Beef Flautas + Our Latest Meal Plan

I don't know what makes these flautas, opposed to fajitas, but whatever you wanna call 'em, they're finger-lickin' good.

This is another one of my handwritten index card recipes, meaning, I have no idea where it originally came from.  I had four stars on it, but probably hadn't made it since my 20's.  I think I have too many recipe sources, what do you think?

Anywho, we had them last week and they were deeeelicious.  Guess my taste buds haven't aged the fifteen years that the rest of me has.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Beef Flautas

1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp each of basil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper
1 lb thinly sliced sirloin steak (I used the beef that's pre-cut for carne asada.  It's super thin, but still in big pieces)
3 Tbsp veggie oil
1 thinly sliced onion
diced tomato
1 thinly sliced bell pepper (I used two + three jalapenos)
Soft corn tortillas (I had flour)

Blend all herbs and spices together and toss with the meat.  

(I did this in the morning and just stuck it in the fridge till dinner time.)  

(Also, if I had thought far enough ahead, I would have saved some of the spice mix for the veggies.  I ended up seasoning them up with something similar, but if you think about it, just pull a tablespoon or two and set it aside.)

Heat the oil and saute the meat for 5 minutes.  

Remove and keep warm.  

Saute the veggies quickly, adding the tomatoes at the end.

I decided I wanted to cook everything on the grill, so I left the meat in the large pieces and used a grill basket for the veggies.

To serve, wrap everyone up with your favorite toppings.

We had refried beans, cilantro, pepper jack, cheddar, sour cream and salsa.

I love Mexican food.

Here's dinner on my plate:

Do you know what one of my favorite things about 

tacos/burritos/fajitas/flautas is?

Salads the next night with the leftovers.

Mmmmmm.

I realized yesterday that I never posted our most recent menu plan.

We've eaten half of the things on it already, but I'll share it anyway.

• Beef Flautas
• Taco Salads
• Brat Dogs With Sauerkraut & Pretzel Bites
• Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers & Green Salad
• Broccoli Pasta & Bread
• Sesame Chicken Strips, Steamed Rice & Green Beans
• Mini Italian Meatloaves, Mashed Potatoes (or pasta), & Cauliflower and Broccoli
• Basil Chickpea Puree With Shrimp, Roasted Veggies & Bread
• Clean Out The Fridge Stirfry

Bath Time

The creepin' crud is goin' through our house this weekend.  Baby had a fever Friday afternoon and then the explosion that came out her back end rivaled the Dumb and Dumber bathroom scene.  Seriously.  I've had three kids and have never heard anything like that.  And it just kept coming.  The day you can remove three layers of feces soaked clothing without smearing it all over their face, is the day you can call yourself a parent.  She went straight into the bath.  Wow, that was a serious mess.

But look how cute she is.

 

She felt better later that evening, but then The Kid started complaining of stomach pains.  He ended up with a 12-hour headache that kept him up all night, but felt better late Saturday morning.  Then The Girl started feeling sick Saturday afternoon and proceeded to throw up all evening.  There is nothin' worse than holding your little girl's hair as her body convulses into a bowl.  I felt so bad for her.  She feels better today, though.   But it doesn't end there.  The Dad has spent his entire Sunday in the bathroom.  He usually gets passed by when the germs are spreading throughout the house, but it got him this time.  I've been a little nauseous today, but nothing debilitating yet.  Yet.  We have a birthday party to go to this evening, so if it's keeping to the trend, I'm sure it will hit me just about the time we should be walking out the door.  I suppose in the whole scheme of things, the short-lived creepin' crud is waaay better than the one that sticks around for a week.  Here's hoping Monday brings a houseful of healthy people.

Quick Broccoli Pasta

Okay kids, here's one you can get on the table in under thirty minutes.  Fifteen if you chopped your broccoli ahead of time.

A lot of our meals include a fair amount of prep, but I'm home during the day, so I can work it in whenever there's a lull in the kid program.  I realize a lot of people don't have the time, or desire, to do that, so this one's for you.

Here's the recipe with my notes:
(I had this handwritten on an index card, so I have no idea where it originally came from.)

Broccoli Pasta

2 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, (since the kids are only on board with the stems this month, I just used about a pound and a quarter)
2 garlic cloves, minced (we like a lot of garlic, so I used 4)
1/3 C olive oil (see note)
1 Tbsp butter (see note)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne
8 oz linguine, fettuccine, or any pasta you like, cooked and drained (I don't think I've ever cooked less than a pound for dinner in my life.)
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Cut broccoli florets and tender parts of stems into bite-size pieces.  In a large skillet, saute broccoli with garlic, oil, butter, salt, pepper, and cayenne over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until just tender, stirring frequently.

Place hot pasta in serving dish and top with broccoli mixture.  Serve with grated cheese.  The Dad also threw some red pepper flakes on his.

*Because I had double the amount of pasta called for, I added an extra tablespoon of butter and a few more glugs of olive oil.  Just eyeball it and get it as saucy as you like.

We had bread with oil and vinegar to go with.

Here's dinner on my plate:

Good stuff.

On a side note, I started a sewing project this morning and I finished just in time to make dinner.
Why does it take me soooo looooong?
Finished project post to come.

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to every week.