Shrimp burritos are great if you are looking for something a little different than your average burrito. These burritos use pretty standard ingredients such as rice, refried beans, cheese, and salsa, but what really makes them stand out is the sauce. The Mexican rice is also very good and adds a rice flavor to the burritos. The sauce is a combination of plain yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This requires a bit of work… cooking the shrimp, the rice, and wrapping the burritos, but its well worth it. This recipe is perfect for Lent. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
12 ounces cooked shrimp (with tails removed)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
Rice-
2 tablespoons oil
½ cup onion (chopped)
¾ cup long-grain white rice
¾ teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup canned diced tomatoes
Chipotle Sauce-
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Other-
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup salsa

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook while stirring until tender. Stir in the rice, season with garlic salt and cumin. Cook until the rice is lightly toasted (about 5 minutes). Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside.
Step 2: In a small saucepan stir together refried beans, ¾ teaspoon of garlic salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and warm over low heat until heated through.
Step 3: Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic, sauté shrimp until they are heated through and lightly browned.
Step 4: In a small bowl combine yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Step 5: To assemble each burrito. Warm tortillas in the Microwave so they are easy to fold. Place about ¼ cup of cheese on each warm tortilla. Top with about ½ cup of shrimp. Top with ¼ cup of refried beans, and then ¼ cup of rice. Spread on about a tablespoon of salsa and chipotle sauce, roll up and serve.

The Quesadilla burger has recently become pretty popular. If you are not familiar with this rather unique burger; the quesadilla burger is a grilled burger topped with cheese, Pico de gallo salsa, and a delicious sauce. The burger is placed between 2 lightly fried tortillas. This is a great switch up from your normal hamburgers. Be aware this does take some work but its well worth it. If you want to save time you can buy premade Pico de gallo from the store. The highlight of this recipe is the cilantro mayo sauce that goes onto these burgers, it really is dominant. You can use an indoor grill pan or just a regular skillet to cook these burgers if you choose. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Burgers-
1 lb ground beef
1lb ground pork
1 egg
¼ cup milk
¼ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
Italian breadcrumbs
Pico de Gallo-
4 roma tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
½ cup onion (finely chopped)
2 jalapeño peppers (seeded and finely chopped)
2 tablespoons green bell pepper (chopped)
2 teaspoon cilantro (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Cilantro Mayo-
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1 jalapeño pepper (minced)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
Additional Ingredients-
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Pepper jack cheese slices
1/2lb bacon (cooked until crispy, and crumbled)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To prepare Pico de Gallo salsa- In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Put into the refrigerator.
Step 2: To prepare Cilantro Mayo- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, salt and pepper. Place into the refrigerator.
Step 3: In a large bowl combine hamburger, pork, egg, milk, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture no longer sticks to the bowl. Form into about 6” patties. With your finger make a depression in the middle of each burger. Grease and heat an outdoor or indoor grill and fry burgers until they are done. Within the last few minutes of cooking top with pepper jack cheese slices and grill until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill.

Step 4: For each burger – In a small skillet, heat and lightly brown 2 flour tortillas. Assemble burgers by spreading some Cilantro mayo onto one side of the 2 flour tortillas. Lay out one flour tortillas and put lettuce and crumbled bacon on top, Add the burger on top of that, and add some Pico de Gallo on top of the burger. Place the other flour tortilla on top. Slice in half.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp can apparently be found a several Chinese buffets; Although, I have not actually seen it at one around here. What is so unique about this recipe is the shrimp are eaten with the shell on. This may be a turn off to some people, if it is please feel free to remove the shell after cooking. What I like about having the shell on is it gives the shrimp a nice crunch. Just as the name says, this recipe uses a lot of salt and pepper. It also uses ingredients such as fresh garlic and ginger. The flavors blend perfectly to create fantastic tasting shrimp. The shrimp are first deep fried for 20 seconds, and then fried in the wok for another 20 seconds. This is another fantastic Chinese recipe. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs large raw shrimp (deveined with shells on)
Canola oil (for frying)
1 cup green onions (sliced)
¼ cup fresh garlic (minced)
¼ cup fresh ginger (minced)
½ tablespoons sea salt
½ tablespoon ground pepper mix (black, green, red, ect.)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pat dry shrimp with paper towels. Heat a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Add shrimp and deep fry for 20 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Step 2: Coat the wok with a little oil and sauté green onions, garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Stir fry for 20 seconds and serve.
(Makes 3 Servings)

If you didn’t already guess from the picture, here is another amazing Chinese recipe, garlic ginger chicken. Just like the name says, this dish gets a lot of its flavor from fresh garlic and ginger. The chicken bits are coated with a batter and then fried in the deep fryer until crispy. The sauce is very simple, just basically rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. If you want to add a little heat to this dish, you can add some dried red pepper flakes. This is a very easy recipe that takes little time to prepare. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
4 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg
1/3 cup cornstarch
6 garlic cloves (minced)
4 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
Sauce-
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice wine
3 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Add chicken bits to a large bowl. Add soy sauce and rice wine. Marinate for 30 minutes. Add in the egg and cornstarch, stir and blend until the chicken pieces are coated with a batter.
Step 2: Heat oil in a deep fryer for 375 degrees. Fry chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown a crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: Add a couple tablespoons of oil to your wok or frying pan. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Coat chicken bits with the sauce, top with green onions and serve.
(Makes 2 Servings)

I have so many delicious pizza recipes posted on this website, I hope everyone is enjoying them. Here is another great pizza recipe, shrimp alfredo pizza. Just like the name says, this pizza combines your classic shrimp alfredo with a pizza. Toppings include sautéed shrimp, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil. For the sauce, I personally used store bought sauce in the jar but you could make your own as well. For the crust, I used the Pillsbury roll out crust in a can and sprinkled it with a little garlic powder, oregano, and dried basil. For the cheeses, I topped this pizza with a combination of mozzarella and parmesan. This is a great recipe for those who do not eat meat during Lent. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 large pizza crust (pre-made, or box mix)
oregano, basil, and garlic powder (for the crust)
3/4lb raw shrimp (peeled, and deveined, with tailed removed)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tomato (sliced)
3 fresh basil leaves (chopped)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup alfredo sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Lay out the crust on a pizza pan and sprinkle with top with a little oregano, basil and garlic powder to taste.
Step 2: In a medium sauté pan over medium heat add a little olive oil. Add shrimp, oregano, basil, and minced garlic cloves. Cook until the shrimp are about ¾ of the way done (just turning pink). Set aside.
Step 3: Place the crust into the oven and pre-bake at 500 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread a layer of alfredo sauce over the trust. Top with tomatoes, shrimp and basil. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 7 minutes.

If you are in the mood for some Chinese, you might want to try out this orange beef recipe. This dish consists of crispy strips of beef coated with a delicious orange sauce. Probably the biggest challenge of this dish is getting the strips of beef crispy. Here are a few tips, you can do this in a wok or fry pan, but I have to recommend a deep fryer. Also, make sure not to overload the deep fryer or wok with too many strips of beef. Only place in a minimal amount to fill the wok or deep fryer. One more thing is, after you coat the beef with cornstarch you will want to leave it sit for a few minutes. The sauce is very simple to make, if you have a problem getting the sauce to thicken up, mix a bit of cornstarch with some cold water and pour it In, a little at a time until the sauce has reach the desired thickness.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs beef top sirloin (sliced into thin strips)
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups oil (for frying)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
 2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated)
1 ½ tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onions (sliced)
Broccoli florets (cooked)
1 cup long grain rice (cooked)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Coat beef strips with cornstarch and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  In a small bowl mix sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice, salt, and soy sauce. Set aside.
Step 2: Heat oil in a deep fryer (or wok) to 375 degrees. Fry beef strips in batches until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Step 3: Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a wok, add orange zest, ginger and garlic, stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has thickened. Coat the beef strips with the sauce, top with green onions. Serve with broccoli florets and on top of white rice.
(Makes 5 Servings)

Here is a very popular dish that many of you have probably tried- pizza casserole. This casserole is perfect for the winter season.  If you are not familiar with this dish, basically you have cooked noodles mixed with the ingredients of pizza. Next time I make this I think I will layer the cheese and pepperoni instead of just putting one layer on the top. For the noodles, you can really use whatever type of noodles you choose, even spaghetti noodle will work.  This also freezes well, for up to 3 months. This casserole makes a great dinner or is the perfect dish to bring to a party. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
 2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
16 ounces rotini pasta, (cooked and drained)
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (20 oz)
8 ounces sliced pepperoni

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Cook until the beef is browned. Drain.

Step 2: Stir in pasta sauce and 3 cups of cheese into the meat mixture. Place mixture into 2 greased 9×13” baking dishes. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni. *The dish can be covered and frozen as this point if you are freezing.
Step 3: If you are cooking it now- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
(Makes 15 servings)

A great alternative to your normal everyday beef tacos is turkey tacos. Now I know I am about to make a bold statement but these might just be the best turkey tacos ever. You can forget any store bought taco seasoning fix after you try this recipe because you won’t go back. The meat mixture consists of jalapeño peppers, onions garlic and various spices. Other ingredients such as chicken broth, canned tomatoes and cilantro are added to the meat mixture as well. I know, sounds good right? Well, it is! For the toppings you can add whatever you want, some good choices are Monterey jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and avocados. For the shells, you can use flour or corn tortillas but I went with hard shell this time around. This is very easy to make and almost sure to please taco fans. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
¾ lb ground turkey
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 jalapeño pepper (seeded, and minced)
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper (to taste)
¾ cup canned chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
12 (5 inch) corn tortillas (or taco shells)
Toppings-
romaine lettuce (thinly sliced)
Tomatoes (diced)
1-2 avocados (diced)
Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
Sour cream

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium skillet over medium heat add oil, onions, garlic, jalapeno pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stirring until the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Increase heat to medium-high, add tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes. Add turkey and chicken broth bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens (about 12 minutes). Add cilantro and stir.
Step 2: Make up tacos with the various toppings.
(Makes 4 Servings)

This is another great recipe for buffalo chicken fans. Buffalo chicken dip combines the amazing taste of spicy Buffalo wings with a nice cream cheese oriented dip. I made this for the Super Bowl and it turned out fantastic. This recipe is very simple and only requires mixing and the oven basically does the rest of the work for you. The recipe calls for canned chicken, which is what I used, but I am not sure I can recommend it Fresh cooked chicken would taste much better I think, or even rotisserie chicken. For the hot sauce, you can adjust the amount of heat by the type of hot sauce you get. I personally prefer my dishes on the mild side. This is a great recipe for parties and is sure to get eaten up fast. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 (10 ounce) can chicken (drained, can also used cooked fresh cubed chicken)
1 cup ranch dressing
¾ cup red hot sauce
shredded cheddar cheese (for topping, as much as you want)
Tortilla chips (scoops, or whatever you prefer)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl beat cream cheese, ranch dressing and hot sauce until smooth. Fold in chicken. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and pour the chicken mixture into it.
Step 2: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Remove from the oven and add cheddar cheese on top. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

A dish that is rather new to me is chicken Shawarma. I had not heard of it until I came across this recipe in Cooking Light. According to the Wikipedia this is a Meddle Eastern dish. This dish is basically marinated chicken bits served on pitas with tomatoes, lettuce and a delicious yogurt sauce. The chicken gets a lot of its flavor from seasonings such as garlic, cumin and curry powder. The process is very simple. The chicken is first sliced into strips, then marinated and grilled. If you don’t have a grill an indoor grill pan or even the broiler would probably work just fine. I personally used whole wheat pitas and did not care for the flavor of them myself. If you are looking for try something different, I recommend giving this a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Marinade -
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into strips)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves (minced)
Sauce-
½ cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove (minced)
4 (6 inch) pitas
1 cup romaine lettuce (chopped)
2 tomatoes (diced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl combine lemon juice, curry powder, olive oil, salt, cumin, and minced garlic. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Step 2: To prepare sauce- In a small bowl whisk together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and 1 minced garlic clove. Set aside.
Step 3: Spray grill grates with cooking spray and Pre-heat the outdoor grill. Thread chicken onto skewers and place onto the grill. Grill for 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is fully cooked.
Step 4: Place pitas on the grill rack and grill for 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each plate. Top with chicken, lettuce, tomato and add dressing.