Skillet Tacos ™

This is a very quick and satisfying recipe for tacos.  You can also make this vegetarian by substituting the beef and cheese with vegetarian alternatives. Enjoy!

Filling

1 lb ground meat  (I've used ground round)
1/2 c onion (diced)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp  each: salt, pepper
1 - 1  1/2 c salsa (adjust amount needed)
1 clove garlic (chopped, crushed)

1/8 tsp each: red pepper flakes, diced mild green chilies (optional)
1 lime, juice and zest
1 T olive oil 

Fixings

8 taco shells or tortillas

1 c each approx.: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, 
1/2 c sour cream.

Heat saute pan over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add oil. Add onions and meat. Brown meat and onions for 8-10 minutes. Drain excess grease from meat (If using lean beef, omit step).


Add salsa, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lime zest and chilies to meat. Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes or until done. Squeeze some lime juice over meat mixture.

To serve: Scoop meat mixture into a taco shell. Top with your favorite fixings and enjoy!

Serves 4 (2 tacos each).

Speedy Squash ™

This is a very quick recipe for winter squash that can be prepared in the microwave.

I used acorn squash and brown sugar for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with your favorite squash and favorite sugar.

1 squash (I used acorn)
2- 3 T butter (cut into pieces)
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut squash into 4ths and place into microwave safe dish. I use a glass pie pan.

Top squash with butter pieces and sprinkle with sugar and pepper. Microwave for 10 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

Serves 4

Rock Island Potatoes ™

This was part of what my grandma used to call a Rock Island breakfast.

But you don't have to eat this dish just for breakfast. It can be served anytime as a side dish or even by themselves. I used fresh parsley, sage, rosemary. You can also dried herbs or what you like. Enjoy!

2 medium potatoes (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
2 T. oil (olive or canola)
1/4 tsp.  each: pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary
1 - 2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped)
1/8 tsp. each: salt, red pepper flakes (optional)

Rinse potatoes under running water to make sure they are clean of debris, pat dry.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and cut into slices. Peel and chop onion.

Place potatoes and onion in bowl.

Heat oil in skillet or saute pan over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add oil. 

Add potatoes, onions, herbs, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic to pan. 

Cook evenly for 10 min. or until done.

Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Orlando ™

Even if you can't get away, you can still feel like you're on vacation with this dish.

This chicken is very light for a hot summer night. This is even perfect on the grill. If you don't have a grill pan or outdoor grill, go ahead and use a skillet.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt (optional)
Juice and zest of 1 grapefruit
1/2 tsp ginger root (diced)
1- 2 T oil (olive or canola)

Zest and juice grapefruit. Dice ginger root.

In mixing bowl combine, grapefruit juice, zest, salt, pepper and ginger, mix well.

Place chicken in container. Pour marinade over chicken and let it set for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Discard marinade.

Heat grill pan or grill on medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add oil.  Add chicken, and grill on one side for 9-12 minutes or until done. Flip chicken to other side and repeat cooking process.

Serves 2.

Herb Broasted Potatoes ™

This is an easy alternative to baked potatoes.

Feel free to experiment with herbs and spices that you like. Enjoy!

4 medium potatoes
1/8  - 1/4 c + 2 T oil (adjust amount needed)
1 clove garlic (crushed and chopped)
2 tsp each parsley, chives (dried or fresh)
1 tsp rosemary (dried or fresh)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp each: salt, lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or baking pan with 2 T of the oil.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and into 8ths.

In a mixing bowl combine potatoes and remaining ingredients. Toss potatoes to coat well with oil and herbs.

Place potatoes evenly on baking sheet or pan and and bake for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, remove pan from oven. Stir or flip potatoes to cook evenly on other side. Put potatoes back in the oven to cook for 20 minutes more or until done. 


Remove pan from oven and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Serves 6.

Thank You Readers! Cooking with Heide turns 1.

Wow, what a year it has been!

This is a very special post today. "Cooking With Heide" turns 1.

To all readers who have allowed me to share my recipes with you, thank you.

To my Dad thanks for the suggestion to start the sites. Thanks to Ellen for never letting me give up when others said I was wasting my time. Thanks to Bill and Judy for feedback on the sites and photos. Thanks to my mom for giving me the skills to cook.

It is my hope that these recipes have inspired you to have fun in the kitchen and that cooking is very easy. And if someone who once burned water, or couldn't even make reservations can cook, so could you.

These recipes can be easily adjusted to fit any dietary needs.


If there is a dish that you would like for me to create an original recipe for, let me know.

Once again, thanks!

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a vegetable soup that is made with tomato juice and chicken broth. 

Here I used vegetable juice instead.

Gazpacho is often served cold.

 It's refreshing on a warm day and is excellent as a light lunch. 

I've even enjoyed it in cooler weather as well. 

Enjoy!

2 c. each: tomato or vegetable juice (regular or low sodium), chicken broth (low sodium)
1 clove garlic (crushed and chopped)
1/4 tsp. each: pepper, salt, diced jalapeno 
1/3 c. cucumber chopped
1/4 c. green onion chopped
1/3 c. each: tomato chopped, onion chopped, bell pepper chopped


Rinse, cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and chop. 

Rinse, seed, chop peppers.

Peel, rinse, chop onion. 

Rinse, seed chop tomato

In a sauce pan, heat chicken broth for a couple of mins.  

You can also do this in a microwave safe cup for a minute, let cool.

To serve:

Pour chicken broth into a bowl.

Add vegetable juice to the chicken broth.

 Add desired vegetables to the bowl.

Sprinkle salt, pepper over soup to taste.

 Mix, chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings.