Summer Salad

Using bountiful and colorful summer produce makes this summer salad a real treat. 

The flavors are brought forth through a delicious roasting of veggies, and a splash of balsamic and maple syrup.  It’s a summer salad that is sure to become a tradition. 

Summer Salad – Adapted from Oh She Glows

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 can (14 oz) corn (or 3 cobs, fresh)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• Olive oil, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• Splash of lime juice, if desired

Directions

Begin by preparing the veggies – dice the squash, bell peppers, and zucchini into 1-inch cubes.  Then, remove the corn kernels from the cobs, or just use 1 can (14-15oz) of corn (rinsed and drained). 

Arrange all the veggies on a lightly greased tray (I sheet cake sized pan), and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Roast the veggies at 425 for 15-20 minutes. 

Place the roasted veggies in a large bowl along with 1 can (15 oz) black beans (be sure to rinse and drain the beans!). 

Stir to combine. 

Then, combine together: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, maple syrup and Dijon mustard.  Stir well. 

Drizzle over the salad and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately while warm, or chill and serve cold.  You can eat it as a salad or with chips as a salsa. 

Bring on summer!

Tuscan Chicken Skillet

This skillet dinner combines wonderful flavors and textures together for an easy and hearty dinner. 

I loved how simple it was to make, and the use of the chicken and beans together. 

Tuscan Chicken Skillet – Adapted from The Wanderlust Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut into 4-inch pieces or tender-sized portions
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 T minced onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 12 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (15oz) Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until warmed.  Add in the chicken pieces and season with oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook until browned on each side. 

Add in mushrooms, sliced, and sauté them with the chicken for 3-5 minutes, or until the moisture they release in cooking has evaporated.  Then, add in the beans, diced tomatoes, and sliced cherry tomatoes.  Season with parsley.  

Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.  At this point, the sauce will have largely evaporated.  Check to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 180 degrees.  Then, remove from the heat. 

Serve warm, garnished with parsley. 

Enjoy!

Skillet Chili Cheese Shells

We’re in a season of quick meals, and this one was a real winner. 

Filling and tasty, plus easy to make!  Oh, and the leftovers are great too.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Skillet Chili Cheese Shells – Adapted from Six Sister’s Stuff

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• salt & pepper, as needed
• 2 C diced tomatoes (or 1 can diced)
• 1 C tomato sauce
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 C uncooked small or medium pasta shells
• 1/3 C chicken stock
• 1 T chopped green chilies
• 1 T ketchup
• 2-4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Parsley, garnish

Directions

Begin by browning the ground turkey in a large skillet.  Season the meat well with 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and salt and pepper to your liking.  

Add in 2 C diced tomatoes, 1 C tomato sauce and 1 can pinto beans.

Top with 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, up to 1 tsp. chili powder (depending on your spice preference), 1 T chopped green chilies and 1 T ketchup.  Stir well. 

Stir in 1 C uncooked pasta and 1/3 C chicken broth. 

Cover (but prop the lid up so as to vent some of the moisture) and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is done.  Stir occasionally during this cooking process. 

Top with cheese, and garnish with parsley if desired. 

Enjoy!

Summer Salsa

Two weeks ago my colleagues were in town for a conference in our field and I invited them over for dinner.  Since we had fresh zucchini from our garden, I decided to try a new salsa recipe to go along with the bratwurst. 

The salsa was extremely easy to make and prep the day before; it was great served with tortilla chips, but also as a stand-alone salad. 

Summer Salsa – Adapted from Good Life Eats

Ingredients

• 1 (10-15oz) can corn, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 C diced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• Pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2 T cider vinegar
• 1 T red wine
• Olive oil
• Parsley

Directions

Arrange the corn and zucchini on a large lightly greased cookie sheet.  Spritz lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Roast in an oven heated to 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until zucchini and corn are roasted.  During the last 10 minutes, add the diced cherry tomatoes and roast them as well.  Continue roasting until most all the juices are evaporated.

Meanwhile, mix together 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, 2 T cider vinegar and 1 T red wine.  Stir well and set aside. 

When the veggies are done, toss them, along with the black beans, into a large bowl.  Drizzle on the wine mixture and stir well.  Garnish with fresh or dried parsley. 

Serve warm or chilled alongside tortilla chips. 

Enjoy!

Leftover Ham Bone, Potato & Pepper Soup

What do I do with a ham bone?!  While I’ve made soup after soup using chicken and turkey carcasses, until recently, I’ve never found myself with a ham bone. 

We do eat ham occasionally, but I usually don’t cook a full bone-in ham.  Since I recently did cook one, I wanted to try making a ham bone soup. 

But, I’ve never really even had a ham broth based soup before, so this was a true experiment for me.  I based it off of two of my favorite ham recipes – this tasty ham and cheese potato casserole and this ham and cheese soup.  I skipped the cheese, although I think a cheese sauce added at the end would be spectacular.  The result was a delicious way to enjoy leftover ham. 

Ham Bone, Potato, and Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone, with scrap ham remaining on the bone
• 7-9 C of water
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 stalks of celery
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 C shredded or diced cooked ham (leftover)
• 3 medium red potatoes, cubed
• 1 can (14 oz) Great White Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 C barley

Directions

Begin by placing your ham bone in a large stockpot and covering it with water.  For me, that took about 7-9 C of water.  Use more or less depending on the size of your ham bone.  Season the water with salt, pepper, leftover tops of celery stalks and and 1/4 of the onion.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the meat begins to fall off the bone.  At this point, remove the stock from the heat and carefully strain the hot broth.  Allow the broth to cool down and skim the fat off the top. 

Meanwhile, prepare the veggies.  Dice the bell peppers, cube the potatoes, slice the carrots and quarter the onion. 

Arrange all the veggies into a 6-quart crockpot.  Sprinkle in the 1/3 C barley.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Carefully pour the ham stock into the crockpot.  Season well with 1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning.  Add in the diced or shredded ham and beans.  Stir. 

Note: I do not recommend using the ham from the bone, unless you’ve tasted it and it still has flavor!  After making stock, the good flavor from the ham often has been picked up by the stock and therefore the remaining ham tastes pretty blah.  So, I recommend “fresh” leftover ham. 

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until veggies are tender, or on low for 6-8 hours. 

Serve warm and enjoy. 

Creamy Broccoli, Carrot & White Bean Soup

For a quick soup, this one packs a flavorful bite.  It’s a great side soup for lunch or dinner. 

The color is fun too – for March and all things green…. St. Patrick’s Day, or say, March Madness and the Green & White! 

Creamy Broccoli, Carrot & White Bean Soup – Adapted from What Megan’s Making

Ingredients

• 16 oz. frozen broccoli
• 3 C shredded carrots
• 2 T minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 can (15-oz) white beans, drained
• 3 C chicken stock
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Monterrey Jack or Colby Jack Cheese

Directions

In a large stockpot, sauté the shredded carrots, onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil. 

After 3-4 minutes, add the 3 C chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add in the frozen broccoli and cook until tender (~7 minutes). 

Add in the white beans, rinsed and drained, to the simmering soup.  Heat 2-3 more minutes. 

Then, using an immersion blender, blend the soup smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup to your blender in small batches.  Use caution when blending the hot soup because of the steam! 

Serve topped with cheese.

Enjoy!

Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili

This chili is a breeze to put together, especially with pre-cooked ground turkey.  I love this kitchen cheat – browning meat when I buy it and keeping it pre-cooked in the freezer.  It makes all the difference in meal prep on a busy morning or night. 

In addition to the ease of prep, I love all the veggies in this chili and how the creamy goodness of the sweet potato puree cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.  It’s a delightful combination and we really enjoyed it. 

Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili – Adapted from Tator Tots & Jello

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage (we made our own), browned
• 2 medium red bell peppers, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (14 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 T dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. dried minced garlic
• 1 can great white northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 C sweet potato puree
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 T chili powder (more or less to taste)
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish
• Dried parsley, shredded for garnish
• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

Directions

Add the browned ground turkey sausage, diced bell peppers, 2 cans each of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and 1/2 C sweet potato puree to a large (6 qt) crockpot.  Stir well. 

Add in the white and black beans, along with 1 T chili powder and salt and pepper.  Stir well. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt (for sour cream) and dried parsley. 

Enjoy!