Balsamic Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Fall isn't here yet, right?!  At least not in Texas!  So here's to another delicious and easy summer dinner.  What I love most about this meal is the balsamic vinegar.  How I love that slightly sweet taste.  Plus, the fact that I can make all of this in just one pan makes me even happier!  Not to mention all the veggies!  From start to finish this meal takes about 30-minutes to make.  High-five to another quick and easy and healthy weeknight dinner.

Balsamic Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound chicken breast tenderloins

10 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup shredded carrots (you can buy these in the produce section)

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the Italian dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey, and crushed red pepper.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is tender but no longer pink, turning once.  Add half of the dressing mixture to the skillet; turn chicken to coat.  Once the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F transfer chicken to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the asparagus and carrots to the skillet.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender then transfer to the serving platter.

Stir remaining dressing mixture and add it to the skillet.  Cook and stir for 1 minute, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Drizzle the dressing mixture over the chicken and vegetables.  Sprinkle the diced tomatoes on top and serve.

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Creamy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

This Alfredo sauce is the best I have ever come across.  It has become one of my go-to dinners when I am either short on time or need a quick idea of something to make.  It really comes together quite quickly and I usually have everything in the ingredients list on hand except maybe the heavy whipping cream, but if you don't have that on hand there are substitutes online that you can find to replace it.   

The added cream cheese helps with the thick creaminess of this recipe.  Oooo, we love it.  I honestly think I can say it is better than most restaurant Alfredo sauces.  By far beats anything jarred you would buy at the store.  Yes, it takes more time to make it at home than buying it at the store, but really - this recipe is easy and fast and so good so there's really no reason you shouldn't at least give it a try, right?

We like it best served with Fettuccine noodles, but as you can see in the picture below, it really goes perfect with any shape of noodle.  I'm sure it would taste spectacular on pizza, too!

Creamy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 pint heavy whipping cream (2 cups)

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

In a medium saucepan add butter, heavy whipping cream, and cream cheese.  Cook over medium-high heat and whisk until all is melted.  Add the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Continue to whisk until smooth then add the grated parmesan cheese.

Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the pasta begins to thicken.  Pour over your favorite pasta and toss to coat.  Serve warm.

Recipe Source: The Recipe Critic

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Why haven't I ever thought about making my own salsa until now?  I've used salsa in so many recipes and Colby and some of my kids love to sit down and snack on chips and salsa.  I've never been able to do that and I just realized it's because I've never loved the salsa.  That is, until now.  Last week I sat down to a bowl like this and before I knew it I had finished it off.  There was probably 1/3 of the bowl still full.  Oops.  But to us, it's really that good. 

A few weeks ago I started searching around online for salsa recipes.  I found some that looked pretty easy and that I thought we would like.  We made them and tried them out, adjusted the one we liked the best, and now I'm here to share our favorite version with you!

There are so many great things about making your own salsa.  First off, it's cheaper and it makes a ton!  You can also add or take away or adjust the ingredients to how you and others with you like it.  It also feels good that you can make something better than how you can buy it at the store and even in most restaurants.  And most of these ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

I'm excited for you to make your own and I hope you love it as much as our family does. 

Restaurant-Style Salsa
Yield: About 4 cups

Notes: I can't do a lot of heat so I seed my jalepeno's and only add 1/4 of one jalepeno.  It still adds a little kick, but it doesn't make it too hot for us very mild tasting taste-budders.  You can adjust most of these measurements according to what you like.

Ingredients
28oz can tomatoes, with juice (whole, diced, or crushed is fine)
1/2 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 to 1 Jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2)

Directions
Add all ingredients to a food processor in the order listed above and pulse a few times to break up the larger pieces.  Continue to process until the texture is how you like it.  Give the salsa a little taste and make sure it's how you like it.  If needed, adjust measurements according to your preference then process a little more.

Transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator.  This salsa tastes best once it's chilled for a couple of hours or overnight.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Source: adapted from the chunky chef.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I love french fries.  I love sweet potatoes.  Why has it taken me so long to make Sweet Potato French Fries?  I don't know why, but I'm glad I've started now!  This recipe is easy and has a nice little kick to it.  I wish I could say it's fast, but these little guys have to bake for about 40 minutes so it's not super fast.  When I know I'm going to be hungry within the next little while I make them, throw them in the oven, help the kids and do everything around the house that needs to be done and then sit down and enjoy a healthy snack.  I do love that these are a very healthy snack option and they're tasty!  

And don't worry - if you don't have arrowroot it's okay.  I've made these many times before I went out and bought arrowroot and they still turned out just fine.  The picture below is with arrowroot.  They turn out crispier with arrowroot than without.

Sweet Potato Fries
Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt, to taste
2 teaspoons arrowroot starch

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet or use a Silpat liner.  Set aside.

Peel (or don't peel if you'd like) the sweet potatoes then slice them into thin french fries.  Try to make them as similar in size and thickness as possible so they all bake evenly.  The thicker you slice them the soggier they will be, the thinner you slice them that faster they will bake (and possibly burn).  It may take a few times of trial and error to find the thickness that works for you.

In a large bowl combine the sweet potatoes, coconut oil, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Use your hands to evenly coat the potatoes with the spices.  Add the sea salt and arrowroot and mix again well with your hands.

Spread the fries out in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes then carefully turn the fries over and bake for another 15-20 minutes.  You want the fries to be crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Kimberly Snyder's Spicy Baked Sweet Potato French Fries

Watermelon Strawberry Popsicles

My kids love popsicles.  They each have one a day and in the Texas heat I can't blame them!  But I didn't want them eating the Freezer Pops anymore because I know they have no nutritional value to them whatsoever, so I sat my kids down and we had a heart to heart about it and I said, "Mom isn't buying popsicles at the store anymore."  The next time we went to Walmart of course the first thing we saw when we walked in the door was the huge Freezer Pop bin.  They only asked once and thankfully they were okay when I said, "No guys, remember, Mom isn't buying those anymore."  But I knew I had to find a good alternative.  And I did!

I got online and did a little research and order these babies and WE LOVE THEM!  I bought two different kinds: the Zoku Dino Pop Mold and the Zoku Classic Pop Mold.  I honestly can't say enough good things about these popsicle molds.  They are so fun and so easy and seem to be really durable.  We love the dinosaur shapes and I'm tempted to get on Amazon and buy some of their other shapes.  They are worth every penny.  The Dino molds are even perfect for my almost 8-year-old.  A great snack size.  And perfect for my 2-year-old.

The dino molds pull out of their mold and the mold stands up like this.  It's easy to push them back down.  They come out super easy and in a perfect solid shape.  They're so fun!

Then we did a little research on Pinterest and found some fun homemade popsicle recipes.  We ended up trying this one as our first tester and it was a HUGE SUCCESS!  I had just cut up a huge watermelon and literally had watermelon over-flowing multiple bowls in our fridge so I was happy to throw a couple of cups into my food processor.  Then we just tossed in a pint of strawberries and zested and juiced one lime and wah-lah!  That's it!  So easy and it ends up - So yummy.

Even though school has started for some - the summer heat still isn't over so it's not too late for you to get your own Zoku Molds and make some more summer family fun traditions.

Watermelon Strawberry Popsicles
Yield: Between 8-12 popsicles

Ingredients
3-4 cups watermelon, diced
1 pint strawberries, rinsed and cut in half
Zest and juice from 1 lime

Directions
Add watermelon, strawberries, and lime juice and zest to a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Pour into popsicle molds and allow to freeze (about 4 hours or overnight).

Recipe Source:  Idea from onelovelylife.com

Morning Green Smoothie

For the last almost two weeks I have been having this smoothie every morning for breakfast.  I plan on having it every morning for days and weeks and months to come.  I have felt more energized in my mornings and when I go to bed at night I've actually started looking forward to waking up and drinking it in the morning.

 

Fill your blender up about 2/3 of the way with leafy greens and blend those until they are well combined.

Add the rest of the vegetables and fruits and blend again until smooth.  It always helps when you have a little person by your side dropping in the cut up fruits and veggies and pushing all the buttons for you.  He's not in pain or going to the bathroom, he's just saying, "cheeeeeeeese".

Then pour in your favorite cup(s) and enjoy.  A wonderful and healthy way to start your day. 

Morning Green Smoothie

Yield: about 50 ounces (1 serving)

Ingredients

2 cups water

5-6 cups spinach

4-5 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 apple, diced

1 banana

2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Directions

In your Vitamix (or other powerful blender) add the 2 cups of water.  Add the spinach and romaine and pack the leaves down.  Your blender should be about 2/3 of the way full with leaves.  Blend the leaves and water together.  Add the cucumber and diced apple.  Blend those until your smoothie looks smooth.  Lastly add the banana and lemon juice.  Blend once more.  If you like your smoothie cold you can add some ice cubes.

I pour half of mine in my favorite tumbler and the other half in a glass.  I drink the glass first while the tumbler is chilling in the refrigerator and then when I'm ready for the rest I just take it out of the fridge and enjoy.

Recipe Source: adapted from Kimberly Snyder's Glowing Green Smoothie.

Kale and Cherry Tomato Salad

This is my new favorite salad.  I think I've had it 5 times within the last week.  I can honestly eat this whole bowl, and I have more than once.  I love the dark green color of the kale mixed with the red cherry tomatoes.  The salty flavor that the sunflower kernels adds is perfect. I am also a lemon lover, and the fresh lemon makes this salad so summer-y and light.  On the times when I haven't made this for lunch, but instead for dinner, Colby and I each grab our forks and just share this right out of the bowl.  Romantic, I know.

I think the sunflower kernels are my favorite part.  The hearty and crunchy texture of the kale is Colby's favorite.  There are so many natural vitamins and minerals in this salad.  It's great as a side dish, or even as a main dish if you're looker for a light and very healthy meal.

Kale and Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients
6 cups Kale (or 1 medium bunch)
Sea Salt, to taste
1/4 cup Sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about half of one lemon)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
 2 teaspoons Hemp seeds
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Directions
Peel the leafy part off each kale stem and add to a large bowl.  Or if you're using already cut up kale, just add it to a large salad bowl.  Add a pinch of sea salt to the kale and break down with your hands, tearing into bit-sized pieces, and working the salt into the kale.  Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the top.

Whisk the lemon juice, oregano, and hemp seeds a small bowl.  Pour the mixture over the kale.  Add the tomatoes and mix well.


Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Kimberly Snyder's The Beauty Detox Foods.

Texas Sheet Cake

While my family was still living in Georgia, my good friend Christine made a Texas Sheet Cake for her son's birthday.  It was the first time I had ever had Texas Sheet Cake.  It was sooooo good.  Then just last month, when my Dad gave me Ann Romney's cookbook I couldn't wait to flip through it and as I was looking through all her recipes I was so excited to see a Texas Sheet Cake recipe.  It had never dawned on me to look up a recipe online, and I'm glad I didn't because her version of this cake is ah-mazing.  

The frosting is also so easy and so good.

My kids didn't mind licking the bowl clean.

Now the trick is to frosting the cake while it's still hot.  You need to be careful because it will start to pull the cake up if you press down too hard since it's still hot, but by icing it hot it allows the icing to seep down into the teeny-tiny holes in the cake.  Oh so yummy.

 Then you cut it up and serve these little beauties and I promise, people will be coming back for more.  It was dangerous having the whole thing sitting on my counter because I kept going back to even it up.  A bad problem to have?  Some say yes, I say no!

Texas Sheet Cake

Yield: One 10x15-inch jelly roll pan

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup butter, softened

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten

pinch of salt

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter

6 tablespoons milk

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

In a saucepan, over medium-heat, combine the butter, cocoa and water.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.  Sift together the flour and sugar over a bowl.  Pour into a stand mixer then pour the butter mixture on top.  Mix well.  Add buttermilk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, and salt. Beat well.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Five minutes before the cake is done start to prepare the Chocolate Frosting.

For the frosting:

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the milk, cocoa, and vanilla.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and gradually add the powdered sugar.  Mix well.  Frost the cake while the cake is still hot.

Recipe Source: The Romney Family Table Cookbook

Slow Cooker Summer Corn Chowder

I love how light and summer-y and easy this summer corn chowder is.  It's perfect this time of year because of all those fresh ears of corn that are ready and waiting to be eaten at the grocery store.  But even if you want to make this in the winter-time, it's still a great meal because frozen or even canned corn work great too!  It comes together so quickly in the slow cooker so with the busy school-year just around the corn I know this will be a dinner we rotate through regularly on our menu.

My kids (and I) love bacon so we don't hold back with the bacon on top.  I also like the texture it brings to the softer potatoes and corn.  And how we love those big chunks of potatoes.  Yummy.

Slow Cooker Summer Corn Chowder
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 ears corn or about 4 cups corn kernels
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
16 ounces bacon (one package), cooked and chopped
Chives for garnish

Directions
Puree 1 cup (of the 4 cups) corn with 1 cup (out of the 3 cups) chicken broth.  Set aside.

Add all remaining vegetables and seasonings to the slow cooker, reserving the heavy cream, flour, bacon, and chives for later.

Pour pureed corn into the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

After the 4 or 8 hours, whisk together the flour and heavy cream until smooth.  Pour into slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover an cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Serve with bacon and chives.

*You can substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch in place of the flour to make this gluten free.


Recipe Source: adapted slightly from baked by rachel