Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

Last week I made spicy corn on the grill.  While I was grilling the corn, what you didn’t see on the right side of my grill was a package of spicy chicken jalapeno sausages roasting away.  I cooked them for the same amount of time as my corn (12-14 min).  As my corn and sausage did its thing on the grill, I thought about what I wanted to make with my (planned) leftover corn that could be made ahead and reheated easily later that evening for dinner… Casserole!  One of my most favorite things to make as the weather begins to become more fall like is casserole.  Who doesn’t like cheesy, creamy goodness filled with squash, grilled corn and sausage??  No one I know.  So, next time you’ve got some leftover corn… make this casserole!  It freezes well, could be made a day ahead and satisfies anyone’s craving for comfort food.  If you don’t feel like grilling corn or don’t have any leftover, you could use any type of corn you have on hand like canned or frozen varieties.  If possible, use frozen roasted corn to get that same charred flavor.  If you go the frozen corn route and don’t plan on firing up your grill, I also recommend cooking your sausage in the broiler or in a skillet to get some good color on it.  If you’re unsure how to cook spaghetti squash, I linked to a great tutorial by my buddy Janetha over at Meals and Moves below in the ingredient list.  Her method is by far the best I’ve tried.  Once the squash is done, I like to freeze it in one cup increments for future use.  I do the same thing with brown rice and quinoa for meals just like this.  That way, the next time I need a bit of cooked squash or quinoa, all I have to do is throw a quick defrost on it.  Serve this casserole with a dollop of Greek yogurt, hot sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro and thinly sliced green onion if desired.  

What You Need:

1 ½ cups cooked spaghetti squash (12 oz)

1 cup enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

2 ears spicy grilled corn, kernels removed (or 1 ½ cups corn)

3 ½ grilled spicy jalapeno chicken sausages cut into small pieces (from Trader Joe's)

½ cup cooked grain, rice or small pasta like orzo (I used quinoa)

¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided

1 large egg

Foil

Cooking spray

Small casserole dish that can hold about 7 cups/ 2 quarts

What To Do:

Heat your oven to 350* and spray the inside of your casserole dish evenly with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients except for ¼ cup of the cheese and mix well.  Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese and cover with foil.

Bake 45-50 minutes.  You’ll know it’s ready when the casserole is bubbling around all the edges.

Remove foil and hit the broiler setting on your oven to brown the top.  Stay close, as things can get burnt easily in the broiler.  Set a timer for 2 minutes and check and see if it’s browned.  If not, add 2 more minutes.

Serve immediately or allow the casserole to cool to room temperature and store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to eat.

**Edited to add: Makes 4 - 1.5 cup servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Print this recipe!

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

You’ll want to make sure you keep your orzo warm by not rinsing it after it cooks. Instead, I like to toss it with a half teaspoon of olive oil after draining it. When it’s warm, the pasta can better absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Now the trick with the olives, peppers and onions is to make sure that everything is the same size. The best way to do this is to quarter your olives first so you know what size you’re going to want your pepper and onion to be. Make this salad as spicy as you like by just dialing up the red pepper flakes. We like really spicy food, so I used a rounded teaspoon here. I recommend starting out with a half of a teaspoon and going from there, making it to suit your taste. Serve at room temperature for best results. If you didn’t feel like heating up your grill, you could sauté the onion and pepper in a teaspoon of oil over medium high heat for about eight minutes or until well browned.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
1 red bell pepper, quarter – remove seeds & membrane
1 medium red onion, sliced horizontally in ½“pieces – leave skin on, it burns off on the grill
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
2 tsp fresh oregano, minced & divided
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil, plus ½ tsp
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste – I use 1+)
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper

What To Do:

Cook orzo according to the packages instructions in well salted water to al dente. Once the pasta is done, drain and toss with ½ tsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the warm pasta into the dressing, mix well and set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill to 400*. Over a medium high heat, grill onions and peppers until deeply browned on both sides. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your vegetables. Mine took about 15 minutes.

Cut grilled pepper and onion into ¼ “pieces. They should be about the same size as the quartered olives. Add vegetables, olives and remaining oregano to the pasta and vinaigrette – stir to combine. Serve at room temperature with additional red pepper flakes to pass at the table.

Serves 6

Print this recipe.

**Edited to add: Here are the nutritional stats for 1 of 6 generous servings.**

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Lemon Herb Marinade

This morning I was out in my little yard tidying up after the hail we had on Friday night and noticed that a bunch of my lemons were ready to be picked. Turns out I had almost 20 lemons that were ready to be plucked off and turned into something divine. What oh what was I going to make…? I knew I had just bought a whole pound of chicken from the market and then it came to me… Lemon herb marinade! This marinade comes together super fast. I think it took me about 5 minutes to get everything together and then all that was left to do was wait for the marinade to do its thing. Let the marinade sit in the fridge with your protein of choice for 30 minutes, but preferably up to 2 hours if possible. This marinade also works well on fish, large shrimp and tofu.  If using fish or shrimp, only marinate for 30 minutes as the acid in the lemon juice will cook the meat if left too long.

What You Need:

Juice from 3 lemons
½ lemon quartered and then thinly sliced
3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp honey (sugar or agave also work well)
3 Tbs fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste, optional)
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients and store in an air tight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Yields about 1 cup



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Egg White Salad

I used to love getting the pre-made egg white salad from Trader Joe’s, but it’s pretty darn expensive ?! Paying almost three bucks for something I could easily make at home was out of the question. I’ve made many versions of this salad, but decided to make the standard version today. If you’ve got fresh or dried dill on hand, I highly recommend it! I also like Italian parsley and red pepper flakes for a slightly Italian spin on things. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce for a super satisfying, low cholesterol version of an old favorite. If you make it a day ahead (but it's not a must) the flavors really have a chance to meld, making the salad even more flavorful.

What You Need:

4 hardboiled egg whites, finely chopped
1 capful apple cider vinegar
2 tsp mayo or Greek yogurt
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp turmeric (to give it that ‘egg salad yellow’ color, so it’s optional)
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce or with crackers.




**Edited to add: makes 1 heaping cup serving

Nutritional Stats for Entire Recipe

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Sausage, Spinach & Brown Rice Casserole with Fresh Mozzarella

After creating Black Bean & Sweet Potato Casserole with Chicken & Quinoa I had had casseroles on the brain for days. I really wanted to come up with something that had Italian flavors this time, so I planned ahead and made a batch of my sauce the day before so I’d have some homemade sauce on hand. If you don’t have any leftover sauce available, not to worry, just use your favorite bottled sauce. I recommend selecting a roasted garlic variety to really enhance the flavor of your casserole. Think of it this way… If you wouldn’t heat it up and eat it over plain pasta, don’t use it ! I use the same method with the cottage cheese here as my previous casserole recipe, except this time I puree it with fresh basil and oregano to stick with my Italian theme. By pureeing the cottage cheese you create a smooth silky texture like that of melted, grated cheese. This is good for both your waistline and your arteries. While we’re on the topic of the cottage cheese mixture, if you don’t have fresh herbs, you could always use dried, just see my proportion suggestion below in ‘what you need’. This casserole freezes well and can be stored for up to 2-3 months. I like mine served with a little hot sauce and fresh torn basil.

What You Need:

¾ lb fully cooked sausage, sliced (I used roasted pepper & onion chicken sausage)
2 cups spaghetti sauce (I used this sauce )
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice (I eyeballed this, could have been close to 1 ¾ cups)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 – 16 oz bag frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of its water
1 cup low fat cottage cheese, preferably low sodium
½ tomato, thinly sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella (ovolini – egg size), drained and thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh basil, divided and torn or roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs fresh oregano, roughly chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 tsp olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus 2 pinches
2 pinches salt (about 1/8 tsp)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Next, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tsp oil. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until deeply browned on both sides. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add the onion to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the mixture with 2 pinches of salt and pepper.

While the onion does its thing, puree the cottage cheese with ¼ - ½ tsp black pepper (to taste), oregano and half of the basil (roughly chopped) until smooth in your small food processor or blender.

Combine browned sausage, sautéed onion, brown rice, the cottage cheese mixture, spinach and egg in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Spoon casserole into a large baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and top with sliced mozzarella and tomato, alternating.

Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes with a foil lid loosely secured. You’ll know it’s time to take the lid of when small bubbles have formed at the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes with the cover off or until golden brown at the edges. Serve with reserved basil, torn.



Serves 6



Bon Appétit!
Mary



White Chicken Chili in your Crockpot

My white chicken chili is another easy "chop 'n dump" style Crockpot meal.  After you chop the onion and peppers, the only thing left to do is put it all in the Crockpot.  If you prefer, instead of putting the chicken in whole and then shredding after four hours, you can cube the meat and just put the chicken pieces right into the mix and not have to worry about it later.  The reason I like to shred the chicken is purely a textural thing.  I like the way the shredded pieces of chicken seem to soak up the flavors of the chili.  Just a personal preference, but it would turn out well either way.  Also, any bean would work here.  There’s no reason you have to use navy beans, it’s just what I had on hand.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, green onion and freshly squeezed lime juice.  I purposely took the picture below with no toppings because there are so many and I wanted you to see how thick and delicious this chili is.  If you’ve got leftovers, not to worry… this chili freezes extremely well. 

What You Need:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (2 large breasts)
½ of a softball sized brown onion (or one large – 2 cups), ½” dice
2 large poblano peppers (2 cups – bell pepper would work also), ½” dice
3 small cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp prepared minced garlic)
2 – 15 oz cans salt free white beans, **edited to add - drained** (I used navy)
1 – 16 oz jar salsa verde/ roasted tomatillo salsa (or two cups homemade)
1 - 12 oz room temperature beer (one you would like drinking)
2 – 4oz cans hot diced green chiles (use mild if you prefer a more mild chili)
½ - 1 Tbs cumin (to taste - I use a full Tbs)

Optional toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado, green onion, cilantro & lime juice

What To Do:

Combine onion, pepper, garlic, beans, salsa, diced chiles, **edited to add** beer** and cumin in your Crockpot and mix well. Sink the chicken breasts into the mixture and cook on low for four hours.

Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the chili and cook for an additional two hours before serving. (If you cubed your chicken, skip this step.)









**Edited to add: makes 8 - 1.5c servings

Nutritional Info for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Rustic Clam & Vegetable Soup

I was going to call this recipe ‘clam chowder’, but let’s face it… it’s not loaded with cream and it certainly isn’t white.  Instead I call this rustic clam and vegetable soup because I think that title suits it much better.  While still thick and creamy, my clam chowder is a heartier and lighter version of what you get when you’d order it at a restaurant.  I usually start this soup by frying up a couple of slices of apple wood smoked bacon, but I was out.  If you’ve got some, after frying… use a tablespoon of the drippings to cook your vegetables in instead of olive oil.  It gives the soup a really smoky flavor.  Also, when I have it on hand, I use fresh thyme, but today I went with dried.  Use whatever you’ve got on hand.  I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the potatoes will break down quite a bit when trying to reheat and the soup will become mushy… which nobody wants.  Serve with a bit of minced Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.

What You Need:

2 small cans clams and their juices (I like Snow’s or Crown Prince)
4 cups chicken stock – I used homemade (broth would work also)
½ - ¾ cup ½ ‘n ½ at room temperature (to taste – depends how creamy you like it)

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (any potato would work here)
2 large stalks celery, ½ “dice
4 small – med carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium – large brown onion, ½ “dice
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
½ tsp dried thyme

3 Tbs butter (I used unsalted, but any kind would work)
3 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat pastry, but any kind will work)

What To Do:

Sauté carrot, celery and onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are deeply browned. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Push the vegetable mixture to the sides of the pot and melt butter in the well you created. Once the butter is mostly melted add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add stock in 1 cup increments, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, over medium high heat until thick and bubbly. This will take about 4 minutes.

Add the potato to the pot and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Depending on the size of your potato chunks – the smaller you cut, the faster it cooks.

Remove from heat and add your ½ ‘n ½ and clams (with juices). Serve soup garnished with fresh Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.



Makes 7 – 1 cup servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Casserole with Chicken & Quinoa

I knew my girlfriend Kim would be coming over for dinner tonight and I wanted to make either a soup or a casserole that involved black beans and the sweet potatoes I found that were really close to spoiling. After a brief discussion with her this morning, we decided that casserole was the way to go. I decided that I wanted there to be a grain running throughout this recipe and knew some quinoa cooked in beef broth would go nicely with the other components. If you can't find or don't like quinoa, use brown rice, barley or couscous.  To keep it light, I used cottage cheese that had been pureed with dried spices in lieu of shredded cheese. For the topping, I used the pre-shredded smoked cheeses from Trader Joe’s for convenience, but any kind of cheese you like would work. To make this recipe vegetarian, simply leave out the chicken or substitute caramelized onions and mushrooms and cook your quinoa in vegetable stock. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, hot sauce and fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.

What You Need:

½ - ¾ lb cubed or shredded cooked chicken - *see cook’s note
1 large sweet potato (any kind of potato would work here)
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (or any grain you like) cooked in broth (I used beef here)
1 – 16oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of water
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 cup salsa verde (roasted tomatillo salsa – or any salsa you like)
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup shredded smoked cheese (or any cheese you like)
1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or any salt free seasoning blend you like)

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350*.

Wash your sweet potato and pierce several times with a knife or fork. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes or until a knife can be inserted easily. Cut potato into one inch pieces and set aside.

While the sweet potato cook’s, puree cottage cheese in a small food processor or blender with your salt free seasoning blend until smooth.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (except for the shredded cheese) and mix gently.
Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray and bake with a foil cover for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s time to take the foil off when the casserole is bubbling at the edges.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.



*You could use shredded rotisserie or left over chicken here – I cubed my chicken and tossed with 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or any salt free seasoning blend), ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Bake at 350* for 8 minutes.*

**Edited to add: makes 6 - 1.5c servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Print this recipe !

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Maple Soy Glazed Salmon (5 ingredients - plus hot sauce)

This simple glaze recipe goes well with more than just salmon; it complements snapper, halibut, chicken or even tofu very nicely.  You can wisk this glaze together in less than 2 minutes and have your fish baking in fewer than 5 once you’ve got your oven hot.  This glaze is both sweet and hot, which both B and I really enjoy.  If you don’t care for ginger, simply omit – I’m pretty sure it would still taste darn good without it.  I often make this dish the night before or earlier in the day because it reheats so well.  Salmon is such a ‘forgiving’ fish, I really should cook with it more often.  Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onion, oven roasted asparagus and steamed brown jasmine rice.  If it’s warm where you are right now or you are making this dish in the summer, throw it on the grill outside for a special treat.   

What You Need:

1 lb salmon
1/8 cup soy sauce
¼ cup pure maple syrup (or your favorite syrup)
1 tsp minced ginger (simply omit if you’re not a fan)
2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 large cloves grated or minced – to taste)

Sriracha to taste (optional)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350* and combine all ingredients, except salmon, in a bowl and wisk.

Coat a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray and cover fish with most of the glaze, reserving a Tbs or two for after it has baked. Bake fish for 18-22 minutes, depending on the thickness, or until fish flakes with a fork in the thickest spot. Pour remaining glaze over fish.








**Edited to add: makes 3 - just over 6 oz servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

The Recipe for my Whole Wheat Pesto Chicken Pizza

I’ve had a couple of you ask me for the recipe for the Pesto Chicken Pizza, so I figured I’d quickly jot down what went into it. Nothing was measured, so I’ll do my best to remember about how much I used. If you feel like you want more cheese, chicken or veggies.. Go for it! If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you can buy a ball of dough from most grocery stores and you can substitute your favorite salt free seasoning blend (e.g. Mrs Dash) for the 21 Seasoning Salute. It’s hard to make a bad choice here. I have a pizza stone from World Market and highly recommend using this to achieve that extra crispy crust you get from delivery pizza. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can make this recipe on a regular baking sheet and it should work just fine, it just won’t be quite as crispy as if you had made it on a pizza stone. Serve with a green salad and an ice cold beer!

What You Need:

¼ lb chicken cut into 1” cubes cooked in 1 tsp oil, seasoned with 1 ½ tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
1 ball whole wheat pizza dough
½ - 1 cup of your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
¼ cup prepared or homemade pesto sauce
½ - 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used this garlic infused jack cheese)
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
1/3 cup red or green bell pepper, ¼” dice
1/3 cup red onion, ¼” dice
2 large cremini or button mushroom, very thinly sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to your baking sheet or pizza stone
Flour for rolling the dough

What To Do:

Heat oven to 425* and take pizza dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 20 minutes while the oven heats up. If you try and use it right out of the fridge, you’ll have a really tough time getting it to roll out properly.

Once the oven is hot, throw your pizza stone in and let it heat for 15 minutes (if using). While the pizza stone is heating, roll out the dough on a well floured surface to your desired thickness. We like it thin.

Remove pizza stone from the oven and dust with cornmeal until there is an even coating.

Carefully place pizza dough onto your pizza stone or baking sheet and pierce many times with a fork to prevent air pockets from forming. Bake the pizza crust for about 8-10 minutes or until it becomes a golden brown. This is how you get that crispy crust!

After the crust has prebaked, top with sauce, garlic jack cheese and then all of the vegetables and chicken. Spoon the pesto sauce onto the pizza, distributing it evenly in blobs. Top with parmesan cheese (if using) and bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.


Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing.



Serves 4 (4 small or 2 large slices each)



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Thai One On - Five Ingredient Crockpot Dinner

This Crockpot recipe is as simple as they come and needs only FIVE ingredients and FIVE minutes to prep. I like to call these types of recipes chop ‘n dump style. You may be wondering what the heck that means… Well, it means you chop… and then you dump it into your Crockpot. Fun, right ?? I used a bottle of premade Thai style red curry sauce as I didn’t have time to make my own. This literally came together in about 5 minutes, I kid you not. Turn your Crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours. If you’re not a fan of tofu, I think chicken would be fabulous in its place. Top with a little hot sauce, fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onions if you have them on hand and serve over brown rice or quinoa.

What You Need:

1 lb extra firm tofu cut into ½” cubes
1 – 11oz bottle Thai red curry sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 medium brown onion, ½” dice
1 medium russet potato or sweet potato, ½” dice
4 medium carrots, roughly chopped

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cook on low setting for 8 hours. It will seem like there's not enough liquid, but as the vegetables cook they will release liquid making a thick, gravy like sauce.  Don't add water or broth! Serve over brown rice with hot sauce, cilantro and green onion.



Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame and Tomato

Don’t hate me, but it was about 76* and sunny today and I had to break out this oldie but goodie that I didn’t get to post about during the summer because all I am craving tonight is chilled salad. The day I created this recipe was an absolute scorcher! The hottest day of the year thus far… Coming in at an almost record high of 108* today. Cooking something hot was the last thing on my mind and I wanted something heartier than a salad. I dug around in the back of my pantry among the ‘I’m open, use me’ pastas and found some buck wheat soba noodles. I instantly knew that I was going to want this salad to have Asian flavors and some serious heat. What can I say…? I am a glutton for punishment. Although I used soba noodles here, whole wheat pasta (or whatever pasta or grain you like) would work well here. Same goes for the tomato. If you have plum, beefsteak, cherry, roma tomatoes, use those. This chilled vegan salad is packed with heaps of protein, antioxidants and fiber all while not heating up your already hot kitchen. What’s your go to meal when you don’t feel like something hot for dinner ?

What You Need:

3 servings – 6 oz soba noodles, cooked in vegetable broth according to package and drained
1 ½ cups cooked and shelled edamame
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (any bean would work here)
1 cup on the vine tomato (2 small), chopped
1/3 cup red onion (1/3 med onion), thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped



Wisk Together for the dressing:
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
Juice and zest of ½ lime
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.



Serves 3 as an entrée or 6 – 1 cup servings



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mexican Chicken Soup

This spin on chicken soup came to me this chilly winter day after peering into my pantry and spotting a can of fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic, a jar of salsa verde and a can of green chilies.  I knew right then that I wanted to make a soup with Mexican flavors in it.  I had just gone to the market yesterday and picked up a package of chicken tenders, so I decided I should make a Mexican twist on good old fashioned chicken soup to warm us up.  This soup has deep smoky undertones of cumin and a hint of beer in its broth.  I really wished I had had some tortillas, because I think that toasting some in the oven with some cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne would be lovely.  Also, if you have a ripe avocado and some fresh cilantro, I highly recommend adding both of these accompaniments.   Promise you won’t be disappointed!   This recipe can also be made in the Crockpot by reducing the amount of garlic by half and combining all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.  This soup freezes extremely well.  Serve with chopped avocado, thinly sliced green onion, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, minced cilantro and hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 lb chicken rinsed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 – 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic
4 cups ( 1 – 32 oz box) chicken stock (broth would work also)
1 cup salsa verde (I used Henry’s Store brand – Sun Harvest)
¾ cup beer (I had a Bass on hand)
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup corn kernels (canned, fresh or frozen)
1 – 4oz can green chilies
1 medium brown onion (about 2 cups), ½“dice
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt and pepper plus a pinch of each

What To Do:

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and season with ¼ tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and ½ tsp cumin.

Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from pan. 

Turn heat down to medium and sauté onions for 8 minutes adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add chicken to the onions and garlic, then deglaze pan with beer by turning up the heat to medium high and slowly adding the beer, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a  wooden spoon. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. During this time, the alcohol will burn off.

Next, add all remaining ingredients and simmer covered, over low heat for about 15 minutes.












Makes 4 (2 cup) Servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

I first made this soup in September after my husband has his wisdom teeth taken out. I had no plan other than I wanted to make a creamy potato soup that would be easy for him to eat with ingredients that I had on hand. We both ended up loving it so much, I decided I should make it again for blogging purposes. If you prefer your soup be chunky, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to get the soup to your desired consistency. I used beef stock because that’s what I had on hand, but any broth or stock would work well here. I recommend using a low sodium variety as stocks and broths can pack a lot of sodium. This is also why I don’t season the soup with salt and pepper until after blending. Some stocks will be really salty and you may not even need to add any additional salt. I didn’t have any bacon on hand, but highly recommend frying up a few slices and crumbling it on top of this soup. This recipe makes a generous amount, but does not freeze well so feel free to half this recipe is you desire. Serve garnished with Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What You Need:

 

5 cups stock or broth
2 cups milk, room temperature (I used whole milk)
3 lbs russet potatoes, washed and cut into small pieces (about 5 medium)
1 large brown onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
8 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided
Optional Garnishes: Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What To Do:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and carrot, season with ½ tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking.

Create a well in the center of the vegetables and melt butter.

Once butter is melted add the flour and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Slowly add stock or broth stirring constantly, scraping browned bits off the bottom.

Once all of the broth has been incorporated, throw the potato in the pot and simmer for 10 minutes or until mostly tender.

Add milk and return to simmer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

In batches, puree the soup until smooth. Taste and see if you need more salt and pepper. I added 1 tsp of salt and pepper.  Top with garnishes and serve immediately with a garden salad.
















Yields 13 ½ - 1 cup servings



Bon Appétit!
Mary



**Behind the Scenes:  Had to share a picture of my cat/ fur-child trying to help me blog about this recipe :)**