Turkey Quinoa Taco Bake

This is SO good! I didn't even have to go to the grocery to make this. Love it when that happens.

Here are the details...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 onion (any kind), diced
• 1 can of chili beans/pinto beans
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of rotel (spicy....if you like spicy!)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (or make your own...google the recipe, you probably have the spices!)
• Shredded cheese (1 cup)
• 2 cups of plain tomato sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• Optional: jalapeños (fresh or pickled) or cilantro to garnish, extra cumin (to taste). 
• For serving: hot sauce, salsa, sour cream 

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Prepare quinoa according to instructions on packaging. 
3. In a large pan, saute onion with a little bit of EVOO until translucent. 
4. Add the turkey to the pan and cook through until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning (I use a little extra cumin here).
5. In a large bowl mix:
1. Cooked quinoa
2. Turkey
3. 1/2 cup cheese
4. Canned beans, corn, and tomatoes
6. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, add tomato sauce (a little at a time) until you get a nice thick consistency (you don't want it crumbly and dry). 
7. Taste test and add salt/pepper as needed. I added an extra teaspoon of cumin. 
8. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased pan.
9. Pour lime juice over this and cover with cheese. (Add jalapeño here!)
10. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot sauce, salsa and/or sour cream!

Enjoy!

Or you could add jalapeños:

The Famous: Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is probably my favorite thing to make. What started as an experimental dish, now is a staple in our home! The "go-to" meal for dinner parties!

It's a bit of a process, but worth every second of work. And don't get me wrong, I've managed to come home at 5:30 and have the meal ready by 8pm!

I've made this recipe a number of times by now. I have followed several different recipes, and still don't have a SET recipe I will use each and every time. However, for the sake of this blog and sharing with friends, I found one recipe that I think is a great start!

Link: http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-tikka-masala-25587

 Tips:

• Serve with GARLIC naan
• Over rice is good, but in my opinion QUINOA is the way to go!
• USE garam masala, it's amazing.
• Don't be scared to play around with the spices, if it doesn't taste right, add some curry powder, just not too much. When in doubt, I add garam masala!!!
• I also double the sauce, everytime - love dipping the naan in it! This will change the amount of spices you need- be mindful of this...it's a tasting game!
• If you don't have a grill, broiling the skewered chicken works just as well. Don't skip the skewering part.
• I always add an extra pepper or two...jalapeno, poblano, and/or serrano!
• Double or triple the garlic; it won't hurt!

MARINATION

and the sauce....