Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Roasted tomatillo Salsa

Half your salsa ingredients and place them on a baking sheet.

This time we did green peppers, onions, tomatillos, garlic, and jalepenos.

Roast until they're browned.

*insert pic of vitamix full here*  (oops!)

Pulse with salt, pepper, lime juice or vinegar, cilantro, cumin and oregano.

Place in a bowl.  Enjoy still hot/warm or allow to cool.  

Eat with chips, or we love to mix it with shredded chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, and bell peppers chopped up as a burrito!

How do you eat your tomatillos?

Chicken Roll Ups

We love these, but I don't have a "recipe" i just kind of make it. 
Pound out chicken (thighs, breasts, or whatever you have).  Sprinkle each side with salt, pepper,  garlic and Italian seasoning, then layer salami, provolone, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. (Or another seasoning and filling combination of your choice.)
Roll it up, or fold in half.  Secure it with a toothpick.
Heat a cast iron pan (or other oven safe pan) with some olive oil and sear on each side.  Then bake in the oven until cooked through. 

Some other versions we've done are:
Ham thinly sliced or finely chopped with swiss cheese and spinach served with a honey mustard or dijon/mayo dipping sauce.
Bacon, pesto and mozzarella.
Salami, provolone, basil, roasted red peppers, pepperocini peppers and artichoke hearts.

I normally use whatever needs to get used up from the fridge!  What filling will you try?

Enchiladas

Enchilada sauce:
3 jalepenos  (whole or scrape the seeds out depending on how spicy you like)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 beefsteak tomatoes
A pinch of salt
Process in blender or food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a pan and let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened. 

Mix:
12 oz shredded chicken
2 chopped jalepenos
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 tsp of fresh chopped oregano 1/2 the batch of sauce
salt to taste

Place in the center of a tortilla and place seam side down in a large baking dish.  Repeat.  (It usually makes about 8).  Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with additional cheese. 
Bake at 350 for 20 mins.   I usually serve it with rice and black beans, or refried beans.  Enjoy!

For gluten free enjoyment, use brown rice tortillas, or make a rice/quinoa bowl.

Chili

Chili Mix:

1/2 cup Dried Parsley
1/2 cup Chili Powder
1/4 cup Dried Minced Onion
2 Tbsp Real Salt
2 Tbsp Dried Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp Dried Cilantro
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch 

1/4 cup = 1 packet (Although I only eyeball it into my pot. 

I don't have a "recipe" for my chili, so it comes out different everytime. I start with browning meat (beef, turkey or venison) with some veggies (onion, garlic, bell peppers, diced zucchini, shredded carrots, etc. ) and salt and pepper.  Let some tomato paste cook ti get a richer, deeper flavor.  Add tomatoes,  stock, chili seasoning, lentils and beans.  Cover and let simmer for hours. 

I usually make a huge batch and freeze dinner sized amounts in ziplocks.  Then we can thaw it and have dinner almost ready! 

We like to have it over rice, with cornbread or eat it over baked potatoes.

 Our favorite way to finish off the last bit is chili dip! 

Chili dip:

1 block of cream cheese

2 ish cups of chili

Chili seasoning 

Shredded cheese

Crackers or chips

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spread a block of cream cheese into a pie plate,  making sure to smear up the sides, just like you would a pie crust.  Season the chili with extra seasoning,  if it needs it,  pour on top of the cream cheese.   Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25 minutes or until the chili is hot through,  and the cheese is melted. 

Here are a few of our other favorite chili recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/three-bean-and-beef-chili-recipe.html

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetarian-quinoa-chili/?

http://audreyleeb.blogspot.com/2010/03/white-chicken-chili.html?m=1

I double and freeze half of each other these recipes as well, and the two red ones also make delicious chili dip.  

Do have a recipe? Or is chili something you just make?  How do you serve yours?

Garlic Sauteed Greens

1 Bunch Swiss Chard
Kale
Spinach
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 of a large onion
Butter
Olive Oil

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil.  Saute the onion, garlic, kale and chard stems until softened.  Season with Salt and Pepper.  Roughly chop the  leaves and add them and the spinach to the pan with more butter/oil if needed.  Gently moves the leaves around until they start to cook down.  Turn the heat down and cover.  Serve with vinegar if desired.

My friend Brie got us hooked on her wilted spinach.  She uses bacon grease, and soy sauce to flavor hers.  So good! Check her out
https://instagram.com/p/z-25KiRncN/

Bread machine GF bread

My mother in law gave me a gluten free cookbook for Christmas, and I found a recipe for Rice Bread for Bread Machine.  It was tasty, but too sweet, so I adjusted a few things, and this is what I came up with. 

Rice Bread for Bread Machine 

1 3/4 cups warm water 
2 Tbsp Butter/Coconut Oil 
2 Tbsp Honey or sweetener of choice 
1 tsp Salt 
3 1/2 cups GF Flour* (my recipe for gf flour is below) 
1 1/2 tsp yeast 

Place into bread machine in order given and set on basic cycle.

We love this bread, hot right out of the bread machine, toasted, not toasted, sliced thick with soup, sliced thin for sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. Any way we have tried it, we have loved it. It has a great texture too - moist, not crumbly. It's definitely the cheapest, most delicious and versatile GF bread we've had so far!

 * My GF Flour Blend: 
4 cups brown rice flour 
2 cups arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
 
Whisk well. Substitute cup for cup. 

Brenda's Oriental Chicken Noodle Salad Remake

This used to be my favorite salad,  but the original recipe calls for Ramen noodles,  and we don't eat those anymore,  so I needed to re do the recipe to fit our new needs. And with these changes, it has once again become my favorite salad.  It has such a light, crisp and refreshing flavor.  

Brenda's Oriental Chicken Noodle Salad Remake

Nut mixture:
2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2-1 cup of nuts/seeds of your choice (sliced almonds,  pumpkin seeds,  cashews, sesame seeds,  Chia seeds,  etc. It really depends on what I have handy. This is the replacement for the 3 oz package of crumbled Ramen noodles)

Melt the butter in an oven safe baking dish, then add all of your seeds and nuts.  Season with salt and pepper to taste bake at 350° for 10 minutes,  or until golden.  Allow to cool.

Salad:
3 cups of shredded lettuce
1/2 cup of green onion,  thinly sliced
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
3 oz can of water chestnuts
1 cup snow peas

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce,  but omit the salt)
Splash of maple syrup (optional)
juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

When ready to serve, combine a balance of the ingredients together and toss with the nut mixture and dressing.

*I sometimes add fresh cilantro as well.