Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals in a year!

After watching the Rachel Ray show today, I'm convinced that her meals are quick and easy and just what I need to get my new eating plan started for the new year. I was inspired by a guest who she had on the show who started out as size 18, started cooking her meals, making sure that she used the healthiest ingredients and eating the correct portion size and she is now a size 2. She lost 100 pounds in 13 months. What's the worst that could happen right? So, I'm currently making out my grocery list and I'm off to the grocery store this afternoon:) Look out swimsuit season, here I come!

I currently have two 30 meal recipe books and will go through those books in the next year cooking healthy meals for myself and the hubs.

What's for dinner tonight???

Tex-Mex Lovers Mini Meatloaves SUBMITTED BY:
Tracey Seaman

The whole family will fall in love with this complete meal, and kids will have fun helping to shape the meatloaf "hearts."


INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed into crumbs (2 handfuls)
6 tablespoons store-bought medium-hot salsa, plus more for serving
1 large egg
1 pound extra-lean ground beef or dark meat ground turkey
1 can small red beans (15 ounces), rinsed
DIRECTIONS:
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
In a small saucepan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the rice to coat. Add 1 3/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, beat together the tortilla chip crumbs, salsa, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix in the ground beef. Place a 3- to 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter on the prepared baking sheet. Press a quarter of the meat mixture evenly into the cookie cutter; remove the cutter. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture. Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.
Bake the meatloaves until firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.
Stir the beans and scallion greens into the rice and season with salt. Serve with the mini meatloaves and extra salsa on the side.
Recipe by Tracey Seaman, Test Kitchen Director, Every Day with Rachael Ray. Reprinted with permission from Every Day with Rachael Ray.