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!

Pear Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

If you have some leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, this is a great (and healthy, which we all know we're needing after the overindulgence of Thanksgiving) recipe to use some of it up. It is light, refreshing, and delicious, and is a wonderful combination of textures and flavors that somehow manage to meld together perfectly. It can be a main course a side or a starter for your next holiday meal. I happened to have some mushrooms in the fridge, so I sliced them up and added them to my salad. Feel free to add them in you like, or leave them out if you would rather. It is sure to be great either way. Enjoy!

Pear Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
adapted from Cooking Light

Salad:
8 cups romaine lettuce, baby spinach, or mixed greens
2 pears, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Dressing:
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
2 Tb. olive oil
2 Tb. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1. Make vinaigrette by combining all dressing ingredients in a blender until completely combined. Set aside.
2. Layer lettuce, pears, onion, blue cheese, and walnuts on plates. Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings. 

Sweet Mexican Rice

This is a perfect Mexican side dish, or perfect wrapped up in a delicious burrito. I made a big batch of this last week and used it as a side for quesadillas, inside a hugely delicious burrito, and on top of a yummy salad. It's quick and simple, but full of flavor--a nice change from your average white rice.

Sweet Mexican Rice
serves 6 - 8

2 Tb. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cubes chicken bullion
3 cups water
2 Tb. sugar
juice of 1 lime
2 Tb. cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Add chicken bullion and water, cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until water is completely cooked out. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Mix lime juice with sugar, pour over rice and fluff with a fork. Top with cilantro if desired.

Pico de Gallo

I love Mexican food. Corey and I probably eat Mexican food more than any other cuisine. Something about the freshness and spiciness just entices me every time. With so many tomatoes, peppers, and even a few onions from our garden, it's the perfect time to make a big batch of Pico de Gallo to go with any of your favorite Mexican foods (I had it with this amazing Bajio Chicken Green Chile Salad, and it is also great with my favorite Enchiladas, Taquitos, Southwestern Beef Wraps, or a delicious Cafe-Rio Style Burrito...I'll be posting that recipe later this week). Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (I like to use seeded Roma tomatoes because they are nice and firm, you'll need about 5 medium)
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 cup diced green pepper (optional, I throw this is if I have it on hand but it won't make or break the salsa)
garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days. Eat with chips and dip or serve with your favorite Mexican dish, you really can't go wrong with this stuff, it is delicious!

Monterey Chicken

Not only does this look delicious (it's one of my favorites to make when we have company over) but it is super tasty! Really, how can you go wrong with grilled marinated chicken topped with barbecue sauce, cheese, and bacon? Garnish with some fresh chives or scallions and you've got yourself a showstopper! This is a great recipe to enjoy before the end of summer and the end of grilling season.

Monterey Chicken

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 Tb. canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder (I like to use half regular and half chipotle)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
dash onion powder
1/2 of a 12 oz. can Sprite or 7-up

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisply and sliced in half horizontally
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer bulls-eye)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
sliced chives or scallions and/or diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in gallon-size ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to cover chicken completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Immediately top each piece with 1 Tb. barbecue sauce, 2 Tb. cheese, and 2 bacon pieces (1 slice, halved). Sprinkled with chives, scallions and/or diced tomatoes to taste. Serve immediately!

This is also my favorite fajitas recipe, see the recipe here, so you can grill up double the amount of chicken you need and make fajitas or quesadillas with the extra chicken the next night!

Grilled Chicken Gyros

One of my favorite food bloggers, Annie, calls this her all-time favorite meal. If you've seen the things Annie makes, you'll know that everything she makes looks amazing, so if it's her favorite, it must be amazing. I made this for dinner last week and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't go so far as to call it my favorite meal by any means, but all in all it was a great meal and nice to have something a little different. I would definitely make it again (only next time I'd make twice as much chicken and save half for another night to eat with rice and grilled veggies, that chicken was incredible).

Grilled Chicken Gyros
adapted slightly from Annie's Eats

Chicken:
2 heaping Tb. plain Greek yogurt (Yoplait makes this now and I was able to find it at Wal-Mart, or you can use regular plain yogurt but it is not as thick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 Tb. dried oregano
2 Tb. olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts, tenders, or thighs)

Tzatziki Sauce:
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 hot house (English) cucumber, shredded, or 1 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tb. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tb. olive oil

4 pitas (I recommend whole wheat)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 hot house cucumber, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1. Combine all chicken ingredients in large ziploc bag. Marinade in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and not more than 4 hours.
2. Prepare tzatziki sauce by first squeezing excess water from cucumbers. Place shredded cucumbers in papers towels and twist until the excess moisture is removed. Combine all tzatziki ingredients except olive oil. Drizzle tzatziki with olive oil, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken until completely cooked (about 5 minutes per side, depending on the type of chicken pieces you have). Let rest for 5 minutes after cooking, then cut into slices.
4. Heat pita bread (either in the oven or on the grill). Assemble pitas by layering 1/4 of the chicken, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers on each of the 4 pitas. Top with desired amount of tzatziki sauce and serve immediately.

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.)

Citrus Salad Toss

This is a great summer salad with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. My husband hates fruit in a salad, so he calls this "chick food." I have to agree, it is perfect for a baby shower, bridal shower, or girls night. You can easily make this a main dish salad by adding sliced, grilled chicken. Yum!

Citrus Salad Toss

Salad:
8 cups baby spinach
8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 large orange, sliced or 1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 avocados, thinly sliced or diced
2/3 cup toasted or candied almonds or pecans (optional)

Dressing:
Juice of 1/2 orange
Juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lime
1 Tb. sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Combine all salad ingredients except avocado and nuts. Toss gently.
2. In small bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients except oil. Slowly add oil while continually whisking to form an emulsion.
3. Add avocado to dressing and toss lightly (the citrus in the dressing will help prevent the avocado from browning). Add dressing and avocado to salad and toss gently. Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Tip: if your red onion is strong or you just want a milder flavor, cover the thinly sliced onion with cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. This takes some of the bite out of the onion for a milder taste.

Southwestern Beef Wraps

This is a great slow-cooker meal. Theoretically it should be quick and easy, but with a three week old it took me much longer to make than I'd like to admit (what with the fussing, diaper changes, feedings, and everything else interspersed). If you don't have a three week old to worry about, then you can probably get it all ready in about 15 minutes. My husband and I both really enjoyed this meal and it made plenty so we had leftovers to use in salads and quesadillas over the next week.

Southwestern Beef Wraps
Adapted from Our Best Bites

1 beef roast (approx 2 lbs)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
smoked paprika, to taste
juice of 1 lime
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with chipotle chiles, or diced tomates with green chiles
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
tortillas, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cheese, sour cream, etc. for topping

1. Combine spices in small bowl. Rub all over roast, making sure it is completely coated. Place in slow cooker.
2. Top roast with onions, peppers, lime juice, and tomatoes (with juices). Cover and cook on low 7- 8 hours or high 5 - 6 hours or until meat is completely cooked and tender. Remove beef from crock pot, shred or slice, and place back in juices for at least 30 minutes.
3. Serve in flour tortillas topped with your choice of toppings.

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.

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).

One Pan Taco Dinner

Sorry, no picture today. I'm currently on bed rest (have been for the past week and a half) so I haven't been able to do much cooking lately. This is one of our favorite quick and easy meals. It's fast, flavorful, and we always have the ingredients on hand. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

One Pan Taco Dinner

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 cup salsa

2 cups minute white rice, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 large tomato, chopped

Optional Toppings

sour cream

avocado

tortilla chips

cilantro

olives

1. Brown meat and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

2. Add 2 cups water, seasoning mix, and salsa. Bring to a boil.

3. Stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Cook on low heat 5 minutes, until rice is completely cooked and soft. Top with lettuce, tomato, and desired optional toppings just before serving.

Philly Steak Sandwiches

It's rare that I make steak, so if I'm going to take the time to make it I want it to be good. Juicy. Delicious. And worth my time. I was craving Philly steak sandwiches the other day and decided to whip these up. They turned out fantastic. I topped mine with some homemade pickled peppers that my sister brought me and in my own humble opinion it made them even better. Yum.


Philly Steak Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches

1 lb. good quality steak
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tb. vegetable oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tb. soy sauce
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced (optional, if you want it spicier)

4 hoagie rolls
1 cup sliced sharp white cheddar cheese

1. Combine spices. Rub evenly into steak. Grill over medium-high heat until medium (140 degrees F on thermometer), about 8-10 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Remove steak from grill, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes. Slice steak thinly on the bias. Add to skillet, along with barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 more minutes, until heated through.
3. Fill hoagie rolls with steak/pepper mixture. Top with cheese. Enjoy!