Chicken and Black Bean Chili

Chicken and Black Bean Chili
Serves 6

2 Chicken Breasts-boiled and chopped
1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Hominy or Corn
1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth-more if you want it to be soupy
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne-optional

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a sauce pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken and simmer and additional 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast with Maple Orange Sauce

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast with Maple Orange Sauce

Serves 2

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 Slices Thick Cut Turkey Bacon-Applegate Farms or similar
1 Tbsp Maple Sr yup
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Wrap bacon around breast. If you want to use more bacon, go for it. In a small bowl mix syrup, OJ and Dijon, set aside. Heat saute pan on medium high with cooking spray or olive oil. Sear chicken breast on each side for 5 minutes. Bacon will crisp, but watch so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat, brush with maple orange juice, cover and place in oven. Cook in oven for 15 minutes. Uncover, drizzle remaining sauce on chicken and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Plate chicken and spoon sauce over. If you do not have much sauce in pan, add a little water and let it reduce for a minute or so. Enjoy!

I served this with red potato, onion and cabbage hash. Recipe to follow.

Breaded Pork Chop with Tomato and Kalamata Olive Sauce

Breaded Pork Chops with Tomato and Kalamata Olive SauceServes 4

4 Boneless Pork Chops
1/2 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Egg
Splash of Milk

Preheat oven to 350. On a plate mix together bread crumbs, and all dry seasoning. In a bowl, whisk egg and milk. Dip pork chop in egg mixture and then dredge through breadcrumbs. **Optional Step**In a saute pan, heat a small amount of oil. Pan fry chops on each side. Place chops on baking sheet and cook in oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with Kalamata Olive and Tomato Sauce

Tomato and Kalamata Olive Sauce
Makes 1 Cup

2 Garlic Cloves-chopped
1 Medium Tomato
1/4 Cup Sliced Kalamata Olives
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
1/2 Lemon-juiced
Splash of white wine
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small saute pan heat a little olive oil or cooking spray. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add tomatoes, olives, wine, lemon zest and juice. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Seasson with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup with LoMein Noodles

Coconut Curry Chicken SoupServes 6

2 Chicken Breast-large diced
1 Medium Red Pepper-cut on a bias
1 Cup Snow Peas-cleaned
1/2 Cup Carrots-cut on the bias(I used a good handful of baby carrots)
2 32 oz Containers of Chicken Broth
1 Can Lite Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Red Curry Paste(I actually used more, but we like it spicy)
2 Tbso Soy Sauce
1/2-1 tsp Salt
2 Limes Juiced-squeeze in after cooking is done
1/4 Cup Cilantro-chopped(garnish)
3-4 Green Onion-chopped(garnish)

1 8oz Package Lo Mein Noodles-cook according to package(can be found at Fresh Market, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and maybe Kroger, but I don't shop there...Publix does not carry them)

In a medium sauce pot heat a small amount of olive oil. Add chicken and cook until chicken starts to turn white. Add in all vegetables and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add 1 container of broth, coconut milk and red curry paste. Allow soup to cook on medium for 30-45 minutes. It will reduce. Add second container of broth, soy sauce and salt. Cook for another 15-30 minutes. While soup is cooking boil lo mein and drain. Put 1/4 cup of lo mein in bowls and ladle soup over noodles. Garnish soup with green onion, lime juice and cilantro.

If any of you read my blog then you know that I LOVE the eggrolls found near the deli at Publix. The are inexpensive, low in fat and so yummy! I bake them in the oven and mix the sauce that comes with them, with a little sweet chili sauce to dip them in!!! They are what I served with this soup and many of my other Asian dishes. ENJOY!!

Pureed Vegetable Soup with Barley

Last week I hosted my son's playgroup. I made a pot of pureed vegetable soup, threw in some barley and called it a day. Well, the kids gobbled it up. Most of them are 1, give or take a few months and we have a few older siblings that join as well. It was a hit all the way around. A few of the moms asked if I would post the recipe. I didn't write one as I was throwing stuff in the pot, so be creative.

Pureed Vegetable Soup with Barley
Serves 8-10

1 1/2 Cup Frozen Green Beans
1 Medium Sweet Potato-diced
1 Small Butternut Squash-peeled, seeded and diced
2 Large Carrots-chopped
1 Large Parsnip-chopped
1 1/2 Cups Tomato Sauce
2 32oz Containers of Vegetable Broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Cup Barley
2 1/2 Cups Water
Cook according to package.

Throw all ingredients in a pot on medium to high heat. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until everything is tender. Puree in blender, food processor or with a stick blender. Add cooked barley. Enjoy!

Pork Pozole Soup

Pork Pozole Soup


1 Cup Yellow Onion-Diced
2 Garlic Cloves-chopped
1 lb Pork-cubed
1 Can Hominy
2 4oz Cans Green Chiles
1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3/4 Cup Tomato Sauce
6 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Corn Tortillas-torn apart
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt

Brown onions and garlic in a stock pot with a little olive oil or PAM. Add pork and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the tortillas and stir. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, add tortillas. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the tortillas have broken down and thickened the soup. Garnish with; lime wedge, avocado, tortillas chips, sour cream, cilantro....whatever you like!

Fig and Spinach Stuffed Pork Chop with Fig Balsamic Reduction

Fig and Spinach Stuffed Pork Chop
Serves 2

2 Pork Chops-boneless and thick cut
4 Figs-Fresh or Dried-quartered
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Spinach-cleaned
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Heat a small saute pan with olive oil spray. Add your garlic and saute until golden. Add figs and spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt. Drizzle in balsamic and season with salt and pepper. Cut a hole in the pork chop, from the top going toward the bottom. Stuff the chops with the fig mixture. In same saute pan, heat a little olive oil. Sear the chops on both sides for about 5 minutes each. Put in a preheated 350 oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chops. If you want to stuff a tenderloin instead, double the recipe for stuffing.

Balsamic Fig Sauce

6 Figs-Fresh or Dried-quartered
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

In a sauce pot or saute pan, heat a little olive oil spray on medium heat. Add figs and cook for 5 minutes, allowing them to breakdown some. Add balsamic and chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes. When sauce has reduced by 1/4 and thickened, season with salt and pepper. Pour of chops and enjoy!