Zucchini and Chicken Salad

This recipe is adapted from a Martha recipe. Very delicious and easy summer dinner!

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. white sugar
1 1/4 lbs. zucchini, thinly sliced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (or I used the meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken)
1 bunch (about 8 oz.) fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 grated Parmesan

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup oil and lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini; toss to coat, and let marinate while cooking chicken.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and opaque throughout, about 7 minutes per side. Or if using rotisserie chicken, just heat it through (but be sure to still give the zucchini adequate time to marinate!)

3. Toss the warm chicken with zucchini mixture, spinach, onion, pecans, and Parmesan. Serve.

Easy and Delicious Key Lime Pie

I didn't know if I was a key lime pie fan or not, but I couldn't resist buying the cute little key limes at the farmer's market. I found a highly rated recipe on allrecipes.com and it was a success!

Ingredients:
1 9" prepared graham cracker crust
2 small cans of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup of key lime juice (about 20 key limes)
1 Tbs. of grated lime zest

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and pour into the pie crust.
3. Bake for 5-8 minutes until tiny pin hole bubbles burst on the surface. Do not brown. Chill pie thoroughly before serving.

One hint for juicing those key limes is to use a garlic press. It's still time consuming but so much easier on the fingers. And also, we served our pie with fresh whipped cream. It is very rich and very tart, but now I can say, I am a key lime pie fan!

Melissa d'Arabian's 4 Step Chicken

I saw a rerun of "The Next Food Network Star," and it inspired me to give the winner's 4 Step Chicken a try. We loved it. Here is the recipe copied and pasted from here.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways (butterflied, cut all the way through)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1 cup chicken broth
3 lemons, juiced

Directions:
Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.

In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic.

In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.

Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place a bed of cooked spinach on a serving platter, top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.


If you read reviews of the recipe from the link above, some people said it was better when they cut back on the lemon. I used all 3 lemons, and yes it was tangy, and very flavorful. I loved the tastes of the lemon and red onion battling against each other. I didn't use the white wine, and I only used fresh thyme. We didn't have spinach on hand, but I bet the bed of cooked spinach would go well with the lemony sauce. (She includes the recipe for the bed of spinach as well--I didn't copy and paste that part in, so click on the link for that.)

Review (Rachel)

I decided to write a quick post about the recipes I've tried from this blog:

Oreo Cake Balls

These were tasty, but I don't recommend making them unless you have a party or something. We had leftovers for a few weeks (had to toss the last of them). But if you have a large group, it's an impressive and easy treat.

Oh Mommy! Pork Tenderloin

This was delicious. But again, not for two people, unless you're okay with eating leftover tenderloin at lunch for about a week. I never cooked pork before, ever. At all. So this was new for me, and I made some big mistakes in the process, but I was able to save it in the end.

I had fresh ginger on hand, so I minced up some ginger--which I think made it a tad too gingery. So if I make it again, I'll add less ginger (if using fresh ginger). But this wasn't really a mistake, but more of taste preference.

Here are my rookie mistakes:

1. I forgot to spray the pan.
2. I was really dumb, and I dumped the marinade into the pan with the pork. The marinade burned, leaving a lovely black mess on my Pyrex.
3. After it had cooked for 25 minutes, a wide crevice straight down the middle showed that the insides were far from being cooked. Then I was like, oh, it's two pieces! Dur. I had taken the two tenderloins out of the plastic thinking it was just one big hunk of meat. So since I had to separate the pieces, I removed them from the burnt pan as well, and placed them in another (sprayed) pan to cook some more. It took about 20-25 more minutes to finish cooking. But! The end result was perfectly fine. Although the kitchen smelled like burnt marinade all night.

Lulu's Oven Stew

Since I've grown up eating this stew, I already knew it was delicious before I made it. Easy to make, and the leftovers are great.

Next up, I hope to make Ashley's Zucchini Fritters and Elise's Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Norwegian Pancakes

Norwegian Pancakes

Our friends, Aaron and Julia, had us over for breakfast one morning, and they served us Norwegian Pancakes. Today, I decided to give it a try.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Also needed: sugar, a stick of butter, and/or Nutella if you're lucky.

Warm up a a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.

Using either a blender or a mixer (I use a hand-held mixer), mix egg, milk, flour and salt. Blend until the mixture is well-blended.

Take the stick of butter (still in its wrapper) and unwrap one end of the stick, so part of the butter is exposed and you can still comfortably hold the covered end in your hand. Rub the bottom of the pan with the butter (if the butter browns immediately, that's okay). Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan, and immediately move the pan around so the batter is evenly covering the bottom. You want these to be as thin as possible. Let the pancake cook until the edges get a little crispy and the bottom side has browned a bit. Flip the pancake over and while the other side cooks, take the butter again and rub it all over the cooked side. (The first pancake I made didn't flip very well--but once the pan was hot and buttery enough, you should be able to flip the pancakes quite easily.) When you think the second side is finishing cooking, slide the pancake onto a plate.

Sprinkle the buttered side with sugar (the more, the better of course), roll the pancake up, and enjoy!

Repeat process with each pancake.

And of course, if you have Nutella, that would be really yummy too. And as a tip, it really is easiest to rub the butter directly onto the pancake when it's still hot--the pancakes are too thin to have butter spread onto them as though buttering a piece of bread.

These are quick and easy to make (and cheap). The cook does have to make them one by one, so mama might not be able to sit down right away, since these need to be eaten immediately after they slide off the pan.

Yummy Treat!

Val brought these little guys over the night before they left. Her cousin made them and told her how, so this recipe is more like a method and I have never done it myself. I have, however, eaten them myself and they are GOOD!! And they sound very easy too!

Have you heard of cakeballs? They're very trendy right now. Not quite as trendy as cupcakes, but still popular. I imagine that you can do the same cute things with these babies as you can with cakeballs.

And "these babies" need a name...anyone want to take that on?

Ingredients:
1 package of oreos
1 package of cream cheese
meltable chocolate for dipping
sprinkles (jimmies) for sprinkling

1. Val's cousin used a stand mixer, I don't have one so I might try the food processor, but crush the oreos in the mixer. Add in the cream cheese and mix til combined.

2. Form the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and put in the fridge to harden.

3. Melt your chocolate and dip the balls.

4. Top with sprinkles (or anything really).

5. Keep them stored in the fridge.

Easy Turkey Stromboli

I found this recipe in Parents magazine and it looked pretty easy and tasty so we decided to try it.

1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 pkg (11 oz.) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust
1 cup pasta sauce, divided (I would probably have double what they recommend)
2 tsp low fat milk
1/2 cup shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 tsp grated Parmesan
1 lb. turkey-breast tenderloins, cut into strips (it would be good with this I am sure but we used chicken instead)


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a cup of water on medium in a large skillet; add turkey and return to boiling. Cover; simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then chop.
Unroll crust into a 14"x12" rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet (I just greased my pan). Spoon half the sauce down the center, lengthwise, leaving 3" on either side. Layer spinach, turkey, and cheese over sauce. Cut 12 strips on both sides of crust. Fold strips over filling, so they overlap. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 12 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce (this is where we used more sauce.)

For those interested, if made to their specifications, the Nutrition Info is as follows:
Per serving (makes 6 servings):
305 calories; 27g protein; 8g fat; (3g sat. fat); 31 carb; 2g fiber; 157mg calcium; 3mg iron; 553mg sodium.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

This is Leah's recipe. Since our church doesn't get out until 4:30 this year, it's nice to have something going in the crock pot so we can just eat when we get home. This was a crowd-pleaser last weekend and our friends are salivating for the recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:
2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese

Directions:
Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans, and taco seasoning over the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place on serving dish. Stir in sour cream and cheese to slow cooker and then pour over chicken. Serve with warm tortillas and spanish rice.

Leah's (and now mine) variations:
Cut the chicken into bite ssize pieces before cooking. Then don't remove them at the end. Just stir in the cheese and sour cream and serve over white or brown rice with tortillas.

I also used rotel cause I was out of salsa and I used chicken taco seasoning.

Chicken & Potato Bake

I got this recipe from a friend. I love that it was yummy and not complicated. And while it cooks for awhile prep time is minimal. I made a couple of substitutions using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and red potatoes. Enjoy!

Chicken & Potato Bake
4 bone-in chicken pieces
4 large potatoes, cut in wedges
1 small onion, sliced or wedged (optional)
¼ cup zesty Italian dressing
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken, potatoes, and onions in a baking dish and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake one hour or until done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is that fall time of year and pumpkin treats come to mind. I love this recipe and have received many compliments and requests for the recipe, so I hope you have a chance to enjoy it this year too!

1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
½ cup butter, melted (one stick)
8 oz of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Blend wet ingredients separately. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Stir only until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. The batter does not rise a lot while cooking so fill cups about the size you want the muffins. Makes 12 big muffins or 15 small muffins. Original recipe says cook 17-18 minutes but really seems to be more like 20-25, depending on how big you made your muffins.

Another note: The canned plain pumpkin seems to come in two sizes, less than you need or more than you need. I have found that if you double the recipe you can use the whole big can (even though it is technically still more than you need) and they turn out yummy!

Black Bean, Mushroom and Cheese Enchiladas

I was a little leery of this recipe because I am not a fan of mushrooms but Chris likes them so I decided to go for it and just cut up the mushrooms really little. It worked and we really liked them. They were quite flavorful and you never missed the fact that there was no meat-the price of meat being another reason we wanted to try it. I also think that this could be managed in some form from food storage food.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Approximate cost: $3 per serving, (factor an additional $5 to $7 if pantry staples are needed).

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces white mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4.5 ounces) diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 large flour tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and mushrooms and sauté just until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, stir in cumin and chili powder. Let cool slightly and stir in the black beans, diced green chilies, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, sour cream and cilantro. Stir until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide mixture between the 8 tortillas, placing filling just off center of each tortilla. Roll tortillas into loose cylinders. Place the seam side down in the prepared dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with additional cheese.
6. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Remember, black beans, either dried or canned, are inexpensive, nutritious and versatile. They’re low in fat and high in fiber, protein and iron. Just a cup of black beans can provide a good portion of your daily protein and fiber with hardly any fat.

Parmesan Tilapia

Dan's response when I told him we were having Tilapia for dinner: "Ugh. Okay"

Dan's response when he tried his first bite: "This might be the best fish I've ever had!"
(He doesn't eat much fish, though)

This is quick and easy and delicious. I used 4 tilapia fillets and cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
3 Tbs. mayo (I used fat free Miracle Whip)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

1. Preheat your broiler and place the rack on the 2 setting from the top. Line a pan with foil or grease a broiling pan.
2. Mix together the cheese, butter, mayo, and lemon juice. Then add the basil, pepper, onion powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Broil the fillets for 2-3 minutes. Flip them over and broil another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from oven, cover them with the parmesan mixture and broil for 2 more minutes until the topping browns and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.

MUST Cobbler

If you like cobbler, you MUST make this!

And if you think you don't like cobbler, you MUST make this, because you will!


Please forgive the picture. I remembered to take it only after it was almost entirely eaten. Then I zoomed way in with my little camera so it wouldn't be so obvious we almost inhaled it. But now I'm telling you so that defeats the purpose.

Anyway, we pass by this fruit stand (outdoor store, really) on our way to Dallas. I have always wanted to stop and last month we finally did. I bought some beautiful blackberries. And we enjoyed this recipe.

And now I pay my parents to stop when they come down, or I stop myself if I'm the one traveling, for those blackberries. So, so yummy! And I imagine that this would taste great with most stone fruits.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. cold butter
1/4 cup boiling water
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs. lemon juice
4 cups fresh blackberries (frozen would probably work too, just thaw and get rid of the extra liquid)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line sheet pan with foil.
2. Mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.
3. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries. Transfer to a cast iron skillet (a saucepan works if you don't have one), and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. (If you used a saucepan, now's the time to transfer to a baking dish). Drop the dough onto the berries by spoonfuls. Place skillet on foil lined sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes in oven until dough is golden brown.

And finally, you MUST serve this warm (hot, even) with vanilla ice cream!

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe from Martha. If you happen to search it on her site she recommends a pasta dish that I would recommend avoiding. Olivia appropriately described the taste when she said, "Mom, this tastes like leaves." The fritters, on the other hand were awesome. I say definitely use the optional lemon wedges.


Ingredients

* 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (1 lemon) plus
* 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
* 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
* 1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.
3. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired; serve.

Empanadas and Egg Rolls

Culture Night for Recipe Group yielded a couple of great recipes that I will pass on here because they shouldn't be missed. I have not personally made them yet, just tasted, but I did see them made and I think that even I could do it. That means you for sure can! Both are authentic (which means they are made in oil)! Enjoy!!

Argentine Empanadas

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 TBS Thyme Leaves
3/4 TBS Rosemary Leaves
3/4 TBS Salt
10 sliced Spanish Olives
1/4 cup raisins
4 boiled eggs (chopped)
4 boiled potatoes (chopped into small pieces)

Directions:
1. brown ground beef with spices and raisins
2. add egg and potatoes
3. scoop a table spoon into the tapa (pastry, she does get this from a latin market, rather than a grocery store, they are frozen, I didn't see a name or brand)
4. close the tapa with fingers or fork, but be sure that you do it well-you don't want the oil to seep into the emapanada.
5. fry until golden brown (I didn't see this part but I think she said that when they float to the top of the oil they are done)

Cambodian Egg Rolls
(makes about 25 egg rolls)

1 lb ground pork or turkey
2 T sugar
a dash of salt and pepper
about 5 carrots, grated (the amount of carrots and cabbage is pretty much to taste, her family prefers the carrots to the cabbage so she always does more carrots and less cabbage.)
1-3 cups cabbage (optional)
1/2 onion chopped
clear noodles (she uses bean noodles, these are optional)
egg roll wrappers

Directions:
1. Cook pork in skillet
2. Add sugar, salt, pepper, onion, carrots and cabbage. Cook until tender
3. Place small amount of mixture in the center of the egg roll wrapper and roll according to package directions. Once again, roll tightly so there are no leaks.
4. Moisten tail end with water (some use egg whites but it is not necessary) and stick to egg roll.
5. Fry in hot oil until golden

Malibu Chicken Sandwiches

8-10 buns
3 chicken breasts (grilled), shredded
8-10 slices of ham
8-10 slices of swiss cheese
1/4 cup special mayo (recipe below)

Place chicken on bottom half of bun with ham and swiss cheese on top.
Set on baking sheet with top half of bun and broil until lightly brown
Spread special mayo on top half of bun and serve.

Special mayo:
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3 drops of Tabasco sauce
Some freshly ground pepper

I went WAY overboard last time I made these and marinated the chicken breasts and grilled them special (which tasted awesome). The next time you grill just make some extra and stick them in the fridge and then you have the chicken for the sandwiches. The other WAY overboard ticket was the homemade buns, which is totally unnecessary but also tasted unbelievable.

Oh, Mommy! Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin was on sale at the grocery so I snatched some up.

So for Sunday dinner, I cut up a cantaloupe and made Linda's salad. (That should be another post!)

And the tenderloin took longer to cook than I was planning. I had enough time to set it down, take it's picture, and grab my keys to make it to a fireside.

When I got home, I asked Dan, "How was it?" His reply was, "Oh, Mommy!" I couldn't tell if that meant good or bad, but as I made my way to the table and saw that one ENTIRE tenderloin was gone, I knew it meant good.

I tried it and it was!


Oh Mommy Pork Tenderloin

5 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. pepper
(2) 1 lb. pork tenderloins

1. Mix all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Add the meat.
2. Marinate in the fridge for as long as possible. Mine was about 4.5 hours
3. Cook uncovered in a pan sprayed with cooking spray for 25-35 minutes per lb. at 425. Or until it reaches 160 degrees.
4. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serve with the pan drippings.

Buttermilk Pancakes and a Couple of Syrups

Truckstop Buttermilk Pancakes

This makes a crazy amount of pancakes - so have some Ziplock bags handy to freeze the extra. My family will never settle for boxed pancake mix again - these are so yummy! I never used to buy buttermilk, but now it's always on my shopping list.

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

5 cups buttermilk

5 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp. baking powder

5 tsp. baking soda

1 pinch salt

5 Tbsp. sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter and the buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder , baking soda and sugar; stir into the wet ingredients just until blended. Adjust the thickness of the batter to your liking by adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a preheated non-stick griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Plan on a lot of time to make it through all this batter.

Okay, now for some syrup. Just a couple recipes I've found that my family loves. Super simple and so delicious, the Mrs. Butterworth's is just sitting in the back of the pantry.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-5 oz. can evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk. This would be delicious on vanilla ice cream too!

or...........

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan (don't try a small - this really gets big!) stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup and baking soda. Bring to a boil and cook for seven minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. As the syrup cooks, it turns a warm, caramely brown - so good!!!

Creamy Chicken Torilla Soup

This is so quick and easy!

Ingredients:
1-2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles) depending on how spicy you like it.
2 cans (14.5 oz.) Chicken broth
1 can no fat refried beans
1/2 cup corn
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (to make this even quicker I just shred the meat off a rotisserie chicken I buy at the store)
tortilla chips
shredded cheese
sour cream

1. Combine tomatoes and broth in medium saucepan.
2. Stir in beans and corn and bring to a boil.
3. Then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add chicken and heat through.
5. Top with tortilla chips and serve with cheese and sour cream.

I also like to serve this soup with the torillas you cook at home. They are by the eggs in the refrigerated section at my store. Just cook 'em up, butter 'em, and eat and/or dip in soup.

Yummy!

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Slices

2-3 sweet potatoes (orange flesh), sliced about 1/8" thick

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder or cayenne

1 tsp. onion powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix olive oil and spices together and drizzle over sweet potatoes and toss together until all the slices are coated. Spread the slices on a large pan lined with aluminum foil (I also used some cooking spray), and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

I found this recipe online after looking for a healthy way to prepare sweet potatoes.

Verdict: Delicious!

A few things to note:

• These did not become crispy. I used about about 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, but I don't think that more oil would have equaled more crispiness. I think you could go down to just 1 Tbsp. and be fine - might cut a few more calories, etc.
• I baked mine for the whole 30 minutes and they were perfect - firm enough to hold their shape in a serving dish and stirring around on the baking sheet.
• This spice level would be great for little kids...I wanted more. Next time I will probably double the cumin and chili powder. I think you can play around with it to suit individual tastes. Extra spice could also be added after baking.
• I peeled my sweet potatoes even though the recipe didn't say to. I think I'll leave the skins on when I make this again. More fiber.
• There were a few slices that got a little dark -not charred, but definitely a deep brown. They were just a little bit chewy and by far my favorite part. Yummy! I'll use the broiler for a minute or two next time.
• Sweet Potatoes are VERY good for you! Eat them!
• I seem to have a lot of "next time" thoughts about this recipe - sorry - I've only made it once. It was really really good, so don't think you have to play around around with it to get good results. If you make them and find any other tweaking type things, please put them in your comments!!
• I'm serious about that nutrition thing.
• Also, they said to eat them.