Week of Sept. 19, 2016

Caviar

Texas Caviar

I may have posted a similar recipe or “Cowboy Caviar” previously.  Be sure to rinse and drain all the canned items.  If there are t hings you highly dislike you can leave out a thing or two, but I like it ALL!

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can whole kernal corn, drained
  • 1 large orange or red bell pepper, diced
  • 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, mashed or finely diced

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.  Eat with your favorite corn chips. ENJOY!

Zoodles with Garlic Parmesean Butter

Zoodles what is it?

Well it is zuchinni cut with a spiralizer or vegetti (purchase on AMAZON or Bed Bath and Beyond) Similar to this zucchini-noodle-spiralizer-2

ingredients

  • about 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional

Directions:

Cut zucchini into spirals or noodle strands using the vegetable spiralizer or julienne peeler. Set aside noodles.
Heat large pan on medium-high heat. Melt butter, then add garlic. Cook garlic till fragrant and translucent. Don’t burn the garlic.
Add zucchini noodles and cook till tender, about 3-5 minutes. Zucchini noodles cook really fast, so taste a strand as you cook and decide how firm or al-dente you want the zucchini. Don’t overcook the zucchini noodles or else they’ll become mushy.
Remove the pan from the heat, add Parmesan cheese and season generously with salt/pepper to taste. Add chili flakes if desired, then serve warm.

Chicken Sausage with Sweet Potato

This is so EASY!!

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1½ white sweet potatoes, diced into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • 12 ounces chicken sausage links, cooked and sliced
  • ½ bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and red onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes start to turn golden brown. Add the sliced cooked sausage and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 more minutes.  Potatoes should be fully cooked. Remove from heat; garnish with parsley.

Cabbage Roll Soup

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef (I prefer Turkey meat)
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 small head cabbage, chopped
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 6 oz water
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

  • Optional for extra spice:
  • 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • A few leaves of chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Heat a Dutch oven or extra large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil and cook the onions until translucent. Cook beef or turkey mean and onion in the hot Dutch oven until browned.
  3. Drain and discard grease.
  4. Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin and fresh basil. I found by using the fire roasted tomatoes it made a huge difference in taste.
  5. Bring the ingredients to a boil.
  6. Cover Dutch oven, reduce heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender. This will take about 30 minutes.
  7. It may seem like you don’t have enough water at first but when the cabbage cooks down it will be perfect

Bacon Broccoli Salad

I no longer eat pork products, I never really liked bacon all that much,(I know gasp), I like turkey bacon for some things, but then I found SCHMACON Beef Bacon!!  I can only get it at one place here where I live and it is Central Market in South Texas.  You can find it on AMAZON, but I have never ordered it that way. This is what it looks likeschmacon

I prefer this for certain recipes, this one  happens to be one of the recipes I would say needs to be pork or beef bacon

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 8 slices bacon, pork or beef
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds

PREPARATION

  1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until crispy.
  2. Combine broccoli, red onion, grapes and celery in large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar and apple cider vinegar.
  4. Drain bacon slices on paper towel. Crumble 7 slices of bacon and mix into broccoli mixture
  5. Crumble remaining bacon and mix into dressing. Pour dressing over broccoli and toss together.
  6. Mix in slivered almonds so everything is thoroughly coated, then cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving so flavors combine.