Minute Meal Mondays

Hmmm, maybe I should change to title to "Minute Meal Moments" since I can't seem to do 2 Mondays in a row to save my life! lol! Today's recipe is quick, easy, light and fresh...perfect for summer. We all know we should eat fish, but if you're anything like me, you probably don't eat even close to enough...this is a great, tasty way to get more in. If you don't like tuna though, you could probably sub diced chicken breast and it would be good too.

Ingredients
1 can chunk light or chunk white tuna
1/2 a small zucchini
1/2 a small summer squash
1 small tomato
a small handful of baby carrots or one small carrot
1/2 cup of uncooked brown minute rice
1/2 a yellow, red, or orange pepper
a few table spoons of lemon juice or 1 whole lemon for juicing
dried or fresh basil
grapeseed or olive oil for sauteing

Directions
Start your rice, dice your veggies, swirl your pan once with grapeseed oil (approx 2 tablespoons.) Toss your veggies in all except for the tomatoes, and saute until tender...your rice should be done, so remove that from the heat and let it sit while you finish. Toss one can of drained tuna in with the veggies and your tomatoe, mix so that it's heated through, then add your lemon juice, stir to coat, then mix in your basil, if using fresh dice it thoroughly before adding. Fluff your brown rice, then place half your veggie mix on top...reserve the other half for another serving, or make double the brown rice to make enough for two, otherwise, put the rest in the fridge, it reheats well for lunch the next day, but make sure to make new rice. Reheating and eating left over rice can make you sick. Enjoy, and let me know if you try it and like it! :)

Minute Meal Mondays

Minute Meal Mondays are back! My internet was out of commission the week before last, so I missed posting, then I had house guests, so I missed last week, and today I had a fever that almost ruined the day, but I'm back and excited to share this weeks recipe with you!

*Tip!* To make meals times quicker and easier, pre-cook chicken, and ground beef so you always have some pre-cooked on hand, ready to go. :)

Tasty Taco Toss-up
Serves 4 adults
1/2 lb. to 1 lb. ground beef (ground turkey or venison would work well too.)
1 15 oz. can (approx. size, I can't remember the exact ounces!) or 1/2 a lb. of dried black beans, soaked over night
1 to 1 and a 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn...you could use canned as well, but I don't use canned vegetables.
Taco seasoning
1/2 a red pepper ( or sub your favorite color)
1 ripe tomato, or you could use a can of diced tomatoes with jalepeno's, but I like fresh tomato better...you could also add some diced jalepeno if you wanted just a little kick
1/2 cup grated colby jack cheese
2 cups uncooked brown rice, or 4-6 servings (I use minute brown rice and make the middle serving size.)
*optional 1 large can sliced black olives
*optional garnish sour cream

Start browning your ground beef in a large frying pan if it's not already cooked. If it's pre-cooked add it to your pan over low heat to warm it. Add your taco seasoning following the directions on the packet but add just a little extra water, about a 1/4 cup.

Start cooking your rice.

Dice up your veggies, and add them, along with the corn, black beans, and olives if you're using them, to your taco meat. Reduce heat. Simmer over low-medium heat until veggies are heated and cooked through, and water is reduced to a sauce consistency.

Your rice should be done now, remove it from the heat, and follow the directions on the box or bag.

Add the cheese to your meat and veggie mixture, stirring well to distribute it and help it melt, once cheese is melted, remove from heat.

Serve over the brown rice with shredded cheese and sour cream as a garnish if you desire...you can play with this to make it as saucy or dry as you wish by adding or subtracting some water when you mix the taco seasoning in. Enjoy!

:)