Chicken Chili & Cheesy Corn Cake

I've never used ground chicken, but this seemed like a good way to test it out. Yum!

1 lb ground chicken

your favorite chili mix (I use Shelby Carolll's)

8 oz tomato sauce

1 bottle of beer

1 can black beans, slightly drained

shredded cheddar, sour cream & chopped red onion to garnish

chichi's corn cake mix (1/4 cup water, 1 can creamed corn, 1/4 cup melted butter)

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/3 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, mix corn cake mix, water, creamed corn and melted butter. Add green onion and cheese. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, brown ground chicken in a hot pot.

Drain fat and add tomato sauce and beer. Simmer for five minutes.

Add chili seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper from chili kit according to taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add black beans and masa powder (mix powder with 1/3 cup water) into chili and mix in. Let simmer for another five minutes. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and red onion. Serve with piece of corn cake.

BBQ Salmon and Fried Green Tomatoes

The farmer's market proved a source of inspiration yet again with green tomatoes. DH and I enjoyed a yummy appetizer of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and balsamic reduction at 95 Cordova on our babymoon, and I attempted to recreate it.

BBQ Salmon
Salmon filet
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp honey

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl and marinate salmon for two hours, covered in fridge. Wrap in foil and grill to desired temperature.

Fried Green Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
2 green tomatoes, sliced
goat cheese (enough for 1 slice per every 2 tomatoes)
seasoned panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
1 egg, beaten
balsamic vinegar

Use olive oil to coat bottom of skillet and heat. Coat each tomato slice in egg and dip both sides in panko breadcrumbs. Lay in skillet. When one side is golden brown, flip and cook til golden brown on the other. Place slice of goat cheese on one piece of tomato and top with another. Drizzle each stack with balsamic vinegar and serve warm.

Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers

The fryer sure is getting a workout since I started using it. We had some frozen chicken tenderloins that needed to be cooked up, so DH picked up some panko breadcrumbs and I adjusted my Southern Fried Chicken recipe to work for it. YUM.

1 lb chicken tenderloins
4 cups buttermilk
box of panko breadcrumbs
herbs & spices to taste (garlic salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, paprika, crushed red pepper)
oil for fryer

In a large bowl, mix buttermilk and your choice of herbs and spices. Mix together and add chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.





Put recommended amount of oil in fryer and heat to 375.

In the meantime, put panko breadcrumbs in a bowl with herbs and spices to taste.



When oil is ready, move pieces of chicken into the panko breadcrumbs, coating thoroughly. Gently place in fryer basket and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat until all chicken is cooked. Allow to drain on a paper towel for a few minutes before serving.

Honey Balsamic Chicken

The fun thing about marinades is that you can really just throw together flavors you enjoy and normally, you get a pretty good combination. I also believe that the longer you marinate your chicken, the more flavorful it will become.

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

basil & oregano to taste

boneless, skinless chicken breast

Whisk honey, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, basil and oregano together in a medium bowl. Place chicken in marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least an hour.

Grill to desired temperature.

Corn Cake Fiesta

DH named this one and I guess it fits. It's a spin on traditional tacos and we both enjoyed it.

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

2/3 cup water

1 pkg corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 tbsp melted butter or shortening

3/4 cup water

1 can black beans

1/3 cup medium salsa

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 lime, sliced

1/3 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, melted butter, egg and 3/4 cup water. Set aside.

In a small pot, combine drained black beans and salsa. Leave on low while preparing remainder of meal.

Saute ground beef or turkey in a hot skillet, until cooked through. Drain fat. Add taco seasoning mix and 2/3 cup water. Let simmer.

Heat a griddle or pan and spray with nonstick butter spray. Ladle corn mixture onto hot skillet as you would pancake batter (2-3 per pan). Allow to cook to golden on one side and flip. As they finish arrange on a platter, until all are completed.

Spoon black beans over corn cakes. Spread taco meat over black beans. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put sour cream in a plastic bag, snip the corner and pipe over cheese. Garnish with red onion and limes.

Bourbon Cheeseburgers

There's nothing better than a burger on the grill. If you make your own burger patties, try this recipe for added kick.

1 lb ground beef

1/4 red onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 white mushroom, minced

1/4 cup bell peppers, minced

2 tbsp bourbon

montreal steak seasoning

pepperjack cheese

burger rolls

Combine all ingredients and form into burger patties. Grill to the desired temperature. Melt pepperjack cheese on each patty and remove from grill. Serve with favorite condiments.

Moroccon Chicken & Lentils

Credit for this again goes to Nancy, who has introduced me to some really new and fantastic flavors. I never, in a million years, would have thought to use lentils as the base of a dish. It's a fabulous touch.

8 cups water

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 pound dried brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons ground cumin, divided

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chili powder

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add lentils; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cold water and drain again. Place in large bowl.

Whisk 1 cup olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in large measuring cup. Pour 1 cup dressing over warm lentils and toss. Cool.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until dark brown and soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and cinnamon. Sauté until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
Arrange lentils on large platter. Place sliced chicken atop lentils. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with parsley. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Sloppy Turkey Joes & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Thanks to Dana for the inspiration for this one. DH loved it (according to him, "the streak continues"), and it was healthy and easy.



Sloppy Turkey Joe's
*ingredients are based on your taste - I don't like a lot of sauce, and I prefer more veggies, so that's what I did.
1 lb ground turkey
Prego mushroom sauce (whatever sauce you prefer, or use tomato paste & sloppy joe mix)
mushrooms, chopped fine
1 shallot, chopped fine
green or red bell pepper, chopped fine
basil
oregano
pepper
garlic salt
kaiser rolls, toasted lightly


Saute ground turkey in a pan with herbs & spices, until mostly cooked through. Drain fat. Add vegetables and cook until done. Add sauce and simmer until ready to serve. Serve on toasted kaiser roll.


Baked Sweet Potato Fries
sweet potatoes, sliced into fry-shaped pieces
pepper
salt
basil
paprika
olive oil


Preheat oven to 400.


Line potatoes up on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add herbs and spices to taste. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.




Shown served with baby lima beans

Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

Kerry is the one who reminded me of this simple and easy favorite. Pasta with pesto is one of my favorites and the addition of raw veggies really makes this perfect for a summer dinner. I have yet to get a food processor, and when I do, I will be making my own pesto from scratch - in the meantime, I use Knorr's pesto mix and it works well.

1 lg package or 2 small packages fresh tortellini (I use three-cheese)
1 pkg Knorr pesto or creamy pesto
veggies - chopped - whatever you like (I used shallots, green onion, black olives, mushrooms, che.rry tomatoes, tri-colored peppers)
basil, oregano, salt & pepper to taste
block of mozzarella, cubed

Boil water - prepare tortellini. Draini and shock immediately with cold water. Contine to drain.

In saucepan, prepare pesto according to directions. Allow to simmer.

When tortelli is cooled, mix with remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Chill several hours or overnight. Add cheese prior to serving.

Cous Cous Salad with Chicken & Nectarines

Thanks to Nancy for this delicious recipe. I played around with it a little bit, but DH and I both agreed that it's a keeper for the future.

1 cup instant cous cous

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (approx. 6 sprigs)

6 tbsps olive oil

2 spicy grilled chicken breasts

3 fresh nectarines, cut into bite sized chunks

2 small shallots, thinly sliced rings

3/4 cup of pistachio nuts, shelled

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Place cous cous in a medium bown. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and stir in the cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over cous cous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Stir in the parsely and 2 tbsps of the olive oil. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the nectarines and shallots. Drizzle with vinegar and the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cous cous. Add pistachios just before eating.

Shrimp with Orzo & Feta

In a bowl, whisk together the following:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
salt & pepper

Add 1/2 lb medium shrimp to the mixture. Coat well and chill for 3 hours.

In a blender, combine the following:
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
black pepper

Pulse until a dressing is formed.

In a pan, saute shrimp with 1 cup fresh green beans.

Cook 1/2 lb orzo according to directions and drain well.

Toss orzo with dressing, 3 oz crumbled feta cheese, and 3 chopped scallions. Add shrimp and green beans to the top.

Chicken & ChickPea Salad

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp curry

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 cup white wine

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tomatoes, diced

cucumber, diced

1 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 scallions, chopped

3 tbsp minced red onion

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Combine wine, garlic, ginger, cumin, curry, salt, and red pepper. Pour marinade over chicken and chill for 2-4 hours.

Combine remaining ingredients (except butter & vinegar) in a serving bowl and chill.

Bake chicken at 375 in a glass dish with butter for 30 minutes. Slice and arrange over salad. Toss with vinegar.

Rum Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2/3 cup dark rum
dash of Grand Marnier
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tbsp worcestshire sauce
6-7 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 piece grated ginger (1 tsp powder)
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk together everything but the chicken. Submerge chicken breast and marinate in the fridge for 1-4 hours. Grill on medium-high heat to desired temperature and serve garnished with orange slices.

Vegetable & Cheese Quiche

1 9" prepared pie crust
1 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, frozen and drained
1.5 cups of cooked mixed veggies (I did peppers, mushrooms & onions)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fat free milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp crumbled bacon
oregano, salt & pepper to taste
parmesan to garnish.

Preheat oven to 375.

Line bottom of pie plate or tart pan with pie crust.

Mix spinach and cooked veggies and spoon into pie crust. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, cheddar, eggs, milk, mustard, bacon, salt, pepper and oregano. Spoon over veggie mix. Top with parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.