Chicken Sausage White Bean Skillet

4 fully cooked chicken sausage links (about 12 oz.)

2 Tbs cooking oil, divided

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained (but NOT rinsed)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 c chicken broth

2 c spinach, rough chopped

Some sort of starch: crusty bread, mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice

Slice the chicken sausage into round medallions, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbs of oil.  Add the chicken sausage to the skillet and brown on both sides.  It will only take about 1-2 minutes on each side.  So be careful not to burn the sausage.  Once the chicken sausage is browned, remove it from the skillet onto a separate plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbs of oil along with the diced onion and minced garlic.  Saute for about 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.

Add the drained, canned beans to the skillet (do not rinse the beans, the residual starchy liquid helps create the sauce), along with the salt, oregano, paprika, and pepper.  Then pour in the chicken broth.

Gently stir everything together and bring the skillet up to a simmer for 4-5 minutes.  Add the chopped spinach to the skillet, allowing the heat to wilt the spinach, then add the browned chicken sausage back in.  Gently stir with the beans to combine.  Serve with some crusty bread or mashed potatoes with more black pepper or red pepper flakes on top.  

From Budge Bytes

Tortellini Salad

9 oz. package cheese tortellini

8 oz. package fresh mozzarella balls or pearls

10 oz. package bite-size tomatoes

Two heads of broccoli, chopped small

3 oz. package pepperoni

1/4 c Italian dressing (get a good one for this)

1/4 c pesto

Chop the broccoli and boil water to cook tortellini according to package directions.  Do NOT overcook tortellini!  Place chopped broccoli in the colander and drain pasta over it to blanch the broccoli.  Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Mix in a large bowl with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pepperoni.  In a small bowl (or jar) combine the Italian dressing and pesto, then pour over salad and toss again to mix.

Modified from Our Best Bites

Easy Korean Beef Bowls

Slaw:

4 c shredded cabbage

1 c shredded carrots

1 c chopped cucumber

1/4-1/2 c chopped cilantro

2 Tbs lime juice

2 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

Sriracha to taste

Sauce:

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c mayonnaise

3 Tbs lime juice

1 tsp sriracha sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

Korean Beef:

1.5-2 lbs ground beef

1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 c unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbs light brown sugar

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs ginger paste (or freshly grated)

1 Tbs minced garlic

Also:

Hot, cooked rice

Naan bread

Avocado slices

Chopped cilantro

lime wedges

For the slaw: in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro.  In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, s & p, and sriracha.  Pour over the slaw and toss to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve (can be made 4-6 hours in advance).

For the sauce: stir together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve (can be made several days in advance).

For the beef: in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking into smaller pieces, until no longer pink.  Drain off fat.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine, simmering for 3-4 minutes until heated through.

For serving: layer the slaw, rice, beef, sauce, avocado, and then cilantro, either in a bowl or inside toasted naan.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mexican Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

8 sweet potatoes

3-4 Tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

Lime Crema

8 oz. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

pinch of pepper

1/4 tsp chilli paste

1-2 tsp water, if needed

Taco Beef Filling

1 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced finely

1 small jalapeño (or half), diced finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs ground beef

2/3 c ketchup

1.5 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1.5 Tbs dark brown sugar

1.5 tsp dry mustard

1/4 c taco seasonings

1/2 c water

freshly chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.  Wash sweet potatoes and make 4 slits on two sides of each potato.  Rub the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, lime zest and juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili paste until well blended.  Add the water one teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency has been reached so that the sauce can be drizzled over the potatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil.  Sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for about 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.  Drain any liquid.

Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, taco seasonings, and water and mix well.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Cut each sweet potato open and chop into smaller pieces, top with beef and then lime crema, and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro.

Modified slightly from easyrecipesfromhome

Perfect French Bread Pizza

2 loaves Italian or French bread 

1/4 c olive oil

2 tsp Italian seasonings

1/2 tsp kosher salt

24-32 oz. mozzarella cheese

3 c pasta sauce

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

sprinkling of parsley

Preheat oven to 400℉.  Slice bread lengthwise and then cut each half into about 3 pieces or so.  If the bread is thicker than about an inch, press down on each piece until it's closer to that thickness.

Place the bread on a large baking sheet (covered in aluminum foil!).  Combine the olive oil, Italian seasonings, and salt in a small bowl and brush the sliced portion of each piece of bread with the olive oil mixture.

Top the bread with half the cheese and place in the oven, cook 8-10 minutes until the cheese melts.

While the cheese is melting, warm the sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop.  Remove bread from the oven and spread the sauce evenly over the bread.  Top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

From Chocolate with Grace

Cucumber Avocado Salad

3/4-1 lb seedless cucumber, washed and cut into chunks

2 thin or 1 regular scallion(s), thinly sliced

1 large avocado, pitted and diced

2 Tbs mayonnaise

1 Tbs lime juice

Salt and hot sauce (sriracha works great!) to taste

Chopped cilantro

Combine cucumber, scallions, and avocado in a bowl.  Whisk together sauce (mayo, lime juice, hot sauce, salt), drizzle over vegetables and stir to combine.  Sprinkle with cilantro.  Enjoy immediately!

From Smitten Kitchen

Lentil Tacos

1.5 c dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained

3.5 c chicken or vegetable broth

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 c red or green salsa (preferably thick and chunky vs. thin and watery)

12-15 taco shells

Taco toppings of choice: lettuce, chopped tomato, grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

In a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, combine the lentils, broth, and seasonings.  Secure the lid and valve and cook on high for 12 minutes.  Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing remaining pressure.  

Drain off any excess liquid, if desired.  Stir in salsa and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (this is important for flavor!).  Can mash lentils lightly, if desired.  The lentil mixture will thicken a bit if left to sit/keep warm in the pressure cooker.

Serve the warm lentils in taco shells with toppings.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe