Taco baked potato
Posted by Mike Farley (02/20/2012 @ 5:47 pm)
Sometimes you have no idea what to make for dinner, and it’s getting late in the day. Lately, that’s happened a lot to me. I work from home and do most of the cooking in our house, so I’m usually planning and cooking, and trying to time things for when my wife gets home from work. Recently I had some ground turkey and didn’t know what to do with it, and had to think something up. We had some nice baking potatoes, and I’m one of those people who does not believe in microwaving potatoes–blech. So I popped two potatoes in the oven, and using some taco mix we had on hand, made taco meat with the ground turkey. And what was born? A combo that I’m surely not the first person to think of–a taco baked potato. This combines two awesome food items and it’s pretty healthy, so long as you’re not counting carbs.
Here is what to do–rinse the potatoes, and pierce them a few times with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees for an hour or so. Meanwhile, with about 15 minutes left on the potato cooking time, make the taco meat according to package directions. Shred some cheddar cheese (or used pre-shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese), and gather taco items such as chopped tomatoes, olives, jalapenos, sour cream and either salsa or taco sauce. You can also add chopped avocado as I did, and/or cilantro. Really, you can use your imagination or anything you have on hand. The only item that goes in tacos that might not be good here would be lettuce, since it would wilt when added to a piping hot potato.
So cut the potatoes in half, mash them a bit and then top with the meat and other toppings. Dinner is served!
Posted in: Food on a Budget, Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen
Tags: avocado, baked potato, cheddar, cheddar cheese, cilantro, easy dinner, easy grub for guys, easy taco baked potato, ground turkey, guilty pleasure, jalapenos, lettuce, Mexican cheese, midnight snack, olives, potato, salsa, sour cream, taco, taco baked potato, taco meat, taco mix, taco sauce, taco seasoning, tomatoes
Back in action
Posted by Mike Farley (02/14/2012 @ 11:54 pm)
Hey everyone……my apologies for falling off the grid…..I had back surgery last week and am trying to get back to normal. So I wanted to start by mentioning a few things about hospital food. This was my second surgery in a year after not having any the first few decades of my life. Both times I got to go home the same day, but both times they fed me first. I mean, you can’t leave on an empty stomach, right? And guess what the foods are you get to enjoy after being in an induced sleep for several hours and after being injected with all kinds of crazy meds?
Jell-O, graham crackers and saltines. And some cola with lots of crushed ice to keep hydrated. Yum! But wouldn’t you know that stuff all tastes great right at that time. I think I asked for seconds and thirds of the graham crackers. It’s funny, though surgery and pain are nothing to laugh about really.
That said, I’m healing and I’m really getting my appetite back, which is a great thing if you like to hang out here and read some of what I write. So it’s coming, I promise. Thanks for your patience and let’s eat!
Posted in: Food on a Budget, Healthy, Uncategorized
Tags: back surgery, cola, eating hospital food, eating in the hospital, food after surgery, graham crackers, hospital, hospital food, ice chips, Jell-O, jello, recovery, salted crackers, Saltines
Super Bowl Snacks IV
Posted by Mike Farley (02/01/2012 @ 9:55 pm)
It’s that time of year again! We’ve been making it an annual tradition to post some snack recipes in advance of the Super Bowl, and this is the fourth year we’ve done that on Bullz-Eye’s Grub for Guys. This year, I made five new recipes that you can find on Grub for Guys on the Food & Drink homepage–queso meatballs; ham, avocado & corn tostadas; pizza potato skins; easier Italian beef sandwiches; and grill & chill Buffalo poppers.
It was way too much fun, as it always is, making these things and transforming our kitchen into a test kitchen. The poppers are the one gratuitous recipe I have to do every year with wing sauce. But the meatballs and skins were my favorites out of the bunch. Of course, everything is good…trust me, I wouldn’t steer you wrong with food like this. Hopefully you can try a few of these as you watch my Giants upset the Patriots again. Enjoy!
Posted in: Ingredients, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen
Tags: avocado and corn tostadas, easy game day snacks, food for dudes, football snacks, grill and chill poppers, Grub For Guys, guilty pleasures, ham, Italian beef sandwiches, Jalapeno, midnight snacks, new Super Bowl snacks, pizza potato skins, queso meatballs, Super Bowl, Super Bowl recipes, Super Bowl snack recipes, Super Bowl snacks, tailgating, wing sauce
Easy chicken vegetable soup
Posted by Mike Farley (01/28/2012 @ 8:48 pm)
Here is an easy soup I made twice this past week, and one that is real easy–chicken vegetable soup. Here is a general list of what you’ll need:
Olive oil or vegetable oil
1-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 carton chicken broth
assorted vegetables such as onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, green beans (whatever you have on hand)
assorted frozen vegetables such as corn, optional
noodles or pasta
Salt, pepper, and dried herbs
Grab a large soup pot and pour in about 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat on medium heat for a minute or two, and meanwhile cut the chicken into small pieces. Put chicken in pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir very few minutes. Meanwhile, chop your vegetables (maybe 2 cups total), and add to the pot. Sprinkle more salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, then add frozen corn and other frozen vegetables if using (1/2 to 1 more cup total), and chicken broth. Add another 1-2 cups water, noodles or pasta (about 3/4 cup dry), a bit more salt and pepper, and herbs such as Italian seasoning, oregano or basil (just a teaspoon or so). Stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serves 3-4.
Posted in: Food on a Budget, Grocery stores, Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen
Tags: chicken noodle soup, chicken soup, chicken vegetable soup, easy chicken soup recipe, easy chicken vegetable soup, easy chicken vegetable soup recipe, food for dudes, Grub For Guys, guilty pleasure, midnight snack, soup, soup recipe for guys
Pizza omelet
Posted by Mike Farley (01/25/2012 @ 10:44 pm)
Yeah, you read that right. But I’m not talking about cracking eggs in a pan with tomatoes and mozzarella. I’m talking about the way I did it this past weekend–with bits of leftover pizza folded into an omelet. Something about it is very primitive, very college, very hangover. But mostly, it was delicious. Just ask my wife.
It started with some leftover pizza we had in the fridge. I used homemade pizza, like the one I posted here last month. But you can use any pizza you have left over from the night before.
Take out 2-3 large eggs. Heat the pizza (1 large or two small slices) for 30 seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in the toaster oven at 350 degrees, just to warm it a bit. Cut the crusts off, then cut the pizza into bite size cubes. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Crack the eggs into a bowl with a splash of milk or water, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the pan, and swish the pan a bit to let the eggs cook and set evenly. When the egg is almost set, sprinkle with the pizza bits.
When the egg is almost entirely set, fold over half and cook for 30 seconds. Flip the omelet and cook for another 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate and cut in half. Serves two hungry and/or hung over people.
Bonus–try it with a Bloody Mary, like the one I posted here.
Posted in: Food on a Budget, Grocery stores, Ingredients, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen
Tags: bloody mary, easy hangover food, easy omelet, egg dish, eggs, food for dudes, fun with leftover pizza, Grub For Guys, guilty pleasure, hangover food, leftover pizza, leftover pizza recipe, midnight snack, morning after, omelets, pizza, pizza omelet
A Can a week: Chef Boyardee Overstuffed Beef Ravioli
Posted by Mike Farley (01/21/2012 @ 8:06 pm)
 There is something innately comforting to me about Chef Boyardee products. I grew up eating them on cold winter days when I was a kid, and in particular was thrilled when my mom taught me how to open a can and heat it on the stove. I mean, it wasn’t like I was learning to cook, but it’s liberating to a kid knowing that he can heat up his own lunch (I’m dating myself here, but we didn’t own a microwave until the mid-’80s.
Anyway, Beef-a-roni is still awesome, and so are the raviolis and standard spaghetti and meatballs. But the one small drawback to some of these items is the lack of meat. Enter the Overstuffed Beef Ravioli. I mean, it’s not exactly premium beef here–I’m guessing it’s akin to ground chuck and/or the kind of ground meat used at Taco Bell. And it has fillers in it, but so do standard meatballs or the filling in your typical ravioli.
But I digress. The Overstuffed Beef Ravioli is delicious, and it really does have 25% more meat as promised, and it seems like even more than that. It’s also nice that it is doused in a rich meat sauce as well. Yum. And Chef Boyardee’s tomato sauce is really tasty, and always has been. For you guys who need some quick meals to have on hand and do not have time to make something from scratch or even from a box, you should keep a few cans of this meaty pasta in your pantry.
One word of advice though–one can equals two servings, and that equals 500 calories. If you are not watching your waistline (and I’m guessing most of you that are reading this are not), and you like meat, this is some good stuff right here. You done well, Chef!
Posted in: Chefs and Restaurants, Food on a Budget, Grocery stores, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen
Tags: A Can A Week, beef ravioli, canned food, canned ravioli, Chef Boyardee, Chef Boyardee Overstuffed Ravioli, delicious canned food, easy food, easy pasta, easy ravioli, guilty pleasures, meat ravioli, midnight snacks, ravioli
Product review: Blue Bunny Birthday Party ice cream sandwiches
Posted by Mike Farley (01/18/2012 @ 8:03 pm)
Yeah, I know. This is a kid’s product. And I bought these for our 4-year old. But being a sucker for new products, especially any kind of snack food, I had to try them. I mean, I want to make sure my kid isn’t eating something that doesn’t taste good, right?
Anyway, I had no intention of reviewing this product, but these ice cream sandwiches are so good that I couldn’t help but pimp them. We’re talking birthday cake flavored ice cream (what a great invention that is!) with confetti sprinkles and blue icing swirl, between two vanilla cookies (rather than the standard chocolate). Being that I don’t want to be 400 pounds and also that I need to save some for the kid, I think I will cease eating any more of these. But trust me, I could eat the whole box in one sitting. Okay, maybe half the box, but still….
So if you see these Blue Bunny gems in your freezer, go for it…..just beware of how much you will love them.
Posted in: Grocery stores, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen
Tags: birthday cake, birthday cake ice cream, birthday cake ice cream sandwiches, blue swirl, food for dudes, Grub For Guys, guilty pleasures, ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, kids food, midnight snacks, product review, sprinkles
A can a week: Swanson Chicken & Dumplings
Posted by Mike Farley (01/13/2012 @ 11:08 pm)
 A can a week is back! We hope to bring this feature each week, since grocery store shelves are lined with the stuff…canned food, that is. Anyway, this week we tried Swanson Chicken & Dumplings. It’s not soup, but rather chunks of chicken and small dumplings in a rich chicken gravy.
The pros–very tasty and satisfying, especially on a cold day like today; quality chicken meat and nicely made dumplings; perfectly seasoned
The cons–a bit thin, and if I would have known, I could have tried it over noodles or rice; the chicken chunks were small; and I would have liked some carrots, peas or celery in addition to the chicken and the dumplings.
But overall this is a winning can of food, and as I said a very satisfying cold weather lunch.
Posted in: Food on a Budget, Grocery stores, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen
Tags: A Can A Week, canned food review, chicken & dumplings, cold weather food, dude food, food for dudes, good canned food, Grub For Guys, guilty pleasures, guy food, midnight snack, product review, Swanson Chicken & Dumplings
Planning a healthy Super Bowl party
Posted by Staff (01/13/2012 @ 1:34 am)
 The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and we might even get a rematch of the classic New York Giants-New England Patriots Super Bowl (we like the Giants!).
Super Bowl parties have become an American tradition, almost as important as picnics on the Fourth of July. We all love these parties, and we love gorging on the food. Many also love throwing these parties and coming up with cool dishes for everyone to feast on.
That said, for some people, healthy food needs to be an option for the big party. In many families, there are people battling obesity or conditions like diabetes, so this is no laughing matter. At the very least, every party should have some healthy options. But if you’re planning on making most dishes healthier, here’s a handy checklist of ideas.
Many are obvious, but small things can go a long way. Diet pop is a must, but think about juices or maybe iced green tea as an option. Pretzels over chips is another simple change that won’t offend anyone. Also, it’s easy to go with multigrain bread for the sandwiches.
Try to go with fruits and vegetables. There are so many cool appetizers you can make that are delicious and creative that are also low in fat and calories.
Many people love meat, but you don’t have to eliminate it go go healthier. Avoid sodium heavy lunch meats and high fat cuts, and instead pick some lean meats. Grilled chicken is always a popular option. Think of spices like hot sauce that aren’t high in salt as well.
With very little effort, you can make your party spread healthier and more delicious. With everyone trying to lose weight and trying to check the pharmacy in Canada for the latest diet pills, your guests will definitely appreciate a delicious yet healthy set of dishes for your party.
Product review: Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito
Posted by Mike Farley (01/11/2012 @ 11:15 pm)
Memo to Taco Bell–your commercials work. I was watching football on Sunday and a commercial came on for the limited time only “Beefy Crunch Burrito.” It’s a burrito with (are you ready for this?) Flamin’ Hot Fritos right in the burrito. Are you kidding me? I knew I wouldn’t want to be plucked from my comfy blue recliner while watching my Giants crush the Falcons, but dammit, I will get to Taco Bell this week. That’s what I said to myself. Monday came and went and I forgot. Tuesday morning came and a light bulb went off in my head around the time I had lunch hunger pangs. Oh yeah, it’s time, I thought.
I had to pick up our son from preschool which meant I had a short window of time to get to the Bell and then pick him up, and get home before my food got cold. The line was literally out the door, and I stood there for a few minutes, and then noticed the drive thru lane was near empty. I got in my car, cruised up and ordered, “Two Beefy Crunch Burritos, please, no sides, no drink”…..and amazingly, it was only $2.09. And I would still be in line if I didn’t do the drive-thru.
Anyway, I got some hot sauce to go with the burritos, but these babies needed no sauce–there was some saucy taco meat, rice, some oozing cheese, sour cream, and of course, the spicy corn chips, wrapped in those pillows of flour tortilla. Damn. This is as close to dude food nirvana as it gets–of course, it’s not like it’s a juicy steak, but there is certainly a place for nicely crafted and delicious fast food in any guy’s diet. (speaking of which, don’t tell my doctor I ate these).
Oh, and they did get cold by the time I got through my second one, because I was working while eating, and because I was savoring every bite. For real, yo. Go try these now…..seriously, go try these now!
Posted in: Chefs and Restaurants, Ingredients, Product Reviews
Tags: beefy crunch burrito, burrito, cheese sauce, corn chips, fast food, Flamin Hot Fritos, flour tortilla, food for dudes, Fritos, great fast food, Grub For Guys, guy food, hot and spicy, midnight snack, product review, rice, sour cream, taco, Taco Bell, Taco Bell beefy crunch burrito, taco meat
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