BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

This is one of the most delicious meals I've made in the past couple of months. Even Corey (who doesn't normally think that a salad constitutes a meal and isn't quite on-board with quinoa yet) thought that it was delicious and said he was excited to eat it again--soon. This meal is also super healthy and quick to throw together if you use leftover quinoa and chicken. If you've never made quinoa before, here is a good tutorial on how to cook it. If you're looking for another way to enjoy it--try serving it with this Honey-Balsamic Glazed Salmon. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad
adapted from What's Gaby Cooking 

serves 2

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1 cup shredded, cooked BBQ chicken
1 1/2 - 2 cups baby spinach
1 avocado, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
2-3 Tb. BBQ sauce
2-3 Tb. ranch dressing
juice of 1/2 lime
1/8 tsp. each cumin and chipotle chili powder
fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges for serving

1. Combine  BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, lime juice, cumin and chili powder in small bowl. Stir until completely combined.
2. Toss all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Divide evenly onto serving plates and serve with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Fried Rice

This is a great side dish to go along with Asian-style entrees (like this sticky chicken or these sweet and sour meatballs or these bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple skewers or this orange chicken). It is also the perfect accompaniment for stir-fried vegetables and sweet-and-sour sauce (I know it might be weird, but I just love the sweet-and-sour sauce poured all over the rice). I make this all the time, sometimes with other entrees, sometimes just on it's own as a stand-alone meal. It's very easy to adapt to whatever meat (feel free to use ham instead of bacon or omit the meat entirely) or veggies you might have on hand. Here is my favorite version, but feel free to fiddle with it to make it how you like.

Fried Rice
serves 3-4

4 pieces bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup frozen peas
3 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1-2 Tb. soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, set aside to cool and crumble.
2. Heat same skillet (without draining grease) to medium. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add peas and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until veggies are translucent and peas are thawed.
3. Add rice and stir to break up and heat through.
4. In separate small bowl, beat egg. Pour over top of rice in skillet and continue stirring until egg is completely cooked through. Add soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms

I made this dish three times in less than two weeks...it really was that delicious. Simple ingredients, but together it tastes absolutely delicious. Corey was telling me about a dish his mom used to make with bacon and green beans, and that he really liked it. I took that idea and threw this together based on what we had and what sounded good to me. Corey liked it so much he gave it five stars (out of five. And yes, I really do make my husband rate the food I make every single time I cook. I'm probably crazy, but it lets me know how much he likes or dislikes something and whether I should make it again or not). Yes, Corey actually rated a vegetable five stars, which I didn't know was possible. I have a feeling this is going to be making a very regular appearance on our dinner table.

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
Serves 4-6 as a side dish...unless your name is Corey...then this will serve two :)

5 oz. bacon (about 5 slices), diced (uncooked)
1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and broken into pieces
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until nicely browned but not quite crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add green beans and onions. Cook until green beans are slightly tender, but still crisp (about 10 minutes). Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Season with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Classic Marinara Sauce

I'm still getting lots and lots of tomatoes from the garden. In an attempt to use some of them up, I decided to whip up some marinara sauce. This is a simple, classic marinara with lots of tomato and veggie flavor. I substituted fresh, peeled and seeded tomatoes (3-4 pounds) plus a small can of tomato paste, for the canned tomatoes, but I am sure it would be great with the canned tomatoes too. This was perfect served on top of some spaghetti and chicken Parmesan (recipe coming later this week). I'm thinking I'll use the rest for calzones later this week!

Classic Marinara Sauce
Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

2 Tb. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 - 2/3 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/4 - 1/3 cup)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped (1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1/2 Tb. dried basil
1/2 Tb. dried oregano
1/2 Tb. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. marjoram
2 dried bay leaves
1 Tb. brown sugar
2 Tb. butter

Heat oil in large pot, Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent and lightly browned and veggies are tender. Add salt and pepper and stir well. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. remove bay leaves and stir in brown sugar and butter. Cool slightly, then blend in food processor until desired consistency is reached (I like mine fairly smooth). Make about 7 cups sauce.

Zucchini Parmesan

I have a confession: I've never been a fan of eggplant. And by "never been a fan" I mean "thinking about it makes me want to gag." I'm pretty sure it's because of a dinner-gone-wrong from my dad when I was a kid...every time I think of eggplant I think of his Eggplant Surprise and it's not a memory I really enjoy reliving.

Suffice it to say that I've never tried Eggplant Parmesan. I love the idea of it: veggies dredged in eggs and crunchy bread crumbs and tangy cheese, then fried and topped with marinara? If only I could get past that eggplant. Well, with our bounty of zucchini from the garden this year I thought I'd try swapping out the eggplant for zucchini and see how it tasted. One word? Amazing. It was crunchy and perfectly seasoned and delicious. And I didn't feel bad eating it at all because it's chock full of veggies. Give this a try, I think you will love it!

Zucchini Parmesan
serves 2 -3

1 large zucchini (8 - 12 inches long), cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup Italian season bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tb. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tb. butter
2 Tb. olive oil
marinara sauce
additional Parmesan cheese for topping

1. In small bowl, beat together eggs and milk. In second small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup cheese, and parsley. In third small bowl, put flour.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Dip each piece of zucchini first in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly and shaking off any excess. Then dip in egg mixture and then in bread crumb mixture. Place in heated skillet and repeat with remaining zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until crispy and browned. Top with warm marinara sauce, additional cheese, and fresh parsley is desired.

Sweet & Spicy Vegetarian Quesadillias

I know I promised a Zucchini Parmesan recipe, and that will be coming soon, but I made this for lunch today. And ate the rest for dinner. And I'm seriously contemplating having it for breakfast tomorrow. It is seriously the best thing I've eaten all month. It's hearty and filling. It's sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, and amazingly delicious. If you're like us and have a bounty of zucchini from your garden, whip this up. And if not? Find some. Immediately. It really is that good.

Sweet & Spicy Vegetarian Quesadillias
adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Filling:
2 Tb. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, miced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup corn
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tb. brown sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

For assembly:
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
6 tortillas (I definitely recommend the uncooked tortillas that they sell at Costco or Wal-Mart, bake them up fresh and they are a million times better than the regular ones you can buy at the store)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, jalapeno, zucchini, corn, and tomato. Cook until zucchini is completely cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, lime, cilantro, chipotle chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Assemble quesadillas by layering each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1/6 of the zucchini mixture (1/3 - 1/2 cup). Heat until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. (I also served my quesadillas with extra filling on the side as a dip/relish type thing. YUM.)

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This is a great salad for warm summer days. It is light, refreshing, healthy and quick. As a bonus, it uses up veggies that you probably have growing in your garden. Today it snowed (seriously) in Utah, and in rebellion I thought I would whip this up and pretend it was summer. Although I didn't enjoy the snow, I thought the salad was amazing and I'm contemplating having it for dinner too...

Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Adapted from Rachael Ray

3/4 cup cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
3/4 cup cherry, pear, or grape tomatoes, halved
3 - 4 Tb. finely chopped sweet red or yellow onion (such as Vidalia)
1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. red wine vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Feel free to adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your liking. You can also add fresh basil, parsley, green onion, chives, garlic, etc. if desired.

Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

I love asparagus. Nothing says spring to me like crispy, fresh green asparagus. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandpa had an orchard and grew asparagus in the orchard...so I grew up not only eating it (a lot) but also picking it fresh from the orchard. I thought this recipe was a WOW...and even my asparagus-hating husband said "it's not too bad." I take that as a high compliment since he normally won't even look at it, let alone taste it. If you like asparagus, definitely try it--it's great!


Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus spear, washed and trimmed
cooking spray
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tb. butter
1 -2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus in single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally so it doesn't burn. Make sure to watch carefully--you want it to brown, but not burn!
3. Remove butter from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Drizzle over the roasted asparagus, tossing to coat well.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Brick Oven is Corey's (my husband) favorite restaurant. And his very favorite thing there is the roasted red pepper pasta sauce. I love Brick Oven too, but I think their roasted red pepper sauce is kind of hit and miss. Sometimes it's phenomenal: flavorful, thick, creamy, with just a touch of spice; other times it's thin and flavorless. I've been trying to duplicate the sauce (and improve upon it) at home. This time it turned out the best it has yet. I'm sure I'll still experiment more (that's just what I do) but I had to write down how to make it this time before I forget. Serve this over any type of pasta of your choice. I prefer it with shells, bow ties, or penne. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 - 2 Tb. onions or scallions, minced
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb. olive oil
1 jar roasted red peppers, or 4 - 5 red peppers, roasted and peeled
1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 - 1 1/2 cups cheese (muenster, smoked Gouda, Romano, Parmesan, or a combination)

1. In food processor or blender, blend roasted red peppers until finely blended.
2. In large saucepan heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, and spices. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in heavy whipping cream and cheese until melted and thoroughly combined.
3. Carefully pour mixture into blender or food processor and process until smooth. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with cheese and grilled sliced chicken (if desired).

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

My husband hates zucchini. I love zucchini. Just not enough to eat the 2 foot long zucchini that my parents sent home with me all by myself. In trying to figure out just how to make that big zucchini disappear, I stumbled upon a delicious sounding recipe on Our Best Bites. Below is the recipe, with a few adaptations. I have to say, it was wonderful! Corey devoured it, and that is saying something considering it has zucchini in it! It is perfectly moist and has a nice balance between the chocolate and cinnamon. If you don't like chocolate and cinnamon together, feel free to leave the cinnamon out.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Bread:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 Tb. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tb. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. very finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

Topping:
2 Tb. brown sugar
2 Tb. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large (8-9") loaf pans or 5 miniature (4") loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Beat oil, sugars, and eggs for 1 - 2 minutes or until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.
3. Stir in zucchini, making sure that it is well incorporated throughout the batter.
4. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.
5. Divide batter evenly among pans. Combine topping ingredients in a separate bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
6. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes (miniature pans) or 50 - 60 minutes (large pans). Cool 2 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm with a glass of cold milk!

Spicy Chicken & Pasta Skillet

Two of my favorite foods are pasta & Mexican food. This recipe combines the best of both. It was a quick & easy dinner and was delicious! Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken & Pasta Skillet
Serves 4

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tb. olive oil
1 cup small shells or mini bow-ties pasta, uncooked
1 cup salsa (I used pace medium)
1 cup corn, drained and rinsed
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar or colby-jack cheese (or pepper jack if you want it spicier)
2 Tb. finely chopped cilantro
salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to taste
sour cream, sliced green onions, sliced olives, and cilantro (optional) for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. While pasta is cooking, coat chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to taste. Cook chicken over medium-high heat about six minutes, or until done (no longer pink in the center). Add salsa, corn, cream cheese, cumin, and cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes, until cream cheese is melted.
3. Drain pasta. Stir pasta and 1/4 cup cheese into chicken mixture. Simmer for 3 more minutes, until cheese is completely melted.
4. Top with cheese, sour cream, olives, cilantro, and green onions.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

This was a nice, light summery meal that was both healthy and delicious. Enjoy!

Southwestern Cobb Salad

4 cups lettuce, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese, such as pepper jack or colby jack
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet baby corn, rinsed and drained; or 2 cobs fresh corn, removed from cob
1 avocado, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced; or 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small can sliced olives
1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper (optional)
1/2 cup chopped red or green onion (optional)
1 handful fresh cilantro
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup ranch dressing
Tortilla chips or fresh cooked tortillas

1. Arrange lettuce along the bottom of 4 plates or bowls. Arrange cheese, black beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, olives, chicken (and peppers and onions if desired) along the top of the lettuce.
2. Combine cilantro, salsa verde, and ranch dressing in a food processor or blender until well combined. Drizzle over top of salads. Top with additional cilantro, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips or freshly cooked tortillas.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

This was a staple in our house when we were growing up. Honestly, I probably haven't made it for at least a year, but the other day I wasn't feeling well and felt like eating some comfort food so I turned to this...and promptly wondered why it had been so long since I'd made it! I love having sweet & sour sauce over rice with some stir fry veggies. It's great with chicken, too, or with homemade meatballs. Any way you have it is bound to be great!


Sweet & Sour Sauce
Adapted from a really old Betty Crocker cookbook

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tb. red wine vinegar
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks or tidbits with juice
1 Tb. soy sauce
dash salt

1. In medium saucepan mix brown sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.
3. Serve with rice, veggies and/or chicken. Enjoy!

Barbecue Chicken & Black Bean Pizza

On Saturday I was making lunch for Corey & I and I was craving barbecue chicken pizza. I didn't want to have the same boring pizza, though, so I came up with this. I know it sounds kind of strange, but it was unbelievably delicious. Who would have thought that black beans on a pizza would taste so good?

Barbecue Chicken & Black Bean Pizza

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough
1 cup barbecue sauce (recommended: Bullseye)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle bullion cube (I found these at Wal-mart on the Mexican food aisle. If you can't find them, you can substitute a couple of tablespoons of the sauce from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce or a teaspoon of chipotle chile powder)
2 Tb. honey
4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tb. olive oil
1 red pepper, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray pizza pan with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Roll out pizza dough to fit the pan. Spread dough with barbecue sauce.
2. In medium skillet heat vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until caramelized (golden brown), about 7 minutes.
3. In small bowl mix black beans with honey and chipotle seasoning. Microwave for two minutes and stir well.
4. On top of pizza crust evenly layer chicken, black beans, bacon, caramelized onions, and red pepper. Sprinkle with both cheeses.
5. Bake 18 - 25 minutes, or until crust is brown throughout (use a pizza cutter or pizza peel to lift the pizza and look at the bottom crust to ensure it is throughly browned). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Pasta Salad

This week we had a potluck at work and the night before I was trying to figure out something to take that didn't involve me running to the store and wasn't too labor intensive. The guidelines for the potluck were pretty specific, too, so I was stumped. It had to be healthy, green, and tasty. I figured everyone would be bringing green salads, since that would be an easy thing, so I was trying to think of something else. I ended up throwing this together and it was a hit, everyone loved it! This is a great side dish or main dish. If you want to jazz it up just a little more for a main dish, go ahead and throw in some diced cooked chicken and corn.


Southwestern Pasta Salad

1 pkg. (12 - 16 oz) whole grain rotini, cooked and cooled
1 can (15 oz) low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (color of your choice, I used orange)
1 can olives, sliced (use a small can or a large can, depending on how much you like olives)
5-6 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 oz pepper jack cheese, diced
2 avocados, diced
handful chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 cup ranch dressing
2 Tb. taco seasoning mix

1. In small bowl, combine ranch dressing, taco seasoning, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well.
2. In large bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and mix until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

*If you are not going to be serving right away (I made mine the night before to take to work) you can still mix everything together except the avocado. Refrigerate up to 24 hours and add the avocado right before serving. It's just as delicious as it is when you first make it!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is a simple recipe that can be adapted in numerous ways. My mom always used to make these when we were growing up, and it's kind of a sentimental recipe for me. My granddad also loved them, and I can't ever eat them without missing him. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family & I do!

Stuffed Peppers

4 large bell peppers (any color)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (variety of your choice)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cheese (variety of your choice, I like mozzarella or colby jack)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean peppers and cut lengthwise in half. Remove seeds & membrane. Place in sprayed 9 x 13 inch glass pan.
2. Cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain well.
3. In food processor or mini chopper blend tomatoes to desired consistency. Add to ground beef, cooked rice, and spices. Add half of the tomato sauce. Mix well and heat through.
4. Spoon rice mixture evenly into peppers. Top each with a spoonful of tomato sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle cheese evenly over the tops of the peppers, and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Note: here are a couple good combinations:
*diced tomatoes with green chilis and sharp cheddar cheese (add a sprinkle of chili powder to the rice mixture),
*diced Italian style tomatoes and mozzarella cheese (add a sprinkle of basil and parsley to the rice mixture)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is perfect for a cold, cold winter night like we've been having plenty of. Corey likes the soup extra creamy, so I make this for him. Sometimes I just like regular chicken noodle soup, so I leave the cream of chicken soup and sour cream out. Either way, it's divine!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 quarts water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
6 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
1 - 2 cups carrots, sliced
1 - 2 cups celery, sliced
3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

1. Bring water and bouillon to boil in large pot. Add noodles, carrots, and celery. Cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Do not drain. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
2. If you want creamy chicken noodle soup, add cream of chicken soup and mix well. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

Creamy Vegetable Penne with Chicken

As promised, here is a healthy recipe that I whipped up for dinner last night. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

1 8 oz. package penne
1/2 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, or 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings plus 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (dried)
2 - 4 Tb. sun dried tomato Italian dressing (if you don't have this, you can substitute light zesty Italian dressing)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms
2 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat variety)
1 roma tomato, diced
1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat Italian dressing in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper, and onion. Saute 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 more minutes. Add spaghetti sauce or tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and cook until completely melted and blended.
3. Serve pasta covered with sauce. Sprinkle chicken, tomato, and Parmesan cheese over top. Serve with garlic bread and fresh asparagus.

Chili's Fajitas

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tb. vinegar
1 Tb. + 1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder (I like to use half regular and half chipotle)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tb. canola oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tb. water
1/2 tsp. lime juice
dash salt
dash black pepper

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add chicken. Marinade for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
2. Grill meat until juice run through. Let sit for 5 minutes and slice in 1/4 inch strips.
3. Heat 1 Tb. canola oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned and translucent.
4. Add 1 tsp. soy sauce, 2 Tb. water, 1/2 tsp lime juice, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender. Add grilled chicken and cook until heated through.
5. Serve with salsa, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole on tortillas.

Broccoli Macaroni Salad

I had this salad at my 5 year high school reunion. I have to say, it was the best part of the whole event! It's good because it's a great combintation of crunchy and soft, salty and sweet. Enjoy!

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients
Salad: mix the following in a big bowl
Small macaroni salad pasta (8 - 10 ounces), cooked and drained
About 2 cups broccoli
4 green onions, chopped
8 strips bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup shredded swiss or mozzarella cheese
1 - 2 cups red grapes, sliced in half

Dressing: mix the following items well
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tb. red wine vinegar

Cook macaroni and bacon (let cool) and then combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Top with dressing and stir well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving to let the flavors combine.
If you use a large package of macaroni, double the dressing. If the dressing goes sugary, it’s okay. It will dissolve in the salad.