Black Beans & Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Two new recipes in a week, say what?!  :)  This was amazing!!  The boys just had the chicken and apples on the side, but he apple salsa was key to making this super yummy!!

Makes 6

Ingredients

·       1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple

·       1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided

·       1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided

·       2 limes

·       1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

·       1–2 tablespoons olive oil

·       3 garlic cloves, finely minced

·       1 teaspoon chili powder

·       3/4 teaspoons coriander

·       1/2 teaspoon cumin

·       1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth

·       2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

·       kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       1 medium rotisserie chicken

·       4 cups cooked brown or white rice

·       4–6 lime wedges

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Instructions

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of hte beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice.  Divide rice and beans among plates.  Top with some chicken and apple salsa.  Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.

Roasted Chicken Sausage & Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner

New recipe!!!  It's been awhile :)  This was tasty, easy, and the boys LOVED it (B esp loved the pomegranate arils :))

Ingredients

·       1 12-ounce package chicken and apple sausage, cut into 2″ slices (4 sausages, if buying in bulk)

·       1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved

·       1 pound sweet potato, cut into 3/4” chunks

·       1/4 cup extra virgin lemon olive oil (or 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + zest of 1 lemon)

·       4 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dry parsley)

·       1 teaspoon kosher salt

·       1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       1/2 cup pomegranate arils

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Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the sausage, sprouts, and sweet potato on the baking sheet and set aside.

2.    Whisk together the olive oil (and lemon zest, if using), garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper and drizzle over the sausage/sprouts/sweet potato mixture. Toss to combine. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the sausage mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and, if desired, season with additional salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Cranberry Salsa with Cream Cheese

This is such a great Christmas app - super easy, crowd pleaser, and delicious!!

Ingredients

·         1 (12-ounce) bag cranberries, fresh

·         1/2 - 3/4 cup white sugar

·         1 cup cilantro, chopped

·         4 green onions, chopped

·         1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

·         1 lime, juiced

·         1 pinch salt

·         1 block cream cheese (for serving)

Instructions

1.      Place cranberries in bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2.      Add sugar and stir to combine.

3.      Add cilantro, green onions, jalapeño, salt and the juice of one lime.

4.      Place in glass dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

5.      Place cream cheese on a plate and use a slotted spoon to mound the cranberry salsa on top.

6.      Serve with crackers or bread.

Shrimp Pesto Arugula Pasta

This was yummy and the boys KILLED it!  Wasn't sure if they were going to like the pesto but they inhaled this and asked for more -- huge hit!!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound linguine noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups baby arugula
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 jar store bought pesto

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Once boiled, season with salt and add in the linguine. Cook according to package directions, until tender. Drain and set off to the side.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic, if using. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp is pink and no longer opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return skillet to heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add in the arugula, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add back in the shrimp and stir in the pesto sauce. Cook for a few minutes to warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Toss the shrimp and pesto with the cooked linguine noodles and cook for a few minutes to heat through. Serve and enjoy!

Tortilla Pie

This was super yummy and an easy meal to eat during the week!!  The whole fam liked it (I'm not a fan of tortillas so I just scraped out the insides :))

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 medium flour tortillas (about 10-inches)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground sirloin

1 small brown onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) corn kernels

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups cheddar-jack cheese, shredded

fresh cilantro, for garnish

sour cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish or springform pan, set aside

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the ground beef until browned. Add the chopped onion, garlic and seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes or until they have softened. Add in the chopped spinach and corn and cook until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Place one flour tortilla in the prepared dish. Spoon some of the ground beef mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top with cheese, and repeat with another flour tortilla, more ground beef and cheese. Continue in this manner with the remaining two layers. Finish with a flour tortilla on top and a sprinkling of cheese.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and the cheese has melted on top. Cut into wedges and serve with a garnish of sour cream and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Cowboy Quesadillas

This was super yummy!!  I don't always like tortillas but this was tasty AND the filling is good on it's own too -- WIN/WIN!!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Instant Pot One-Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Insta-what?!  Not sure if this one was any quicker than just boiling noodles but it was good!!

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb 93% ground turkey
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 jar, 25.25 ounces Delallo Tomato Basil Pomodoro Sauce
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces whole wheat or gluten-free spaghetti, I used Delallo
• Grated parmesan cheese, optional for serving

Instructions

1.                 Press saute on the Instant Pot. When hot add the turkey and salt and cook, breaking up about 3 minutes.

2.                 Add the onions, and garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

3.                 Add the Pomodoro sauce, water and spaghetti (broken in half), making sure the liquid covers everything without stirring.

4.                 Cover and cook on high pressure 9 minutes.

5.                 Quick release so the pasta doesn’t continue cooking, and serve topped with grated cheese if desired!