – I can’t afford to go out and buy dresses, shoes, and purses every week. It’s bad for my finances and a little excessive. But food, I can buy all the time. And I have fun browsing the farmer’s market and the grocery store, choosing the most beautiful red strawberries, the smoothest olive oil, or the crunchiest granola.
5. Productive Leisure Time – I like watching TV, playing video games, and starring off into space but I also like spending my time doing something useful. I like that I get to be creative, to challenge myself, and to make a beautiful and tasty finished product.

Teeniest strainer with a quarter for scale. Photo Credit: Charlotte. THANKS!

Now I’m done philosophizing on cooking, so let’s get to the recipe. Quiche always makes me think of my parents because the first time they saw the word they thought it was pronounced “kwee-chee.” It’s really pronounced key-sh. If you’re not familiar with kwee-chee, it’s a dish usually associated with the French. It often has a pastry crust (although this recipe is crust-less) and the inner filling is made with eggs and milk or cheese. Basically, it’s like a pie with eggs. And it’s something that you can pretty much eat at any meal. I think this recipe is good for beginners because it has ingredients that are probably already in your house. Also, if you’re feeling brave there is opportunity to improvise and make the recipe your own. Now, my friend did most of the cooking for this recipe, and I was the sous-chef. My job was to blanch the asparagus and use the world’s teeniest strainer. I didn’t take too many pictures because I was the assistant. My bad.

Ingredients:

2 cups asparagus, chopped

1  12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 large eggs, beaten

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

If you’re feeling adventurous: In this recipe you can substitute asparagus and mushrooms for other ingredients. Think of the things you prefer in an omelette. Ham? Bell peppers? Do it! Just stick to 2 1/2 cups or less of your fillings. Also, if you prefer mozzarella, you can use that instead of Cheddar!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Use cooking spray or butter

3. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes. Blanching means that you’re putting the vegetable in boiling water for a very short time. What this does is to cook it just a bit before the “main” cooking. It’s usually done with a firm vegetable, like asparagus. This is also something you do to clean the vegetables, so if you’re thinking of freezing veggies, you should blanch them first.

4. Drain asparagus and set aside.

5. Whisk evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl until well mixed

6. Stir in cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms

7. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with the egg mixture. Stir the mixture after every few cups. This is to make sure the veggies and cheese don’t sink to the bottom. You can see that we filled more than 2/3 full. I recommend you stick to 2/3.

8. Bake for 25 minutes. It could be more or less time depending. You will know it’s done when it’s lightly brown on top and if you stick a toothpick in the center it will come out clean. It is NOT done if it looks wet or jiggly in the middle. Because we super filled the cups, most of them overflowed and looked like muffins. Some just cooked straight up in the air, and had a nice shape. Regardless of what they looked like in the pan, they all deflated a little when we took them out of the oven. So, it might look weird in the oven, but it will look like an nice little egg biscuit at the end.

9. Let them cool for 10 minutes.

10. Use a knife and run it around the edge of the quiches. This is to loosen the quiche from the pan. Sorry I don’t have a picture of it out of the pan. But aren’t they pretty anyway?

11. Serve and eat!

Messy Factor:

Low. The biggest mess we had was when I used the teeniest strainer to strain the asparagus. And that was barely messy because all I did was drop asparagus into a bigger bowl. This recipe requires very few dishes and the quiches pop out of the muffin tin really easily. Even when they overflowed in the oven, the quiche shrank down to size, making very little mess.

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