Lunchbox Ideas: Fiesta Chicken with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Another Monday in August, another packed lunch idea. This week: fiesta chicken with black bean and corn salsa. Bonus: this is good warm or chilled - lets do this, Monday!

Ingredients (makes 8 lunches):

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cans organic black beans
• 2 cans organic corn kernels
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• cilantro
• 4 limes
• cumin
• chili powder
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. season chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder and grill or bake until internal temp is 165
2. while chicken is cooking, chop onion and tomatoes, drain and rinse beans and corn, and chop cilantro
3. combine beans, corn, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and the juice of two limes to make salsa
4. scoop salsa into container, lay sliced chicken breasts over, garnish with more cilantro and a lime wedge

Lunchbox Ideas: GF Turkey & Kale Meatballs

With school right around the corner, I am trying to get back into the habit of packing lunches. We really lucked out - one of our neighbors is the cafeteria manager at the school down the road, and throughout the summer we could just throw a coverup over our suits and walk down there for lunch when I didn't want to cook. I've done a post on our packed lunches before (click here) but have recently started packing them for my husband and I, too. It really buys us a lot of weeknight time to already have that out of the way. I still pack the night ahead for the kids so its fun and fresh every day, but my husband and I will be eating the same thing all week.

Here's this past week's meal - GF turkey kale meatballs, brown rice pasta, roast brussels sprouts, pineapple/grapes, and various organic granola bars for an afternoon pick-me-up. All ingredients (including granola, excluding spices that I had on hand) came out to less than $25 - considering that we each spend about $10-$15 every time we buy lunch out, that is a huge savings, plus this is a completely "clean" meal. 

Here's the meatball recipe:

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1 cup gluten free oats, ground. (I try to eat flour free for the most part, but this also adds extra protein to meatball)
• 1 cup kale, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• small chopped onion
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, and oregano
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients by hand, mixing very well.
2. Form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs (should end up with around 50)
3. Place on greased baking sheets, bake at 350 for 30 minutes

I have a sauce recipe that I love and keep in the fridge for pizza nights, quick pastas, etc. but you could totally use any type of pasta sauce with these, OR just eat them plain.

And here's the link for the lunch containers we use:

Happy Monday!

Easy Chicken Kabobs

OK, so this is more of an idea starter than an actual recipe because it can be done SO many different ways. Here's how we "kabob" here in my house!

Ingredients:
2 lb chicken breast, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 sweet vidalia onions, cut in half, then each half quartered
20-25 sweet mini peppers, whole
2 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
Seasoning of choice (we use Everglades Poultry Seasoning! SOOOO GOOD!)
salt/pepper

Directions:
Heat grill to medium/high heat
Toss chicken with seasoning (we use about 1 tsp/pound)
Salt/pepper potatoes
Layer on kabob sticks, we do chicken, onion, potato, pepper, repeat
Grill 10-15 minutes, rotating at least twice

That's it! SO easy, perfect for a Monday, and a complete meal on a stick! My kids will eat anything if it's "fun" - this is one of their favorites!

Happy Monday!

"Cowboy Baked Beans"

Hope you all had an amazing holiday weekend! This little dish was the hit of our many barbecues and is just TOO easy not to share - in fact, this recipe came from my mother-in-law, and has been on our summer barbecue menu since the first time I tried it! 

Ingredients

• 3 cans Busch's beans (do not drain)
• 3 cans assorted beans - I use black, garbanzo, and kidney(rinsed)
• 1/2 lb sausage, cooked
• small bottle of BBQ sauce of choice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350, spray 9x13 pan
2. In large bowl. combine all cans of beans. 
3. Mix in cooked sausage, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar
4. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hr

See how easy it is?! Enjoy - and never tell anyone it's basically a bowl full of sugar, hehe!

Cast Iron Fajitas

This is one of our summertime favorites, and it is our go-to for at home date nights! 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenderloins
• 2-3 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• tortillas 
• cumin
• chili powder
• salt and pepper
• high smoke point oil (anything other than peanut or olive oil)
• Toppings of choice (cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.)

Directions:

1. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat for two minutes, add 1 Tbsp oil, and allow to heat one minute longer
2. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. I usually use about 1 teaspoon of each
3. Place chicken in skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, remove, and let rest in tinfoil
4. Chop veggies and add to skillet, cook about 4 minutes, until they start to blacken
5. Slice chicken and add back to skillet, Serve with warm tortillas*

*We use Tortilla Land tortillas which require cooking in a skillet for one minute. They are SO good, and only have 5 ingredients. Once you try them, it will ruin all other tortillas forever! 

Beer Can Chicken

One of my favorite things about the weekend is seeing my husband pull out his smoker! Thankfully he is willing to share his recipe here! Ahh...only 4 more days until Friday!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 lb young chicken
• 12 oz can beer (any beer will do)
• Everglades poultry seasoning or Old Bay seasoning
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Hickory chunks
• Charcoal
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Light charcoal and wait until coals are white
2. Fill water pan 3/4 full and add 2 Tbsp seasoning to water
3. Empty 2/3 of beer, leaving 1/3 in the can, add minced garlic to can
4. Remove neck and giblets from chicken, rub with olive oil, and coat under skin, in cavity, and outside with seasoning. Place beer can in cavity, and set upright on rack in smoker.
5. Add 3-4 chunks of hickory (overwhelming flavor, so don't add too much) every 30-45 minutes until done, Chicken is done when internal temperature of breast is 165 degrees, approximately 3-5 hours, depending on size of chicken.
6. Let rest, and enjoy!

Cinco De Mayo Menu

It's Monday! 

Today's meal is a repeat. Since tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo ON TACO TUESDAY nobody has an excuse :) Here's what we're eating tomorrow:

Refried beans in a can are far from "real" - for example, the ingredient list includes "Lard (Partially Hydrogenated Lard With BHA And BHT Added To Help Protect Flavor)" and don't taste very authentic. Here's a simple fix for that - 

Homemade Re fried Beans:

• 2 cans Organic Pinto or Black Beans (one drained, one undrained)
• 3 Cloves Minced Garlic 
• 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Cumin
• Salt to taste
• 2T olive oil 
• Lime Juice to taste

Directions:

1. Sautee garlic in olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add in the cans of pinto beans (one drained, one undrained) and the spices and allow to heat for two minutes
3. Turn heat down and let some liquid cook off  while spices blend (move the beans around here and there to prevent sticking) for about ten minutes
4. Mash with a potato masher, adjust spices as desired, and top with some lime juice! Yum!

Tostada Recipe:

On a typical night, I would pop some corn tortillas in the oven at 425 for about ten minutes to create a baked tostada shell. On this night? We went authentic, baby :)

What I love about this recipe - options! My kids do so much better with OPTIONS. While I require that they choose some toppings, they choose how much, what colors, and "decorate" their own tostada shells. 



To match the amount of beans in the recipe, you will need:

• 10 corn tortillas, plus oil of your choice for frying* 
• Bean recipe, listed above, or 1 can refried beans
• 1/3 block monterey-jack cheese**
• cilantro
• Various toppings of your choice (we use avocado, tomato, sour cream, lime wedges, onions, etc.)

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, fry each tortilla about 30-45 seconds per side in 1/4 inch of oil. Oil should SIZZLE when your drop tortilla, and tortilla should bubble. Remove and let drain on paper towels.
2. Line tostada shells on a baking sheet and spread with beans
3. Grate some fresh cheese on top of each 
4. place in your oven broiler 30 seconds/1 minute - watch CLOSELY! 
5. Pop on some cilantro, top as desired, and serve immediately

*Why don't I buy store bought tostada shells? One of the most common homes of GMO's is in cooking oils. I try to fry with my own oil. And just so there's no confusion: I am not above the fryer! 

**Why not use shredded cheese? Cellulose, the anti-caking agent used in bags of shredded cheese, is made from wood pulp. And though it is declared a "safe" ingredient for consumption, I try to avoid added, um...agents...when it's just as simple to make it myself.

Dinner Tonight: Chili Cheese Dogs!

OK, OK, so this isn't a groundbreaking new inspiring recipe, but it IS darn delicious and simple enough after a nice long weekend enjoying the spring time weather! Have a happy (easy) Monday, friends! 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 1 (12-14oz) Can tomato sauce
• 1 can ro-tel
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 3 cans beans drained and rinsed (we alternate between pinto, black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans)
• Hot dogs (we use Applegate Organic Beef, or Applegate Natural Turkey)
• Hot dog buns
• Shredded cheese
• ketchup/mustard

Directions:

1. Brown meat and stir in tomato sauce and ro-tel 
2. Add in salt, cumin, and chili powder, reduce to low and simmer 15 mins
3. stir in beans, let simmer 20 mins
4. grill or boil hotdogs, lay in buns, spoon chili and cheese on top, and serve! 

We love to serve this with a simple kale salad, sweet potato fries, or good 'ol fashioned potato chips! Yum!

Dinner Tonight: Ham and Cheese Sliders

This is the great pot luck dish, and the PERFECT addition to your Easter brunch menu. It is also a quick "I don't feel like being a fancy mom" dinner. I present...

Ingredients:

• 24 King's Hawaiian Rolls
• 1 pack Applegate Ham
• 6 slices swiss cheese
• 1 stick butter
• 1 Tablespoon honey mustard
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion

Directions:

1. Cut rolls in half and place (squish) in a 9x13 glass pan. I get 6 rows of 4.
2. Cut 8 slices of ham in thirds, and place a piece on each roll.
3. Lay one slice of cheese on top. One slice should cover four rolls.
4. Place roll top on top of cheese.
5. Melt butter and mix in onion and mustard. Pour over top of rolls.
6. Refrigerate for a few hours, then bake, covered, at 350 for 20 minutes.

Dinner Tonight: Grouper Parmesan

It. Is. SPRING! Some of my favorite recipes lie in the heart of Spring. In the south, Springtime is the perfect time to lighten up your meals, eat outside (before the heat kicks you in), enjoy the extra daylight, and incorporate colors into your table. This recipe is a favorite in my family, even the baby inhales it. I serve most of our spring and summer meals with an easy kale salad, and some fresh fruit for dessert. As always, look for fresh, local ingredients to really kick this up a notch.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb grouper
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 3 T plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 T fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prep grouper by rubbing both sides with some salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice over top
3. Bake for 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, make topping by combining yogurt, cheese, butter, garlic, paprika, and parsley
5. spread mixture over top of fish, and broil until brown and bubbly (took about 2 minutes for me)

Easy! Less than 15 minutes of work, now get outside and soak up this weather, people! 

Dinner Tonight: Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

This is the perfect 'Case of the Monday's' meal. I don't want to go to the grocery store, we have a 4H meeting, a piano makeup lesson, a doctors appointment, we've been gone all weekend and need to unpack, and it's the Bachelor Season Finale. If ever there was a night for a fast meal - it's tonight! And I know I've said it many times, but 'fast' does not need to mean 'lacking nutrition'. Here's a super fast, organic, "pantry and freezer staple" kind of meal. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium yellow or 1/2 large onion
• 1 jar organic spaghetti sauce
• 1 can organic cream of mushroom soup
• 1 box frozen spinach, thawed, and drained
• 1 box 100% whole wheat noodles
• 8 oz (1 block) sharp white cheddar

Directions:

1. Cook noodles 'al dente' according to package directions
2. Meanwhile, cook ground beef over med-high heat, adding chopped onion halfway through
3. Drain fat, and then add pasta sauce and spinach to ground beef mixture
4. When noodles are cooked and drained, toss into pan with sauce and mix until incorporated
5. Transfer noodles and sauce mixture to casserole dish
6. Pour soup over top, and top with cheese
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until bubbly

 Apparently we like anything with "cheesy" in the title - here are a couple of other options for ya!

Cheesy Veggie Soup

Cheesy Squash Casserole

Dinner Tonight: Cheesy Veggie Soup!

It's been "Florida cold" lately, and it's the one time of year to really bust out the soups and stews. Problem? My kids aren't necessarily soup fans, but they are, however, fans of anything with the word "cheese" in the title. And so, I present:

A few things before I go into the recipe -

1 - I use whole milk products, therefore I do not have a fat free or low fat recipe to offer. As in everything, moderation is key. Would eating this soup every day cause me to put on weight? YES. But more importantly, will I be putting carcinogens and chemicals, dyes, and wood pulp in my body? No. Another example of "whole or organic foods" not always being the same as slimming foods! Here's a little tidbit of info by Michael Pollan on the milk thing:

"To make dairy products low fat, it’s not enough to remove the fat. You then have to go to great lengths to preserve the body or creamy texture by working in all kinds of food additives. In the case of low-fat or skim milk, that usually means adding powdered milk. But powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which scientists believe is much worse for your arteries than ordinary cholesterol, so food makers sometimes compensate by adding antioxidants, further complicating what had been a simple one-ingredient whole food."

2 - We eat this in mini bread bowls, made 100% from wheat and spelt that I mill that morning. In general, a bread bowl isn't a very healthy or "real" option. I should've pictured it in a regular old bowl. Sorry!

3 - Switch up the veggies any way you choose!

Okay, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 
• 3 cups milk
• 1 box organic chicken stock (32 oz)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 5 cups veggies, finely chopped (I used broccoli, spinach, and carrots)
• 16oz block of sharpest cheddar you can find (you will use 3/4 of the block)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over med heat and add chopped onion until translucent
2. Sprinkle in flour and push around until absorbed
3. add in milk slowly, stirring until combined, then pour in chicken stock
4. allow to come to a simmer, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook on med-low until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. 
5. Add FINELY chopped veggies and cook until tender
6. Grate in (please grate it yourself) 3/4 of 16 oz block of cheese, taste, and add more if needed. 
7. Allow to cool for a few minutes to thicken up if needed. 

I LOVE this recipe, and I LOVE that my kids get ALL of these veggies in it:

Dinner Tonight: Honey Mustard Brisket

Ah, Thursday. 
\
Thursday is my "nobody wants to do any more school" day...
Thursday is my cleaning for the cleaning ladies day...
Thursday is my prepping for co-op day...
Thursday is my "wait around all day for piano lessons" day...
Thursday is my husbands longest work day...
Thursday is my grocery planning day...
Thursday is my least favorite gym day (and I am TOTALLY playing hookie today)...
Thursday apparently is my "give the baby m&ms so I can blog" day...

Thursday...stinks. And therefore, Thursday is my crock-pot day.

But this dinner, people, makes Thursday the best day of the week! 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb flat cut brisket
• bottle of honey mustard
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 red onion

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper brisket on both sides
2. Coat skillet with olive oil and sear both sides of brisket over med-high heat
3. Pour half the bottle of honey mustard on bottom of crock-pot, place brisket on top, and cover with remainder.
4. Cook on low 8 hours.
5. When brisket is finished, pull apart with two forks.
6. Slice and caramelize red onion to use as garnish.

So darn good. So darn easy!

Festive Fajita Bake!

We are a family that loves peppers and onions. Pizza? Peppers and onions. Omelets? Peppers and onions. Burgers? Peppers and onions! Here's a Christmas colored casserole that you can take with you to any of those weekend before Christmas potlucks! 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs chicken breast, uncooked and cut in slices
• 2 green bell peppers, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Cumin (I used about 2 t)
• Chili Powder (I used about 2 t)
• 1 t garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• monterey jack cheese, to garnish

Directions:

1. Cube or slice chicken and toss with salt, pepper, chili, cumin, and garlic powder. Lay in bottom of baking dish
2. toss peppers and onion in olive oil and lay on top of chicken mixture
3. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. 
4. Shred cheese on top and continue baking for 5 minutes
5. serve over rice or eat as is! 

Dinner Tonight: Rainy Day Chicken Soup

The forecast calls for rain...all day. Cold, dark, cooped up, RAIN. This means I can't send my kids outside, shouldn't even attempt secret Santa shopping, and sure as heck wont be able to edit anyone's photos. My backup plan? Gingerbread cookie making and an EASY DINNER. Here's my go-to "I don't feel like cooking...or moving...or picking up the phone and ordering" dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 bag of carrots
• 1 bag of celery
• 1 bag of parsnips
• 2 boxes organic chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• package of noodles if desired
• salt to taste

Directions:

This couldn't be more simple. Just chop the veggies and throw them in your pot with your bay leaves, add the whole chicken, and cover with broth. Bring it to a boil and allow it to simmer for about 90 minutes. After it cools, separate the chicken pieces and return it to the pot (discard bones or save for stock). Pull out the bay leaves (IMPORTANT), salt and pepper to taste, and serve! 

Dinner Tonight: Cobb Salads and Homemade Ranch

At least once a week we do a salad or potato night. Like a "build your own dinner". It takes the fuss away from presenting a formal dinner, and the kids seem to think lots of toppings and colors make for more fun! Cobb Salads are a family favorite, and everyone knows that bottled ranch just isn't as tasty as the real stuff. Here's my go-to ranch recipe!

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in fridge for at least an hour to blend flavors. Easy!

Our yummy cobb salads are a mix of romaine, tomato, avocado, egg, bacon, cucumber, and blue cheese. So so tasty! And only one of our three is capable of eating a salad for dinner right now, so the other two basically get a "snack board" of everything but the lettuce. 

Happy Tuesday!

Dinner Tonight: Kid's Cheesy Squash Casserole

This one is a HIT around here. It's like macaroni and cheese but with squash. And the pretzel goldfish topping is there for extra incentive. It is also hitting the Thanksgiving menu this year.

Ingredients:

• 5 lb mixed chopped zucchini and yellow squash
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 cup mayonaisse or cream cheese**
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 block sharp cheddar, shredded
• 3 cups of goldfish crackers and crushed pretzels, mixed
• 1/2 stick butter

**When following a "real food" diet, greek yogurt is generally the suggested alternative for mayo, but in this recipe, room temp organic cream cheese has more flavor!

Directions:

1. Place squash and onion in pot and cover with salted water by about 3 inches
2. Boil for ten minutes
3. Drain and let cool
4. Stir together mayo or cream cheese, sour cream, egg, and cheddar
5. Fold into cooled squash
6. Spoon into greased 9x13 inch dish
7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
8. Meanwhile, mix goldfish/crushed pretzels with melted butter
9. Spoon over casserole for last 5 minutes of baking
10. Allow 10 minutes to cool before serving

Adapted from Southern Living

Dinner Tonight: Crockpot Veggie Soup

It's Wednesday, we have some coughs going on around here, and since the weather has been so spotty lately, I am going to guess that some of you do, too. Here's an easy, but hearty, crock pot (or stovetop) dinner for you!

We call this "Grandma Soup" because it's full of the veggies that my grandma would recommend :) 

Basically, we go to the farm and grab any and everything that looks good that day. On this particular day that was carrots, beans, onions, corn, and zucchini. Then I ran into the regular store because I like to add cabbage, celery, and potatoes into this soup! We have a very large crock pot so we can squeeze a lot into this soup. 

Ingredients:

• about 8-10 cups diced veggies of choice, depending on size of your crock pot. I use:
• Red potatoes, diced
• Handful of snapped green beans
• 2-3 diced onions
• 2 diced zucchini
• 4 diced carrots
• 1 ear of corn kernels
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/3 head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces
• 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 bottle V8 juice 
• 1 box Chicken Broth
• Creole seasoning to taste

*You will need a 50/50 ratio of juice and chicken broth, amount depends on how hearty you want your soup*

Combine all ingredients into crock pot, stir, and cook on low 8 hours OR let all ingredients simmer in a stock pot for about an hour! Serve with grilled cheese, fresh bread, or top with a little Parmesan on its own! 

For the perfect go along recipe, check out my hidden message rolls!

Kid Approved Lunch: Baby Spiders on a Web!

Halloween is tomorrow, and we are SO excited to be this close to the day-of madness, I am also a little bummed out that another year of sweet treats and simple fun is almost behind us. It wont be too long before the "cute" Halloween years are behind us, so I am soaking up every single fancy PB&J I can, and hence we have...

Spiders on a Web and a Spidey Sandwich!

Everyone's heard of "Ants on a Log" which is just peanut butter on a stalk of celery with raisin ants crawling along, so I thought we'd try a different version! I sliced the celery thin, drizzled some peanut butter in a swirl, and added some raisin spiders on top. To top it off, I turned their PB&J into the mama spider using a large mouthed cup, some pretzel rods, and raisin eyes.

Simple, but oh so fun, and kids approved!

Check back tonight for this week's Thanksgiving Thursday post, it's a big one. HERE is last week's in case you missed it!

Dinner Tonight: White Chicken Chili

It's Fall! In Florida that means anything below 75 calls for some soup and comfort dinners. Every year my family has a chili cook off at our Halloween party, and every year I make this chili. So yummy, unexpected, and perfect for a "fall" night!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs seasoned chicken thighs
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 cans great northern beans, drained
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 1 boxed carton chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season, cook and shred chicken. I rub mine down with some salt, pepper, and cumin and stick it in the crock pot for about 3 hours on high.
2. in stock pot, sautee garlic and onion until translucent
3. add in drained beans and can of chilies
4. pour in chicken broth and add chicken chunks
5. add salt, pepper, and cumin, and simmer on low for 30 minutes
6. serve with sour cream and some monterey jack cheese!