White Bean and Spinach Soup with Brown Rice

The weather is turning cooler, the sun is setting earlier, kids are back to school, and football season has started - I think it's time to start making soup!

I make soup every Sunday and once it cools, I immediately dish it into 5 single serving containers. Lunches for the week - done! Over the past few years I have made close to 50 different soup recipes. I have a few favorites that I go back too quite often, but I also am always in search of a new recipe. I have several recipes pinned to my Food board on Pinterest, including this one that I tried last weekend - Savory Bean and Spinach Soup.

The recipe was from Fitness Magazine, and was written as a slow-cooker recipe. I'm not a fan of making soup, or much of anything really, in a slow cooker. I like to build the flavors in a soup, and feel you can only do that with stove top cooking, so I took this recipe and turned it into a stove top recipe.

Even though I cooked this in a pot, it still only took just under an hour. Most of that time was the soup simmering as the rice cooked; active time was about 20 minutes.

This soup was so hearty and filling, yet healthy. Normally I eat a sandwich along with soup for lunch, but I didn't need the sandwich after eating all the beans and rice. I ate it for 5 days in a row and never tired of it, and think this will be one that I will make again soon.

White Bean and Spinach Soup with Brown Rice

Adapted from: Fitness Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 sm yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped  
• 1 15-ounce can small white beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed  
• 3-4 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• Pinch of dried thyme
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice   
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper  
• 1 sm bag of fresh baby spinach, chopped

 Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat
• Add the onion and garlic, sauté 2-3 minutes
• Add the beans, basil, and thyme, stir
• Add the broth and tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper; let simmer for 10 minutes
• Add the rice, cover and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice has cooked through
• Add the spinach and stir until wilted
• Optional: the original recipe noted adding Parmesan cheese at the end, but I didn't feel it was necessary.

   

Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts in a Creamy Dijon Broth with Bacon

Last week Jon went to the produce store with a list which included my request to get 2 green veggies for dinners. He came home with broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I haven't made Brussels sprouts in several weeks, maybe a few months, but we both love them so I was looking forward to trying something new.

I planned on cooking chicken and since I really didn't feel like having a big mess to clean up, I started to think about one-pot cooking. I did some Google searches and came across a simple but elegant looking Martha Stewart recipe for Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts.

After reading it I did what I usually do - made a mental list of changes I'd make while cooking. The recipe called for a whole chicken but I used 3 chicken breasts. This also reduced the cooking time. I increased the liquid just a bit to have more sauce, used sweet onion instead of shallots, and garnished the dish with crispy, crumbled bacon. 

Now, I usually make a carb with dinner, but honestly, I didn't feel like it. And once I started to cook and plate everything, I realized we wouldn't even need one. Noodles or potatoes or rice would just take away from this dish.. although some good crusty bread would have been nice for sopping up the sauce. Next time!

We both loved this, and devoured the entire thing. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly fork tender, the sauce was tangy, and the bacon added a touch of salt and crunch. I can't wait to make this again.

Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts in a Creamy Dijon Broth with Bacon
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil       
• 3 boneless chicken breasts     
• Salt and pepper      
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved      
• 1/2 small sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard      
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar      
• 1 cup chicken broth      
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan
• Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook 3-4 min per side until golden brown, but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
• Add onions and Brussels sprouts to the pan; sauté 3 minutes
• Stir in mustard and cook 1 minute
• Add vinegar and broth, return chicken to the pan, and bring to a rapid simmer
• Cover and transfer to the oven until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
• Garnish with crumbled bacon

Napa Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw with a Sweet and Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

It has been a while since I planned out an entire week's worth of meals. Between moving and everything else we have had going on, I have been just winging it. However it's time to get back on track and plan for the week. I feel so much more organized and not as stressed when I have a set meal plan for the week.

When I sit down to make my plan, I first look at the weekly circulars. I start with proteins, picking out whatever meat or seafood is on sale or looks good, and then plan my main dishes day by day. Once that is done, I add in sides. We always have a veggie side, and almost always have some sort of starch. I like getting creative with sides when I have the time, and felt like making something new to go with simple grilled, rubbed pork chops.

I have a lot of resources that I use when planning - my blog, blogs I follow, Epicurious, various other cooking sites, and of course - Pinterest. The recipe I chose to go with the pork chops was one I first saw on Pinterest, and comes from the blog Healthy Seasonal Recipes. I liked that it was a cold side, especially since the weather is still on the (very) warm side.

After reading the recipe, I decided to make some changes. I added jalapenos and green onions to the salad, chopped the peanuts, and made some changes to the original dressing, including adding sesame oil and Sriracha sauce and changing the amounts of some other ingredients. What I got in the end was a salad that would have fed 5-6 people, but ended up only feeding 2 of us... it was THAT good. The salad itself had a lot of textures, and the dressing was perfectly sweet and spicy. I'm so glad I made the changes that I did - it definitely brought the flavors up a few levels.



Napa Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw with a Sweet and Spicy Lime Vinaigrette
Loosely adapted from: Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Ingredients

• 3/4 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (use the top yellow and some of the white parts - this will be about 3/4 of the head)
• 1 large cucumber, julienned (a handheld julienne slicer works great for this)
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• Handful cilantro, thoroughly washed and chopped
• Handful of salted, roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

• In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, and peanuts.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
• Store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge until ready to serve.
• When serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Top with the green onions.

Cous Cous with Charred Corn and Cilantro

Hurry up! Fire up the grill and grab those last ears of corn before they are gone so you can make this!

My dad gave me a few ears of corn and I wanted to do something different with them. I considered making this Grilled Corn with Chipotle-Lime Butter, but then decided that I'd rather incorporate the corn into some sort of side. I started to browse recipes and brainstorm when I came across a Mario Batali recipe for Sweet Corn and Cous Cous. The recipe used Israeli cous cous which is larger and has a different consistency than the fluffy, "regular" cous cous. It reminds me of barley without the earthy bite that barley has.

 I loved the idea of charring the corn and adding it to the cous cous. I decided to add a few more flavors, so I also grilled red onion and stirred in some cilantro before serving. What a taste of summer in a bowl!

Cous Cous with Charred Corn and Cilantro

Adapted from: Mario Batali

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
• 2 ears corn, shucked
• 1/2 red onion sliced into rings
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• Handful fresh cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

• Heat the grill. Brush corn and onions with olive oil and place on a hot grill. Cook corn until charred on all sides; cook the onion until charred in spots and slightly wilted. Once cooked, chop onions into bite sized pieces. Using a knife and standing the corn on one end, remove all of the kernels (see second picture above).
• Cook cous cous according to package directions
• Once the cous cous is cooked, stir in the corn, cilantro, and red onion.
• Season liberally with salt and pepper, and stir in the cheese.
• Serve immediately.

Summer Vegetable Tian

  It may be September but it's still summer for a few more weeks. It's actually been hotter the past few days that it was all of August. I'm not happy about that, but I do like that summer produce is still available.   I first saw this recipe for a Summer Vegetable Tian on Pinterest from the blog Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Oh My!  All of the beautiful colors first caught my eye, and I pictured making it with some of the red and juicy Jersey tomatoes my dad picked up at a farm stand - there's nothing like a Jersey tomato!   The recipe is easy, but all of the slicing is a bit labor intensive. I highly recommend you use a mandolin to do your slicing, and that you slice the potatoes at about half the thickness of the other veggies.   Once the slicing is done, you get to do the fun part - assemble it! If you have OCD about things being in order and organized, you'll love this part. I had so much fun trying to make this look just right by perfectly alternating the ingredients and colors. But then I let it go a bit at the end since I had some extra veggies to "stuff" into the dish. It's still pretty though, right?   This was such a yummy and different way to enjoy these beautiful summer vegetables that we normally would have just grilled. I loved that the juice from the tomatoes actually ran throughout most of the dish keeping everything moist while giving it some of that sweet and tangy tomato goodness.

Summer Vegetable Tian

Source: Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Oh My!

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium russet potato
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 1 large tomato
• Dried thyme
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. 
• Spray 8″ round or square baking dish with non-stick spray. 
• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. 
• Thinly slice all the vegetables. (Note: I cut the tomatoes the thickest, the squash in the middle, and the potatoes the thinnest. and  like the original author, I also cut the tomato slices in half to have twice as many, and because the tomato slices were much larger than all of the other veggies
• Place vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in alternating pattern.  Lightly pour olive oil over the entire dish and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Top with the onion and garlic. 
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes (Note - I had to let it cook a little longer - maybe 40 minutes).  Remove foil, sprinkle cheese over top and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.



     

Nonnie's Chopped Veggie Salad

Dinner at our house almost always consists of some form of protein, a carb side, and a veggie side. The veggie is usually something hot, like a roasted or grilled vegetable, or some other cooked vegetable dish. Last night I served something different alongside Jon's meatloaf and scalloped potatoes - a cold, chopped veggie salad.

I was given the recipe for Nonnie's Chopped Veggie Salad from the blog Life and Kitchen in this round of the Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap focused on salads. It has a lot of fresh, chopped veggies and a very simple dressing.

I love chopping veggies - to me it's therapeutic. Nice quiet time (well, as long as the little one is napping or interesting in something besides me!) with just the "crunch, slide" rocking sound of the knife sliding along the cutting board and time for my mind to wander. Ah, I love having time in the kitchen.

Ok, back to the recipe. I have to admit, as I was making the dressing I was a little skeptical. It seemed almost too simple! But yea, it totally works. This salad was awesome, especially after it had some time to sit in the fridge once I dressed it. I'm glad Lindsay's Nonnie passed this recipe along to her! Thanks for sharing, Lindsay and Nonnie!

Nonnie's Chopped Veggie Salad
Source: Life and Kitchen

Ingredients
(below is the original recipe; I cut it in half and had 6 side dish servings)

• 1 1/2 cups green beans, cooked and chopped into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups corn
• 1 1/2 cups peas
• 1 small jar pimentos, chopped (I didn't use these) 
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced (I used a red onion)
• 1 cup grated carrot

For the dressing:

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (I used light olive oil)
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water

Directions

• Combine all of the ingredients of the dressing and bring to a boil. The recipe didn't specify how long to boil, so I let it boil for a few minutes. Let cool.
• Combine all of the vegetables (which vegetables you choose can be adapted based on what you like) and pour the dressing over. 
• Mix well and chill for 24 hours (I chilled it for 3 hours and it was really good. I ate it again the next day and it was still really good!).  Drain the excess liquid before serving.

   

Caprese Bites

Summer is slowly winding down, but I'm not giving in yet! I'm holding on to all of my favorite things about summer cooking - grilling, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and of course, tomatoes. Nothing beats local summer tomatoes.

I made these perfect little Caprese Bites for company a few weeks ago and my only wish was that I made more! They disappeared in just minutes and when you try them you'll know why. In just one bite you get the bright and fresh basil, the juicy tomato, and the creamy mozzarella cheese. Perfection!

To make them I simply cut grape tomatoes in half, cubed a bunch of mozzarella, picked and cleaned small leaves of basil, and then assembled. Onto a toothpick I put the top of the tomato, a piece of mozzarella, the bottom of the tomato, and topped them off with a small leaf of basil. Once they were all assembled I drizzled the plate with good olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar, some Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.

The perfect bite!!

Thai Grilled Chicken with a Spicy Dipping Sauce

As much as I love to cook, I love summer time because we prepare almost every meal on the grill. The cleanup is easier, you don't heat up the house, and the food just tastes like summer. We use our grill year round (even in the snow!), but there is something about grilling in the summer that makes the food taste different.

I was excited when I saw that this Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap was Grilling/Cookout Recipes. I was given a recipe for Thai Turkey with a Spicy Dipping Sauce from the blog Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks. We had just moved in to our new home when I was given this recipe, so I was excited to make it for our first meal cooked in the house.

Turkey is something I usually only eat once a year on Thanksgiving, so I didn't even know that I'd be able to get it in the summer. I checked out my store and they had ground turkey and large turkey breasts that I didn't really want to portion and have a ton left over, so I ended up using chicken breasts instead.

I liked that the recipe used both a rub and a dipping sauce - the bright lime and cilantro rub paired with the spicy and tart Thai chili garlic dipping sauce was seriously packed with so much flavor that Jon, my husband who loves bold and spicy food, thought it was too much! I do agree that the rub on the chicken was so good that you didn't even need the dipping sauce, but having the dipping sauce  added another layer of flavors that I really enjoyed. I devoured this meal and will definitely make it again. I served it with some grilled asparagus and these Spicy Sesame Soy Noodles.

Thanks for sharing this recipe, Heather Lynne!

Thai Grilled Chicken (Turkey) with a Spicy Dipping Sauce

Source: Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Ingredients

For the chicken/turkey and brine:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 4 turkey breast cutlets
• 2 quarts cold water

 For the rub:

• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 inch piece of ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the dipping sauce:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice (juice from 1 lime)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (I didn't use this)
• 1 tbsp Thai chili-garlic sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

 Directions

• Combine the sugar and salt in a large bowl along with 2 quarts of cold water.  Mix until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Place the chicken/turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Remove the chicken/turkey from the brine, rinse with cool water, and pat dry.
• The dipping sauce: combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.
• The rub: combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Use your fingers and mix thoroughly.  Using your hands, rub 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each chicken/turkey breast cutlet.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees.  Cook the chicken/turkey cutlets for 6-7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the turkey is 160 degrees.  Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve over rice (I served with noodles) with a side of the dipping sauce.

Fresh Fruit Skewers with Sweet Cream Dip

I'm still here - I promise! Over the past month we have been so busy doing a lot of work on our new home that we have been depending on our grill and takeout for dinners. We finally moved in yesterday and I can't wait to get back to cooking and trying new recipes. 

Several weeks ago my daughter's school planned a dessert bar for the teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day. Everyone was signing up to bring cookies, cakes and other sweets. I decided to even things out a bit and bring fruit.

I decided to make skewers of strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and cantaloupe served with a sweet cream dip.

To make things a little easier, I bought a jar of sliced pineapple in 100% juice (not syrup). The grapes didn't have to be cut, so the only think I had to do was remove the stem/leaves from the strawberries (very simple using a 1/4 tsp) and cube the cantaloupe. Simply skewer the fruit onto the wooden skewers, alternating fruit to make them pretty. I made them the night before and stored them on a try covered tightly with plastic wrap.

I found the recipe for the Sweet Cream Dip on Food.com and it was the best part of this treat - so easy (three ingredients!) and seriously addictive. I put a little in a bowl for myself and ate it with a spoon..

Sweet Cream Dip
Source: Food.com

• 1 c sour cream
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine these three ingredients. Let stand, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos

I love Mexican food. I dream of our vacations to Cabo and Playa del Carmen when every day we'd go out exploring and eat in places off the beaten path where the locals go to eat. The food they would serve was so simple, but so amazing.

I've cooked a lot of Mexican food, so was really happy when this Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap was all about Mexican food. I was given a recipe for Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos from the blog Sweet Beginnings. After reading the recipe, I knew right away that I'd love it.

I went shopping for the ingredients and my market did not carry Asiago cheese (seriously???) so I had to use a 6-cheese Mexican blend in the pesto. Then when I started cooking, I realized I did not have almonds, so I had to make the pesto without, which ended up being ok - the pesto was amazing. The only other change I made to the recipe was to poach and shred my chicken because I prefer shredded chicken in tacos.

This recipe was SO good - light and fresh and bright. I made tacos using corn tortillas for myself, and made quesadillas using flour tortillas for Jon. The pesto was so good that I could just sit and eat it with a spoon!! Jaida, thanks so much for sharing this recipe in the swap!!

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos

Source: Sweet Beginnings

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray (poached chicken, didn't need this)

Add: 2 c water

2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed

2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp sliced, toasted almonds (I didn't use these)

3 Tbsp chopped, fresh garlic

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup chicken broth

flour or corn tortillas

Topping ideas: sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, cilantro, queso fresco

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. (Instead, I poached the chicken. Cut chicken into chunks and place it in a pot covered with water, add the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on medium until cooked through. Shred with 2 forks)
Meanwhile, combine the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, asiago, salt and chicken broth in a blender and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. \
Toss chicken with the pesto.
Warm tortillas (if using corn tortillas, place 2 between damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds), top with chicken mixture and your choice of toppings.