Fire-Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with Fresh Salsa

I got this soup recipe from Mel's Kitchen Café blog and it is truly delicious!  In fact, we love most of her recipes.  This one is really hearty and full of flavor, and I love the contrast of the fresh salsa on top.  The younger kids don't like salsa, so I just left that off their bowls. Now that it feels like winter again (most of our February was unseasonably warm here in Utah), we will be eating this soup on those chilly nights.

Fire-Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with Fresh Salsa

Serves 4-6

 

Ingredients

Soup:
• 1 tablespoon oil (canola, vegetable, olive, coconut)
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans (14-ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (15-ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice, a couple teaspoons
Salsa:
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a 4-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat until rippling. Add the onion and saute 4-5 minutes until it turns translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or so.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. Carefully puree the soup with a handheld immersion blender or by ladling it into a blender (may need to do it in batches depending on the size of your blender). Puree to your desired consistency. Stir in the lime juice and any additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
3. For the salsa, stir together the ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. The salsa can be covered and refrigerated for a day or so.
4. Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of salsa.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup {Gluten-Free}

We have recently decided to go gluten-free as a family, but a few of our favorites have cream-of-something soup as an ingredient, so I came up with this recipe.  It tastes 1000 times better than canned soup and is way better for you, too!  If you aren't gluten-free, you could just use flour in the recipe. PS I have added a wheat-free label to my sidebar, so be sure to check those recipes out if you are looking for some ideas.  We have been using cornstarch a lot when a recipe calls for flour for thickening or coating meats, and it works great- we can't even tell the difference!

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup {Gluten-Free}
2 Tb butter
2 Tb cornstarch
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder or 1 cube
1 tsp dried parsley

Melt butter in saucepan.  Whisk in milk, water, cornstarch and bouillon.  Stir constantly over medium heat until thickened.  Mix in parsley and use in any recipe.  This makes the equivalent of one can of soup.

Suggestions for using this soup: Chicken Divan, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Variations: you could use this recipe for any cream soup, just leave out the bouillon powder and...

• Cream of Mushroom- sauté 4 ounces sliced mushrooms with butter, continue as directed.
• Cream of Broccoli/Asparagus- trim 1 cup broccoli florets or asparagus spears, chop into 1/2" pieces, cook 'til tender, and add to soup at end of recipe.
• Cream of Potato- Peel, cube & boil 1 potato 'til tender, add to soup at end of recipe.
• Cream of Celery- sauté 1-2 chopped celery ribs with butter, continue as directed.

Each of these would need to be seasoned with salt & pepper at the end of cooking.  Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Here's another great recipe from Melanie at Mels' Kitchen Cafe.  So quick & easy, and really tasty!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

from www.melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients- I did and we loved the extra sauce over our rice.)

Shrimpo de Gallo

We first made this dip last year for one of our Superbowl snacks, and really liked it.  We had it again for New Year's Eve this year and I remembered how good it was, and that I needed to post it! I got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman's blog.

Shrimpo de Gallo

Ingredients:

1 pound Cooked Shrimp (tails Removed), Chopped
½ whole Red Onion, Diced Finely
½ cups Green Or Black Olives, Chopped
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced
2 whole Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Minced
2 whole Avocados, Chopped
2 whole Limes, Juiced
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 cups Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions:

Combine shrimp, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and jalapenos in a large bowl. Add lime juice to taste, then a dash of kosher salt. Add cilantro. Stir gently with a spoon, then taste on a tortilla chip so you’ll have an accurate gauge of the salt content. Add more salt and/or lime juice if needed.

Chill until serving. Note that the avocado will brown if too much time passes, so if you want to make this ahead of time, leave out the avocado until just before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Stuffed Bell Peppers {Updated}

My mom always made these growing up, but I think the recipe came from my grandma, Mimi. When the other colors of peppers are on sale, I sometimes use the orange, yellow, or red ones. Get nice big peppers for this recipe!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
3-4 large bell peppers
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/2 med. onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
2 c. cooked rice
Cut peppers in half and remove membranes and seeds. Blanch in boiling water about 5 minutes, remove from water, drain on paper towels, and salt insides of peppers lightly. Meanwhile, brown meat and onions, drain. Mix in tomato sauce and season to taste w/ salt & pepper. Mix in rice and 1 c. cheese. Fill peppers with mixture, place in baking dish, and top w/ remaining cheese. (I always have extra filling, so I put it in a small dish to bake for the little ones who don't like peppers). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Fruit Soup

I like to plan my weekly menu every Sunday night before I go shopping Monday, but I've been in a bit of a recipe-idea slump lately. So I enlisted my family's help. Everyone -my three oldest kids (5, 7 and 10) and my husband- thinks up one dinner idea each week and then I fill in the gaps. They have actually come up with some good ideas- fish tacos, ribs, eggs & bacon, etc. But sometimes I have to tweak the kids' ideas a bit. My 5 year old wanted soup and grilled cheese for his dinner, so I adapted that to a summer version, and we had croissant sandwiches and this delicious fruit soup. I had seen the idea on the Sister's Cafe and adapted it to suit our tastes (it called for canned peaches and orange juice concentrate, neither of which I ever buy, so I changed those). It was so fruity, cool and refreshing- I could've eaten the whole thing myself!

Fruit Soup
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. orange juice
3 Tb tapioca (be sure to use the “minute brand” quick cooking tapioca)
2 1/4 c. additional orange juice
2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 bag frozen mixed berries (or an equivalent amount of fresh)
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced, just before serving
2 bananas, just before serving

Bring sugar, water, orange juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when the tapioca will become more clear.) Add 2 1/4 c. orange juice. Chill for several hours or overnight. Add mandarin oranges and mixed berries. Before serving add strawberries and bananas.

Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

I saw this recipe on the Our Best Bites blog, and just knew I had to try it. I have always liked meatloaf, but never considered wrapping it in bacon. The bacon, the spicy-sweet glaze, and cooking it on a cookie sheet instead of drowning in grease in a loaf pan really made this meatloaf. It was fabulous! I'm pretty sure I'll never go back to my old recipe again...
Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Meat Loaf

Glaze:
1/2 cup chili sauce (or substitute ketchup, but I liked chili sauce)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar (or white vinegar in a pinch)

Meat Loaf:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or whole milk)
1 pound ground beef chuck (I used ground turkey)
1 pound ground pork
1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs (or oats or almond meal for wheat-free)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6 – 8 ounces bacon , thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and set aside. Divide in half.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool 10-15 minutes. While meal loaf is cooling, re-heat remaining sauce and brush some over meat loaf if desired. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.

Amazing Chicken Wings...Finally!

This is my version of Winger's Chicken Wings and their Original Amazing Sauce. I posted my version of their delicious Asphalt Pie almost a year ago- and promised I'd soon post my version of their wings. So almost 1 year later...here it is! These wings are sweet and spicy, but not so spicy that my kids won't eat them. If you like them hotter, just decrease the amount of brown sugar in the sauce or add some Tabasco. Be sure to serve them with some thinly sliced celery sticks and lots of Ranch dressing! Loaded potato skins are also a great side dish.

Amazing Chicken Wings

4 lbs. chicken wings

1/3 c. cornstarch

1/2 c. Frank's Red Hot Sauce (original)

1 c. brown sugar

3 tb. butter

oil for frying

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a large saucepan. Heat to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, place cornstarch in a large ziploc bag. Rinse chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Toss wings in bag of cornstarch. When oil is heated (it should bubble vigorously when you place a wing in), carefully place a single layer of wings in oil (you will probably have to fry the wings in two batches). Fry 8-10 minutes, until outsides are golden & crispy and meat is cooked through. Drain on paper towels and fry second batch. While wings are cooking, Mix Red Hot Sauce and brown sugar in small saucepan, and heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Get out a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Place drained wings in bowl and pour sauce on top. Place lid on bowl and shake until wings are coated in sauce (you may want to do this over the sink, just in case!). Serve with some celery sticks and plenty of Ranch for dipping. Enjoy! Serves 6 hungry people as a main dish, 8-10 as a side or party dish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup & How to Cut an Avocado

I have my old standby Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I got from a roommate in college, but I saw a new recipe on Pioneer Woman's blog and liked some of her ideas. So I took both recipes and combined them. We absolutely loved the results- this has all the things I loved about my recipe (corn and a sprinkle of lime juice at the end), plus some new flavors- like the black beans and ro-tel instead of a tomato and fresh jalapeno- which was always a little too spicy for the kids. I also loved this method of cooking the chicken- it was so flavorful and juicy! It is my new go-to recipe for quesadilla chicken, and you can change the spices to adapt it to any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Diced Onion
1/2 cup Diced Green or Red Bell Pepper
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies (I used mild)
32 ounces Low Sodium Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 cups Hot Water
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 can Corn Kernels, drained
3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
Toppings:
Diced Avocado
Grated Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese
Lime Juice
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips and corn kernels.
Ladle into bowls, then top with diced avocado, grated cheese, chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of lime juice!

Here is a super easy and not-so-messy way to cut an avocado:
1. First, cut all the way around the avocado, splitting it in half lengthwise. Make sure to cut all the way to the pit. Open the 2 halves by gently twisting them in opposite directions.

2. To remove the pit, carefully insert your knife into the pit. Twist it slightly and the pit will slide right out (make sure your avocado is ripe enough, or some avocado flesh will stick to the pit. You don't want to waste any of that yummy goodness!)

3. You can now scoop out the flesh, but wait! If you are slicing or dicing, it is much less messy to do it while the flesh is still in the skin. Just slice it right in there, being careful not to cut through the skin (or your fingers!). If you need it diced, just turn it and slice again the other way.

4. Now just scoop the flesh out of the skin using a medium-sized metal spoon. Now wasn't that easy?!

5. Now what to do with that avocado? Use it to top sandwiches, hamburgers or tortilla soup. Or mash it with a potato masher and make it into guacamole- awesome on enchiladas, quesadillas, or as a dip for chips. If you are making guacamole or another dip (how about Mexican Caviar or Shrimp Ceviche Dip?), make sure to save that pit. Store the dip with the pit in the middle and plastic wrap pressed down onto it to help keep the avocado from turning brown.
*Need to know how to pick a good avocado? Here are my tips: first, you need to decide when you need the avocado. If you are grocery shopping Monday and don't need it until the weekend, go ahead and choose a very firm avocado (it will be bright green in color). You can speed up the ripening process by placing it in a paper lunch bag with an apple- but this still takes a day or two. If you need the avocado right away, you'll have to buy one that is already ripe- it should give a little when you press the skin (sort of like a peach), but still be slightly firm (it will be dark green). I NEVER buy the ones that are already mushy and black!

Chicken Fajitas (and homemade seasonings)

Easy, quick and delicious, these are a perfect weeknight meal. Although you could certainly use a fajita seasoning packet, the homemade spice mix I used is easy as can be and uses spices found in any Mexican-food-lover's pantry. I have also included the recipe I use for homemade taco seasoning. They both make enough to season several batches of fajitas or tacos, so you can just make them up and store them for the next time!

Chicken Fajitas

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips (or use beef if you prefer)

4 tb. canola oil, divided

fajita seasoning (4 1/2 tb. homemade, or 1 packet)

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium onion, cut into strips

10 corn or flour tortillas

1 c. grated cheese

In large saute pan, heat 2 tb. of the oil over medium-high heat. Saute peppers and onions until crisp-tender and nicely browned (even some smoky black parts are great on these babies!). Remove from pan and set aside. Heat remaining 2 tb. oil over medium-high heat. Toss chicken pieces in fajita seasoning, then saute in pan until chicken is cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Add peppers and onions back to pan, toss and heat until warmed through. Serve in warm flour tortillas with grated cheese.

Fajita Seasoning

3 tb. cornstarch

2 tb. chili powder

1 tb. salt

1 tb. paprika

1 tb. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. cumin

Mix all together, store in airtight container. Makes enough for 3 batches of fajitas (use 4 1/2 tb. mix for each pound of meat).

Taco Seasoning

2 tb. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. paprika

3 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

Mix all together, store in airtight container. Makes enough for 4 batches of tacos (use 4 tsp. mix for each pound of ground beef or chicken chunks). To prepare, cook 1 lb. meat until browned and cooked through. Add 4 tsp. taco mix and 1/2 c. water, mix, and simmer about 10 minutes, or until almost all liquid is cooked out. Serve in hard or soft tortillas w/ cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

This soup is so delicious, it might be my new favorite! And that's saying a lot, because I'm really not a huge potato-soup fan. I got the recipe from the Sister's Cafe blog. The only changes I made were to blend the soup at the end of cooking (because I don't like chunks of potatoes, plus then my kids don't know about the leeks & onions), and then afterwards I added the bacon to the soup instead of putting it on top, so we'd all get an equal amount. Oh, I also cooked it on the stove this time because I forgot it was a crock-pot dish until dinner-time. I simmered it, covered, for about 45 minutes, instead of cooking it all day in the crock-pot. Then I just stirred in the evaporated milk right before blending it. It worked great!

Creamy Potato Leek Soup
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 leeks, washed, sliced, including white and light green parts
1 cup chopped onion
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic salt
2 Tb butter
12 oz. can evaporated milk
12 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
chives, chopped - optional

Combine everything except last 4 ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Stir in the can of evaporated milk the last 45 minutes. Serve hot topped with bacon, cheddar, and chives. (If you have a family that loves bacon, like mine, then you might want to stir in the bacon at the end too... otherwise you might run out fast!)

Caramel Dip

Delicious on cold, crisp apples, this dip is perfect for fall. It can also be used as a caramel sauce for ice cream and other desserts. Package in jelly jars for a cute gift. YUM!

Caramel Dip

1 c. real butter

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in vanilla. If using as a sauce, reduce boiling time to 3 minutes. Keep covered in refrigerator and reheat as needed. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Chef Salad

It seems silly to post a recipe for this salad, but it is so good I decided to post it anyway- it's a great dinner idea when it's too hot to cook or you don't have much time. During the summer we have some kind of main dish salad for dinner just about weekly. Those warm days are coming soon- right?!

Here's what you need:


A nice large, crispy head of lettuce- I prefer romaine or green leaf for this salad.


One cucumber, peeled and sliced.

4-6 hard-boiled eggs (about an egg per person), peeled and sliced. Yes, I know there are 7 here. Thanks for checking my counting skills, though!

About a cup each grated cheese, diced deli ham, and diced deli turkey.

Chef Salad

1 head green leafy lettuce

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

4-6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled & sliced

1 c. shredded cheese

1 c. diced deli ham

1 c. diced deli turkey

favorite dressing (we like Ranch or Green Goddess, bleu cheese is good too)

Wash, drain, and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Divide among plates. Top with cucumber, sliced eggs, cheese, ham and turkey. Drizzle with your favorite dressing. This should serve 4-6 as a main course. And it's great for families with kids, because the ones that don't love salad can have just a little lettuce on the bottom with lots of the good stuff on top.

Spicy-Honey Chicken & Salad w/ Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

I got this recipe from the Our Best Bites blog, and it was great! We tried both the salad and the chicken by itself, and liked both. However, when I made the chicken alone I used breasts and it wasn't as good, so I'd definitely recommend following the recipe and using thighs. BTW, if you are worried about the "spicy" part, it's really not!
Spicy-Honey Chicken
2 tsp vegetable oil
Rub:2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I only used 4 large ones)
Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1 Tb Cider Vinegar

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through (I cooked it in a hot covered greased skillet for about 6 minutes per side).
While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
Drizzle extra couple tablespoons of glaze on top of chicken.
I often just cook the chicken in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes, slice it and toss it with the glaze.

You can eat this as is with some side dishes, or you can use it in this fabulous salad:

Spicy-Honey Chicken Salad
1 large head red leaf or romaine lettuce, torn
1 recipe spicy-honey chicken, cut in strips
2 diced avocadoes
2 diced mangos
Honey-citrus vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Pile lettuce, avocado, mango and chicken on a plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serves 4-6 as a main dish or lots more as a side. Oh, this salad was SO good. I think it's my new fave!

Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette
1/2 C fresh orange juice
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 C olive or canola oil

Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

Sticky Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice

This is another great recipe from Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe. I served sauteed garlic sugar-snap peas on the side.
Sticky Coconut Chicken
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can coconut milk, divided
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I only used 1/2 tsp)

Marinade chicken in 1 c. coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour. Grill on barbecue (I actually baked mine at 425 for about 25 minutes, because my grill is broken, and it was great!).

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (again, I used 1/2 tsp)

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

To make the rice, use the remaining coconut milk to replace part of the water when you cook your rice. Serve rice with toasted coconut on top. Mmmm!

Colcannon {Potatoes, Cabbage, & Onions}

I ended up finding this recipe the day before St. Patrick's on the Sister's Cafe blog, and decided to give it a try. It was a hit! Creamy potatoes, sweet caramelized onions and cabbage, and lots of butter make this a winner. Try it!

Colcannon
6 large potatoes, peeled (I used red and didn't peel them)
4-6 Tb half-and-half (I used milk)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 onions, finely chopped
6 Tb butter, divided (I used 8 tb.)
1/2 of a small head of cabbage, sliced thinly (I used a whole one, but it was tiny)

1. Chop potatoes and place in pot. Fill with enough water to cover and boil for 20 minutes, or until soft. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tb butter in large saucepan. Add minced onion and stir to coat with butter. Add cabbage over onions. Cover saucepan and cook over med-low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cabbage is soft.

2. Drain potatoes and add half-and-half (or milk) and salt (I added an extra 2 tb. butter to the potatoes). Mash with electric mixer. Stir together onion and cabbage mixture with mashed potatoes. Spoon into an oven safe dish and place under broiler until top is browned. Traditionally colcannon is served with a deep well in the center filled with melted butter... so place 2 more Tb of butter on top before broiling and let it melt into colcannon.

Corned Beef, Cabbage & New Potatoes

Want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day right? Make this meal for dinner on March 17th. It is really easy, delicious, and festive. Every time I make it, I wonder why I only make it for St. Patrick's Day- we like it that much! This is a picture of our meal from a few years ago (since I haven't made it this year, yet!). Here's a shopping list, if you want it:

• 1 corned beef brisket
• 1 head green cabbage
• New potatoes/ baby red potatoes
• Butter
• Dill (I use dry dill weed), salt & pepper

I serve it with milk (dyed green w/ food coloring- I know, gross, but my kids love it!). Here are the recipes:
Corned Beef BrisketPlace corned beef brisket in crock-pot. Sprinkle on spices in included spice packet. Pour in a few cups water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slice and serve. Yep, that's it- did you really need a recipe for that? Now, on to the cabbage and potatoes:
Steamed Cabbage
Wash head of cabbage. Cut into 4-6 wedges (4 if you have a small head of cabbage, 6 if it is large) and cut out the core. Place wedges in a large saucepan with a few inches of water. Cover, bring to a boil, and steam for about 15 minutes, or until cabbage is crisp-tender. Drain water out and toss with a few tablespoons of butter and some salt to taste.
Dilled New PotatoesCut potatoes in half (if they are baby reds) or fourths (if larger reds). Place in pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain water out and toss with a few tablespoons butter, a sprinkle of dill, and some salt and pepper to taste (sorry, I never measure).
I am going to serve my own version of Winger's Asphalt Pie for dessert, I'll post the recipe below and add a picture after I make it. Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Cafe Rio Pork Salad, Cilantro-Lime Dressing & Guacamole

For those of you who don't have a Cafe Rio, it is a chain of Mexican grill restaurants. They have great salads, burritos, and quesadillas, homemade tortillas, and the best cilantro-lime dressing. Here is a copycat recipe for the Pork Salad. Try it, and let me know what you think! I found the recipe for the dressing and salad ideas at Our Best Bites.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

6 homemade tortillas (recipe follows)(serve without tortillas for wheat-free)

1 recipe lime-cilantro rice (recipe follows)

1 recipe brown sugar-salsa pork (recipe follows, you'll have extra)

1 recipe cilantro-lime dressing (recipe follows, again you'll have extra)

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

romaine lettuce

crispy tortilla strips

guacamole (recipe follows)

On a large plate, layer a tortilla, a scoop of rice, a scoop of beans, some lettuce, a scoop of pork (you can also use chicken or steak), and some tortilla strips. Drizzle w/ dressing and top w/ a big spoonful of guacamole. Yum!

Flour Tortillas

2 1/2 c. flour

1 c. very hot water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 c. shortening

Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening until resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in water (I had to add a little extra flour b/c it was too sticky). Divide into 6 portions, roll each into a circle about 8-10" across. Cook in a very hot skillet until large bubbles form and light brown spots appear, turn and cook on other side (this only takes about a minute per side).

Lime-Cilantro Rice
1 c. uncooked long grain rice, plus water according to directions
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tb. lime juice
1 chicken boiullon cube, or 1 tsp. granules
salt to taste, if needed

Mix all ingredients except salt. Cook rice according to package directions, salt to taste.

Brown Sugar-Salsa Pork
1 pork roast (about 2 pounds)
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. medium salsa

Place pork in crock-pot. Sprinkle brown sugar on top, then pour on salsa. Cook on low 8 hours. Shred with fork and add back to crock-pot to soak up juices. This is SO good, we loved it! It would be great on sandwiches, too, or just by itself.

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing
1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (regular or buttermilk, and ignore directions on the packet)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk (or buttermilk depending on which packet you buy)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa hot sauce (La Costena is good, Herdez is really hot)

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend 'er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Guacamole
3 very ripe avocados
splash of lime juice
sprinkle of garlic salt
few drops of Tabasco

Peel, seed and mash avocados w/ a fork. Mix in other ingredients (a little Tabasco goes a long way, so be careful). Serve on this salad, or with chips, on burgers or enchiladas, or just eat w/ a
spoon! If you have leftovers, store them with the pit in the middle and plastic wrap pressed right on top- this will help keep it from turning brown!

Southwestern Crock-pot Chicken

This was so fast and easy and had great flavor! I will definitely make it again. Recipe slightly adapted from Erin at Sister’s Cafe.

Southwestern Crock-pot Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn

1 can black beans

3 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 16-oz jar medium salsa

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped cilantro

tortilla chips

sour cream

diced avocado

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Add chicken and chopped cilantro back to crock-pot and mix everything together. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

**It is very important that you use MEDIUM salsa in this. Mild simply isn't flavorful enough. Be sure to serve with tortilla chips, and not tortillas. The salty crunchy chips make this so good!

Glazed Italian Meatloaf

My mom taught me how to make meatloaf, and I have changed some things over the years to suit my tastes, but the glaze is still all hers. It is SO good! I serve it with either baked or mashed potatoes and green beans.

Glazed Italian Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground turkey (or beef if you prefer)

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 large egg

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs, oats or almond meal

Mix all ingredients together. Pat into a large loaf pan. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on your oven). Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl: 1/2 c. ketchup and 1/3 c. brown sugar. Pour grease out of pan, pour glaze over meatloaf and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!