Southwest Couscous Salad

This is a tried and true favorite. It's great for potlucks, picnics, casual get togethers...pretty much anything!!

Southwest Couscous Salad

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Cover and remove from heat.

Whisk together vinegar, oil, lime juice, and cumin. Add onion, bell pepper, cilantro, corn, and beans. Toss well.

Break up couscous with a fork. Add to vegetable mixture. Stir until well mixed.

Halibut with BBQ Tomato Sauce

Oh my deliciousness! This is my new favorite fish recipe. My changes were that I only made 2 fish fillets instead of 4...we like it saucy! I also skipped the EVOO in the pan with the bacon. I just used the bacon drippings to cook all the veggies in! Finally, I cut the hot pepper sauce in half and it was spicy enough for this TX girl's taste!

Really though, this was awesome, awesome, awesome!

Halibut with BBQ Tomato Sauce

Turkey Tortilla Casserole

Ok, I know, I know...it's been a while! This is another Rachael Ray inspired recipe. Her's called for a pound of cheese and a pound of tortilla chips. Huh? I love ya Rach...but OH MY GRAVY!

Turkey Tortilla Casserole

1 pound turkey cutlets, pounded thin
1 lime
salt
1 diced yellow squash
1 c frozen corn
1/2 diced red bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
4 corn tortillas, diced small
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno
4 oz 2% shredded mexican cheese blend

Heat pan over medium heat. Squeeze lime juice over turkey cutlets and salt them. Cook until done...about 3 or so minutes on each side. Remove from pan...do not drain juice!

Add squash, corn, bell pepper, and garlic to pan. Saute about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes
and jalapeno peppers.

Chop turkey into bite sized pieces. Mix veggies, tortillas, and turkey in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 375 about 20-30 minutes...until cheese is bubbly and most of liquid has been absorbed.

Vegetable Soup

I do have a few recipes to get up here, but I'll start with a simple staple!

Vegetable Soup
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c shredded carrots, I use the bagged shredded and run a knife through them
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 head cabbage, diced
1/2 bag frozen green beans
8 c chicken broth
2 cans italian flavored diced tomatoes
1 T italian seasoning

Spray a large pot with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and carrots and saute until soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

This is a recipe with endless possibilities. You can change up the soup just by changing the seasonings. Use mexican flavored tomatoes and cumin for a mexican inspired soup. You can also add beans, pasta, or any other veggie you can think of! You can also cook some cubed chicken or ground beef with the onion/carrot/garlic.

Big Beef and Veggie Burgers

Big Beef and Veggie Burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
1 zucchini
1 c mushrooms, I use portabellos
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno (seeded if you don't like the spice)
1 teaspoon dill
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Process zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and jalapenos in a food processor. I process until the consistency of pesto. Mix ground beef, veggie mixture, and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Form into 4 big patties. Cook immediately. If you wait, the juice will start to come out of the squash and mushrooms and you will have a soupy mess!

These can be grilled, pan fried, or broiled. Just know that they are a little on the fragile side. If you grill them, use care when flipping them over b/c they will be soft until fully done.

The best part is that all of your points are in the ground beef! These burgers were a huge hit!

Zesty Mexican Fish

Zesty Mexican Fish

2 4oz fillets of white fish (any fish should be fine, we used flounder)
1 T minced cilantro
1 T dijon mustard
1 T water
1/4 c seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T salsa
2 t grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix cilantro, mustard, and water in a bowl. Set aside. Place breadcrumbs on a plate and set aside. Dip fish in mustard mixture and then in breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Place in baking dish.

Top with salsa and grated cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Note: This recipe will also work if you mix all of the toppings together and top the fish with it before baking. It also makes less mess that way!

Product Kudos

First of all, I apologize dear blog for leaving you astray for a few months. We have been traveling up a storm...which leads to lots of eating out or eating things that don't require a lot of cooking.

So, for today, I'm going to start with a couple of product raves!

Just a big kudos for Trader Joe's. TJ Everything! Growing up in TX, and now living in AR, I've never gotten to experience the joy of TJ's. While visiting a friend in AZ a couple of years ago, I did get the chance to step foot in one. Well, being in GA over the holidays, I got to go TWICE! The big purchases 2 cases of Two Buck Chuck and cans of black bean and lentil soups. Yum. If you live near a TJ's, do yourself a favor and shop there often!

Next, upon visiting Jason's Deli a few weeks ago, I scoped out a new cracker. An organic flatbread covered in seedy goodness. Well, I was very pleased to be perusing The Fresh Market today and saw Dr. Kracker Crackers! They are low point and come in all kinds of yummy flavors. And, if you can't find them in a store near you, you can order online!

Ok, recipes to come in the next couple of days. I did try a new one last night but it was not so great.