NSFW Turkey Tacos

!!WARNING: Adult content! !Viewer discretion advised!!


The Non Blondes have been naughty.


Well....not really.  But we DID make delicious tacos via wardrobe malfunction, and there may be some steamy lemon/lime action ahead. Stay tuned for details.

For a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional, fat-laden beef tacos, you will need:

1lb ground turkey
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (we like it HOT! **)

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 salsa
Generous grating of salt and black pepper
Crunchy or soft taco shells, whatever you prefer (but everyone knows that crunchy is where it's at.)


** aaaaaand that is TOTALLY what she said


Step One, prep work: TNB-style

Gin and tonic. Don't forget the lemons and limes!

Speaking of lemons and limes.....me-oww!!

Brown Mummy: making citrus sexy since EVER

Begin by grating down your cleaned and peeled carrot into pretty orange confetti,

Bowl of excitement

and stir-fry over medium-high heat with the scallions, until carrots are slightly tender.

Add your ground turkey. Which, by the by, is a wonderful alternative to fatty, greasy beef. Almost no fat comes off of it, and you can't even taste the difference once incorporated with the other ingredients. Awesome way to still make the dishes you crave, minus the greasy guilt!

At this point, Red Mummy's jeans decide that she can take this job and shove it, they ain't workin' here no mo'.

RIP (no pun intended) that ONE pair of super comfy jeans that fits perfectly :(
Also, we warned you about the graphic nature of this blog post!

A quick wardrobe change later, and your turkey should be cooked through and ready to add the salsa,

and the spice mixture.

Pretty colors

Right about now, one of your cats will commence biological warfare via the litter tray, prompting much gagging and sputtering.

The perp, looking very guilty while trying to hide behind an ADORABLE.

This brings us to TNB Tip #4: Homemade Incense. It will smell like all your hopes and dreams come true, a child's laughter, kitten kisses and a favourite pair of jeans... wait, awwwwwww :'|

Anyhoo....back to tacos.

Your mixture is basically done once the spices are combined. Heat up your soft or crunchy taco shells at 350 degrees.

On the left, boxed shells. On the right, homemade corn tortilla cups, made by baking fresh corn tortillas in a muffin pan in a 350 degree oven. Super easy! 

Fill your taco shells with the turkey mixture, and whatever taco toppings you like. We used more salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and scallions.  Enjoy!

French Toast O'Clock

Mornings can be difficult. Especially when you're hungry. Luckily for you, TNB french toast should provide sufficient motivation to hurl yourself out of bed and into the kitchen.

If you're like TNB, start by brewing a pot of fresh coffee. Because nothing else is getting done beyond this step.

Nectar of the gods.

Add a little "Irish courage".

priorities. 

Now, assemble your ingredients. You will need:

- Last night's french baguette (or other crusty bread)
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 or 9 vigorous gratings of fresh nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

All the things.

Apply sunglasses:

Seriously, what is that reflection about?

Slice baguette/crusty bread into 1-inch thick pieces, on a slight diagonal:

Put to one side. In a large bowl, beat together:

Eggs.

Action shot.

Milk.

Vanilla.

Cinnamon.

TNB tip: When Red Mummy is feeling naughty, a drop or two of good Irish whiskey (we like Jameson!) can be added for extra deliciousness. We elected to limit our spirits to our cups of coffee this particular morn, though.


 Red Mummy is a big fan of grating whole nutmeg...

grategrategrate. watch those fingernails.  

...but you can use ground nutmeg, too.

This is a good moment to turn on your griddle. Ours has settings for 150, 250, 350, and 450 degrees. Between 250 and 300 is the best temp for french toast. If your griddle is low, medium, high, we would suggest medium.

Gratuitous griddle picture.

While you're waiting for the griddle to heat up, you can refill the coffee:

coffee not added pictured.

Do a dance:

Baby, you're a fiiirework!

 And take gratuitous pictures of the kitchen:

Bread, batter, griddle, serving plate.

Bemused kittens.

Using tongs, carefully dip each piece of bread in the egg batter...

...and place on the griddle.

Continue in this way until you've used all the batter (or all the bread, whichever comes first!):

All the bread.

While the bread is cooking on one side, prepare the 'dusting'. Mix together about two tablespoons of confectioner's sugar and a teaspoons or two of ground cinnamon.

Brown Mummy gets the BEST close-ups!

Flip the french toast, to cook on the other side. Just a few minutes, until golden-brown, toasty perfection is reached. Then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar 'dusting':

pictured: golden-brown toasty perfection.

Serve with lashings of syrup! (and butter, don't even forget the butter.)

10-Bean Soup

Beans, beans, good for your heart; the more you eat the more you fart... Or so they say.

Prior to Boston heating to the temperature of the sun, we had a few cold and miserable days. TNB needed warmth, comfort food, SOUP. Also, Brown Mummy was super sick (that's an illness with a cape). So, Brown Mummy made soup. And all were happy.

[FYI, this is recipe takes a while -- start it in the morning if you plan to eat it that night]

Here's what you need:

I used a pre-mixed selection of beans from the Women's Bean Project, a non-profit organization that trains women for entry-level jobs so that they can move towards self-sufficiency. How awesome is that?

You can use whatever beans or pulses make you happiest (or fartiest).

Ingredients:
Beans - barley, anasazi beans, yellow lentils, red lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas, black eyed peas, black turtle beans, red beans and white beans
1 clove of garlic, minced
28oz can of diced tomatoes
Salt
Parsley
Garlic powder
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper

Start by placing all your beans and pulses in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight, or for at least three hours.

Soak 'em!

Then, take a gorgeous picture of a gorgeous cat.

*sniff sniff*

Drain the beans...

...place into a large 4-qt pot, with minced garlic (Brown Mummy used a little more than one clove) and 7 cups of water.

Garlic.

H2O.

Beans.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for... wait for it... 3 hours.

Yes really. You need to let the pot simmer away at a low heat until all the various kinds of beans have softened. Depending on the beans and pulses you've used, you may not need the full 3 hours. Be sure to return to the pot often, stirring occasionally, and testing for softness. In the mean time you can...

Water a plant

Meet Sassy, The Bamboo plant.

Eat an orange

Take an artsy picture of a cat

So far away!

Take another fluffy picture of a cat

"Look, Ma, no feet."

Test the beans

Apply a face mask

Take off a face mask

Clean skin :)

When softened, I added a squiggle of olive oil to the pot, and then the pre-made packet of herbs from the Women's Bean Project.

If you don't have a pre-made packet of herbs, try a tsp of salt, a handful of freshly chopped parsley, a half tsp of garlic powder, and half a tsp each of paprika and cayenne pepper (or more, if you can handle the heat!).

Taste the seasoning, and add a little kosher salt if the soup needs it.

Then add the diced tomatoes...

...and a half tsp of sugar (my little secret!).

I served the soup by putting handfuls of fresh spinach in bowls, and ladling the soup on top.

Voilà!