Veggie Burritos with Zucchini Guacamole

Hello September. I love you September. We are almost in my fav season of the entire year. Almost... It was still 100 degrees F at my house today but the end is in sight. Yay! If you are still in the trenches of the end of summer I got the perfect meal for ya. Keep reading. Its good. I promise.

 On warmer days or all summer long I often go for lighter dishes that require less heating up the kitchen you know like having a sandwich night. This burrito definitely fits the ideal and is a great use for leftover beans and rice from other yummy Mexican meals. 

Picture layers of crunchy & creamy guac with hints of citrus, fluffy brown rice and filling nutritious black beans, crisp lettuce, with smoky melted cheese wrapped up in a oversized tortilla wrap. Yum! It tastes so good you won't even care that its healthy. SO many fresh flavors and fun textures. 

But the real reason you should make this is because the zucchini, freshly and very finely diced, adds another flavor of freshness I have never had in guacamole before and actually never had it raw before. It makes this guacamole stunningly good. You don't taste it and say "oh I taste zucchini" but it does stop you in your tracks and say "wow that tastes bright and fresh". I love guacamole and I have had EVERYWHERE. Trust me. This might be the best I have ever had (ahem except the one I already have on this blog with bacon it in... okay I have a soft spot in my heart for yummy salty bacon). Seriously if you don't make the burrito you gotta try this guac with your next bag of chips, cut up veggies, tacos, quesadillas.... or just with a spoon? 

For a fun kid friendly variation you could even add some crunchy chips or fried corn tortillas cut into strips into the burrito. The veggie burrito idea comes from  Naturally Ella . I just edited it a bit because I lived in cali for 8-9 years and you can't make guac without a chili pepper. Its just the way it is. So I am passing it on with a few helpful touches. Check it out. 

Veggie Burritos w/ Zucchini Guac

cooking time + prep = about an hour*

*If using already cooked brown rice this time is shortened to a very quick 15 minutes!

Makes 2 large burritos 

(my kiddo was full with half of one with a handful of tortilla chips) 

Would be great with a piece of a corn on the cob

Ingredients:

• For the guac:
• 1 & 1/2 ripe avocados
• 3 Tbs finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbs lemon juice or half of a lemon juiced
• 2 Tbs orange juice or juice of half of an orange 
• 1/2 of a medium zucchini very finely diced (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 of a poblano pepper (for mild) or half or whole jalapeño pepper with the seeds and membranes removed (for more heat) finely diced

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• For the burritos: 
•  2 large whole wheat flour tortillas or spinach ones* (as seen in the pic) 
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed if using canned
• 1/2- 3/4 cup shredded Smoked Cheddar or Smoked Jack cheese (I used 1/2 cup but was not very cheesy if you want a stronger cheese taste go for 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded or very finely sliced ribbons of lettuce

optional: A diced up roma tomato and a handful of sprouts would be awesome additions I just didn't add in but will next time. 

*Whole wheat would be healthier but I was just using up what I had on hand... sadly the spinach ones weren't as healthy as I thought they would be, despite the name

To assemble:

1. Make the guacamole.  Add all the ingredients into a bowl starting with the avocado so you can use a spoon to get the avocado out and a potato masher or a fork to get it to the consistency you like - chunky or smoother. Taste as you go to get the right amount of salt and heat - chili's differ in heat so I always do half the amount the recipe calls for, taste, and then add the rest if I want to. 

Tip: You can always increase the heat but its very hard to subdue it afterward. If you do find its hotter than you thought add more sweet things like a 1/4 tsp of sugar or more citrus juice and serve it with sour cream. Dairy and Sugar are good counterparts to heat. 

2. Assemble the burritos. In any order but this worked well for me:
1/4 of guac on each one
1/2 of the beans
1/2 of the cheese cheese
1/2 of the rice 
1/2 of the lettuce

3. Roll up the burritos tucking in the ends, and heat them in a dry pan over medium heat until they warm up completely and you get some nice brown spots on your tortilla. That will help melt the cheese, bind everything together. This took about 5 minutes for me. 

4. Serve them with some tortilla chips, or corn on the cob, and/or salsa with the remaining delicious zucchini guacamole. 

5. Enjoy the rest of you day... and possibly eat dessert because not only did you have an amazingly tasty meal you ate incredibly healthy! 

Thanks for stopping by my Arizona kitchen

Stephanie

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Easy 3 Step Eggplant Red Pepper Tomato Pasta Sauce

I have a great, half day simmer, until the house smells awesome, recipe for vegetable pasta sauce. I have used it for years. I usually make two huge stockpots full. Then freeze the sauce in 1 cup, 3 cup, and 1/2 cup increments for pizza, spaghetti, chili, chicken parm, and anything that needs a tomato-like sauce. ahem. Please excuse the Italian biased list - this sauce is good in many different types of food. I heart Italian food.  

Anyways... This sauce is full of veggies that are diced, lightly sauteed, pureed, and simmered until all the flavors marry together. I must admit it is kind of a process. It isn't exactly baby-not-sleeping-through-the-night, exhausted-new-mom, husband-busy-with-college-and-work type of thing though. Even if its freezer friendly and I can make large batches that last for a few months.... I eventually will run out. And I did. Enter an easy three step eggplant, red pepper tomato/pasta sauce. 

Gasp. I hate running out of staples. This left me scrambling until... I remembered this great this sauce using eggplant, so I whipped up something similar. Only took 20 minutes! I could hold the baby a little, let him play on the floor, and before I could say wet diaper it was done! It tasted great and also worked extremely well in my updated chipotle pizza casserole. 

I heart eggplant. It is so easy to work with, and combine into things without much notice. It's also a great source of b vitamins and fiber. 

The Sauce

makes approx 4 cups

1 tsp olive oil 
1 can (14-15oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14-15oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of pinot noir (one of my fav red wines)
1 eggplant, skinned and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp pepper 

Variations: 
1. To make this into pasta sauce or pizza sauce add 2 Tbs of Italian seasoning.

2. If you are using this in the place of canned tomato sauce like in chili I would add in 1 tsp more smoked paprika. 

3. Keep it as is, and use it in the place of anything that calls for canned tomato sauce in a recipe to get more nuritients.

Easy 3 Step Directions

1. Combine the olive oil, eggplant, and red pepper in pot or pan with thick sides. Saute for a few minutes. 

2. Add in everything else, stir well, and simmer on medium low for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

3. Blend the tomato mixture in a food processor or blender until it is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

*A useful tip: when blending hot things like sauces or purees use a hand towel over your blender to prevent the steam popping the lid off, splattering your kitchen with food, or burning yourself. 

*If freezing cool completely before storing in freezer bags flat or in freezer containers. 

Kale & Sausage Pasta

Pasta used to be my favorite food. I would make it 4 or 6 times a week. I still love it, but my approach to food has changed. I can't eat like that anymore - Anyone else know I am talking about here? So now I make it like twice a month. So you can imagine when I make it, its going to be awesome. I am not going to waste my pasta cravings on a box of mac & cheese from the store that tastes like cardboard. There are only a handful of recipes I will make. This recipe, number 14, in my personal goal of making 30 new Rachael Ray recipes in 30 days, is amazing and will join the list with my other favorites!! This was adapted from an October 2012 issue of Everyday, and I may be biased by I think I did a better job with it. 

The tender crisp veggies, melted cheese, caramelized bits of sausage, and the cream sauce just hugging the pasta is simple and memorable. Not bad for a 15-16 minute recipe from start to finish - that includes waiting for water to boil. I lightened it up from the original ditching the heavy cream, and added more veggies so go ahead and make it, feel good about your food and your body. We all need good food to fuel us, to get stuff done, to maintain life and mental stability, and to have good attitudes. Be balanced and try some yummy pasta and veggies on a crisp fall day :)

Kale & Zucchini Sausage Pasta

serving size is 3
prep + cooking time: approx. 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fettuccine noodles

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

4 oz (half of a small block) of mozzarella cheese

2 zucchini's quartered and finely diced into diamond shapes

1/2 bunch of kale approx. 4-5 leaves, stems removed 

1/2 cup of half and half

1/2 lb of mild ground sausage

1 tsp flour

salt & pepper to taste

fresh basil (optional)

Directions: 

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 1-2 Tbs salt

Step 2: In a large skillet start browning the sausage over medium heat. I didn't need to add oil since I was using my cast iron pan but if you need to help it olive oil would be a good touch. When it looks about half way done, add in the zucchini, garlic, and shallot. 

Step 3: Once water is boiling cook the pasta as per directions on your box. Once pasta is done, drain it, and return it back to the pot. Keep 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.

Step 4:  Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed veggies, and let it cook for about 1 minute or so stirring. Then add in the starchy cooking water and the half and half. Bring to a simmer and let the liquids reduce by half (takes less than a minute). 

Step 5: Add the kale to the skillet with the sautéed veggies. Remove the pan from the heat. Mine looked like the kale wasn't going to fit in the pan but it only took about 30 seconds to wilt. The dish is now ready to combine. 

Step 6: Toss/Pour the sauced veggies into the pot with the pasta and marry the flavors together.

Step 7: Grate or Shred the cheese over each bowl and top with fresh basil (optional)

What a fun way to eat kale & zucchini :) 

From my kitchen to yours

Homemade Creamed Corn - Easy Side Dish

Howdy. Thanks for stopping by here is another Rachael Ray inspired recipe! I am almost half way to my goal of 30 new recipes in 30 days. Growing up I had creamed corn here and there. It was one of the canned staples that my parents bought. It was comforting, creamy, and unknown to me full of unnecessary icky processed junk. Parents do what they have to, right. Anyways I think making it homemade is better for you and tastes better. Disclaimer this is not the best homemade creamed corn recipe I have ever made, but it is the easiest AND it uses frozen corn unlike my other recipe. Frozen corn is a bit more cost effective, time saving, and perfect for when all the yummy summer corn is gone. Try this side dish with tacos, burgers, or just some grilled cheeses. This is a lightened up version of the recipe found in the magazine Everyday issue October 2012. Enjoy! 

Homemade Creamed Corn

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 - 12 oz bag of frozen corn
1 jalapeño, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 Tb butter
1/2 Tb flour
1 Tb oil
3/4 cup of half and half

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Put corn in a large oven safe skillet and roast for 25-30 minutes

3. Saute the shallot and jalapeño in oil & butter until softened approx. 3 minutes. 

4. Pull the corn out of the oven. Add the melted butter, shallot, and jalapeño to the corn. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir and let it cook out another 2-3 minutes on the stove. 

5. Add the half and half and cook another 3-5 minutes until its thickened. 

before

after

Enjoy this sweet and slightly spicy creamy side dish. 

You don't need a rely upon canned creamed corn 

from my kitchen to yours

Easy Braised Veggies in a Cream sauce (recipe 5 of 30)

Hi again. Check out this picture. 

This is my new favorite side dish and recipe #5 in my adventure to do 30 new Rachael Ray recipes in 30 days. It's exciting to try new things and a stretch to consistently blog. I have to tell you about the amazing veggies we had last night. Confession #2,037 I do admit to hiding my favorite veggie (spinach) in recipes to make sure my family eats them. Last night, nothing was hidden. There was no where's waldo veggie or hide and seek veggie game going on. (Can you tell I have a 4 yr old?) It was clear that the veggies were the star of the show. This elegant dish was the best thing on my plate. 

I previously thought the recipe was a winner from the moment I snatched it from an October 2012 issue of Everday, but by changing it up I got to use my second favorite veggie (brussel sprouts) in a new exciting way. My son didn't even grimace when he saw them (the brussel sprouts) on his plate. I don't know why brussel sprouts have gotten a bad rap. I think they are great. You will too after you give them a short dip in some lovely cream and cheese. Trust me. 

This dish looks elegant, but seriously it works with any normal sort of menu you probably already make like burgers, fish, chicken, steak, pork chops, or meatloaf. It's elegant enough for company, quick enough for a school night, and packed with nutrients. I might be in love with this new cheesy creamy side dish. 

Note: If you haven't ever worked with fennel before you have nothing to fear. Fennel is super easy to work and is similar to a large onion, an onion that won't create tears. When you first start cutting, cut them in half so you can find the core at the base of the oval shaped bulb. The core is small. I just make a couple of small cuts to get the core out, most of the time in the shape of a triangle. Chop the fennel into long ribbons almost in a v shape, and separate the layers. Give it a quick wash in a bowl and you are good to go. The fennel's common licorice smell is evident when the vegetable is eaten fresh, but milds considerably after cooking.

Easy Braised Veggies in Cream Sauce

Prep time: 3-5 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 3-4 (but in my house its 2-3 servings)

Ingredients: 

1/2 Tbs unsalted butter, organic

1/2 Tbs olive oil or bacon fat 

2 fennel bulbs, quartered, cored, sliced approx 1/2 inch think

scant 1/3 cup of half and half

4 oz or half a small block of jack cheese, sliced, diced or shredded

1 cup of fresh brussel sprouts, trimmed, about 5-7 of them

1/4 tsp salt 

additional salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet with a fitted lid, melt the butter and oil/fat together over medium high heat. The oil helps the butter to not burn. Letting the butter brown just a little tiny bit wouldn't hurt the veggies either if you are a fan of that yummy nutty brown butter trend thats been everywhere on pintrest. 

2. Brown the fennel and sprouts together in the butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle on the salt. Cook for approx 5 minutes letting bits of them get good and golden (carmelized). Stir often. 

3. Lower the heat to low and add in the half and half. Scrap up the brown bits. Stand back a little as the cream will bubble up and create steam. 

4. Cover the skillet and simmer for 8-10 minutes on low. Stir every 3 or 4 minutes. Near the 7 minute mark sprinkle on the chopped or shredded jack cheese and recover the skillet.  As soon as the veggies are fork tender and the cheese is melted, it is ready to serve. 

5. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with the green fronds if your fennel bulbs came with the large celery stalk like ends. 

Easy Yummy Warm Side Dish

Perfect for Fall. Perfect for school nights. 

Enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours

The trouble with Cooking and Blogging + Recipe #3 Rosemary Leek & Yellow Squash Soup

I have been cooking and baking a lot lately. Part of it has to do with summer ending and my freezer looking empty, the abundance of pumpkin, squash, & zucchini lookin' so good at the grocery store, or this little contest about cooking/baking 30 Rachael Ray recipes in 30 days. So yes lot of cooking.... 

I am constantly trying new recipes so this isn't a huge change from my family but blogging AND cooking AND trying to keep up with the dishes (yeah some reality there) is a bit more exhausting than I may have previously realized. Although it does seem pairing down my huge stack of cooking magazines in my kitchen with recipes that I keep saying 'I will try someday'. But I am only on day 3 errr recipe 3, and I already see a potential problem.... what if the recipe I make doesn't turn out. How is a person supposed to blog about something that was good or okay. I want to blog about the best bites.... those bites that you can remember days, months, years later. So in other words, I have a new found respect for those amazing cookbook writers that have deadlines and cooking competing each other. 

My plan this morning was to write about the pumpkin bread I made, but only moments after I had sliced the warm pumpkin-y bread I heard my husband ask if the we had any of that "other bread" still. Sigh. He's talking about a delish zucchini coffee cake I made a week ago that didn't even last a whole 24 hrs. (click on the title to see the recipe). I thought the warm, buttered, golden colored pumpkin bread was good, but it created enough doubt to make me rethink my blogging plans. Darn. 

So plan B. Do I have a plan B? Yes by accident. Thanks for asking. I made a new soup recipe for lunch. Fall is the perfect season for soup. This light, creamy, veggie filled, soup is easy, and only 5 ingredients, and is done in less than 15 minutes. I found the original recipe in an August 2007 issue of Everyday, modifying a cold summer soup into a fall soup with a touch more of flavor from dried herbs, warm broth a little less fat than the original. 

Rosemary Leek & Yellow Squash Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Tb organic butter, unsalted

1 leek, washed and chopped

1/2 cup of half & half

3 cups homemade or store bought chicken stock/broth

3/4 lb of yellow squash, chopped (2 or 3)

salt & pepper to taste (I started with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper)

1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Directions:

1. Over medium heat saute the leek and squash pieces in the butter for about 10 minutes until it is tender. 

2. Add in the cream and bring it to a boil 

3. Remove from heat, use an immersion blender or a blender or food processor to puree the mixture. 

4. Return it back to the stove. Add in the seasonings and the chicken broth. 

5. Taste and adjust seasonings. Heat through and serve with crackers or toast. 

Enjoy fall with yummy healthy creamy soup

From my kitchen to yours!

P.S. If you have a good pumpkin bread recipe please a leave a link in the comments below - will be needing one or will be making a lot of zucchini coffee cake in the my future (oh darn)

related soup recipes:
Simple Tomato Soup
Tomato Basil Hidden Veggie Soup
Classic Butternut Squash Soup

Emeril Lagasse's Coq Au Vin Blanc

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who heard about a french dish called Coq Au Vin. It was described as wonderful, mouth-watering, slow cooked,and delicious. But since she couldn't cook well she was intimidated by the french name, and cooking with an entire bottle of wine. So she never made the recipe, and never asked anyone to make it for her. Every once in awhile she heard someone mention the fall of the bone tender chicken dish, and would wistfully declare that she would try it someday. 

2 years passed and the girl fell in love with a handsome prince. He swept her off her feet. It was so romanic. He read her poetry and brought her flowers. It was a perfect match. They both were so in love that they were like a balloon that someone let go at a state fair that was sailing off into the sky. Completely gone. (To the best of my knowledge they are still in love and that balloon is fairly high and enjoying the ride). This handsome prince however, did not drink alcohol, so she put the idea of trying this dish on the back burner. 

Another 2-3 years passed and by that time the couple begin to have the occasional adult drink or a glass of wine together. Things were finally looking up for the princess at trying her hand at the coveted, coq au vin recipe. But the handsome prince favored sweet wines especially white ones. So the earthy, spicy reds that the princess adored were far and few in between. The idea of cooking with them was additionally postponed especially since everyone knew that Coq Au Vin was made with red wine. 

Fast forward 7 more years. So many trials and life had toughened the princess up enough that she began to experiment more and more in the kitchen. She wasn't the shy princess that married the prince almost 10 years ago. She was constantly trying new recipes (even though she had a personal chef).  Then it happened. She found that recipe that had eluded her for so many years, recreated, and made with white wine. She couldn't believe it. The princess was overwhelmed with joy even as she squared her shoulders mentally preparing to take on her long time foe.

Her butler printed the recipe, the kitchen gathered and prepped the ingredients, and soon all was ready for the anticipated moment when she tried the recipe. The princess cooked it to a perfection. The sauce was creamy and thick just like gravy. The veggies were perfectly tender but not mushy. Even the chicken was perfectly tender half way falling off the bone. Her handsome spouse and wonderful son enjoyed very bite! The satisfaction of finally overcoming the recipe, despite so many obstacles, was almost as juicy and flavorful as the leftovers. 

They lived happily ever after. 
The end. 

Moral of the story: 

Don't let the name of a recipe fool you, this is not Shakespeare. The name does not always tell you what you need to know. The name had fooled the princess into thinking it was a complicated french dish. Instead it is a slow cooked, home style stew like, extremely tasty and affordable dish that makes amazing leftovers. It uses affordable bone in chicken, and fun veggies like parsnips (a white, flavor spiked cousin of the sweet orange carrot), and a leek, a veg that looks like a stick with a mild celery/onion flavor. The flavors that are created over slow cooking in your oven will delight perhaps help you taste your "happily ever after". 

Coq Au Vin Blanc with White Rice

Serves 4-5

Ingredients: 

3 pieces of smoky bacon, raw cut into thin strips 

Note: if you freeze it first or pull it straight from the freezer its easy to cut

1 whole chicken cut up into 8 pieces
3/4 Tbs salt
1 Tbs black pepper
1/2 cup of all purpose flour + 1 1/2 Tbs for later use
1 ziplock bag
1 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter, organic 
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into 1/2" inch wedges - rough chopped
1 stalk of leeks (white & light green part only) sliced and rinsed throughally into thick half circles
2 parsnips, washed & cut in med-large chunks (like you would for a stew) *don't peel these
1 stalk of celery, washed and chopped in similar size chunks as the parsnips, include the leaves. Great flavor in there. 

Note: Celery root would be a good addition as it carries  even more celery flavor

 than the stalk does. 

1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic 
one whole bottle of white wine, such as chardonnay. (I used an affordable ca barefoot sauvignon blanc.)
1 huge handful of seedless green grapes - 10 or 12 cleaned, whole  (tastes good i promise)
2 cups of chicken broth, homemade or from the store, low sodium
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Cooked white rice, french bread, egg noodles for serving (I went with white rice - easy pantry ingredient)

*parsnips, white carrots as my son likes to call them, have an amazing amount of b vitamins that you will loose if you peel them like a carrot. They don't look as pretty but you should just wash them good and keep the nurition. 


Directions:

1. Grab your dutch oven or a very large heavy pot, oven safe, that has a lid. 

2. Slice up your bacon, and start cooking it until its brown beautiful and crispy approx 8-10 minutes.

3. While the bacon is getting crispy, stir it around a little and chop up your veggies, and put the all purpose flour in the ziplock bag. 

4. Line a plate or bowl with paper towels and set aside the bacon after its finished cooking. Keep the bacon fat in the pot, don't pour it out, for creating a base of flavors with the chicken. 

5. Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper both sides. 

6. Take 2 pieces at a time and put them into the ziplock bag and coat with them with flour. This was fun to shake the bag around my son asked me if I was playing with the food. My answer left him quite puzzled with I happily said yes with a huge smile on my face. 

7. Once all the pieces are coated in flour brown each piece in the bacon fat. Work in batches with a clean plate ready to put the browned meat on. I had to do 3 batches to make sure to give each piece some room. You want nice brown marks. If you crowd it, you won't get that great color.  Takes 3 minutes each side over medium-high heat.  So about 12-15 minutes to get them all browned depending on the size of pot you are working with. 

8. Pour half of the bacon fat out of the pot and set it aside for later discarding or for another meal. Note: Pancakes cooked the next day cooked in a bit of the bacon fat is amazingly good.

9. Add the butter to the pot and when it begins to bubble drop all your veggies in. Saute the leeks, parsnips, celery, fennel, and garlic. Cook and stir them until the veggies start to become tender approx 6 minutes over medium heat. 

10. Add in the remaining flour (1 1/2 Tbs) Cook and stir for another 2 minutes.

I served it over easy to prepare white rice

11. Add in 1 cup of wine to deglaze and scrape up any bits of flavor from the chicken and bacon from the bottom of the pot. Cook for another 2 minutes - most of the liquid should be evaporating. 

12. Add in the stock, grapes, thyme, bay leaf, black better, remaining wine and bring it to a brisk simmer. Stir and then add back in the chicken and bacon. Nestle the chicken back in. Cover the pot with the lid. Cook in the oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. The chicken should be fully done, tender and the sauce will have thickened up like a gravy.

13. Remove the thyme sprig little branches and the bay leaf, serve the dish over the cooked rice or noodles with bread (optional) for dipping and eating along side. 

*Note: Since most of the meat may be just barely hanging on the bone. I did take a few moments to let it cool so I could take the bone out of my kiddo's dish so it would be easier for him to eat. My husband asked me to do the same for him next time I make the dish. 



So it looks complicated, the name may be complicated, but like the princess found it, its not. It is a lot of little easy steps with wholesome good for you ingredients that will make a lot of full stomachs and happy smiles. This is definitely going to be apart of my family's dinner rotations especially when the weather cools off and I want that warm comforting meal. Now it can a part of yours too. 

From my kitchen to yours!

Tropical Chicken Sausage Salad

As the heat is escalating and wearing my family down, I am thankful it doesn't last for forever. The 102-118 temperatures will end in a month or two,  its only mid-July. Need to start getting creative with indoor activites. But of course the things that keep coming to mind are: snow, fall, football, winter coats, pumpkins, anything pumpkin, thick spicy chili, and one last thing. If I am going to be this hot I might as well be someplace tropical with an super cold, iced beverage in my hand swinging in a hammock with lots of sunblock on, a book or just lazily staring off into a deep blue water. Sounds so picturesque... hammock, sand, sun, drink with an umbrella. This salad is an ode to that official day dream of being someplace wonderful and tropical. Let the flavors of mango and pineapple take you away..... 

Makes 1 adult portion lunch sized salad

Done in less than 15 minutes - Yup. Perfect for easy lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of fresh crisp romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 oz  (3 or 4 pieces) of dried mango chopped 
• 1/2 of a fresh mango chopped ( I shared the other half with my kiddo - he loves mango!)
• 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple, chopped (from a can)
• 1 pineapple bacon flavor chicken sausage cooked in water on the stove - approx 8 minutes then remove water and let it crisp up for 2-3 minutes over medium heat
• 1/4 cup of your favorite kind of nuts ( I used cashews)
• 1/4 of a golden delicious apple (something i also shared) sliced super thin in long strips. 

This fresh crunchy wonderful salad doesn't even need any dressing with the fruit in there. The crunch of the lettuce and sweet juicy bites of fruit pair perfectly with the sweet flavored sausage. The only thing that would've made it better would've been some candied bacon in the salad too. Yes I know. Bacon makes everything better. 

Have a wonderful summer sun filled day. 

Enjoy some fruit and daydream about a tropical place. 

From my nontropical kitchen to yours. 

Asparagus & Leek Soup: Perfect Summer Lunch

July 2013 the weather is hot. Really like burn your hands on your steering wheel kind of hot. Thankfully this light yummy soup is easy to make and won't heat up my Arizona kitchen. 

P.S. My in-laws were visiting, and my inner chef decided to get adventurous. Just a happy accident, I assure you. No using them as test subjects here - unless you count 'accidental taste-testing' as a thing. Let's just say I wouldn't feed them anything ridiculously radical... without my partner's approval, anyway. 

And even though I'm still blaming the weather this soup is delicious! Grab some of that summer produce from the farmers market or grocery store and make this with me. 

Asparagus Leek Soup

Serves 4 - One medium bowl each
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbs salted butter, divided
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of water
2 leeks, white and light green only
1/2 bunch of asparagus 
1 Tbs all purpose flour
1 Tbs half & half
1/2 Tbs dijon mustard (with wine - not grainy kind)
salt & pepper to taste
bread/crackers/biscuits (optional)
white cheddar cheese or your favorite kind (optional)

Directions:

1. Do all your prep work. Rough chop the asparagus. Chop the leeks into circles, then again into crescent shapes. 

2. Rinse the leeks very well... sand and dirt like to hide in between the layers. It seems time consuming but grab a bowl and run water over them and use your hands to separate most of the layers to get them clean. 

3. Melt 1/2 of the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the leeks to the butter. 

4. Saute the leeks for 10 minutes. 

5. Add in the asparagus and chicken stock and cook over medium heat uncovered for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. While asparagus is getting tender, in a small saucepan melt the other Tbs of butter to create a roux. A roux is the beginning of most sauces I make. Its super easy.  When the butter is all melted, and begins to bubble, add the flour and stir it in. Let the flour cook for 2 minutes and reduce the heat to medium low. The flour and butter will look yellow and clumpy. Gradually pour in the water. Bring the water to a simmer turning up the heat a little if you need to. Whisk it as it begins to thicken. This can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. When it takes on the consistency of gravy stir in the dijon mustard. Remove from heat and set it aside. Watch your sauce. Trust me this is not a good time to go check on the laundry.

7. Use an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender to puree the vegetables and broth that you had set aside to cool. Do blend until it is the texture to your liking either chunky like a chowder or smooth and velvety. 

8. Add the pureed vegetable mix to the saucepan with the sauce.. Please taste it, add salt or pepper, or any other seasoning that you want to throw in, and stir in the half and half to create a rich creaminess.

9. Top your soup with some shredded cheese or just serve it with cheese & crackers, toast or, biscuits and jam for a lovely summer lunch with your best friend, neighbor, or mother in law :) You know I never understood the whole evil mother in law thing... I love mine. She just lives so far away I don't get to see her much. 

Enjoy your summer veggies
From my kitchen to yours!