[Instant Pot] Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup

I got a phenomenal deal on chicken leg quarters and decided to make Mexican chicken and rice soup. It was perfect on this cold midwestern day. I used a recipe on Allrecipes as a base for my idea but tweaked it a bit for the Instant Pot. Here's what I did:

Peanut Butter Cookie Dip

Apparently, the kids enjoyed it. :)

I love "dessert" type dips with my apple slices (or celery), but a lot of them are high in sugar and thus high in carbohydrates. A couple of months ago I attended a meeting with a dietitian and she suggested this as a good low carb substitute to caramel dip. This dip is low carb, gluten free, and can be made sugar free. Plus, it helps that it's delicious.

Kale Salad with Lime Dressing

Yummy!

This summer we are sharing a garden with our neighbors and decided to grow kale as both our families enjoy it. I like kale in soup, salad, smoothies, etc. and our kale has done fantastically well. With the kale doing so well and us trying to eat healthier, I decided to make a kale salad for our ladies mission society's annual picnic. The nice thing about a kale salad is the fact that it really doesn't wilt. You can make up most of this salad the day before and then just add the remaining ingredients a couple of hours before serving. It also pairs nicely with some grilled chicken if you decide to make it a "Salad as a main dish" sort of night.

[Crockpot] Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

I thoroughly enjoy a good crockpot meal on Sundays (or any day that I'm at the office).
You know, the kind that's simple, quick, and ready to eat as soon as I get home from church. Well, this is that kind of dish. It takes about 15-20 minutes of prep time and 4 or more hours in the crockpot. Our family loves Tex-Mex food so it's also one of those meals that I don't have to "force" the kids to eat. Bonus!

[No sugar added] Tropical Yorbet

The other day I was cleaning the kitchen and came to the realization that my pineapple and two
mangoes were getting dangerously close to overripe. I didn't want a smoothie because I prefer my smoothies with banana in them and I was out of bananas. A fruit salad wasn't sounding terribly appealing to me either. I decided to grab my blender and ice cream machine from the cupboard and play. I tossed in the mangoes, half the pineapple (I let the kids munch on the rest), a cup or so of coconut milk, and 16 oz. of plain Greek yogurt (although vanilla would go nicely as well).

Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Deli-style Turkey Breast and Homemade Stock

The finished product, YUMMY!

We love deli sandwiches and wraps here, but deli meat is so expensive and often leaves much to desired in the flavor department. Since attempting deli roast beef last year, I have wanted to try my hand at other deli meats, namely turkey. So after stopping by the deli only to find that turkey was a whopping $4.48/lb on sale, I decided to pick up a couple of turkey breasts while I was at the store, which I got for $1.99/lb. I know that some of the weight is the carcass (ribs, wings, and such) so I knew I'd probably only get about half the weight in actual meat but decided that having some homemade stock on hand would be a good thing. I will admit that the process takes a few days to complete but it's fairly easy to do and taste A-MAZING. So here goes...

Grilled Honey Cinnamon Plums

This is such an easy and delicious dessert to make on the grill while plums are in season. Top your freshly grilled plums with homemade whipped cream, vanilla frozen yogurt, or lowfat ice cream.

• Plums (however many you what to make, you can get about 4 thick slices out of one plum)
• Cinnamon
• Honey

Directions

1. Sprinkle plum slices with cinnamon, then drizzle with honey. 
2. Place on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes each side. Serve warm with any of the above mentioned toppings. 

Pear Butter: A Fall Treat

When went to the old house for a few days to check on things and discovered that the pears were ready to be picked. Since we didn't get a chance to spray for bugs and things, they weren't really "for eating" pears but they have lots of flavor so they work well in baking and such. I gathered a decent sized plastic totes' worth and brought them home. I didn't have a lot of time so I knew that I needed something that I could make in the crockpot. That's when I remembered a Pin I'd seen for crockpot apple butter and I figured Pear Butter was a good alternative so off I went to experiment.

Dinner at 8pm: September 2013

The entire meal (including dessert and coffee)
only cost us between $25-$30. If we would
have gone out, the meal would have cost us
between $50-$70 with tip, plus another
$40 or so for a sitter. 

This summer has been so incredibly busy that we've had no time for date night "in". With school starting, and the craziness it brings, I decided that Dinner at 8pm was a must! I love how it gives time to cook and chat with each other (without interruption) on a completely different level than when the kids are awake. I will also admit that I enjoy the fact that it's way more economical for us than hiring a sitter and paying for dinner, dessert, and coffee. On September 13th, we will put the kids to bed a little early, make ourselves a delicious dinner, and enjoy some time together without breaking the bank. :) Here is our delectable menu for the evening. By the way, everything except the rice and frozen yogurt will be prepared on the grill so the kitchen will be quiet, which helps the kids to fall asleep faster.

Grilled Green Beans and Carrots

Grilled Green Beans and Carrots = YUMMY!

I needed a veggie for dinner the other night but wanted to make it on the grill. Mr. R has an aversion to summer squash and zucchini (it's a texture thing, not the taste) so I really didn't want to make that. What other veggie can be made on the grill that all my kids like? Hmmmm...then I saw it. A recipe for green beans and carrots on the grill (thank you, Pinterest!). Now, you know me, I can't leave a recipe alone so here's my take on it.

Going "Green" for Supper: salad as a main dish

Our family enjoys salad as a main dish at least once a month (even more during the summer months). It is a

when making salad for dinner, sometimes I'll make bread
bowls (like the picture), breadsticks, or rolls as a side dish

healthy, filling meal and offers something for everyone. I like to use a variety of greens: baby spinach, romaine, iceberg, leaf lettuce, Boston/Bibb, etc. There's a really great visual to salad greens here.

Monster Spinach Smoothie

I discovered a delicious smoothie recipe. It's only 342 calories for roughly 26oz. It is really good after a morning run and loaded with nutrients. :o)

Monster Purple Spinach Smoothie

• 1 handful Baby Spinach (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple or Chunks 
• 1 medium banana (7"-8") 
• 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt (I used lowfat vanilla but am going to try Greek when I can get it on sale) 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/2 cup strawberries, halved 
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 

Puree in a blend and enjoy!

I found the original recipe Pinterest (shown below). It didn't call for the berries but I add them because they're in season and supposed to be a great boost for runners. 

Green Spinach Smoothie

• 2 handful Baby Spinach (about 2 cup) 
• 1 cup Crushed Pineapple or Chunks 
• 2 medium bananas (7"-8") 
• 1 cup lowfat yogurt 
• 1 cup water 

Chili Dog Sauce

I LOVE chili dogs but am not a fan of how unhealthy the store bought sauce is for you so I decided to make my own a couple of weeks ago. It turned out beautifully! A friend, who is not normally a fan of hot dogs, commented on how good it was. The sauce has a nice amount of spice, a lot of flavor, loads of extra nutrients, and makes a huge batch. I like that it makes a great big batch because then I have leftovers - leftovers that can be used in a tomato chili, frozen for future chili dogs, or added to nacho cheese for chip dip.

• 1 lb Ground Turkey (you could also sub beef, venison, chicken, etc.)
• 1 1/2 cups Small Red Beans (Dry)
• 2 cups Spinach leaves - Raw
• 2 cup Carrots, grated
• 1 medium Onion, cut into chunks
• 1 cup red bell peppers, cut into chunks  
• 2 cans Red Gold - Chili Ready Diced Tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 3 teaspoons Jalapeno Hot Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tablespoon Oregano, dried
• 3 cloves Garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rinse and cook beans (never cooked your own, here are some cooking instructions / tips).
2. while beans are simmering, throw all the ingredients (except the meat and beans) in a food processor or blender and puree. Then pour them into a 6 quart slow cooker on low. (You may need to process/blend in a few batches as it may be too much liquid for just one.)
3. Brown turkey with salt and pepper; drain and add meat to the slow cooker.
4. Once the beans are cooked, toss them into the food processor or blender and pulse till they are small crumbles in size (you can also leave some whole for texture; add to slow cooker.
5. Let everything simmer for 3-6 hours. 
6. Then enjoy!

If you like a meatier sauce, by all means, add more meat. I may add another half a pound next time I make this.

1 serving = 1/4 cup of sauce (36 calories)

Bulking Up Ground Meats

I have recently started adding a few things to my ground meats - venison, chicken/turkey, and beef, haven't tried it with pork yet - to add more nutrients, flavor and bulk (making it stretch a bit farther). Here are some things that I've added and a few that people have suggested (**). This is per pound of meat:

• 1 cup finely shredded carrot
• 1 cup  finely chopped fresh spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2-4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1/2 refried beans** (I'd opt for making homemade beans and then pureeing them)
• grains such as cooked rice, cooked barley, uncooked oats, bran cereal, crushed crackers or breadcrumbs
• finely chopped mushroom**

Banana Pancakes

I needed to use up a bunch of VERY ripe bananas and decided to try my hand at banana pancakes. I happened upon a great (and healthy) recipe at Shef Shanan's. They were a huge success and the kids ate them up faster than I could dish them up! I did triple the original recipe as I was hoping to have extras to freeze.

White-Bean Stew With Pasta

I happened to see this recipe in Parents magazine (October 2011, p. 168) and thought it looked delicious. Can't wait to try it!

Chipotle & Orange Grilled Chicken

Jared and I are big fans of Bobby Flay. We may even be slightly addicted to his shows. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact the both of us love southwestern flavors (our first "date" was even at a Tex-Mex restaurant called the Tumbleweed, but that's another story altogether). Anyway, Bobby uses chipotles in a lot of things and has "introduced" them to us.

Cuban Braised Beef with Avocado Onion Salad

We were recently given a Florida avocado, which is MUCH larger than a Hass avocado, by a Cuban woman at our church whose parents live in Florida and have a few avocado trees. Everyone except Mr. R. likes avocado we were excited about using it. When the hubby asked what all they use avocados for in Cuban cooking, she mentioned that they eat it like you would a salad - sliced with some onions then drizzle with an olive oil and lime dressing, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I had some leftover venison steaks and wanted to make something "Cuban" in flavor to go along with the avocado salad.

Cantaloupe Bread / Muffins

Last summer I discovered that you can make bread using cantaloupe puree much like you can do with pumpkin. I had an overflow of cantaloupe left from the garden and decided to try it. The bread has a very mild flavor with hints of cinnamon and ginger and is a nice way to use up your fresh produce. You can even puree the melon ahead of time and freeze it in 2 cup increments for later use.

Cold Melon Soup

While we were on our cruise back in February, I tried cold soup for the first time. I really enjoyed the different soups that we had, everything from pineapple raspberry to melon. With that said, Miss E. has been asking me every week or two if she can make some soup since we let Mr. R. make chili last month for the cook-off. One of the local grocery stores had a melon extravaganza this week and I decided to pick up several varieties. I figured that now was the time to experiment with cold soup being the temperatures have been in the high 90's. I will mention that the cold soups we had on the cruise were all fairly sweet and I wanted something with a little more subtle flavor.