May 21- Chicken Tortellini Toss

The perfect pasta for the start of summer. Hearty enough to satisfy. Light enough for the season. Simple enough for a weeknight. Mmmmm!

Chicken Tortellini Toss
1 20oz pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 pkg frozen winter mix vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower), thawed-about 5 cups
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6.5 oz jar sun dried tomato pesto (by Giada de Laurentiis)
2 cups cooked/grilled chicken, cut into small pieces or strips
Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper (optional)

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Add vegetables toward the end to cook. Drain.
2. Return tortellini and vegetables to the pot. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato pesto, and chicken. Heat through.
3. Top with Parmesan and/or crushed red pepper and serve.

May 16- When Cheating is OK: Jenny O Turkey Burgers

Okay, tonight's post is more of a food review than a recipe but I still felt the need to share.

Every now and then it's okay to cheat on a recipe, especially after a long week of work. Although nothing beats homemade, there are a lot of great packaged foods that can contribute to a great meal. I had a few coupons for any frozen Jenny O Turkey Burgers product and I decided to give these Lean Seasoned Turkey Burger Patties a shot. Tonight, I threw a few of these babies on the George Foreman Grill, tossed together a side salad, and voila! Quick, instant, delicious!

Jenny O Turkey Burgers

Burger: Whole Grain Sandwich Thins + Jenny O Lean Seasoned Turkey Burger + tomato slices + mixed greens + sliced dill pickles + mustard

Salad: Mixed salad greens, tomatoes, light Italian dressing

May 14- Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa

This may be a repeat (see original post from last June), but it is definitely a recipe worth repeating! As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. I enjoyed this recipe the first time I made it, but it seemed so much better this time around! I think it goes to show that a lot can change in a year- I think I've finally perfected the perfect pan-grilled chop. Thinly sliced, perfectly cooked, yummo.

Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa II

6 3oz boneless center cut loin pork chops
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp lime juice, divided (I just cut a lime into two halves)

4 1/2in thick pineapple slices

1 medium red onion, cut into small pieces

1 jalapeño pepper, minced (seed jalapeño for a milder salsa)

3/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp ground black petter

1. Combine pork with 1 tbsp lime juice. I just squeezed the lime over the pork. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Chop pineapple and onion into small pieces and sauté about 4-6 minutes on medium-high, or until onion is tender. 

3. Combine pineapple and onion with jalapeño, 1/8 tsp salt, and remaining lime juice. 

4. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt and pepper over pork. Cook 4 minutes each side or until done. My pork pieces were much thicker than the suggested 1/2 in, so it took longer to cook. 

5. Top pork with salsa and enjoy!

May 5- Cinco de Mayo Festivities

My husband and I have been married for exactly 18 months and it has been incredible! Each day I learn more and more about myself, my husband,  and what it means to truly love someone. It's even taught me more about what it means to follow Christ and be his bride. What a cool picture.

We're really lucky to have several married friends that we can hang out with as couples! My husband and I didn't double date much before we were married, but since our wedding we've seemed to connect with several other married couples that we can hang out with, laugh with, and encourage.

We had already made plans to host some of our friends over on Sunday for dinner, before we realized that it would be Cinco de Mayo. We're always looking for reasons to celebrate, so we decided to host a Mexican fiesta!

 

Cinco de Mayo Menu

Pinto Beans

Mexican Rice

Warm tortillas

Chips

Homemade guacamole

Homemade salsa

Roasted Mexican Vegetables

Carne Asada 

Apple Enchiladas ala mode 

Roasted Mexican Vegetables

1 yellow zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped into chunks

1-2 bell peppers

2 tomatoes, chopped into wedges

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 package of taco seasoning

4 tsp cumin

4 tbsp olive oil

In a ziplock bag, mix all ingredients so that the vegetables are coated. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

Homemade Guacamole

2-3 avocados

1-2 tbsp sour cream

lemon juice, to taste

garlic salt, to taste

Mash avocados. Add sour cream and stir through. Season with lemon juice and garlic salt to taste. 

Homemade Salsa

6-8 medium or large tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch cilantro

4-5 yellow chilies

2 small green chilies

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can (tomato can) water

salt to taste

Using a food processor, shred all ingredients. To ensure desired consistency, pulse separately and combine in a bowl. 

Carne Asada

Compliments of the husband of the century.

 Apple Enchiladas ala Mode

Compliments of the Hedrick Family.

April 22- Hummus

I'll admit it. I am a hummus snob.

When we were college students, my husband and I each had the opportunity to travel abroad and taste delicious, authentic, made-with-love hummus. Store bought hummus just hasn't been the same ever since. We were thrilled when I found this recipe.

Authentic, easy, delicious hummus, created with ingredients purchased at the local middle eastern market.

Hummus

1 16oz can chickpeas

1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas

3-5 tbsp lemon juice (vary for taste)

1 1/2 tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Drain chickpeas, saving some liquid. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend/pulse on low until smooth. Serve in a bowl, topped with a sprinkle of paprika, additional olive oil, and parsley. 

April 20-Spiced Chicken Pitas

This started out as one recipe and evolved into something completely different. While browsing Barnes & Noble yesterday I stumbled across a treasure; a cookbook of Middle Eastern cuisine for $10. For those of you who know my husband and I, we are obsessed with Middle Eastern food. Having both been to the region, we now make it our goal to try every ethnic restaurant in the area in search of the most authentic. I was SO excited about my new cookbook that I immediately began to create tabs to mark the recipes that I wanted to try first.

I came across a recipe for Palestinian Chicken w/sumac and I wanted to give it a try. Until I realized that the average grocery store is limited on its stock of spices, tahini, and other necessities. Epic fail.

Okay, plan B....I still have pita, hummus, pickles, and amazing olive oil from the Arabic market waiting for me at home. The craving will be fulfilled someway, somehow.

Inspired, I created these Spiced Chicken Pitas. I used the original recipe for inspiration with some of the spices, but made a few improvisations. The recipe is a work in progress. It was good,  but not perfect. Too much cinnamon, not enough....something? Either way, it passed as a good meal. Until next time!

Spiced Chicken Pitas

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1.25lb chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2 tsp Moroccan seasoning 

1/2 tsp allspice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 lemon, squeezed

salt and pepper

flat leaf parsley, chopped

pita bread

(somewhere in the mix after tasting a sample I added a dash of cumin and chile)

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and stir in the onions. When the onions begin to cook, add garlic and sauté until the onions are golden. Add the chicken and stir fry 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the seasonings and the lemon juice. Cook until chicken is done. 

2. Warm pita pockets. Fill each pita with the chicken mixture. Garnish with parsley.

3. Serve with hummus, pickles, and/or tatziki. 

April 1-Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

Another winner from Campbell's Kitchen! We'll be adding this one to the repertoire of weeknight favorites for sure.

Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

2 tbsp olive oil

6 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 1/2lbs)

1 medium onion, diced

1 jar (24 oz) Prego Marinara Italian Sauce

1 package (10oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heath. Add the pork chops and cook until the chops are browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook until tender-crisp.

3. Stir the sauce and spinach into the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the pork chops to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the chops are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese.