Category: Main Dishes

Classic Gazpacho

I have been DYING to make Gazpacho ever since the weather got warmer. I absolutely LOVE soup, so why should a few degrees and a ton more humidity separate me from that love? Seriously. This calls for gazpacho. Gazpacho: the perfect choice for a light and refreshing summer meal. For those of you who are “fresh” (ha ha) to the idea of it, gazpacho is basically a cold tomato soup, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia and often served as an appetizer or a light supper with some crusty bread on the side.

How to make it? It’s simple. The hardest part is chopping all the veggies beforehand. I used a Real Simple recipe and touched it up a little with my own little additions- namely, a can of cannellini beans, celery, fresh lime juice, cumin, and a few extra pepper varieties. Throw it all into the food processor, give it a whirl, and in just a few seconds you have an incredibly refreshing chilled soup!

Make it ahead of time and stick it in the fridge, too. It only gets better with time because the flavors start a little romance 😛

Ok, let’s get to it!

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Ingredients:

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

1 green pepper, chopped roughly

1 yellow pepper, chopped roughly

1 red pepper, chopped roughly

1 large cucumber, chopped roughly

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

2 small sweet yellow onions, diced

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 cup lemon juice

juice from 2 limes

1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice (V8 works fine too)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried parsley

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, for topping

aged balsamic vinegar, for topping

Directions:

Chop all vegetables and add to food processor, working in batches. (For me, it took about 3 batches- each one turned out a bit differently but I just mixed them all together in a big bowl in the end!). Add beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, vegetable juice, spices, and lemon and lime juices. Pulse for a few seconds at a time until the soup has a chunky texture!

Chill until ready to serve. Serve topped with corn kernels and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs, boiled and shredded (see recipe below)

16 oz. bottle/can red enchilada sauce

8-10 whole wheat tortillas

1 jar salsa

1 can refried beans

1 cup frozen corn

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Directions for Cooking the Chicken:

Remove skin from chicken thighs and rinse thoroughly. Lay on a towel to dry. Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with 8 cups of water. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 4 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp dry oregano, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Stir to combine. Place chicken thighs in pot and turn heat to high. Boil 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for about 60-80 minutes, until liquid is almost gone.

Remove chicken from stockpot and pull meat off the bones. The meat should easily come off with your fingers! (Just wait till you see what I’m talking about… this is some TENDER meat! Yum!). Shred with a fork or fingers until desired.

(Source: http://mommynovice.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/shredded-chicken-mexican-style/)

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Preparing the Enchiladas:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pour can of enchilada sauce in a large shallow bowl (I used a 9″ round cake pan). Dredge each tortilla, front and back, with sauce.

Gently spread refried beans (one large spoonful or so for each enchilada) on one side of each tortilla. Top with a spoonful of corn kernels, salsa (as desired), shredded chicken, black olives, and cheddar cheese.

Roll up tortillas and place seam-side down in a lightly oiled 9×13″ baking dish (I didn’t grease my pan and thought I’d be ok with just the enchilada sauce… but the enchiladas stuck and I had to dig them out a bit in the end!). You can also “tuck” the rounded edges in before baking them to prevent any of that yummy filling from leaking out!

Blend sour cream and remaining enchilada sauce in the bowl with the sauce. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

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Honey Dijon Chicken Salad w/ Grapes and Almonds

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds_2

Ingredients:

Leftover roasted chicken meat, cooked and shredded (about 3 cups total)

1 cup red grapes, slivered

1/4 cup almonds, slivered

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 small red onion, diced

salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp honey

2-3 tbsp good Dijon mustard (or to taste)

salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, and red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl, and drizzle over chicken mixture. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve over greens or as a pita sandwich!

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Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

 

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Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 can chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 yellow or red pepper, diced

1 bag (10 oz) frozen corn

2 cans black beans

8 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

sour cream or greek yogurt, for garnish

fresh cilantro, for garnish

tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, cilantro, yellow or red pepper, corn, and beans in a slow cooker.

2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream/yogurt, and additional cilantro, to taste.

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Tuna Slaw Picnic Sandwiches

With all that leftover Honey Balsamic Slaw from the other night, I decided to spice up my normal tuna sandwich today. I mixed together canned albacore tuna, coleslaw, a bit more dijon mustard, and some chopped celery, and spread it over two slices of toasted whole grain bread. Topped that with some fresh baby spinach, tomato slices, a bit of red onion, and some freshly cracked pepper for a yummy, protein-packed lunch!

I don’t think this one needs a recipe. Have fun with it!

Tuna Slaw Picnic Sandwich

 

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BBQ Pulled Pork (Crock Pot Style!)

Ok, so summer can officially start now. I finally made my first batch of pulled pork. Normally I don’t eat red meat, but this seemed too good to pass up. After last weekend at the Farmers’ Market, when Ben was drooling over his pulled pork and mozzarella sandwich and completely oblivious to everything going on around him, I decided that I wanted to get that reaction out of him with MY cooking! Next trip to Kroger and I found myself browsing the meat section with somewhat of a grimace on my face (ewwwww, red meat and all that FAT!) as I searched out the smallest amount of pork butt that I could find. A few minutes later, my grocery cart was 7 lbs heavier (why doesn’t Kroger make smaller cuts of meat for poor, almost-vegetarian couples- ok, wives?) and I justified the decision by telling myself I could freeze some of it.

My oh my, I could have eaten this entire crock full of magical porkiness. And I don’t even really like pork! This was so tender, juicy, and simple! Not to mention the house smelled absolutely AMAZING all day long. I cut up the shoulder the night before into large hunks, then threw it in the crock pot this morning with some garlic powder, chili powder, and jerk seasoning, added the BBQ sauce and Coke, turned it on low, and let it cook away all day! This could not have been easier.

Ok, I’ll stop telling you how it couldn’t have been easier and start telling you how easy it was! 🙂

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Ingredients:

6-7 lbs pork shoulder (aka pork “butt”- hehe.)

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder, medium-hot

2 tbsp Jerk seasoning (or other spice rub)

1 bottle Coke Zero (probably about 2 cups total needed)

1 bottle BBQ sauce of your choice, plus more for sandwiches

2 yellow onions, sliced

8 hamburger buns

Shredded cheese

Directions:

Cut pork into large chunks (about 5-6″ squares or similar) the night before, trimming away excess fat, and place in a large ziplock storage bag. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, place meat into crock pot and season with garlic powder, chili powder and Jerk seasoning. Add BBQ sauce and enough Coke Zero to just about cover the meat. Top with onion. Set crock pot to low heat and cook 8-10 hours, until meat is fork tender.

Remove pork from crock pot and discard excess cooking liquid (make sure not to pour out the onions that have sunk to the bottom, though! That would be sad.) Using two forks, pull pork apart. This should be EASY. If it’s not easy, or if you’re not salivating all over yourself, something went wrong. (I don’t know what, but don’t blame me.)

Return pulled pork to crock pot, adding more BBQ sauce if desired, and turn pot to “warm” until ready to serve. Serve over hamburger buns with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw to your liking! Also great with my Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries and Honey Balsamic Slaw!

Happy summer, everyone!

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