Three Cheese Grilled Potatoes

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and adapted it a bit (it's originally from Taste of Home). I grilled it ahead of some steaks and it was delicious! My husband raved about them. :)

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced chives (I used dry, since that's what was on hand)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
sprinkling of kosher salt
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, diced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, parmesan, chives, 2 salts, pepper, and olive oil. Transfer to a criss-cross of aluminum foil, sprayed with non-stick spray. Dot the potatoes with the butter. Fold the foil around the potatoes and seal tightly.

Grill over med-low heat  for about 20 minutes. Open foil to stir potatoes. Top with both shredded cheeses, reseal foil, and grill for about 10 more minutes. (You can also add some cooked, chopped bacon with the cheese!)

Grilled Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Orzo

I've never had ratatouille before, so I don't know how this version compares.  This version, however, was INCREDIBLE!  Everything is grilled outside, so you don't need to heat up the oven at all.  The grilled tomatoes make such a fresh and delicious tomato sauce.

1 eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
1 small tomato, halved and seeded
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise
2 T. olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Goat Cheese Orzo (recipe below)

Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh basil
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. minced lemon zest

1. Toss vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat until tender.

2. Chop all vegetables except tomato and transfer to a bowl.

3. Puree tomato and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth, then toss with vegetables in the bowl.

Goat Cheese Orzo:
4 oz. orzo pasta
1/2 c. milk
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo according to pkg. directions; drain and set aside.

2. Whisk together milk and goat cheese in a saucepan over medium heat until combined.  Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly thick, about 3 min.  Stir in orzo.

3. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Spinach and Raisin Rice

This rice was so flavorful, and I loved the addition of the raisins and spinach.  My five year old ate three servings of this, when he usually shies away from ANYthing with spinach.

1 T. butter
1/3 c. minced shallots
1 c. basmati rice
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. golden raisins
Minced zest of 1 lemon
1/2 t. kosher salt
Red pepper flakes to taste
4 c. chopped fresh spinach
2 T. fresh lemon juice

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in rice and cook 1 min.  Stir in broth, raisins, zest, and salt, and season with pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook rice until tender, about 15 min.

3. Add spinach; toss until wilted.  Remove pan from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then stir in lemon juice.

Yogurt-Marinated Tandoori Chicken Thighs

These were FANTASTIC!  I think I might try it with chicken breasts next time just to be a little healthier.  The grilled mango was also surprisingly delicious!

1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. paprika
1 T. curry powder
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
8 chicken thighs, fat trimmed and skin removed
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1. Whisk together yogurt, lime juice, garlic, paprika, curry powder, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne in a large bowl.  Add thighs, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least an hour (up to 24 hrs.).

2. Grill the chicken and mangoes over med-high heat.

3. Serve warm with Spinach and Raisin rice.

Quick Bean and Rice Tacos/Burritos

This is one of my go to quick meals when I don't have something else planned. I often fix it for lunch since it comes together so quickly. It has the added bonus of being very healthy.

‎1 Cup water or chicken broth
1 can drained black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans if you use dried
1 bell pepper (whatever color you want)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 cup salsa
1 cup instant brown rice

Combine everything but rice in a medium sauce pan and bring to boil on medium-high heat. Once boiling, add rice and stir. Bring back to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes or until moisture is mostly absorbed. Spoon into tortillas and top with standard burrito or taco fixings.

 

 

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This is delicious and makes a great freezer meal. I typically use a rotisserie chicken (Sam's Club or Costco rotisserie chickens are gluten free). I get enough meat to make 2 casseroles so I typically bake one for dinner and freeze the other for a simple meal at a later date.

 Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken shredded (use 1/2 the meat and save 1/2 for another purpose or make 2 casseroles)
10 corn tortillas
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (Pacific Natural Foods sold in organic section for gluten free)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (Pacific Natural Foods sold in organic section for gluten free)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine soups, broth, Ro-Tel tomatoes, spices and chicken in sautee pan and heat until well blended and warmed through. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray and spread thin layer of chicken mixture on bottom. Spread a layer of tortillas on top. Spread half of remaining chicken mixture. Top with 1/2 of cheese. Repeat the 3 layers using remaining chicken and cheese, ending with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbling.

Green Chili Chicken

This recipe is as easy as it gets. It also happens to be delicious. It's my favorite take on salsa chicken and has been a staple in our house since we were married. I serve it in corn tortillas or over tortilla chips to keep it gluten free, but you can make burritos out of it using flour tortillas if you don't need to keep it gluten free.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 small can salsa verde (I use Herdez)
1 small can diced green chilis
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in your crockpot. Add the chicken breasts. Cook over low heat until easily shredded (about 6 hours in my crockpot). Shred shortly before serving and let it absorb the sauce. Serve as tacos, burritos, nachos, or in a bowl over rice and beans.

Cafe Rio Chicken

This was a recipe I found on Pinterest and knew I had to try! It's super easy since you cook it in a crockpot, and it's so versatile - serve as tacos, over salads, on a bun... My entire family devoured this when I made it, and it's now something we make regularly. You can also freeze this, either before or after cooking. It's also easy to double the ingredients for a large crowd, or just for extra to freeze.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 small bottle Italian dressing
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
packet ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin

Mix all ingredients except chicken in a bowl and whisk together. Place chicken in crockpot and pour liquid over. Cook on high 5-6 hours or low 8 hours**. Shred with a fork and serve.

If freezing prior to cooking, simply put everything in a gallon freezer bag instead of the crockpot. Thaw (or mostly thaw) before cooking as instructed above.

If freezing after cooking, simply thaw and reheat for a delicious meal.

**All crockpots vary. I have an oval 6-qt crockpot and this will cook (with 2.5 lbs chicken) in 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. If it gets done early, I simply shred and turn the crockpot to the warm setting until it's time to eat.

Lentil Tacos

I discovered this recipe a few years ago and it's been a staple in our home since. Everyone loves tacos and these are even better than the traditional beef tacos made using the taco seasoning at the store. They're healthier and vegetarian too (assuming you use veggie broth rather than chicken broth). I was skeptical when I first tried it, but I've been a huge fan ever since.


Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup salsa

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender (took only about 20 minutes for me).

Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa.

Serve in corn tortillas with cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce and whatever other taco fixins you normally use.

Fried Pickles

I'm addicted to fried pickles, especially during pregnancy, but it becomes an expensive eating habit when you have to go out for dinner to get them! This recipe gets my seal of approval, creating crispy dills with lots of flavor.

Ingredients:
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip dry mix
1 jar Clausen sandwich pickles
1/2 c. buttermilk ranch dressing
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/4 c. corn starch
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

1. Combine half the dry dip mix with the sour cream and chill until ready to serve. Mix the remaining packet with the panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish (I use a pie plate).

2. Heat 1 in. oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat to 360 degrees.

3. Save 3/4 c. of the pickle juice, then drain and pat dry the pickles. Cut them in half if they are the long slices.

4. Whisk pickle juice, dressing, egg, flour, and cornstarch together until smooth.

5. Dip pickles into batter (letting excess drip off), then coat in panko mixture and drop into hot oil. Fry pickles in batches until golden, 2-3 min, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

6. Serve with ranch dip.