Southwest Vegetable Soup

Slightly spicy, very yummy. Created tonight in our kitchen.

Ingredients:


~1 14.5oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
~1 roasted red pepper (you could roast your own or use a jarred one)
~1 orange pepper, chopped
~2 cups frozen corn
~1 can black beans, drained
~1 can northern beans, drained
~1 32oz. box chicken stock
~1 tbs. cumin
~1 tsp. chili powder
~salt & pepper
~2 cloves garlic, minced
~1/4 cup chopped onion
~2 tbs. olive oil
~a handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. In soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and orange pepper and saute until softened.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, and red pepper. Increase heat to high and bring soup to almost a boil.
3. Lower heat and add corn. Add salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro.

Greek Salsa Chicken

If you love a dish with big, salty, yummy Mediterranean flavors, this is for you.

From Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
~4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
~1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
~1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
~1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
~1/4 cup lemon juice
~1/4 cup olive oil
~1 tbs. freshly chopped oregano

For the chicken:
~6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~salt & pepper
~2 tbs. olive oil
~2 lemons, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine salsa ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat (I don't have a roasting pan that is stovetop safe, so I used a pot and transferred to my roasting pan when it was time for the oven).
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown; about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lemons over chicken. Place squeezed lemons around the chicken in the roasting pan. Roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 25-35 minutes. Chicken will form a delicious brown crust on the outside. Serve with salsa.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, and Feta

Light, salty, and delicious. The roasted tomatoes add another depth of flavor.

Adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients:
~1 pint grape tomatoes
~2 roma tomatoes, chopped
~1/2 cup Kalamata or other black olives, pitted and chopped
~1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled (I used a tomato-basil feta)
~3 tbs. drained capers
~3 tbs. flat leaf parsley, chopped
~1/4 tsp. salt
~1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
~3/4 lb. spaghetti
~6 tbs. olive oil
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~Garlic-infused olive oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with garlic-infused oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until grape tomatoes have popped or have started to shrivel.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine olives, capers, feta, salt, pepper, and parsley.
3. Cook pasta according to box directions. Be sure to salt your water! Drain.
4. In the empty pasta pot, heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook for about 1 minute. Add pasta, tomatoes, and bowl of mixed goodies.

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

From Six Sisters' Stuff, original recipe from Dinner on a Dime

You will want to eat these all the time. An EXCELLENT enchilada dish. The marinade, while so simple, is super delicious.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

~6 tbs. honey

~5 tbs. fresh lime juice (1 large lime)

~1 tbs. chili powder

~1/2 tsp. garlic powder

~1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used ground chicken b/c I had it on hand)

~8 tortillas

~1 pound Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

~16oz. green enchilada sauce 

~1 cup heavy cream

1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss in a ziploc bag with the chicken. Let it marinade at least half a day (I cooked the chicken the night before and let it marinade overnight).

2. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese. Save the marinade!

4. Mix remaining enchilada sauce with cream and leftover marinade.

5. Cover the top in cheese.

6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. 

White Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries

An amazingly fast and tasty dessert.

Raspberry idea taken from Pinterest

Ingredients:
~1 box instant white chocolate pudding mix
~1/2 pint raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
~chocolate chips

1. Prepare pudding according to package directions.
2. While pudding sets, place one chocolate chip inside each raspberry.
3. Place 1/2 of raspberries in bottom of bowl, top with pudding and remaining raspberries.

Brunswick Stew

Soup does not get easier than this, folks. Give it a try on a night when you work late!

From Paula Deen

~4 slices bacon, chopped
~1 large onion, chopped
~1 rotisserie chicken, meat chopped
~1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
~1 16oz. can creamed corn
~10oz. frozen lima beans (I do not like lima beans, so we used a can of Northern beans instead)
~1 cup chicken broth
~1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I recommend smoky rather than sweet. I used a sweet one and the smoky flavor would make more sense)
~1 tbs. distilled white vinegar
~1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
~1/2 tsp. celery salt
~black pepper

1. In a large saucepan (I used my soup pot), cook the bacon over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes.
2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans, barbecue sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire, celery salt, and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lima beans are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is an easy and flavorful vinaigrette. Try it over a simple salad of mixed greens, feta cheese, and olives.

From Emeril Lagasse

~1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
~2 tsp. dark brown sugar
~1 tbs. chopped garlic
~1/2 tsp. salt
~1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
~3/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine. I used a mason jar I had leftover from jam-making. Keep refrigerated.