Sweet Potato Chili

Good Morning! It's Secret Recipe Time! I'm so thankful for this club this month.  As you can see, it's the only thing keeping my blog going right now. But more on that later...

Right now let me introduce Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog! Judee has great recipes, and it was really hard to pick just one. Then, she posted this chili. The somewhat odd combinations of ingredients intrigued me. Especially since I could make it in my crockpot. An easy, but extremely flavorful dish? One that cooks without any supervision? I'll take it!

The only change I would make next time is to add 1-2 teas. Cayenne or Chili powder. This chili is on the sweet side.

Sweet Potato Chili

Adapted from Gluten Free A-Z

1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes (find the fire-roasted, they are so good!)
16 oz black beans
16 oz kidney beans, drained
1 large sweet potato (I actually used 1 1/2), cubed
1-2 teas cayenne pepper
1 Tb ground cumin
2 teas unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teas ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and stir well.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 until potatoes are cooked through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.

Enjoy!

Green Verde Enchiladas

 

It's that time again! Time for a recipe from the Secret Recipe Club! This is such a fun club. I get secretly assigned to a brand new blog, and get to cook anything I want from it. 

This month was especially fun. I was assigned Prevention RD. Nicole is a registered and licensed dietitian. Her blog has a great mixture of food, all with a great balance for eating healthier. I was especially happy to see that she had done MY blog a few months ago! She made Crispy Baked Breakfast Taquitos! Check out her beautiful pictures. 

 

So, now it's my turn to make one of her recipes shine, and let me tell you, it was super easy! I picked these amazing enchiladas. They require you making your own Verde (Green salsa), but it was really pretty easy, and so, so worth it.  I would recommend doubling the salsa. I also made the mistake of using the whole 8oz of cream cheese, instead of 4.  That made these waaay too rich and creamy, and overpowered the salsa. That is not recommended! But, even with that mistake, we could tell that this recipe is a keeper. 

 

These are tomatillos, the basis of green Salsa Verde. My local grocer sells them, and they are becoming increasingly popular.  You peel them, chop them up, and add them into the salsa. They are great raw, and they are fabulous roasted.

 

Green Verde Enchiladas
Adapted from Prevention RD for the Secret Recipe Club

(I would recommend doubling the sauce ingredients!)


12 tomatillos, paper skin removed and cut in half
2 poblano peppers, quartered
1 head of garlic
1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (A rotisserie would be fabulous)
4 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
6 oz part-skim Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
10 whole wheat tortillas



In a large skillet, combine tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic cloves, and onion. Allow to dry roast over medium heat 3-5 minutes until tomatillos become very soft, garlic and onion begin to brown and peppers begin to blister.

Add peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, onions and cilantro to a food processor and process until smooth.

Add tomatillo sauce back to skillet. Season with salt and cumin. Season additionally to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add shredded chicken to remaining sauce in skillet over medium low heat. Add cubes of cream cheese to sauce. Stir to blend.

To assemble, spray 9 x 13 pan with non stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of reserved sauce in bottom of pan. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto one side of the tortilla; roll to close. Lay seam side down in pan. Repeat process until all filling or tortillas are gone.

Top enchiladas with 1/4 cup remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Yield: 5 servings (2 enchiladas each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 501 calories; 15.4 g. fat; 67 mg. cholesterol; 653 mg. sodium; 58 g. carbohydrate; 6.2 g. fiber; 32.6 g. protein


Thank you Nicole for the fabulous recipe!

Enjoy!

Herb Crusted Tenderloin

I rarely cook tenderloin, just because of the high prices. However, when I saw this recipe at A Spoonful of Thyme, it looked too good to resist. I put it on my menu plan and went shopping. It just so happened that my store had tenderloins on sale too! So we had a guilt-free, divine dinner! 

 
Herb Tenderloins

Aspoonfulofthyme.blogspot.com


½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 Tb fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 ½ Tb fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 ½ teas coarse salt

1 teas coarsely ground black pepper

4 beef tenderloins, cut ¾ inch thick (about 1 pound)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil


In a shallow baking dish, thoroughly mix together the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Using the palms of your hands, and your fingertips, gently flatten the beef tenderloins to about ½ inch thick.

Coat the beef tenderloins by gently pressing them into the herb mixture on one side, and then the other.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the first wisp of smoke appears, use tongs to set the coated beef tenderloins into the pan in a single layer. Cook until darkly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, until deeply browned, another 2-3 minutes (or to desired doneness).


Transfer cooked tenderloins to a warmed platter and rest for 5 minutes before serving.


Enjoy!

White Chicken and Veggie Lasagna

Well, I've given up and joined Pinterest. And found yet another source of great recipes! Now I'm really never going to get through my "new recipe" file! 

I love lasagna. Mainly the traditional red beef lasagna, like my family favorite.  When I saw this White Chicken and Veggie Lasagna on Pinterest though, I knew I wanted to try it. 

I added a few veggies to the original recipe, and feel free to add more.  I cut down the amount of cream cheese, since it was just too rich and creamy for me. The original recipe called for 2 bricks of cream cheese and 1 cup of milk. If you like extra creamy, go for it!

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

Adapted from Taste of Home.com


2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
½ Red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cans chopped tomatoes, drained. Chop into smaller pieces

1 8oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teas Pepper
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided

12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Heat oven to 350°F.
Start cooking your lasagna noodles according to the package directions.

Combine chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, red bell pepper, and tomatoes. 

In another bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, pepper, and garlic with mixer until well blended (it will still be a little lumpy, especially if your cream cheese is cold). Stir in 2 Tb basil. Mix half the cream cheese mixture with the chicken.

Spread half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover with foil.

Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Enjoy!

Easy Italian Dinner Rolls

Do you see these wonderful, soft and warm dinner rolls? Don't they look like they took a long time to make? Guess what? They didn't!

I've been in bed with a cold for the last few days, and needed super easy meals.  We've mostly been eating frozen foods, but these rolls were a life-saver!   Start them about 3-5 hours before dinner, and you've got warm delicious rolls. 

Easy Italian Dinner Rolls
The Double Dipped Life

15 frozen dinner rolls
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Cooking Spray


Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Place your frozen rolls in the dish. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese.  Spray the tops of the rolls, and cover with plastic wrap.  Follow the directions on the roll bag for rising. It took mine about 4 hours. 

Bake as directed on the package.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with more cheese if desired. Enjoy hot!

Tuscan Chicken

Have you ever had a dish at home that was restaurant quality? That people might accuse you of buying instead of making? This is one of those dishes. It's a fancy dish that is actually pretty simple to make. 

Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 4-6

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tb salt
1 teas pepper
1/2 teas dried basil
1/2 teas dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tenders)
5 Tb extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tb finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teas cornstarch
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 Tb of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 Tb olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sautéing for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in one Tb flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Tropical Pancakes

Growing up, my favorite dinners were breakfast. And not any ordinary breakfast, but pancakes or waffles or french toast covered in strawberries and whipped cream. So, basically dessert and breakfast in one, for dinner. Make sense? I know it makes sense to me... and to my tastebuds! 

This all came to me the other night while I was making pancakes. I had strawberries, I had whipping cream... it was dessert time! As I started whipping the cream, I had another epiphany. Why not use the Tropical Shortcake topping on the pancakes? Using lime and coconut could only elevate this breakfast/dinner/dessert, right? Right. 

So, click on over to my Tropical Shortcake recipe and enjoy! 

Here's a great from-scratch pancake recipe too!

Spicy Baja Beef Tortilla Wraps

Yum. This is a quick and easy lunch, or light dinner. You might even have most of the ingredients on hand.  I made some of the Creamy Chipotle Dressing for another meal, and had some leftover. The spiciness it adds to this wrap is just so good!

Spicy Baja Beef Tortilla Wraps
Adapted from: Cooking Light,  fresh food fast

Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing

1/2 -1 cup light ranch dressing (start with 1/2 cup- add more if it ends up too spicy!)

1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

1 green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces

Place ingredients into a blender; process until smooth.  Taste, and add more Ranch dressing if it's too spicy!

.


Wraps:
6 inch flour tortillas
Lettuce
Monterey Jack cheese (or your favorite), shredded
Avocado - cubed
Pico de Gallo
Roast Beef deli meat, cut into bite sized pieces
chopped Tomato

Warm your tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds. Spread the Adobo sauce over the tortilla. Layer the rest of the ingredients on top. Eat as a salad, or close the tortilla for a wrap. Enjoy!

Baptism dinner recipes

On Tuesday, I posted about my son's baptism.  Afterward we had a wonderful dinner for our family and friends.  Today I wanted to share some of those recipes!

Appetizers

Since people were coming from the church, and I still had last minute dinner prep, I had some ready-to-serve appetizers that I was able to set out quickly. This kept the crowd happy until dinner was ready.

Fruit Salad with Cinnamon Chips by Double Dipped Life

I've made this before, but this time I used Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwi, and Pineapple. I sprinkled sugar and lime juice, and served with Cinnamon Chips. I did not make the chips this time; I got lucky and found a brand at Costco. This dish was probably the most raved about dish the entire night! I love it when the easy dishes are so good!

The Best Cheeseball by MelsKitchenCafe

This recipe makes 4 cheeseballs, but I only needed 2. So, I cut the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in half. I then forgot that I was halving it, and added the full strength spices and seasonings. But, you know what? It was divine!  The first ball was eaten quickly, and I ate the 2nd one over the course of the next week! I will make it this way from now on!

With these, we served a veggie tray from Smith's, Stacey brand Pita chips (my new favorite), and crackers.

Dinner

For the main course, I served a Ham from Costo, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, and a Salad.  The salad was a simple version of my Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans, Apples, Feta, and Cranberries. I bought a Spring Salad mix, added cranberries, and pre-made toffee almonds (made for salads), feta, and used White Balsamic dressing. It was a hit!  I'm going to hold off on the recipe for the potatoes for another post! They were so good, they deserve their own spotlight! 

Dessert

Dessert was a cheesecake, also purchased from Costco, with an assortment of toppings. I also made Snickerdoodles for Tanner since they are his favorite! That recipe will be coming soon as well. I originally made the Graham Cracker Snickerdoodles, but discovered that recipe can NOT be doubled! 

What a great night! I enjoyed everyone's company, and loved having a party to cook for. Thanks to all of you who came!