garlic-ginger chicken thighs

 

Excellent flavor.

garlic-ginger chicken thighs  (food network)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger (used 1 tsp ground ginger)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

freshly ground pepper

olive oil for the grill

Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.  Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade.  Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium heat and oil the grate.  Grill the chicken until marked 5-6 minutes.  Flip and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 more minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

tuscany chicken soup

 

Excellent.  This is one of my recent favorites, for sure.  It was simple yet super flavorful.  Sun dried tomatoes are not my favorite so I substituted them for petite diced tomatoes.  I also added 1/4 teaspoon cayenne for a little kick.  

Slow cooker version at the end of the recipe.

tuscany chicken soup (taste of home)

1 tablespoon oil from jar of julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup julienee oil- packed sun-dried tomatoes (I used 1/2 can petite diced tomatoes)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups uncooked small pasta (I used 1 cup)

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

2 cups whole milk (I used 1 cup 2% n=milk)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, heat oil from sundried tomatoes (I used petite diced tomatoes so only used the olive oil) and olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 4-6 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic.  Cook 2 minutes longer.

Stir in broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.  Stir in  chicken and spinach.  Cook and stir until heated through and spinach is wilted.  Add milk and grated Parmesan cheese and let heat through.

NOTE:  I followed the directions for the first three lines then I put everything into the crock pot except the milk and Parmesan cheese.  I let it cook for a few hours then added the milk and Parmesan cheese at the end.

veracruz-style tilapia

 

This dish had great flavor!  My daughter who doesn't normally enjoy fish really, really liked it.  That says a lot.

veracruz-style tilapia (allrecipes.com)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon caper juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup pitted, sliced green olives

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

for the fish

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tilapia filets (I use the tilapia loins from Costco)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 medium limes, juiced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Make the sauce:  Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir until translucent; 6 to 7 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3o seconds.  Stir in capers and caper juice.  Add tomatoes, olives, and jalapeno; cook and stir until tomatoes begin to collapse and jalapeno softens, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in oregano.

Move the sauce to the side.  Add 1 teaspoon oil to the bottom of the skillet.

Add the tilapia fillets.  Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.  Cover with the sauce.  Squeeze lime juice over the top.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

30-minute spicy pork and garbanzo bean stew

 

I am SO happy to have found this recipe.  It was VERY delicious!

The original recipe called for sweet potatoes but I swapped them out for garbanzo beans.

30-minute spicy pork and garbanzo bean stew (food network)

1 cup canned unsalted diced tomatoes (I used the whole 15 ounce can)

1 medium white onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic

1/2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1.5 pounds)

kosher salt and freshy ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 medium head red cabbage

1 medium Hass avocado

1 lime

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

Puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chipotle and adobo sauce in a food processor until completely smooth.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium--high heat until hot.  Add the pork in a single layer, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, undisturbed, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.  Turn the pieces and cook until brown, about 1 minute more.  Dust the meat with the chili powder, and add the tomato puree, beans, broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and gently simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: chop the jalapenos, and whisk together with the yogurt in a small bowl.  Shred the cabbage, cut the avocado into chunks and cut the lime into wedges.

Ladle the stew into large, deep bowls.  Top with the yogurt mixture, garnish with the cabbage, avocado, lime and cilantro and serve with the tortillas.

swiss chicken bake

 

So easy to make and very good.  I actually made it twice this week, only I used pepper jack cheese.

swiss chicken bake (I heart nap time)

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

4 slices Swiss cheese (or pepper jack)

1/2 cup light mayonaisse

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat a casserole dish wit nonstick cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl or pie pan, mix together the mayo, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken with the sauce (both sides).  Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.  Serve with rice or quinoa.

spinach-artichoke white bean stew

 

My friend Dee-Anna gave this recipe to me and we really enjoyed it.  It's so easy to make!  It made a lot so my daughter invited a friend to lunch the next day.

spinach-artichoke white bean stew (my friend Dee-Anna)

3 cans (15 ounce each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 jars (12 ounce each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 bag (10 ounce) frozen spinach

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

24 ounces vegetable broth

5 ounces light cream cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces milk

Put the beans, artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper and vegetable broth into the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4 hours.

Turn off the crock pot.  Break the cream cheese into chunks and whisk it into the soup until it melts.  Whisk in the Parmesan cheese and milk.