Balsamic Poppyseed Vinaigrette

Stephanie is a master salad maker in my opinion. She's always got great recipes and ingredients to put together to make tasty and beautiful salads. This dressing comes from her. Feel free to modify the actual salad ingredients to fit your tastes and desires.

Dressing:
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar or fresh lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup Dijon mustard

Mix together all ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to fully develop

Salad:
1/8 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch romaine or red leaf
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1/2 pound bacon

Cook bacon until crispy; let cool and cut into small pieces. Place almonds and sugar in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook until caramelized; set aside. In a large bowl place spinach and romaine; toss. Top with onion, almonds, swiss, and bacon. Drizzle the salad with dressing just before serving

**Notes from Em**
On caramelizing the almonds - I had no idea what I was doing the first time I tried this, and it really freaked me out to just throw dry sugar and nuts into a pan. As the nuts warm up though they release their oils and the sugar clings to the oils.

I like to add Craisins to my salad.

Chicken Enchilada

Chicken Enchilada

From Eating for Life

Serves 2

4 portions chicken breast
4 green onions, sliced
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cans (10 oz each) green enchilada sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 C reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
2 C lettuce, shredded
1/2 C salsa
1/2 C light sour cream
1 tomato, diced
1 can (2 oz) ripe olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray

Place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Shred cooked chicken by pulling apart with two forks; set aside.

Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cilantro and jalapeno; saute for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Pour the remaining 2 cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Roll up an place, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish.

Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Divide lettuce onto four plates and place a portion of enchiladas on top. Top with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes and olives. Serve and enjoy!

Caramel Corn

Caramel Corn

From Susan I.

Serves 12

1/2 C butter
3 T half'n'half
1 C light corn syrup
2 C brown sugar
6-8 quarts air-popped corn

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat combine butter, half'n'half, corn syrup and brown sugar. Stirring constantly bring mixture to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. This will make a soft caramel that won't go hard. Pour over air-popped corn and mix well until fully coated. The caramel will thicken as it cools. If you want the caramel corn to be crispy bake it for one hour at 250, stirring often.

**Notes from Em**
Don't make the tragic mistake (like I have once or twice) of using a small pan to make the sauce. It expands a LOT when it's boiling, and few things are as hard to clean off a stove as spilled over caramel sauce straight on the burner.

Creamy Dill Chicken and Rice

Creamy Dill Chicken and Rice

Serves 8

4 - 6 Chicken breasts
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 C plan yogurt (or sour cream)
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 T dill

Combine all ingredients and place in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over a bed of cooked rice.

**Notes from Em**
The original recipe called for twice as much of the ingredients for the sauce, but I found it made WAY too much sauce. I had literally half a crock pot of sauce left and no more chicken. But if you're a sauce person, feel free to take it back to its original doubled amount.

I've also decided it would be really good to throw some baby carrots and/or frozen peas in there

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder

Serves 6-8

2 C water
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1 C finely diced celery
2 C finely diced potatoes
1 medium carrot, grated
3 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams with juices
1/2-3/4 C butter
1/2-3/4 C flour
1 quart half-n-half
1 1/2 t salt
1 t ground black pepper
1 t garlic powder
2 T red wine vinegar

Place water, vegetables, and clams with juice in saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until barely tender.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and blend; cook, stirring constantly to form roux. Slowly add cream stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth and thick. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Keep stirring until heated throughout or until it boils. Add un-drained cooked vegetables and red wine vinegar. Season with additional salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Turn heat to low and continue heating and stirring until heated throughout.

Turkey Caesar Wraps

This is one of the few recipes that I can genuinely claim as my own, thus it's not an exact science, but you'll get the idea.

Turkey Caesar Wraps

Raw tortillas
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced Swiss cheese
Sliced oven roasted turkey
Mixed greens
Caesar dressing

Saute the mushrooms until they release their liquids and get nice and brown and wilty. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Put the tortilla on the pan, put a few slices of cheese running down the middle of the tortilla, and a few slices of turkey on top of that. Let it heat up until the tortilla is golden brown on the bottom side and the cheese is starting to melt. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms, mixed greens, and drizzle with Caesar dressing. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Chicken Milano

Here is it folks, the dish that I credit with helping me to understand that cooking can be loads of fun. I don't know where the recipe originally came from. All I know is that I made it for my brother and his girlfriend (now wife) for a Valentines Day dinner (he found the recipe and taught it to me), and I've been making it for friends and family ever since. This is one of those recipes that EVERYONE loves, and generally asks me for the recipe.

Chicken Milano

Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 C Italian bread crumbs
4 T butter
3 C marinara sauce
1 C heavy cream (milk works too)
1/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 C fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 C Swiss Cheese

Put the flour and Italian bread crumbs each on a separate plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the breaded chicken breasts in the heated pan just until the bread crumbs turn golden brown, approximately 2 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Combine the marinara sauce and cream, pour over chicken breasts. Sprinkle each of the cheeses evenly over the chicken breasts. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

**Notes from Em**
Make sure to check the dish during the last 10 minutes of cooking. If the cheese is starting to brown, put a sheet of tinfoil over the top. Just be warned if the cheese touches the tinfoil it'll stick to it.

My personal favorite way to serve this recipe is with sauteed vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini or yellow squash, pea pods etc. Simply slice the vegetables fairly thin, put them in a skillet on medium-high heat, throw in 1 T or so of butter, some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion, and saute it all until the veggies are just starting to soften. It's also fun to put the chicken on top of a bed of angel hair pasta, or serve some yummy crusty bread on the side.

Steak

I haven't posted anything in a while because we've been eating left overs and fairly generic recipes. Tonight wasn't much different, but it turned out really well so I figured I would at least tell you about it. Tonight was steak night. My husband LOVES meat, especially beef, and I've been trying to make a really good steak for him for a few years now. We usually season them with Adobo, and they turn out pretty well. Tonight I went back to my "roots". I remember my parents always seasoning steak with salt, pepper, and a slosh or two of soy sauce. So I tried it. I put the steaks in a pyrex dish, put some salt, pepper, and soy sauce on each side, then let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to marinate and warm up. Then I threw them on a grill at about 350 for roughly 6 minutes on each side. (Truth is they were thick cut steaks so they were on longer than 6 minutes) They turned out GOOD though. I let them sit for a few minutes after I got them off the grill, and we had instant loaded mashed potatoes and "Steph" salad with the steak, and it was a very satisfying dinner.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

From Lion House Classics

Makes 12 to 15 servings

Topping:
1 C butter, cold
1 C brown sugar
1 C flour
1 C oatmeal
1/4 t baking powder

Filling:
6 C canned apples or 6-8 fresh apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 C sugar
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and baking powder just until butter is broken up and ingredients are mixed. Mixture should be crumbly. Set aside.

Place apples in a 9x13-inch pan. SPrinkle with sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Crumble crisp topping on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. (If fresh apples are used, bake 45 minutes.) Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream.

**Notes from Em**
I made this recipe a couple of times this last summer, and I used melted butter instead of cutting in cold butter. It made it easier in preparation, and still turned out well, though you will get a more crumbly crumb topping if you use the cold butter.

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

Thai Kitchen

Serves 2-4

2 chicken breasts, diced
1/4 C bamboo shoots
1/2 C frozen peas
1/3 C chicken stock
14 oz coconut milk
1/2-1 T green curry paste
1-2 T fish sauce
2 T brown sugar

Heat a large, lightly greased wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until mostly done, stirring occasionally. Add bamboo shoots and frozen peas, stirring occasionally. While the chicken mixture is finishing, combine coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Whisk until well combined and set over medium heat. Add chicken stock. Once the sauce begins to boil add it to the chicken mixture. Allow it all to come to a simmer, then serve over rice.

**Notes from Em**
I like to add carrot, green pepper, cashews and pineapple to my curry, and I don't use the chicken stock or peas. Other vegetables that would be good in this recipe are tomatoes, sweet potatoes, egg plant or zucchini.

Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes

Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes

Serves 4-8

2 28 oz cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained, halved, and seeded.
1/2 to 2/3 C extra-virgin olive oil
14 large fresh basil leaves, torn
2 4-inch branches fresh rosemary
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300F. Spread out the tomatoes in a large shallow pan (a half-sheet pan is ideal) and sprinkle with other ingredients, turning to coat them with oil. Bake 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours, basting and turning the tomatoes several times. They're done when their color deepens to dark scarlet and they taste mellow and very rich. Don't let them brown, nor allow the garlic to brown -- it'll turn bitter.

Transfer the tomatoes and their oil to a glass or china bowl. Let them mellow at room temperature up to 6 hours. The flavor will ripen in this time.

Refrigerate the tomatoes up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Serve the tomatoes at room temperature, or tossed with hot pasta.

Crepes

Crepes

Serves 6-8

1 1/3 C flour
3 T oil
2 C milk
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

In mixer combine oil, milk, eggs and salt. Mix until well combined. Slowly add flour to egg mixture and combine until there are no lumps. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Remove cover and whisk until the crepe batter is well mixed - it will have separated while refrigerating. Heat a small, non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Pour in just enough batter to cover about half the bottom of the pan, tilt the pan until the batter covers the entire bottom. Once the crepe looks dry flip it over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove crepe from pan and continue cooking until all the batter has been cooked.

Fill crepes with desired fillings such as cream cheese, Nutella, yogurt, or fresh fruit. Roll and enjoy.

Apple Pancakes

Flavored with warm spices, these apple pancakes are ideal for an autumn or winter brunch. Grated apple is blended into the batter, then a thing apple slice is cooked inside each pancake. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired.

Apple Pancakes

From Williams-Sonoma

Makes about 12 pancakes

2 eggs
2 C all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 C plus 2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 C plus 2 T buttermilk
4 T unsalted butter, melted
2 t vanilla extract
2 peeled Granny Smith apples, 1 cored and finely grated, 1 thinly sliced on a mandoline

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add the flour, the 1/3 C sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Stir just until smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not over-mix. Add the grated apple and stir just until combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it. Lightly spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray.

For each pancake sprinkle 1/2 t sugar on 1 apple slice and place on the griddle. Using a batter dispenser, dispense about 1/3 C of the batter on top of the apple slice. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Keep warm until all the pancakes are cooked.

Tortellini Salad with Fresh Herb & Tomato Vinaigrette

Tortellini Salad with Fresh Herb & Tomato Vinaigrette

From Food Network's Michael Chiarello

Serves 15

2 pounds packaged tortellini
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 1 1/4 C
4 C freshly diced tomato
4 T chopped fresh tarragon
4 T chiffonade basil leaves
2 T minced parsley leaves
2 minced shallots
6 T lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs fresh mozzarella sliced into 1/4 in thick slices
4 C fresh arugula
Gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. When fully cooked, drain and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile in a nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, herbs, shallots, lemon juice, and remaining 1 1/4 C olive oil. Mix to combine and season with gray salt and pepper to combine. When the tortellini have cooled to room temperature toss with the vinaigrette.

To serve, line the perimeter of a large serving platter with overlapping slices of the mozzarella. Spoon the tortellini salad in the center and scatter the arugula leaves over the top.

**Notes from Em**
To make this meal a little easier and cheaper, I use canned Italian tomato's instead of fresh, I shred about 1 C of mozzarella and mix it into the tortellini, and I serve the pasta on top of baby mixed greens instead of arugula. I like the flavor of arugula but have had a hard time finding it lately.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

As far as I know, this recipe comes straight out of the brain of my mother. She had a different recipe for the casserole, and has since turned it into this version, which is technically the Dutch Oven version. This is a great make-ahead and freeze any left-overs type of recipe.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From Mama Jean

Serves 8-10

4 chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 Large can of enchilada sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne (optional)


In a large pot mix all ingredients together.  Heat on medium until warmed through, stirring occasionally.  Serve in a tortilla or over chips.

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

From Jean Patterson

Makes one large loaf

3 T butter
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1/4 t vanilla
2/3 C flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 C mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
3 T walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add banana and walnut to flour mixture and mix just until combined. Bake in a greased loaf pan for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool before serving.

Garlic Herb Baguettes

Garlic Herb Baguettes

From Kitchenaid

Makes 2, 12 inch baguettes

1 package active dry yeast
1 t sugar
1/3 C warm water (105-115 F)
3 1/4 - 3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t minced garlic
1 t salt
3/4 C cold water
1 egg
1 t water

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.

Place 3 1/4 C flour, basil, oregano thyme, garlic, and salt in bowl. Mix until combined. Slowly add yeast mixture and cold water; mix until well combined. Add remaining 1/4 C flour. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic.

Cover; let rise at room temperature (70-80 F), free from draft, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, punch dough down several times to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 12-inch long loaf. Place each loaf on a greased baking sheet or into a greased baguette pan. With sharp knife make 3 to 4 shallow diagonal slices in top of dough. Combine egg and 1 t water and brush top of each baguette with egg mixture. Cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Brush top of each baguette again with egg mixture. Bake at 450 F for 15-18 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdooles

From Mama Jean

1 C butter
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 3/4 C flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 T sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves

Preheat oven to 375.

Place butter and granulated sugar in bowl. Using mixer, cream sugar and butter, about 2 minutes. Slowly mix in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into butter mixture until combined. Separate dough into 1 12/ inch balls.

In a separate bowl combine 2 T sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Roll dough balls in sugar mixture until coated and place on baking sheets. Bake cookies at 375 for8-10 minutes.

Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice

Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice

From Cooking Light

Serves 6

1 T olive oil
2 C thinly sliced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 C uncooked brown rice
1 T curry powder
2 t mustard seeds
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
4 C water
1 C dried lentils
1 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 C sour cream

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and sauté 8 minutes until browned. Add garlic, rice, curry, mustard seem, salt and pepper. Sauté 1 minute. Add water and lentils; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer 1 hour until lentils are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and sour cream.

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

From Rachel Ray

Serves 4

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 C dried brown lentils
3 C chicken stock
1 C fresh spinach (or 1/2 C frozen)
1 C cooked rice or Orzo pasta
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Italian cheese to top soup

Heat oil in large sauce pan. Add onions, carrots, bacon and celery and sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 5 minutes more. Add lentils, bay leaf an stock; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook another 5 minutes. Add cooked rice or pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste. Take bacon out at the last minute (it was there just for flavor). Serve piping hot with grated cheese sprinkled on top and crusty bread alongside.

Seared Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce

The key to getting a good brown crust is to pat the scallops dry before cooking, sear them in a very hot cast-iron skillet, and while they cook, only move them to turn them over. Serve over rice noodles.

Seared Scallops with Citrus-Ginger Sauce

From Cooking Light

Serves 4

2 t roasted sesame oil, divided
4 (1-inch) diagonally cut green onions
1 t peanut oil
1 1 /2 pounds medium sea scallops
1/4 t salt, divided
1/4 C fresh orange juice
1/4 C sweet rice wine
2 T lemon juice
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 t grated fresh finger
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 t water
1/2 t cornstarch

Heat 1 t sesame oil in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat. Add onions; sauté 1 minute or until wilt. Remove from pan, set aside.

Add remaining 1 t sesame oil and peanut oil to pan. Pat scallops dry with paper towels; sprinkle with 1/8 t salt. Add scallops to pan; cook 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn scallops; reduce heat to medium, and cook 1 minute or until scallops are done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm.

Add orange juice, rice wine, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, and remaining 1/8 t salt to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Combine 1 t water and cornstarch; stir into sauce. Cook 30 seconds or until sauce begins to thicken. Add scallops to pan; toss to coat. Top with onions.

**Notes from Em**
I've tried this recipe twice, and while I still really like it, the sauce always seems a little heavy on the soy sauce flavor. You might want to try and modify it a little bit. Cut down the soy sauce or add some more of something else.

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

From Cooking Light

Serves 12

I T peanut oil
1 C chopped onion
1 1/2 T minced garlic
2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 C chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 t yellow curry powder
1 t salt
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 C chopped plum tomato
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
8 C hot cooked brown rice
3/4 C 2% Greek-style yogurt

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes ot until tender, stirring frequently. Add chickent o pan, cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter and next 5 ingredients (through tomato paste); cook 1 minute. Add tomato and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve chicken mixture over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

Roasted Orange-Herb Game Hens

Roasted Orange-Herb Game  Hens

From Epicurious.com

Serves 2

2 T chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as thyme, parsley, and mint)
2 T minced shallots
2 t grated orange peel
1 large Cornish game hen, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 T butter, room temperature
1/2 C low-sat chicken broth
1/4 C orange juice
2 T dry sherry
2 thin orange slices

Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Slide fingertips under skin of hen halves to loosen. Spread 1/4 of herb mixture under skin of each hen half. Rub skin with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place hen halves in shallow roasting pan.

Roast hen halves until golden and cooked through, adding broth after 10 minutes and basting twice throughout cooking time, about 30 minutes.

Transfer hen halves to platter. Place roasting pan directly atop burner over medium heat. Add juice, Sherry and remaining herb mixture; boil until reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over hen halves, garnish with orange slices, and serve.

Crock Pot Mexican Pork

This recipe is so simple it seems insane.  But it really is that simple.  It makes a delicious meat that you can put into just about any burrito, enchilada, taco, or quesadilla you can imagine.

Crock Pot Mexican Pork

From Stephanie Wardle

Serves 4

1lb pork cut in pieces such as pork chops or country style ribs

1- 20 oz can of salsa

1 can chopped chilies
1 small can of green enchilada sauce

Mix and cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Use a fork to separate/shred and add one drained can of black beans. Serve when the beans are heated through.

Served inside of smothered burritos and topped w/ lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream and guacamole and more salsa or served on a bed or rice w/ the same toppings.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

 

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

From Eating for Life

4 Servings

 1/3 c brown rice (uncooked)
4 portions chicken breast (about 1lb)
1 lime, halved
2 t taco seasoning
6 corn tortillas
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
6 C fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 T salsa
1/4 C fat-free sour cream
2 T cilantro, chopped

Cook brown rice according to its package directions. While the rice is cooking, place chicken breast in a shallow dish; cover with lime juice, and lightly coat both sides with taco seasoning. Place chicken on a hot grill and cook for approximately 6 minutes on each side. Let the chicken cool slightly, then cut it into strips and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F and cut corn tortillas into 1/2-inch strips, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are crispy then set aside.

While the tortilla strips are baking, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; saute until the onion is transparent, about 8 minutes.

Add cooked rice to the pot and saute for 3 minutes. Add green chilies and saute for 2 more minutes. Pour fat-free chicken broth into the mixture and bring it to a boil. Add sliced chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 25 minutes.

Place a few baked tortilla strips in the bottom of bowls and spoon about a fourth of the soup into each. Garnish each bowl with a few more tortilla strips, a spoonful of salsa, fat-free sour cream and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!!!

Note: Sante Fe Chicken Soup is a delicious and nutritious "planned-over." Consider making extra servings and storing them in portion-sized (about two cups) airtight containers; refrigerate for use in one or two days, or freeze for up to two months. Store without the tortilla strips and garnish. Microwave to reheat for quick lunches and dinners

Chilled Grape Chicken Salad

Chilled Grape Chicken Salad

From Eating for Life

Serves 2

2 portions of cooked chicken, chopped (about 1/2 lb)
1/2 C seedless red grapes, chilled, halved
1/2 C green grapes, chilled, halved
1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise
1 lemon, halved
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 C baby romaine leaves
2 T chopped pecans

In a medium mixing bowl, combine precooked and chopped chicken, chilled red and green grapes, apple, mayonnaise, lemon juice and black pepper.

Place baby romaine leaves on 2 small plates. Divide chicken salad mixture into 2 portions and spoon onto lettuce. Sprinkle each salad with half the chopped pecans. Serve and enjoy!

Italian Style Turkey Burger

Italian Style Turkey Burger

From Eating for Life

Serves 4

4 portions lean ground turkey breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 C tomato sauce
1/2 C reduced-fat Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
1 T Italian seasoning
2 t Dijon mustard
4 portabella mushrooms
2 t olive oil
4 slices Italian bread
2 C marinara sauce
4 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
Preheat broiler, also preheat grill.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, tomato sauce, 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and Dijon mustard. Form mixture into 4 portion-size patties.

Place turkey patties on hot grill and cook for about 6 minutes. Turn and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 6 more minutes.

Clean mushrooms by wiping them with a damp cloth. Remove and discard stem. Brush mushroom caps with olive oil. Place on hot grill and cook for 2 minutes, turn and cook 2 more minutes, set aside.

Place Italian bread slices on a baking sheet and place under a broiler until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Top each toasted bread slice with a cooked turkey burger, a portabella mushroom, 1/2 C marinara sauce, and a slice of provolone. Place under broiler until cheese melts and sauce is warmed through, about 3 minutes. Top each with about 1 T of Parmesan cheese.

Thai Beef Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw

Tacos go Asian with crunchy cabbage slaw and steak flavored with ginger and fish sauce. Packaged coleslaw and matchstick carrots speed preparation. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro springs, if desired. 

Thai Beef Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw

From Cooking Light

Serves 4

Steak:
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 t fish sauce
1/2 t chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
cooking spray

Slaw:
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1 T sugar
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 t minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 t fish sauce
1/2 t chili garlic sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 C packaged angel hair slaw
2 C packaged matchstick-cut carrots
1/4 C sliced green onions
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro

Remaining Ingredients:
8 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

To prepare steak, combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add steak to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove steak from bag; discard marinade.  Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray.; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

To prepare slaw, combine juice and next 6 ingredients (through 2 garlic cloves) in a large bowl.  Add slaw and next 3 ingredients (through cilantro); toss well to combine.

Divide steak evenly among tortillas; spoon about 1/2 cup slaw onto each tortilla.  Fold in half; serve immediately.