Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

Yum

I'm back with another soup recipe today!

Work has been a bear these past two weeks.  I'm working on an enormous 2 month project and yesterday was the deadline.  I don't have time to even get up from my desk, which causes me to sit for long periods of time, eating lunch in front of the computer and not doing much else other that pushing this project through to completion.

Needless to say I come home after long, long work hours and I am too tired to cook.  As you can see from my lack of posts I'm too tired to blog as well!  The only cooking I'm actually doing is on the weekends, and then I'm still tired so the cooking has to be easy.

Today's soup recipe is just that...easy.  This is a slow cooker soup recipe that is to die for! It may take one additional step to make a roux, and some chopping of veggies, but it's pretty easy to throw together.  

SLOW COOKER LIGHTER KING RANCH CHICKEN SOUP

I'm sure you've heard of King Ranch Chicken Casserole right?  Well I came across a recipe that is a riff off of that infamous casserole in soup form.  You know I love a good soup, and with this long winter that just won't let go, a hot hearty bowl of soup hits the spot.  I was also drawn to this soup because of the word..."lighter".   King Ranch Chicken Casserole is filled with cheese and cream of chicken soup.  Two items that load up the calories in a dish.  This soup is lighter on the cheese and there isn't a can of cream of anything in sight!

With just 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high this slow cooker soup is ready when you are.  We typically go for a drive or over to Barnes and Noble's book store to relax on  Sunday's so making this before we leave is a great idea, because dinner is ready when we get home.

I have to say, I think this soup is my new favorite soup!  Imagine a bowl of steaming hot and hearty soup that is filled with shredded chicken, peppers, tomatoes, and southwestern flavors that pack a huge punch! Man! I'm getting hungry right now.....

Enjoy!





Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

serves 4

3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 jalapeno pepper (minced and seeded)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour (whisking continually for 1 minute so that it does not burn).

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking as your pour it in, and stir for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper). Set the sauce aside for a minute.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top them with the diced tomatoes, jalapeño, bell peppers, and onion. Pour the sauce over the top.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours), making sure to not overcook the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and stir the cheese into the slow cooker.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and add it back into the slow cooker, stirring everything together. Let the slow cooker cook on low heat for 15 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips if desired.

slightly adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

Southwestern Avocado Salad

The other day MGG and I went up to Pt. Mugu in Camarillo to watch my very first air show.  

WOW!  What an amazing thing to experience.

The RUSH you get from seeing these planes speed across the sky.  We were lucky that this show had many different airplanes but the main attraction was the BLUE ANGELS.  I can't even describe what you feel when you see them fly in formation about 10 feet from each other....or coming at each other head on, or speed over your head unexpectedly.  They almost knocked me off my feet (literally)!! Needless to say I was blown away by the air show and can't wait to go again!  

After a long day I begged MGG to go to one of the local farmer's markets in Oxnard to pick up some fresh veggies for our late lunch/early dinner.  He didn't resist too much as he knew he was in for a great treat later on.  So off we went, "Mach 1" to the farmer's market.  Oxnard is one of the major hubs for farms in CA so it is filled with farm fresh foods. Today was all about Avocados, lettuce, corn, and carrots. We loaded up and headed home in anticipation of a great salad.

Loving the flavor of the southwest I decided to throw together this quick, yet delicious salad.  It's filling, but if you would like to add meat for additional protein I highly recommend some grilled chicken.  Yum! 

Try it.
You'll LOVE it!

The flavors are perfect together and the buttery fresh avocado just adds that extra special something. I've added two different dressings for you to choose from. They are both great with this salad.  

Enjoy!



Southwestern Avocado Salad

serves 4

1 head Red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 14 oz lower sodium can black beans, rinsed
1 large tomato, diced
1 cup of shredded carrots
2 ears of corn (1 1/2 cups fresh/frozen corn)
2 avocados, cubed
Lemon juice
Queso Fresco, crumbled
Ranch Salsa dressing (optional) (see below)
or
Southwest Vinaigrette (optional) (see below)

In a large bowl, add your lettuce, beans, tomato, and carrots. Wrap the 2 corn on the cobs in plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 1/2 minutes.  Allow to cool before handling. Slice corn kernels off the cob.  Add corn to bowl.  Sprinkle avocado cubes with lemon juice to keep from browning. Add to the bowl.  Mix salad and transfer to a platter.  top with crumbled cheese and serve with your choice of salad dressing.


Ranch Salsa Dressing:  Mix 1/2 cup of bottled or homemade ranch dressing with 1/4 cup of zesty salsa.

Southwest Vinaigrette:  Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 2 Tbls. lime juice, dash of hot sauce, and 2 Tbls of chopped cilantro.  

Southwest Chicken Spaghetti - Slow Cooker Meal

I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I admit it.  It's really out of control.  

I pin...and pin...and pin all these recipes that have me drooling that my "to make" board is loading up so much I'll never make all these wonderful dishes in my lifetime.

I really need to limit myself.  Truly....I found this out the other day when I was looking for a recipe that I pinned last week and couldn't find it.  I had pinned so many other "to make" recipes after it that it was buried.  Buried I tell you.  So far down there that I would swear I pinned that months ago. One would think these are gold rather than recipes.  I'm a Pinterest hoader, that's what I am!   I think I'm wasting more time looking for things I know I pinned. This is NOT good.  Do you know the feeling?  Tell me I'm not alone.

So I decided to stop pinning items "to make" and get in there and make some of them.  Today's dish is something I've been wanting to try for quite a while now.  It's a convenient slow cooker meal which is a time saver on the weekends, or during the week when I want to come home and not have to cook.  Even in the summer the slow cooker can be your friend.  The other plus is that this is a spaghetti dish. Everyone loves spaghetti right?  You'll love this southwest variation.  It has such great flavors. 

I adapted the recipe from this blog (Lauren's Latest).  I love that is so easy to make, basically just dump and go.  The only thing you need to do is cook the spaghetti about 45 min prior to your eating time, which covers your cooking time and melding time with the chicken and the sauce.  So gooey and yummy!

The result is one Pinterest "to make" recipe down!  Woohoo!  ....and another item that I want to add to my repertoire.

Enjoy! 

Southwest Chicken Spaghetti

adapted from Lauren's Latest Crock-Pot cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small can mild diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 chicken breasts {about 1 lb.}
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4-1 lb. cooked spaghetti
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese
a few splashes chicken stock {optional}

Directions:

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock-pot.  Add the onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese on top of the chicken.   Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot.   

Cook your spaghetti according to the package directions. Add the cooked noodles to the crock-pot and top with remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock if necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.

Here's her freezer directions:
**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crock-pot and cook according to directions listed above.

Southwest Chicken Chili

Father's Day is tomorrow and it's time to celebrate all the Dads you know. 

My dad loved a good steak dinner, but today I've made another of his favorites...chili.  Dad loved a good bowl of chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese.  So hearty, comforting, and just plain good!  So let's make a down home, comfort food meal for Father's Day.

Today's chili is my quick and easy version, since it uses pantry items and/or leftovers such as pre-cooked chicken and canned ingredients.  It makes a ton of chili...enough to share with the entire family.  You can certainly halve the recipe to make less if you want.  

This isn't your standard beef chili though.  It is a delicious southwestern style chicken chili.  It's the bomb and I can hear my Dad saying "Baby, this is some damn good chili!"

This would also be the perfect game day meal.  Serve it with cornbread and you are all good to go.

Kitchen Tip:  This chili is quite hot.  You can adjust the spice to your liking by increasing or reducing the amount of chili flakes that you use.

Make a dish your dad will love and enjoy!  Happy Father's Day!!

Southwest Chicken Chili

serves 10

2 T canola oil
1 medium onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (15 ounces each) chili beans, drained
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with the juices
3 cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
1 1/3 cups 2% milk
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 T chicken stock concentrate
1 bay leaf
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder,
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings:  shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, avocado slices, jalapeno slices, sour cream

In a large pot, heat oil over a medium high heat. Add onion and cook about 7 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add garlic and stir cooking 1 minute.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.  Top with your favorite toppings.

Grilled Pork Chops with Ancho-Avocado Orzo

Sometimes it's nice to just chill at home, watch a little F1 on TV and have a nice meal.

This is exactly what we did this past weekend.  Taking some downtime, some time to really re-connect by doing everyday things and being together.  Sometimes it's best to just be and to enjoy each other's company without going out.  To work together to make a nice dinner, talk, watch a little TV, do the dishes together...you know what I mean?

It's soothing to just enjoy your loved ones company.  We like to curl up on the coach before dinner and grab the tablet and share favorite songs on You Tube, radio stations on Pandora, or watch a show on Netflix.  Then it's off to the store together to gather some ingredients for a special meal (but quick) that I've had my eye on.  Even going to the store together builds the connection as you discuss favorite ingredients for a salad, or show each other something new that the found.

Back home it's in the kitchen to prep for Frilled Pork Chops with Ancho-Avocado Orzo.  Oh Yum!  This recipe is all about the side dish...yes, the side dish.  The pork chops are just simple grilled chops.  Use your favorite cut.  The side dish is pasta (orzo) mixed with a lot of southwestern veggies to cut the carb count.  Top it with a heavenly sauce made from roasted chiles, ancho chili powder, and avocado and you have one heck of a tasty dish!

Note:  to make this go a little quicker it is good to cook about 1 cup of dry orzo.  You will need 2 cups cooked in this dish and any leftover cooked pasta can be made into another salad, or used in soup.

MGG was on cloud nine eating this dish. (love that!)  He helped with the making of the sauce and cooking the chops. A little kitchen banter and lots of laughter made this dish all the more special.  The flavor profile is outstanding.  Not too hot, but it has great zip in the sauce.  Dial down on the ancho chile powder if you don't care for the heat.  

Served with a salad and some hot rolls, this was a winner! Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Chops with Ancho-Avocado Orzo
adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine
Serves 4

2 fresh anaheim chile peppers
4 bone-in pork loin chops, thin cut
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
2 cups cooked orzo pasta
1 can reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat broiler. Halve chile peppers. Removing the seeds and ribs. Place chile pepper halves, cut sides down, on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil about 7-8 minutes or until peppers are charred. Wrap in the foil and let stand about 15 minutes. Gently remove skins and peel off and discard. Coarsely chop peppers and set aside.

Trim fat from pork chops. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Heat grill pan over medium heat. Cook pork chops on hot grill pan 6 to 8 minutes or until no longer pink , turning once. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, in a blender combine chile peppers, avocado, milk, lemon juice, ground ancho chile pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and blend until smooth.

In a large bowl combine orzo, black beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn. Pour avocado mixture over ingredients and toss until well combines. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve pork chops over orzo mixture.

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

I've got a soup to spice up your weekend.

Loving Latin flavors this soup is right up my alley.  If you love them too, you'll just die over this soup.  It's not your typical tortilla soup.  This one, inspired by Paula Deen , is white in color.  Yes, white.  It also has several types of green chilies.  Yum for green chilies.  A mild tart flavor that just calls me.  I think it started in the 80's with Enchiladas Suizas...but I digress.

Oh, and another important 'green' item is tomatillos.  Have you cooked with them yet?  They have the most fabulous flavor!  This is a good way to experiment with them.  The canned variety is used here for ease or making the soup.

Her method is interesting.  She actually poaches the chicken in the soup and then removes it it shred and replaces it back to finish it off.  I was eager to try this, and we were both glad I did.  The end result was a wonderful warming spicy (with flavor, not heat) soup with excellent flavor!  You've gotta try this one.  

Thanks to Paula for the creativeness of this soup!

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

adapted from Cooking with Paul Deen January/February 2013

Serves 4 - 6

2 T canola oil, divided
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped poblano pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 c chicken broth
1 28 oz can of tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 T cumin
2 t dried thyme
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
Garnish: fried tortilla strips

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add add chicken, and brown both sides, about 6 minutes.  Remove chicken.  Add remaining tablespoon of oil, heat over medium-high heat.  Add onion, poblano, and garlic.  Cook about 7 minutes or until onion has softened.  

Add a couple of tablespoons of the broth and scrape up any browned bits.  Add remaining broth and cumin and thyme.  Add chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.  

Remove chicken from the pot and cool slightly.  Shred meat and return to the pot.  Stir in sour cream and cilantro.  Serve topped with tortilla chips. 

Santa Fe Stir Fry

I need a 20 minute meal!!

Work is killing me, I'm working very, very late hours.  The other day I was asked to come back in to work and do some work on a project between 11:30pm and 5:00am.  My first thought was "Huh? Are you kidding me???"  So I ran home, took a nap and then was getting ready to go back to work.  Then I get a phone call, and fortunately for me the system bombed and I didn't have to come in.  But here it was 11:30 at night and I was sitting there wide eyed, drumming my fingers wide awake.  Geez!


So there is no doubt with my crazy work schedule that I need a 20 minute meal.


This one is perfect!  Semi-homemade, which helps a gal along in a pinch.  This dish is a stir fry.  Now stir frys are usually associated with Asian cuisine but I thought I'd mess around with the flavors a bit and go southwest on you.  A little help from Uncle Ben's Santa Fe rice make a great addition to the meal.  It's full of corn and black beans, so it really helps you out by having all the mix-ins already in the dish!  The chicken?  well let's just say that it's full of citrus and chili flavoring!


I must say this came out fantastic.  I even gave the recipe to my mom to make, being quick and all.  She LOVED it!

So take if from a work crazed girl...this dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes.  It's hearty and full of southwest flavors.

Hope you enjoy this!


Santa Fe Stir Fry


serves 2


1 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
3 T. Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning
2 T canola oil
1 pouch of Uncle Ben's Santa Fe ready rice
Garnish: cilantro


Cut your chicken breast in to 1" pieces.  Place Fiesta Lime seasoning in a pan and coat the chicken with the seasoning.  


In a hot skillet or wok, add canola oil.  Then add your chicken over medium high heat and stir fry until done.  About 5-7  minutes.  In the meantime place rice pouch in the microwave and heat according to the directions on the package.


Serve chicken over the rice. Garnish with cilantro if desired.  Enjoy!

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

They say we're going through a "cool down" here in LA.  Considering it was 108 on Sunday and 104 yesterday, I'm not quite sure what "cool down" means. 

When I hear the phrase I think of a nice breezy 76, maybe hitting 80...but certainly not a 4 degree drop! 

But that weather man keeps telling me everyday that the "cool down" continues.  Well, we'll see.  I keep hoping....it's BLAZING outside! 

So Sunday MGG and I decided to do a little maintenance on my car's headlights.  Scrubbing, scraping, buffing, sanding, polishing....and YES in the 108 degree heat!  Crazy huh??

Well this took quite a bit longer than I had planned....3 1/2 hours to be exact...until we accomplished this tedious task! 

Needless to say we were hot, tired, and HUNGRY.  So after a dip in the pool, a cold beer, and some chips and my excellent sweet onion salsa, we decided to grill BURGERS!

So as I often do, I theme my meals.  Today we were going to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  All the wonderful Southwestern flavors we love brought into my menu.  Here's it is.

Menu:

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

Chili seasoned oven fries

Bush's Grillin Beans - Black Bean Fiesta

I found this great recipe for Grilled Santa Fe Burgers over at Sargento.com.  It sounded perfect, I had all the ingredients on hand....it's a winner!!!  I often use Sargento's cheese because I like the quality and flavor of their products.  They have a great variety to try in the stores!

UPDATE:  Oh, the local news station just said that while we continue to have a "cool down" we are going to have a "warm up" by the end of the week!  Geez! LOL!

So let's make burgers.

This is one of those burgers that has almost everything mixed into the meat.  The secret with doing this is to mix the meat gently and quickly to incorporate all the ingredients.  You don't want to handle the meat too much....you'll end up with tough hockey pucks!  And no one wants to eat a hockey puck!!

So in a medium bowl take your ground beef (I use ground sirloin for flavor, and lower fat content), add in Sargento's Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican, salsa (my sweet onion salsa works great here!), crushed tortilla chips, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, plus salt & pepper.

Mix quickly but thoroughly.

Shape in to patties.  Cook them on an indoor or outdoor grill, preheated to medium high heat.  Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes on each side, or until done. 

Add some more Sargento cheese to the top to melt right before they are finished.  Toast your hamburger buns!  (I made homemade hamburger buns as well.  They were fabulous!  I'll give you the recipe tomorrow...promise).  Update:  Here's the link to the Homemade Hamburger Buns!

To serve you can top with some salsa.  MGG wanted cut tomatoes on his.  See how purty???

These were excellent!  Thanks Sargento for a great recipe!!

(Note: Sargento did not sponsor this...all opinions were my own.  I just loved the recipe and their products and wanted to share!)

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

Adapted from Sargento.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 cups shredded Sargento’s Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican
1/4 cup salsa  (I used my Sweet Onion Salsa)
1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 ½ t onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt & pepper
4 hamburger buns  ( I used my Homemade hamburger buns)

Toppings:

Lettuce (optional)
4 tomato slices (optional)

Sargento’s Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican shredded cheese (melted on top) (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, 1 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup salsa, tortilla chips, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper (to taste). Lightly shape into 4 patties. Don’t overwork the meat or it will become tough.

 

Cook on the preheated grill over medium high heat for about 5-6 minutes per side.  If you are melting cheese on the burger, top with a good mound of cheese 1 minute before the end of the cooking time.  Close the lid on the grill to melt cheese.  Toast hamburger buns on the grill during the last 2 min of cooking.  To assemble burgers:  place hamburgers on the bottom bun.  Top with salsa, lettuce, and tomato if desired. 

Easter vs. Cinco De Mayo

So last week Easter fell on my birthday.  MGG wanted to take me out to celebrate my birthday and we had such a great time!

But I LOVE Easter...

So I really wanted to do the whole Easter dinner thing, so we decided to have our Easter dinner a week later.  So yesterday we celebrated Easter....however, the menu was a Latin themed one...so we also paid tribute to Cinco De Mayo as well.

Whether you're celebrating Easter, Cinco De Mayo, Mother's Day or just Spring...you need to make these dishes.  They were off the hook!!!

Here's my Easter Menu:

Chili Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Lime Breadcrumbs

Casa Blanco - Portuguese White Wine

Strawberry White Chocolate Trifle

It started with a pretty decorated table, set for Easter.

White, yellow, and green dishes make a pretty spring place setting, flanked by asparagus handled flatware.  Place settings sit on top of a festive spring runner of pastel colors.   Each guest receives a See's chocolate egg nestled in a bed of pink grass in the soup bowl. 

Pillar candles surrounded by moss hold a treasure of Easter eggs nestled among more moss.

Sweet love birds add a nice spring touch.  And individual Easter baskets at each place setting sets the mood.

On to the food!

I've given you the recipes and a photo of each dish.  I hope you will make one or all of these and let me know what you think.  

Chili Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4 - 6

2 Pork Tenderloins (about 2 lbs total)

1 c apple juice

¼ c fresh lime juice

1  jalapeno chili, minced

3 cloves of minced garlic

½ t paprika

½ t dried oregano

½ t black pepper

½ c sour cream

¼ c canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a shallow casserole dish combine apple juice, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, paprika, oregano, and pepper.  Remove 1 T. of marinade and add this to the sour cream.  Set sour cream aside.  Add oil to the marinade and stir to combine.

Add pork tenderloins and allow to marinate at room temperate 30 min.  Place tenderloins in a roasting pan and bake for 30-35 min until pork reaches at least an internal temperature of 155 degrees.

Slice and drizzle sour cream mixture over the top.  Serve with extra sour cream mixture.

Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Lime Breadcrumbs

Serves 4 - 6

2 Bunches of Asparagus
Olive oil
salt & pepper
Fresh breadcrumbs
butter
1 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place asparagus on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. 
Roast for about 20 min.

Meanwhile place the fresh bread crumbs in a skillet with a tablespoon of butter and toast until brown.  Add the juice of 1/2 lime to the breadcrumbs.

Serve over asparagus.

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

Source: Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

3 Tbs. white vinegar

2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro 

1/4 tsp. ají amarillo paste

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

 

1/2 cup quinoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup drained cooked black beans, or purchased

2/3 cup thawed frozen corn kernels, preferably Peruvian

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

To make the dressing, in a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, ají paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until smooth and emulsified. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Stir in the salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain thoroughly, then transfer to a large nonreactive bowl.

Add the black beans to the bowl with the quinoa. Pat the corn dry with paper towels and add to the bowl, along with the tomato and bell pepper. Pour in the dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients well. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or individual plates and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Strawberry White Chocolate Trifle

Prepared Angel Food Cake
2 oz box of White Chocolate Pudding
2 c milk
1 lb fresh strawberries

Mix white chocolate pudding and milk.  Refrigerate until set according to package directions. 

To assemble:  break pieces of Angel Food cake and place in the bottom of a trifle bowl. (Individual bowls or 1 large bowl) Spoon some white chocolate pudding over the cake.  Layer on sliced strawberries.  Repeat layers again ending with sliced strawberries.  Top with fresh whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!