Southwest Chicken and Rice

Last night my friends and I got together for the season finale of American Horror Story (craziness!!!) and it was my turn to make dinner so I decided on Southwest Chicken and Rice.  This dinner is super easy, all you need is one pan and a great combination of smokey spices, vegetables, chicken, rice, salsa, and spicy pepper jack cheese make it incredibly delicious!

Start by browning some chicken tenders in oil in a large skillet, sprinkling with spices as they cook.

After you remove the chicken from the pan add some diced onion and bell pepper (the kitchen and probably much of your house will start to smell incredibly delicious at this point, this is normal).

Stir in rice, garlic, and cilantro.

Add salsa (you should probably eat some with tortilla chips, ya know, just to be sure it’s good).

After this has all cooked together for a few minutes add some water, black beans, and corn.

Add the chicken back to the pan and cover, cooking until the rice soft and the chicken is completely cooked through.

Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese (everyone loves cheese and if they don’t you should probably reconsider why you’re cooking them dinner…), recover, and let it melt.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (try my recipe here) as desired.

 

Recipe

Southwest Chicken and Rice

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds of chicken tenders

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

salt & pepper

1 large sweet onion – diced

1 bell pepper – diced

2 cups rice

2 cloves garlic – minced

2 cups southwest salsa – plus more for serving

3 cups water

16 oz can black beans – drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

8 oz pepper jack cheese – shredded

sour cream – optional for serving

guacamole – optional for serving

– In a large skillet heat the oil and add the chicken tenders, sprinkle with paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper, brown both sides (about 3 minutes on each side) then remove to a plate

– Place the onion, pepper, and cilantro in the skillet and cook until tender (about 5 minutes)

– Add the rice and garlic to the skillet and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes

– Stir in the salsa

– Add the water, black beans, and corn

– Return the chicken to the skillet, laying on top of the rice, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is done and the chicken is cooked through

– Serve, topping with extra salsa, sour cream, and guacamole as desired

 

Crockpot Swiss(ish) Steak

Earlier this week I busted out the crockpot to make a delicious recipe my mom came up with for Swiss Steak.  Now, I know this isn’t technically Swiss Steak, but it’s about a million times easier than all the pounding, and battering, and actual cooking required for actual Swiss Steak and all the flavors are still here.  My mom made this in the oven but I decided to make my life super easy and just throw everything in the crockpot so I would have a nice hot dinner waiting for me when I got home.  Dust off your crockpot and get ready for savory, tangy, Swiss Steak with peppers and onions.

First chop up some onions and bell peppers (as you can see I used red but really any color is fine).

Crush up some canned whole tomatoes and put them in a crockpot with some beef broth.  Splash in some Worcestershire (thank goodness for spell check because I can literally NEVER remember how to spell Worcestershire) sauce.

Add some pepper, paprika, oregano, and parsley.

Stir in the peppers and onion.

Toss in some garlic.

I put the above ingredients in the crockpot in the fridge the night before so I had less to do the morning of.  Before I left for work I added the London broil and made sure t was covered in broth and veggies, then turned the crockpot on low.  When I got home I put some potatoes in the oven and then served up the delicious beef and veggies with a baked potato and sour cream (because, duh)!  The broth was tangy and flavorful, the beef was falling apart and tender and the sour cream made the broth nice and creamy.

My mom said she served hers with mashed potatoes, but baked potatoes were easier!  I also think it would be delicious served over rice or egg noodles, use your imagination and enjoy!

 

Recipe

Crockpot Swiss(ish) Steak

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 – 14.5 oz cans whole tomatoes

14.5 oz can beef broth

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 bell pepper – chopped into 1″ chunks

1 large sweet onion – chopped into 1″ chunks

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 cloves garlic – grated or minced

1.5 pounds London broil

– Place the tomatoes and liquid in the crockpot and crush the tomatoes slightly with your hands

– Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, vegetables, and spices, stir until mixed

– Add the London broil, making sure it is completely covered by the broth and veggies

– Put the lid on and set the crockpot on low and cook for 8 hours

– Serve with potatoes, rice, or noodles

 

Mexican Lasagna

Every Wednesday my friends and I get together to cook dinner and watch American Horror Story (I just started watching this season, if you haven’t seen it you’re missing out!).  This week we decided to make Mexican Lasagna and I’m super glad we did because it was fantastically delicious!  Now, you may be asking, “what exactly is Mexican Lasagna, that sounds strange”.  Well, let me tell you, you take the concept of lasagna, ya know, layered pasta, sauce, and cheese, and give it a twist with Mexican ingredients and flavors.  You end up with a spicy, cheesy, vegetable, beef filling with salsa and corn tortillas that will blow your mind!

First start by cooking some onion, garlic, and ground beef.  Then drain the grease, add a can of crushed tomatoes, belle peppers, and taco seasoning (I don’t have a picture of the first two steps because I was starving and forgot… oops).  After that cooks for a minutes stir in some corn and black beans.

Meanwhile, spread a thin layer of corn meal into the bottom of a baking dish.

Put some corn tortillas on top.

Scoop half of the beef/veggie mix on top.

Add half of the salsa and shredded cheese.

And another layer of tortillas.

Followed by more beef/veggies, salsa, and cheese.

Pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly and amazing.

Let it sit for a few minutes (warning: this is a feat requiring enormous amounts of self control), then slice it and serve with sour cream as desired.

 

Recipe

Mexican Lasagna

Makes 1 – 13 x 9″ baking dish (serves ~12)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium sweet onion – chopped

2 lbs ground beef

2 cloves garlic – minced

2 bell peppers – chopped

2 packets taco seasoning (or mix of cumin, chile powder, paprika)

15 oz can diced tomatos with green chiles

15 oz can black beans

8 oz frozen corn

1/4 cup corn meal

12 corn tortillas

4 cups shredded Mexican cheese

16 oz salsa

sour cream – optional for serving

– Preheat oven to 350°

– Cook the onion in a pan with oil for 5 minutes or until translucent

– Add the ground beef and garlic and cook until the beef is no longer pink, then drain the grease and return to the heat

– Add the pepper, canned tomatoes, and taco seasoning to the pan, and stir

– Stir in the black beans and corn

– Meanwhile sprinkle the corn meal into the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan

– Space out 6 tortillas on top of the corn meal

– Layer the beef/veggie mix, salsa, and cheese

– Repeat the layers of tortilla, beef/veggie mix, salsa, and cheese

– Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted

– Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes

– Cut and serve with sour cream as desired

 

 

Grilled Chili, Lime, Cilantro Corn on the Cob

One of my favorite summer vegetables is fresh corn on the cob so when I saw this recipe for Grilled Cilantro-Lime Corn on the cob from Anna Shortcakes I was inspired to create some of my own!  I love grilled corn and the sweetness of the corn is complimented perfectly by the creamy butter, cilantro, smoky cumin and chili powder, and tangy lime.

First soak the corn in warm water for 20 minutes.

Put some garlic, lime zest & juice, and spices into a food processor along with some softened butter.

Mix it up until it’s combined and creamy and delicious!

Husk the corn until you only have one layer of husk left, gently peel it back and remove the silk.

Spread some butter on the corn.

Put the layer of husk back in place and grill.

After the corn is done husk the corn and spread on some more butter.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

 

 

 

 

Recipe (adapted from Anna Shortcakes)

Grilled Chili, Lime, Cilantro Corn on the Cob

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 ears of corn

4 tablespoons unsalted butter – softened

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1 lime – juice & zest

1 clove garlic – grated

fresh cilantro – for serving

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

salt & pepper

Parmesan cheese (for serving)

– Soak the corn in warm water for 20 minutes

– Combine the butter, cilantro, lime, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt & pepper in a food processor until well blended

– Husk the corn leaving only one layer of husks left, pull down the remaining layer of husk and remove the silk, then brush a layer of the butter mixture onto the corn before putting the husk back

– Grill for 15 minutes, rotating every 5 mintues

– Remove the corn from the grill, take off the remaining husk and brush with the remaining butter mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve

 

 

Mixed Herb Pesto

When we moved into our apartment one of the things my roommate and I discovered was that plants and curtains make things feel homey and look completely decorated so I bought a lot of houseplants and herb plants.  After awhile we had an abundance of herbs so I decided to make pesto using a mix of basil, mint, and parsley.  The combination of the three herbs with garlic, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and lemon turned out really well, all the flavors complemented each other nicely.   As a bonus, pesto is super simple to make from scratch and it takes almost no time at all, and it’s incredibly versatile.

First mince your garlic cloves.

Throw all of your herbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, lemon juice and zest, some fresh cracked black pepper, and the garlic into a blender (yes, pesto is normally made with nuts but my blender can’t handle crushing them, if you have a food processor or a good blender feel free to throw in some pine nuts or any other nut you think would be good).

Stream in some extra virgin olive oil until you reach the desired consistency and then presto, you have pesto!  As I said pesto is super versatile and you can eat it with a bunch of delicious things.  For example, the first night I made the pesto we had it with some chicken and squash we grilled with olive oil and salt & pepper.

Then I had leftovers with some store bought tortellini with sauteed peppers and mushrooms.

It also makes a delicious condiment for sandwiches and subs, or a delicious dressing for salads.  The possibilities are endless so use your imagination!  As an added bonus pesto freezes really well so you can make a big batch and freeze the extra!

 

What’s your favorite way to use pesto?

 

Recipe

Mixed Herb Pesto

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup basil

1/3 cup mint

1/3 cup parsley

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 lemon – juice and zest

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic – minced

extra virgin olive oil (about 1/3 cup)

– Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor

– Turn on low and stream in olive oil until you’ve reached your desired consistency

– Serve as desired or freeze in an air tight container

 

Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my all time favorite snacks (although if I’m being honest I could easily eat enough to make it a meal).  If I have guacamole in hand you can bet that I’ll incorporate into just about any food I’m eating, eggs, burgers, sandwiches, salads, most things can be improved with some guac!  I love making homemade guacamole, it’s soooo simple and it tastes about a thousand times better than store bought, try it, I’m sure you’ll agree!

Make sure you have ripe avocados (they should be brown and should give a little when you squeeze them) and cut them in half.

Remove the pits (they should come out easily if the avocados are ripe) and cut the flesh into chunks while it’s in the skin.

Scoop the flesh into a bowl (I use a tupperware container so I don’t have to transfer it for storage) using a spoon and mash with a potato masher (you can use a fork if you don’t have a potato masher).

Add some lime zest and juice and mix it all up with the potato masher.

Stir in some fresh salsa (I use store bought but if you’re feeling ambitious knock yourself out and make your own).

And some grated garlic.

And some spices: fresh cilantro (I’ve used dried cilantro in a pinch, but fresh really is better for this), cumin, and chili powder.  Then stir it all up until it’s well combined.

Serve it up with some chips.

So delicious.

Really, words cannot properly express how much I love guacamole, I guess it’s a good thing a picture is worth a thousand words.

And here’s another thousand, that’s how much yummy this is!

Recipe

Guacamole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 ripe Haas avocados

2 limes – zest and juice (if your limes are really large or juicy use the juice from 1 1/2)

1/2 cup fresh salsa

2 cloves garlic – grated

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

– Halve the avocados and remove the pits

– Cut into chunks in the skin then scoop the flesh into a bowl using a spoon

– Slightly mash the avocado chunks with a potato masher

– Add the lime zest and juice to the avocado and mash with the potato masher until you reach your desired consistency

– Add the salsa and garlic and stir to combine

– Stir in the spices

– Serve with tortilla chips or assorted vegetables

 

Yellow Squash Pasta

As I’ve established before, I love pasta (see chicken fettucine alfredo, penne with vodka sauce, parmesan pasta and veggies, and pesto pasta with butternut squash) but there are some times when you want something lighter.  I’ve had spaghetti squash before, which is pretty delicious, so a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon this recipe for zucchini pasta from Miss Chris Creations I was intrigued.  I had some squash in the fridge and I decided to make a tomato sauce to go along with it, the dish turned out great!

First use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips of the squash or zucchini and lay them out on a paper towels, and sprinkle them with salt (to bring out the water).

Meanwhile mince some garlic.

Put it in a pan with some olive oil and dried Italian seasoning (basil, parsley, oregano).

Let the squash sit and then squeeze the excess water out of the squash.  I dabbed them with paper towels and then put the squash in a ball and squeezed until no more water came out.

Add the squash to the pan, and some fresh ground black pepper, and cook until the squash is tender.

Then add some tomato sauce and cook for a little longer.

Serve on a plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yummmmm!

Recipe

Yellow Squash Pasta

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 yellow squash or zucchini

salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic – minced

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley)

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese (for serving)

– Use a vegetable peeler to cut thing strips of squash or zucchini, stopping when you get to the seeds

– Lay the strips out on paper towels and sprinkle with salt, allow to sit for 10-15 minutes

– Meanwhile cook the garlic in a pan with the olive oil and Italian seasoning

– After 10-15 minutes, dab the squash with paper towels, then ball up and squeeze out the excess water

– Add the squash to the pan with some black pepper  to taste and cook until the squash is tender (about 5 minutes)

– Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for a few more minutes

– Serve, topping with Parmesan cheese as desired

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Greek Yogurt-Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

My roommate Alyssa made some really delicious Sweet Potato Fries with an amazing Greek Yogurt-Sour Cream Dipping Sauce.  If you like sweet potato fries (and let’s be honest, if you don’t like sweet potato fries you probably don’t have taste buds) you should definitely make these, they’re really easy, and about 1000 times better than the fast food version.

Naturally any form of fry needs a dipping sauce.  Now, I’m not the biggest fan of ketchup, especially with sweet potatoes, so we made this yogurt-sour cream sauce that Alyssa’s family makes.  Alyssa and I both have a borderline unhealthy obsession with sour cream.  One more than one occasion we’ve based our dinner choices on what would allow us to eat sour cream and have been known to questionably eat it with foods that really don’t call for sour cream (eggs, burgers, chips, the list goes on), or in some cases, by the spoonful (don’t judge, it’s delicious)… anyway, naturally, this dipping sauce is perfect for us, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it too!

Cut your french fries up, cover them in olive oil, salt & pepper (which Alyssa insists are the 3 key ingredients to making anything), and some garlic powder.  Bake them in the oven until they’ve reached whatever fry consistency you like best.

For the sauce you just mix up equal parts sour cream and plain Greek yogurt (the first time we made this we accidentally bought vanilla yogurt, and it actually turned out surprisingly well, however I would recommend sticking with the plain yogurt) with some salt and pepper (we used black pepper but her dad uses white paper, however, Alyssa insists “white pepper is just confused about its identity,”  you can use whatever you have on hand).

Serve up the fries and the sauce, they’re AMAZING!

 

Recipe

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Greek Yogurt-Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Fries

     2 sweet potatoes

     extra virgin olive oil

     salt & pepper

     garlic powder

Sauce

     1/8 cup plain Greek yogurt

     1/8 cup sour cream

     salt & pepper

 

– Preheat oven to 350 °F

– Cut the potatoes into roughly 1/2″ thick fries

– Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper, and garlic powder, toss to combine

– Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your fries

– For the sauce mix the yogurt and sour cream together, seasoning with salt & pepper to taste

– Serve fries with sauce on the side

Parmesan Pasta and Veggies

Need a simple dinner after a busy work week?  May I suggest Parmesan Pasta with Veggies.  It’s super easy and super delicious!

First saute some garlic in olive oil with Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley).

Meanwhile cook some penne (or any other pasta you have on hand) according to the box directions, reserving one cup of the pasta water before draining.  To the garlic skillet add some veggies of your choice, I used frozen broccoli and bell peppers, but you can use any combination of fresh or frozen veggies you like.

After the veggies are cooked, stir in the pasta.

Add Parmesan cheese, the reserved cooking water, lemon zest and juice, and salt & pepper.

Finally, stir in some frozen peas and let the pasta cook until the cheese is melted and the peas and warm.

Serve it up, and enjoy!

 

 

Recipe

Parmesan Pasta and Veggies

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic – minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley)

1 pound penne pasta

2 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen)

2 cups bell pepper strips (fresh or frozen)

1 cup frozen peas

1 lemon – zest and juice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

– Saute the garlic in the olive oil with with the Italian seasoning

– Meanwhile cook the pasta according to box directions, reserving one cup of cooking water before draining

– After the garlic is tender add in the broccoli and bell peppers

– When the veggies are cooked through stir in the pasta

– Add the Parmesan cheese, reserved cooking water, lemon juice & zest, and salt & pepper

– Stir in the frozen peas

– Cook for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted, the peas are warm, and everything is combined

– Serve the pasta, topping with extra cheese if desired

 

 

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Oven Roasted Pork Loin and Veggies

This late March snow has inspired me to post a recipe my family and I make a lot in the winter months, roasted pork loin and veggies.  It’s the perfect meal for a cold day, and it seems Spring weather won’t be coming anytime soon, so make this for dinner for your family.  You can really use any seasonings you want on the pork, and any combination of  veggies you want.  I’ve made it several different ways, but my favorite uses rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt & pepper on the pork and has sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, fennel (if you’ve never used fennel before try it!  Here’s a link on how to prep it), carrots, and apples (yes, I know apples aren’t vegetables, but they’re really good with the roast).

 

First, chop up all your vegetables into 1-2″ chunks.  Then put a little olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan and add the pork.  Season with some olive oil, minced garlic (if you’re like my dad and are like a vampire around garlic you can omit it, but I think it makes it sooo much better), rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Then put the chopped vegetables in the roasting pan (I realize this picture has red potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, like I said, I’ve made this many times).  Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and put it in the oven.  You could also make this in the crock pot if you so desired.

When you take it out you’ll find juicy pork, and deliciously seasoned vegetables.

Serve it up and enjoy!

 

 

Recipe

Oven Roasted Pork Loin and Veggies

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion – cut into 1″ chunks

2 bell peppers – cut into 1″ chunks

2 sweet potatoes – cut into 1″ chunks

5 carrots – cut into 1/2″ slices

1 fennel bulb – cut into 1″ chunks

2 apples (I use golden delicious) – cut into 1″ chunks

2 pound pork loin

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

4 cloves garlic – minced

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons dried thyme

– Preheat oven to 450 °F

– Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan and place the pork tenderloin in the roaster

– Season the pork with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, dried spices, and salt and pepper

– Add the vegetables to the pan

– Cover the roaster and put in the oven, roasting for an hour, or until the pork is done (145 ºF according to a quick google search)

– Remove from the oven, slice the pork, and serve

 

 

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