Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

We love guacamole and are always looking for new things to serve it with. I happened across Tyler Florence's Mexican Pot Roast Tacos about a year ago and we have made them many times since. The original recipe comes complete with directions for shells, guacamole and salsa. Because we already have tried and true recipes for these things, we use only the meat portion of this recipe.

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

Ingredients

2 pounds beef shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large onion, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 bay leaves

Directions

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, or other heavy pot that has a tight cover, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat.

Add the garlic and the beef to the pot, browning the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside. Add the onion and allow to lightly brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, plus 1 tomato can of water, spices, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add enough water to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer with a lid for 3 hours until the meat is fork tender. Let meat cool in the liquid.

Shred meat and set aside.

Season all sides of beef with salt and pepper.

Smash and mice two cloves of garlic.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat.

Add garlic and meat to the pot.

Brown meat on all sides, allowing a nice crust to form.

Add the onions and allow to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, and one tomato can of water.

Spices to be added.

Add the spices to the pot.

Mix together and add enough water to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours.

Let meat cool in the liquid.

Shred and set aside.

At this point I add the meat back into it's cooking liquid and serve from there.

Lately each time I make Tyler Florence's Mexican Pot Roast Tacos I double the recipe and freeze half for a later date. I have used this meat in enchiladas, over nachos, and in this case as a taco filling. The meat produced from this recipe literally shreds with a fork and is so tender that you will not believe that it comes from a reasonably priced cut of beef. The only downfall of this recipe is that it cooks for 3 hours, however with simple planning this does not present a problem.

-Heather

Heather's Mini Red Pepper and Turkey Sausage Quiche

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While I agree with this, I also think it is the most boring meal of the day. On weekends, when I have the time to go all out I love creating interesting breakfasts, but eating breakfast at school is anything but creative. You can usually find me scarfing down a banana and an English muffin with peanut butter on it as quickly as I can during second period. I love to enjoy my food, so when Cooking Light BB member Kim (VAcooker) suggested that I try Eating Well's recipe for Mini Quiche I thought I might have a solution to my disappointing breakfasts. In order to adapt the recipe to our tastes I had to make some changes. Here is my recipe for Heather's Mini Red Pepper and Turkey Sausage Quiche which is adapted from Eating Well's Sausage and Mushroom Mini Quiche.

Heather's Mini Red Pepper and Turkey Sausage Quiche
Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients
8 oz turkey turkey smoked sausage
1/2 a large red bell pepper diced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
5 eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup milk (I use skim)

Directions

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick spray and add turkey sausage, cooking until browned around the edges, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Spray the pan again with cooking spray and add the red peppers and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Transfer red pepper to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese, and pepper.

3. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

4. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiche out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Makes 1 dozen mini quiche

Cooking Tips (By Eating Well)
Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray.

Heat turkey sausage through until browned, remove from pan and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Heat red peppers through until softened.

Reserve softened peppers in the same bowl as the sausage.

Add the sliced scallions to the bowl. Allow the contents of the bowl to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the shredded swiss cheese, and pepper to the bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites and milk.

Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Stir the sausage mixture to combine the ingredients.

Spoon heaping tablespoons full of the sausage mixture into each muffin cup.

Cook at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Place a wire rack on top of the muffin tin.

Invert the pan so that the Mini Quiche fall onto the wire rack.

Turn them so they are browned side up and allow to cool completely.

I have been enjoying my version of Eating Well's Mini Quiche all week for breakfast. Pressed between two halves of a whole wheat English muffin, this is the best school day breakfast I have ever had. Heather's Mini Red Pepper and Turkey Sausage Quiche is packed full of flavors that are perfect for the morning. They are very savory and can hold their own up against an English muffin, nothing else needs to be added to make a perfect breakfast sandwich. These can be frozen and quickly reheated for mornings on the go. I plan on experimenting with different ingredients, this is a great and versatile recipe.

-Heather

Heather's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Panini

I am not the type to go out and buy an expensive kitchen gadget like an almost $200 Cuisinart Griddler, however when I found one at Costco for only $70, it was quite a different story! I had used my Mom's over the Christmas holiday and fell in love with the paninis it made, so I splurged and got one for myself and one for my best friend Christy for Christmas. Since then I have been on a quest to create as many different panini combinations as I can. Heather's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Panini is my latest experiment, and I must say, it turned out very well!

Heather's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Panini

Ingredients:

1 package Turkey Smoked Sausage
Bread or sandwich rolls (4 servings worth)
4 pieces of reduced fat swiss cheese
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 onion
1 t. dried basil
2 t. white wine vinegar
salt
pepper
prepared spicy mustard

Directions:

Cut the bell peppers and onions into strips.

Cut the Turkey Smoked Sausage into thin slices.

Heat a large pan over medium heat, add the sausage, sprinkle with salt, pepper and basil. Cook until the sausage is heated through and brown around the edges. Remove and place into a bowl.

Add the bell peppers, onions and vinegar to the same pan over medium heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until slightly wilted. Return the sausage to the pan to reheat through.

In the meantime slice the bread and remove the excess middle part of the bread, you can leave it if you desire, but I find it to be too "bready." Toast the pieces of bread slightly and coat each side with spicy mustard.

Working two paninis at a time, cover the bottom piece of bread with a fourth of the sausage, pepper and onion mixture. Top each with a slice of cheese and then the cover with the top piece of bread.

Using a panini press: Cook until cheese is melted and the outside of the bread is crispy.

Using a pan: Heat over medium heat, add the paninis and press down with another pan or a brick covered in tin foil. Flip half way through.

Lean Smoked Turkey Sausage.

Cut the bell peppers and onions into strips.

Cut the Turkey Smoked Sausage into thin slices.

Sprinkle sausage with salt, pepper and basil.

Cook over medium heat until the sausage is heated through and browned on the edges.

Transfer sausage to a bowl.

Using the same pan, sprinkle the bell peppers and onions with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat.

Cook until bell peppers and onions are softened to the point that you desire.

Return sausage to the pan and reheat through.

Unwrap the bread of your choice, I have selected a fresh store bought loaf of Wheat French Bread.

Cut the bread into four equal pieces.

Using your fingers, remove the excess center part of the bread.

To ensure a crispy sandwich, toast the bread slightly before assembling the panini.

Spread both sides of the bread for each panini with the spicy mustard.

Working with two paninis at a time, top the bottom slices of the bread with the sausage, pepper and onion mixture.

Top each panini with a slice of cheese.

Cover each panini with the top slice of bread.

Place paninis on a preheated grill press or into a preheated pan set to medium heat.

Press down with top of press, or if pan cooking with another pan or tin-foil covered brick.

Cook until the cheese has melted and the outside of the panini is crispy.

Remove and serve.

Even before I got my fancy griddler I loved making pressed sandwiches. All you need is a heavy pan or a brick covered in tin-foil to press down on the top of the sandwich. I have been making paninis this way for years. I was absolutely pleased with the way my Heather's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Panini turned out. Turkey Smoked Sausage, especially the Jenny-O brand is really tasty, I don't miss the full fat version at all. The combination of the turkey sausage, peppers and onions is always a winner for me, weather it is paired with eggs for breakfast or cooked with potatoes for dinner. These flavors were enhanced even further with swiss cheese added and pressed between two pieces of good bread. I am anxious to experiment with new ingredients, but my Heather's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Panini will be made again very soon.

-Heather