Nachos

I think I have mentioned often on this blog how much I am in love with Qdoba Mexican Grill's nachos! There is just something about them that drives me crazy! I haven't spotted a Qdoba in Stanley... and I'm pretty sure we won't be getting one. So I had to find my own Nacho recipe... and I found a keeper! This would be such a fun meal to entertain with! Who doesn't love Nachos?!!

Oh... this is a crock pot meal too!! EASY!! I should also warn you that this smells delish while it is cooking... so it would be best to not be at home until it is done. Unfortunately I work from home and it was extremely difficult not to eat them until they were done!

Pork Nachos
1 pound dried pinto beans (I don't do beans...so I didn't add these)
1 boneless pork lion roast (3 to 4 pounds), halved
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
5 medium carrots, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
1-1/2 cups water
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash pepper
2 packages (10-1/2 ounces each) corn tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese and sliced ripe olives, chopped tomatoes, sour cream

Place beans in a saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Drain and rinse beans; discard liquid. Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a bowl, combine beans, vegetables, water, chilies, and seasonings. Pour over roast. Cover; cook on high 3 hours. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 hours longer or until beans are tender.

Remove meat; shred and return to slow cooker. With a slotted spoon, serve meat mixture with corn chips and toppings of your choice.

Yield: 10 servings

My husband was worried about having carrots & celery in his nachos. I kept telling him you are not even going to notice them when this is all finished! And you don't!! I chopped them up really small and with them cooking for 8 hours... you have no idea they are in there when you serve it up!

Tomato Goodness

Did I really go the whole month of August without posting a new recipe?! Wow! That just tells you what we all ate over here.... oops! We were home very little and gone a lot! Plus add moving into the mix... Buffalo Wild Wings & Qdoba Mexican Grill we hit often! Yum!

Our new neighbor has an abundance of tomatoes that he needs to get rid of before they go bad. He came over yesterday afternoon and told us to come pick some. We picked about 5 big ripe good looking home grown tomatoes!! Home grown tomatoes just taste so much better/different then store bought!

We had a very late supper and I was craving the fresh tomatoes so I whipped this together and it was so good and I made it up!!! I didn't follow any recipe!!! Aren't you proud!!? : )

Fresh Tomatoes & Pasta
2 big ripe tomatoes, diced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Italian Seasoning, to taste
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
linguine pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add pasta, cook according to package directions.

Chop up your tomatoes and put in a pan over medium heat. Salt & pepper to taste. Add Italian Seasoning, green onion, and garlic. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add in tomato paste, stir. When sauce is at a simmer and looking yummy add in your cooked pasta, parsley, and basil.

Tip: If you add your pasta to the sauce while it is still on the heat... it will soak up the juices and have so much more flavor!! Also use fresh herbs... you will love it!