vegetable and rice burritos

...well a few tuesday nights ago was a very yummy supper but a messy one. i made Vegetable and Rice Burritos out of, once again, Cooking Light. i love mexican food, especially burritos, and especially when it's filled with veggies! now the reasons why they were so messy was because i used 4" tortillas instead of 7-8" tortillas. and the reason why i used such a small size was because we had mexican tortillas, like REAL mexican tortillas made in Mexico. they are sooo good! but they were much too small and they didn't hold the filling too well. so that is why my picture of them doesn't look too good, but trust me, they were tasty!

And for my garden:

i added some sweet potatoes on the left, and my onions and carrots have gotten much bigger, but the dog rolled on some of my onions:(

my potatoes!

green peppers and tomatoes

 and i added squash!

Vegetable and Rice Burritos

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup chopped onion  
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (i left these out, not a huge mushroom fan)
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels $

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1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
4 (7- to 8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas (in my case 4" tortillas)
4 ounces quesadilla cheese, shredded (about 1 cup packed)
Cilantro leaves (optional)
Directions: 
1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 2/3 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in jalapeño.
2. Combine sour cream, chopped cilantro, juice, and red pepper in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and mushrooms; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add corn and zucchini; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and tomatoes; sauté 30 seconds or until tomatoes are thoroughly heated. Remove vegetable mixture from pan. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
4. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide sour cream mixture evenly among tortillas; spread to a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese, about 1/4 cup rice mixture, and about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture. Roll up each, jelly-roll fashion. Return skillet to medium heat. Add 2 burritos to pan, seam side down; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining burritos. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.

Creamy Spring Pasta

mmm, i think what i made a few tuesday nights ago is THE favorite meal of mine that i've made so far... Creamy Spring Pasta. it was amazing! now you're probably wondering why it's my favorite and here are some reasons why:

• first of all, i love pasta! it is my favorite type of food.
• second, my favorite type of pasta is when it is served with a creamy white sauce.
• third, it used my favorite type of pasta noodles, fettuccine. 
• fourth, it had asparagus, and i love asparagus.
• fifth it had peas. i love peas with pasta (like seriously, i even put peas in my mac'n' cheese).
• and finally, sixth, it had bread crumbs! i love creamy dishes with breadcrumbs.

so that is why this dish is one of my very favorite that i have made so far. and guess what, i found it in my favorite cooking magazine, Cooking Light.

...and for my garden, you will be happy to know that i weeded it! also my carrots are finally starting to poke through, and most exciting of all, i put my tomato and green pepper plants in!

 Creamy Spring Pasta
Ingredients: 
3 quarts water
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 1/2 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
1 cup frozen green peas
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
2. Place torn bread in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Remove breadcrumb mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. Add asparagus and peas to boiling water; cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold water; drain.
4. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
5. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the remaining 2 garlic cloves; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add broth mixture and milk to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheeses, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheeses melt. Add pasta, asparagus, and peas; toss well. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and tarragon.

 

Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

..well it was another Cooking Light adventure a few tuesday nights ago! we had: 

 Wheat Rolls with Orange Butter ( i did not remember how good flavored butter tastes!)

 Plums (Yum!)

Butter- Roasted Carrots ( delicious!) 

and Grilled Chicken with Cola sauce ( the sauce is actually made from Coca-Cola!) 

It was a very tasty supper if i do say so myself :)

and exciting news in my garden, my onions and potatoes are shooting up just dandy!

and um i was um kinda like um irresponsible and didn't go out to my garden for a while and this is what i found:

WEEDS :( 

Recipes:

Wheat Rolls with Orange Butter

Ingredients: 

2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. grated orange rind

4 (1-ounce) whole wheat dinner rolls

Directions:

   Combine butter, honey, and rind; stir well. Serve each roll with about 1/2tsp. butter mixture.

Butter-Toasted Carrots

Ingredients: 

2 c. (2-inch) diagonally cut carrot

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Cooking Spray

Directions:

   Preheat oven to 425. Combine first 5 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion $

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1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup cola (such as Coca-Cola)
1/3 cup ketchup 
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $

Cooking spray 

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cola and next 4 ingredients (through chili powder); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until sauce reduces to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally. Set 6 tablespoons sauce aside.
3. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through cumin), stirring well. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of chicken. Arrange chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; baste with 3 tablespoons remaining sauce. Grill 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 3 tablespoons sauce. Grill 5 minutes or until done. Serve with reserved 6 tablespoons sauce.