Easy Breakfast Burritos

I am a total breakfast person. I could eat bacon every day. I've never turned down an omelette. Waffles, pancakes, crepes? Yes please! And don't even ask me about my all-time favorite, eggs Benedict... just bring me a plate and I'll be your best friend for life.

But I'll also eat just about anything wrapped in a tortilla.

Especially if it includes crispy bacon, crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside potatoes, and fluffy scrambled eggs. (Oh, and cheese... can't forget about the cheese.) What's not to love?

These burritos are (yet another) knock off of a restaurant favorite, this time from Dane's hometown of Kimberly, Idaho. Burritos so good that we always have to make a trip to Fiesta Ole whenever we go to visit. And they couldn't be simpler! And the best part is that this is totally just a base recipe. You could, for instance, use frozen tater tots like Fiesta does, or you could add salsa, cilantro, scallions, olives... the possibilities are endless! Make 'em yours, any way you want... just make 'em! Your tastebuds will thank me.

Classic Beef Stew

Stew... is a loose term. For some people, throwing a few extra chunks of potato into a soup turns it into stew. And then you have people who use that annoying term that Rachel Ray coined - "stoup." Seriously lady... it's bad enough that you can't be bothered to say the words "extra virgin olive oil" but c'mon... make a decision! It's either soup or it's stew... it can't be both. Amiright?

Me, I like my stew THICK. Like so thick it hardly has any broth left. So thick that it's basically meat and vegetables in super-thick, super-delicious gravy. That, to me, is stew.

And fewer flavors lend themselves better to a thick, hearty stew than beef. Beef stew is just... classic. Like apple pie and chocolate chip cookies, everyone needs a beef stew recipe! This one is about as classic as it gets... chunks of savory beef, generous pieces of potatoes and carrots, and thick beefy gravy. Serve it up with a buttery, flaky biscuit, and you've got the perfect cold weather meal.

Roasted Root Vegetables

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love fall.

I love the changing colors of the leaves. I love the crisp, freshness of the air. I love apple picking and pumpkin carving. And I love that I can finally turn on my oven without sweating to death in my kitchen.

Most people go crazy for summer produce, but me... I love autumn's bounty most of all. Autumn produce transitions from light and crisp to something with more heart. Something more fulfilling, that satisfies the soul as well as the tastebuds. I love the way that everything autumn takes on a sweeter flavor and a softer texture, as if the veggies want in on this whole dessert business too.

Take these root veggies for example. Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips... they're all just okay cooked other ways. But roast them at a high temperature for about 30 minutes, and they begin to resemble candy. Beets especially. Roasted beets are a revelation... if you haven't tried them yet, you're seriously missing out. And who cares if they stain your pretty potatoes and onions pink? Everything looks better with a hint of pink, anyway. Roasted with a little olive oil and plenty of dried herbs, these veggies embody the essence of fall flavor. Move over mashed potatoes... there's a new king-of-the-sides in town.

Crock Pot Beef Bourguinon

So, I have to be honest, I hadn't planned on posting this recipe this week. No, I had two other recipes in line ahead of this one, but Dane insisted that I had to post this one first. See, not only did Dane go absolutely nuts over this dish, but apparently one of his coworkers was so enamored with the leftovers he took for lunch the next day that she demanded the recipe! And for good reason... this meal is downright heavenly.

This may look like ordinary beef and gravy over mashed potatoes, but it is so much more than that. It is tender browned beef in a salty, winey gravy, over mashed potatoes. :) It's like an extra special warm bowl of stew, perfect for a cold and rainy evening like night we ate this for dinner. Ultimate comfort.

It may not be Julia Child's beef bourguinon... give it a try and you'll discover, it might actually be better. :)

Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini & Potatoes

Ask most people to list their favorite vegetables, and I would bet that a majority of the time zucchini won't make the top ten. It's nothing to hold against the poor veggie... like any other squash, if prepared by an amateur hand, it can be woody and flavorless, or worse, limp and soggy. The zucchini can be a fickle friend, requiring a little extra attention in order to shine.

But, like a diamond in the rough, you'll totally be rewarded for your extra effort in the end.

Dane and I were definitely among the majority of zucchini non-enthusiasts before this recipe. But it's amazing what a little crisping and Parmesan can do. Before I even told him what was in it, Dane took a couple bites of this and exclaimed, "Whatever you did to the zucchini and potatoes - AHmazing! I could eat this 7 days a week." Winning!

Yes, the potatoes are delicious in this recipe too... but I'm less impressed because, for me, potatoes taste good 99% of the time, no matter what you do to them. But the zucchini is the truly dramatic component here. The pan-frying step creates a beautiful crispy crust and brings out the signature sweetness of the squash... no woodiness here! Add in some fresh thyme, earthy rosemary, and salty Parmesan, and you've got an irresistible combination of early fall flavors. Give this a try and join the ranks of zucchini-lovers everywhere!

Bacon-Pancetta Potatoes

The gym I go to has these lovely televisions attached to about half of the cardio machines. Being able to watch TV definitely makes those half-hour cardio workouts a bit easier, especially for someone like me who doesn't get broadcast television at home. And I bet you'll never guess what my favorite channel to watch while I'm on the treadmill is... hmm... yup, Food Network. Yes, it's a bit ironic, but that's part of the fun for me. There's something especially masochistic about watching Ina Garten make cheesecake while I run my guts out, tehe. Plus, it gives me great inspiration sometimes... like this amazing potato recipe.

Yes, these babies are fried.

Yes, I used the grease from the bacon and pancetta.

No, these are not healthy.

But... these are quite possibly the best potatoes I've ever eaten.

See, I, like, Jessica over at How Sweet It Is, have an obsession with bacon. No, I don't have four packages of bacon in my fridge right now like she does, but when I see a recipe that includes bacon I simply can't resist. And while, yes, the potatoes are the center of attention in this dish, the bacon and pancetta should definitely get awards for supporting roles. And if you so desired, you could easily double the amount of bacon and omit the pancetta, but to me, the combination of flavors takes these potatoes from ordinary to damn-near gourmet.  

Trust me, once you try these you'll never go back to ordinary fried potatoes. You'll be finding all kinds of excuses to make these for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So what if you'll need to run an extra mile on the treadmill when you're done? It'll be nice excuse to watch more Food Network. :)

Swiss Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'm honestly amazed I hadn't posted this recipe before.

This, my friends, is Dane's favorite meal. He's told me that if he were on his deathbed and got to choose his last meal, this would be it. And for good reason! The hour-long simmer renders the meat meltingly tender and the veggies candy-sweet. Put it on top of a fluffy bed of silky smooth, garlic-y mashed potatoes, and you've got some of the world's most comforting food. Give it a try and you'll completely understand why Dane practically begs for it to be on the menu every week.

And talk about a budget-friendly meal! Simmering allows you to use traditionally tougher, less expensive meats yet still reap flavorful and tender results. You can use round steak or cubed steak as you prefer - I've made it with both and had great results either way. I used cubed steak this time around because we happened to have some in our freezer. The rest of the ingredients - carrots, celery, onion - are things that most people already keep in their produce stockpile... at most you might have to buy the can of tomatoes, depending on whether you keep the Italian-seasoned ones on hand. The only downfall is the time it takes to cook, really. But the prep work is easy, and once you get it simmering you can just step away and use your free hour for all kinds of important things, like playing cafe world on facebook housework or watching last week's episode of Grey's anatomy studying or taking a bubble bath laundry.

So trust me... give it a try and you'll fall in love too. :)

Pesto Potato Salad

Isn't it amazing how pesto seems to make everything taste fantastic?

Today, on the first day of March, Mother Nature blessed us with a gorgeous spring day. Sunny, 55 degrees, with just a slight breeze... way too nice to spend the afternoon cooped up in the apartment doing homework (like I should have been). So, after being trapped indoors all winter, I laced up my tennies and went for a long-overdue walk on the greenbelt.  I've never been much of a runner but I do love going for walks. I can hardly handle a five-minute jog, but a brisk, hour-long walk? That I can do. Aside from being decent exercise, a long walk on a nice day is one of my favorite ways to de-stress... I put in my headphones and let my worries melt away in the good beat of a Sheryl Crow song and the warmth of the sun on my face. Just what I needed with only nine weeks left in the semester and midterms on the horizon.

This dish is the perfect complement to a warmer, hopeful day like today. Soft, comforting potatoes, crunchy peppers, and bright, sweet pesto - three simple ingredients, combined to create one super-flavorful dish. I've never met a pesto dish I didn't like, but this one definitely is a contender for the favorites list. The recipe calls for this to be served cold, like a traditional potato salad, but it's just as good warmed slightly, as Dane chose to eat it... perfect for a warm day in March or a scorcher in July. :)