2 blocks cream cheese
1 lb Jimmy Dean hot pork sausage
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can sliced black olives
Cook sausage on the stove. Remove from the pan and set aside. Melt cream cheese in the pan. Add sausage back in along with tomatoes and olives. Serve immediately or transfer to a crock pot to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.
For the salad:
1-1.5 cup uncooked short whole wheat pasta (rotini, penne, etc.)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 bell pepper (not green), chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 jar kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta
For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 pinches salt
black pepper to taste
honey to taste
Oregano chicken (optional):
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
couple pinches of salt
black pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
Cook the pasta al dente per package directions, drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water to cool. Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl. In a jar or bowl, shake or whisk together all dressing ingredients. Add dressing to the salad and toss well. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers keep for a few days.
Optional chicken: Mix marinade ingredients together. Place marinade with chicken in a shallow dish and let sit in the fridge for up to 4 hours. Grill (or bake) and slice or cube. Chill and add to salad.
Serves 8-10 as a side, or 4-6 as a main dish.
Notes: Dressing and salad can be made up to two days ahead. Store separately in fridge. Let dressing sit on the counter to liquify for half an hour. Mix dressing into salad about half an hour before serving and let sit at room temp. Pasta can be omitted to make this gluten-free, or gluten-free pasta can be substituted. Romaine can be added if desired. {Recipe adapted from Food Network}
Salad:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, prepared
2 stalks of broccoli, florets chopped into small pieces
2 large green onions, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 handfuls of shredded carrots (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup peanuts (optional but recommended)
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
3 limes, zest and juice
3 tsp sesame seeds
3 Tbsp soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)
3 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl or mason jar, whisk or shake together all dressing ingredients. Slowly add dressing to salad, tasting as you go, until it tastes how you like it.
Salad:
1 can black eyed peas
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can diced tomatoes w/ basil
1.5 c frozen corn, thawed
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
1/3 c olive oil (or other light tasting oil - not EVOO)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Sprinkling of cayenne to taste (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix all salad ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients. Mix dressing into salad.
1 lb chicken breast
1 10-oz package plain couscous
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil
4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
2 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
6 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup lemon juice (or lime juice)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1) Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Remove and chop into bite-sized pieces.
2) Prepare couscous according to package directions.
3) Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir carrots in 1 Tbsp oil for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and green onion and cook and stir for 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4) Transfer couscous to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Add veggie mixture and chopped, cooked chicken.
5) In a bowl or screw-top jar combine lemon (or lime) juice, 1/4 cup oil, honey, salt, and black pepper; whisk/shake well. Pour over couscous mixture, toss to combine.
Makes about 8-10 cups. Serves 4-6 as a main course.
You can use quinoa or rice instead of couscous to make this gluten-free (or healthier!). I used 2 cups of dry quinoa last time I made it - it tastes great but isn't quite as fluffy as couscous. Can be served hot or cold, but I prefer room temperature. Excellent topped with sriracha.
4 cups grated carrots
1 15oz can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
7 dates, pitted and chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
Zest and juice of 2 limes
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1) Add the carrots, chickpeas, dates, scallions, and cilantro to a large bowl.
2) In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
3) Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the pistachios and feta cheese and toss gently.
4) Serve or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
1 egg
1 14 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 oz can cream style corn
Handful of Saltine crackers
Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Crush Saltines into a bowl. Add enough milk to soften. Add egg, corn, and seasoning. Pour into a greased Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour until set.
Tips: To tell if it's done, jiggle the dish. It should look stable around the edges and move just a little in the middle. The top part of the baked corn is the best, so use a wider, shallower dish for baking so there is more good stuff to go around.
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilis, with juice
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 chili powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Tabasco sauce (or other hot pepper sauce)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook beef until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Pour in chili beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add onion, celery, green and red peppers, bouillon, and beer. Season with remaining ingredients. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
This chili has tons of flavor and is nice and spicy. Perfect on a cold day.
vinaigrette
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon, apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 green onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons sliced toasted almonds
small handful of dried cranberries
feta cheese crumbles
Bring
vegetable stock to a boil and add in quinoa. Cover and simmer over
medium heat until tender and mostly absorbed. Drain, fluff with a fork
and set aside.
Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil,
cumin, chili powder and cayenne and bake in a 400F oven for about 20
minutes or until tender.
In a small serving dish, toss
together the quinoa and potatoes. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a
small jar (tasteand adjust seasonings, if necessary) and pour
over salad. Add in green onions, almonds,
cranberries and feta and combine.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained 1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced 3 cups roughly chopped kale 2 cups vegetable broth 2 teaspoons light brown sugar 2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows) Juice of 1 lime 1 avocado, diced (optional but recommended) 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional but recommended)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, kale, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro. This freezes well.
Cooked Wheat Berries: 1 cup hard red winter-wheat berries 3.5 cups cold water 1/2 teaspoon salt
Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. (Make-ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)
6 servings: about 1 1/2 cups each Active Time: Total Time:
Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 61 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium.
Add wild rice and cook according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, thinly slice scallions, separating white and green parts. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes; drain out excess oil; season with salt and pepper; set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, dried cherries, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vinegar is almost absorbed, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add rice, cooked scallions whites, scallion greens, and chopped pecans. Stir well to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
6 slices of bacon
20oz fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar
3 heads fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
Cook bacon, drain, crumble and set aside.
Cook tortellini in lightly salted water for 8-10 min or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar and vinegar to make dressing.
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tortellini, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion. Pour dressing over salad and toss.
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (8 ounces) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup chopped red onion 2 cups thinly sliced celery 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic cayenne pepper to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook edamame in a 1 1/2 - to 2-quart saucepan of boiling salted water, uncovered, 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds or less. Pour into a large heatproof bowl.
Add edamame and remaining ingredients to cumin oil and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.
Yield: Makes 6-8 (side dish) servings Active time: 25 min Total time: 35 min
1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans (1 can), drained 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/2 cup chopped tomato 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 3 Tbs rice vinegar or ceider vinegar 2 Tbs lemon juice 2 tsp olive oil 2 Tbs minced garlic 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. Let marinate at room temperature or several hours, then refrigerate.
5 servings 130 cal (35 cal from fat)
4g fat 1g saturated fat 0g trans fat 0mg cholesterol 65mg sodium 19g carbohydrates 4g fiber 4g sugar 5g protein
4 -5 cups tiny broccoli florets (and chopped stalks if you like)
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 1/4 cup almond butter 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons hot water
2 small crisp apples, cut into bit-sized pieces (if you aren't going to use the apples immediately, let them sit in a bowl of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup toasted or candied walnuts or almonds 1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots *(see note) chives (optional)
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt as you would pasta water. Boil the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge of - 10 or 15 seconds. Drain and immerse it in cold water (or let cold water run over it). At this point, I like to spin the broccoli in a salad spinner to get the water off, but a few good knocks against the sink in a strainer can do the trick pretty well. Set aside.
Make the dressing by sprinkling the salt over the clove of garlic. Smash the clove and chop, smash and chop - turning it into a paste. In a small bowl whisk the salty garlic paste with the almond butter, lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Add the hot water and whisk until light and creamy. Taste, make any adjustments and set aside.
In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, red onion, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the shallots and chives if you like. Serve family style.
Serves 4.
*Stir together the shallots, a splash of clarified butter (or olive oil) and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about fifteen minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn), and if needed turn down the heat. Remove from skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer where they will crisp up a bit.
1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 1 can garbanzo beans, or dried equivalent 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 red onion, chopped
Tahini Dressing: 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped 1/4 cup tahini zest of one lemon scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons hot water scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.
While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.
Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing if you like and season with more salt to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro.
Dressing 2 tbs lime juice 1 tbs tamari 1 tea olive or grape seed oil 1/2 tea grated, peeled fresh ginger dash of ground red pepper
Slaw 4 cups (1/4 inch) slices napa cabbage 1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts 1/2 cup julienne-cut peeled jicama 1/4 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper 2 tbs thinly sliced green onions 2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
Combine dressing ingredients, stir with whisk Mix veggies and stir in dressing. Chill 30 minutes
Alternate dressing 2 tea grated orange rind 3 tbs orange juice 1 tbs mirin or slightly sweet white wine (Riesling?) 1 tbs cilantro 1 tea minced, peeled fresh ginger 2 tea rice vinegar 1 1/2 tea dark sesame oil (I used grape seed oil because it's what I had. walnut oil might not be bad either) 1 tea tamari 1/4 tea salt.
Note: My personal favorite of the dressings is the alternate one. I also just rounded up on the veggies because I don't like having half a pepper left or whatever. You can always make more dressing, if you need to.
