Steak & Chicken Kebabs

I purchased a propane grill in May and have been grilling nonstop!

The day I bought it I made a mental note of all the things I wanted to grill.

Kebabs have been a favorite of mine since I was a child,

so they were at the top of the list of yummy foods to make!

I like to marinate what I'll be putting on the kebabs

and that includes not only the meats,

but the variety of veggies you'll be using too.

You can use any marinade you like,

even store bought would be fine,

but I like to whip something together myself!

The Goods Part 1:

Chicken Breasts

Sirloin Steak

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Bell Peppers

Red Onion

Cut up your meat and veggies so that it's the size of about two bites.

Try to get everything similar sized so your kebabs cook evenly. 

The Goods Part 2:

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Lemon Juice

Course Dijon Mustard

Garlic

Fresh Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

I'm a bad blogger and didn't measure anything out,

so I don't really have instructions for my marinade.

I just dump the goods into a gallon zipper bag, seal and mix up.

Add your chopped meat and veggies to the marinade.

Let sit at least an hour, but up to overnight.

Now the fun begins...time to skewer your kebabs!

I like to do all of the same type of food on one kebab,

because cooking times vary for different foods.

Again, this will help your kebabs cook evenly.

Fill your grill with your kebab skewers and start to cook them.

Keep an eye on them, turning the skewers every few minutes until fully cooked.

MMMmmm my mouth is watering just looking at those kebabs!!!

Remove the food from the skewers and serve with a yummy side like cauliflower rice! 

And make a little extra because kebab leftovers are some of the best!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I'm a biggggggg fan of eating soup.

It doesn't really have to be cold out either.

I eat soup year round and always have a bunch in my freezer.

So when I ran across this recipe last Fall I knew I would be making it.

Not too long after finding it, I made it and it was so darn delicious!

I've made it a few more times and knew I had to share because it's that good!

And the best part is that it's made in the slow cooker!

So not only is it really tasty, but it's super easy to make too.

Let me show you how simple it really is.

The Goods:

Chicken Breasts

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Jalapenos

Corn

Bell Pepper

Black Beans

Cilantro

Diced Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Chicken Broth

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Cumin

Pepper Jack Cheese

Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.

Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.

Now time to add the chicken broth.

And finally the spices and tomato paste.

Stir everything up until it's mixed well.

Cook on high for four and a half hours.

Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Cook for about 30 more minutes.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.

Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Dig in and enjoy as is!

Or add something extra like soup cream or avocado!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Adapted from Carolina Charm

2 large Chicken Breasts

1 Large Yellow Onion - Diced

4 Cloves Garlic - Minced

2 Large Jalapenos - Minced

2 Cups Frozen Corn

1 Bell Pepper - Diced

1 Can Black Beans - Rinsed and Drained

1 Bunch Cilantro - Minced

(2) 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Tomato Paste

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

1/2 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese - Shredded

1. Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.
3. Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.
4. Now time to add the chicken broth.
5. And finally the spices and tomato paste.
6. Stir everything up until it's mixed well.
7. Cook on high for four to four and a half hours.
8. Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese and cook for about 30 more minutes.
9. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. 
10. Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

One of my friends is always posting pictures of dinners she makes.

They always look so good and make me so hungry!

She recently posted Stuffed Peppers that she made.

They looked amazing and I couldn't help but ask for her recipe.

She didn't follow a recipe, but instead just made it up herself.

I was impressed and couldn't wait to make them!

And now here I am sharing their deliciousness with YOU!!!

The Goods:

Cooked Quinoa

Ground Turkey

Onion

Garlic

Jalapeno

Bell Peppers

Corn

Black Beans

Green Chilis

Tomato Sauce

Taco Seasoning

Cheddar Cheese (Not pictured - oops!)

Saute your onion and garlic until fragrant.

Add chipped jalapeno and ground turkey.

Cook until the ground turkey is browned.

Season with taco seasoning and then add tomato sauce.

Stir to combine with ground turkey mixture.

Add your corn and black beans, then stir again.

Now time for the quinoa!

Add that and stir.

Last, add the green chili and stir one last time.

Prep your peppers by washing, deseeding and cutting them in half.

Then stuff, and I mean STUFF, them with your turkey quinoa mixture.

Spray your covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the number of peppers you want to bake and cover with cheese.

I only baked three of the eight I prepared,

but froze the remaining ones to bake sometime soon!

Cover the baking dish and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Ta da!

Now time to dig in and enjoy!!!

If you want the peppers to be less crisp, you can do one of two things:

1. Cook a little bit longer 

or 

2. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the dish before baking.

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

4 to 5 bell peppers

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 onion - chopped

1 garlic clove - minced

1 jalapeno - minced

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 cup corn

1 can green chilies - diced

7 oz can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

fresh cilantro

fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

cheddar cheese - shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. 
3. Add jalapeño and cook one minute.
4. Add ground turkey and brown.
5. Season with salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
6. After five minutes or so, add tomato sauce 
7. Once cooked, combine in a bowl with quinoa, black beans, corn and green chiles.
8. Add chopped cilantro and parsley to your liking
9. Put mixture into peppers. 
10. Spray a Dutch oven. Put the peppers into a Dutch oven and cover the peppers with cheese. 
11. Put the lid on and bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 34

One of my best friends came over for dinner tonight and I made and old favorite - Turkey Sloppy Joe's! I had a craving for them last week so I decided to make them for Sunday Night Dinner and Alison wasn't objecting! 

With the Sloppy Joe's, I made some homemade Sweet Potato Fries that I baked instead of fried. 

We dipped them in ranch with a little spicy seasoning sprinkled on top.

And last but not least, some semi-homemade cole slaw. 

I thought we needed something "green" and this was better than nothing! 

All in all, tonight's dinner was a great Sunday Night dinner and it really didn't take too long to make. 

You should all try making your Sloppy Joe's with ground turkey - it's leaner and still amazingly tasty! :) 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 31 - Part 2

In this post last Sunday, I mentioned there was a Part 2 to come. And I'm sorry it's been a week, but Part 2 is FINALLY here! I hope you're not disappointed because I honestly think it was worth the wait! 

When I made the Pesto Chicken, Rice and Grilled Veggies I intentionally make much more than I'd be eating that night because I knew I'd be able to use them in meals the next few day. Meals, yes - I said meals as in using one meal's cooking for multiple other meals! I learned to do this awhile ago and it's GENIUS if done right!!

Everything cooked Sunday Night

So what did I do with the leftover deliciousness? I made three different things actually, but unfortunately only have pictures of two of them! :( Have no fear - the unpictured rice bowl was still amazing and I would have one right now if I could.

For lunch Monday, I took leftovers.

And made a chicken, rice, grilled veggies, hummus and sprouts 

pita sandwich that was so tasty. 

A co-worker even asked where I'd purchased it!

Tuesday night I made a salad with chicken, rice, grilled veggies, sprouts and a little light ranch dressing. 

All the different meals were amazing and different enough so I didn't feel like I kept eating the 

EXACT SAME THING!

I'll try to share more meals I make like this as I do it. It makes cooking delicious homemade food SO much easier and even quite enjoyable to some extent. 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 31 - Part 1

Another Sunday Night Dinner post, but this one is Part 1 of 2 for the meal! Keep your eyes posted for Part 2! Until then, let me tell you about tonight's amazing dinner!!

Yesterday, while I was planning out my meals for the week I decided I was going to make some homemade pesto and make Pesto Grilled Chicken for dinner tonight and to enjoy a few more times this week! With the chicken, I would have Herbed Basmati Rice and Grilled Peppers and Onions. YUM!!!

I pretty much just ate this meal, but I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it... Go make this meal and see how delicious it is for yourself! 

Farfalle Pasta a la Robyn!

I've made a version of this pasta numerous times, but it never really occurred to me to blog about it - until the other night! I was going to make dinner for a friend and wanted to use what I had in my fridge, freezer, pantry and growing in my garden. This a pretty simple dish and can be modified so many ways.  Take a look at what I ended up doing last night!

The Goods:

Farfalle Pasta - I used Mini!

Olive Oil

Bell Pepper - I used Orange, 

but whatever you have works!

Broccoli

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Chicken Sausage - ANY kind.

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Basil

Chop up the bell pepper...

Cut the broccoli and cook for a few minutes.

It should still have a LITTLE crunch, but not tons.

Now chop up the onion...

And slice the garlic!

Now start the pasta and cook as directed on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, heat up a pan and add olive oil.

Throw in the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes.

Next throw in the bell pepper, and cook for a few more minutes.

Now it's time to throw in the sausage.

Note - if your sausage isn't precooked, you'll want to do that FIRST!

Cook until the sausage gets a nice little color.

Turn off the heat and throw in some cooked, drained pasta.

Mix the pasta around and then add the cooked broccoli. 

Mix the broccoli in...

And COVER it with fresh Parmesan!

Now get the basil and cut it into long thin slices - AKA chiffonade.

Put the pasta in a bowl and top with the fresh basil.

Dig in and ENJOY!!!