Greek Bowls

This is not a recipe as much of a list of ingredients, but this has become one of our family's favorite go-to quick week night meals. 

Base:

Chicken - rotisserie or we grill up chicken tenders seasoned with lemon pepper

Rice - add a little chicken bouillon and the juice of one lemon for flavor

Toppings:

Arugula

Purple onion

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Purple cabbage

Pepperoncini  

Dill - lots of dill

Feta Cheese

Garlic sauce - find this at Trader Joes in the refrigerated dip section

Hummus and/or lemon vinaigrette or a red wine vinaigrette

We lay it all out and let everyone build their own!  

Crock Pot Pork Chops

Aubree we must be on the same wave length with pork chops. I made these last night and they were super simple and delicious. 

Recipe from https://wonkywonderful.com/crockpot-ranch-pork-chops-and-potatoes/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_campaign=4653752018&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=765315886_31507790_109409%3Futm_term%3Dcrockpot+recipes

Ingredients

• 3 Lbs Red Potatoes - quartered 
• 6 (3/4 inch) Boneless Pork Chops (or bone-in if available) 
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil 
• 2 Tablespoons Dry Ranch Seasoning (I used a little more than this, maybe 3 T.)
• 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter - cubed

Instructions

1. Sear pork chops in oiled skillet over medium/high heat. 
2. Mix oil, ranch and apple cider vinegar.
3. Place potatoes and pork chops into slow cooker. Pour ranch mixture over the top and toss to coat potatoes and chops evenly.
4. Top with butter cubes.
5. Cooking on high heat for approximately 3 hours. On low, 5-6 hours. Salt/Pepper to taste.

I added about 3/4 c. of water and put the pork chops on the bottom so they were not dried out. I also was able to find mini red potatoes so I just washed them and threw them in whole. 

Instant Pot Mac n Cheese

I got this recipe from my friend. It is so good, ridiculously easy, and it heats up amazingly for leftovers! This will be on my short list for first dinner (the dinner right after school on busy nights and with the guarantee everyone is going to come home from sports hungry for second dinner).

16 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
4 c. chicken broth
2 T. butter
1 t. hot pepper sauce
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2-1 c. milk

Add the uncooked macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the Instant Pot. Place lid on the pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function for 5 minutes. Then, do a quick release. Stir in the cheeses and milk until smooth. Season as necessary to taste.

Crockpot Swedish Meatballs

I'm still in the middle of eating this but I have to share now because it's that good and easy!

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Beef Broth
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs Steak Sauce
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt - this is pretty salty so you could leave this out or test before serving then season to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 bag (28 ounce - I could only find up to 24 oz in the store) Frozen Meatballs
1 cup Sour Cream

Combine soup, broth and seasonings in the crockpot and whisk to combine. Add meatballs and cook on high for 4 hours. Add sour cream and cook for another 30 minutes to heat and incorporate sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

*If using homemade meatballs that are not frozen, brown them first and only cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low*

Savory Chicken Salad

I'm calling this "savory" because it doesn't have any nuts or fruit in it and it definitely has more savory flavors. I was trying to copy this chicken salad sandwich from one of my favorite restaurants here, it's so yummy! Not much of a recipe, just threw things in that I had but it turned out really good so I thought I'd share. I always crave chicken salad and it can sometimes be scary at restaurants or store bought. Super simple! Enjoy! 

- 1 lb of chicken: I just poached/boiled mine after I browned each side with a little salt and pepper. Cool completely then cube. But any leftover, canned or rotisserie chicken would work too!
- 1/4 C Mayonnaise: start with a little but add more if needed or to desired consistency.
- 1 tsp horseraddish
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp lemon pepper (or Penzey's Ruth Anne's Seasoning)
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp dried dill 

*This made enough for about 4 sandwiches

The restaurant Westville serves this on a crusty baguette with greens and sliced dill pickle!

One Pot Pasta Primavera

**This is one of our favorites. I omit the mushrooms and it's still delicious**

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
8 oz. linguine, uncooked
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into large florets (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (less for milder heat)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 T. olive oil
3/4 c. frozen peas
1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T. parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
  1. Add the broth, linguine, onion, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a large pot set over high heat. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.

  2. As soon as it comes to a boil, set the timer for 7 minutes and start tossing constantly with long-handled tongs.

  3. As soon as the 7 minutes is up, add the peas, parsley, heavy whipping cream, parmesan and lemon zest and continue cooking, tossing for 1-2 more minutes, until the pasta and veggies appear tender. Remove from heat.

  4. Note that much of the liquid will have evaporates, but not all. And that's okay! Let the pasta sit for a couple of minutes to cool; the sauce will continue to thicken during that time. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

One Pot Brazilian Beans and Rice

I don't know how authentic this is but it was easy and delicious and my Brazilian approved! I'm always good with something that's a one pot meal and aside from sausage, you probably have everything you need already on hand.

2 Tbsp. Oil (olive or vegetable is fine)
1 lb. sausage (links, cut in slices) - I used turkey sausage because that's what I prefer but use whatever you like.
1/2 c. Green onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. Rice
2 c. Chicken broth
1 14oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 bay leaves (I didn't have bay leaves so I used thyme and I thought it was good)

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage, green onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and sausage has nice color. Add rice, chicken broth, beans, salt and pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Stir and enjoy!

Homemade Taco Seasoning and Quick Dinner Tip!

This recipe is to be used with 2 lbs of meat but you could multiply it to just keep it on hand. It tasted exactly like the packages of taco seasoning!

1 TBS Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Quick Dinner Tip/Idea!

I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it for tacos. Added the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water and let simmer (covered, to retain moisture) for about 20 minutes or until everything else was ready. Super quick and delicious!

Quick Dinner Idea

Another quick dinner idea for you! Now that we are a one car duo, our nights are a little more hectic so coming up with something fast and little effort is what I'm all about these days.

This was a super easy throw together salad that was fresh but filling!

Spinach Cous Cous Salad

-Raw Spinach
-1 package of Cous Cous (we had 1 box between the 2 of us so multiply as needed: I chose Cous Cous because it only takes 5 minutes but you could sub for quinoa or brown rice)
-Protein (we had salmon tonight but anything would work, even beans for the herbivores: this should also be something that you have left over like cooked chicken breasts or left over fish, just to make things faster)
-Feta cheese

Assemble in that order and there you go! I like putting something warm on spinach to wilt it a little but you could also cook the spinach first and have this more of a warm salad. We didn't need any dressing since the Cous Cous and feta have enough flavor! And voila! A 5 minute delicious and gourmet salad!

Quick Dinners

Thought I would share some of my easy dinner ideas that I've been making lately. It's hard to get home at 6pm and still plan dinner, so I like to throw things together from what I already have in my pantry. This is to help those that may not feel creative sometimes! These recipes are easily modified to please your individual taste buds!

Greek Chicken Pasta

- Rotisserie chicken (shredded - or about 2 cups or pre-cooked chicken that you may already have!)
- Pasta**: whatever amount to feed your family (again, making it easy, I usually buy the 6 pack from costco so I'll use whatever I have on hand, also delicious with whole wheat penne for those of you who like it)
- Black olives (you could buy kalamata olives if you like them, but since I usually have black in my pantry, I'll use those)
- Spinach
- Feta Cheese (I use a whole container 5oz container)
- Greek Salad Dressing (you could make homemade but that's pretty much the only dressing we use!)
- Optional: Red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, sunflower seeds

Cook pasta as directed. Once cooked, drain and toss in chicken (if you haven't just shredded a rotisserie chicken I would heat your chicken up), a few handfuls of spinach (use raw spinach and the heat of the pasta will wilt the spinach a little), the whole 5oz container of feta, half can of olives (halved). If you want to add onions and tomatoes go for it, I just don't like them. Toss a little greek dressing on it and it's ready to eat!

**I use 1/2lb of pasta when I make it and it serves 4. This is great served hot but also really good leftover cold right out of the fridge! It's nothing fancy but it's one of my go-to quick dinners.


Kraft Recipe Makers!

So I recently discovered these Recipe Makers that are so awesome! They do have an expiration date (so not ideal for food storage) but I like to pick one up at the store when I know I have a busy week ahead. They have a HUGE variety of flavors and inside the box there is 3 recipes using the sauces it comes with. They're probably not the healthiest but it's nice to have something that tells you what to make but also gives you options! The Verde Chicken Enchilada has become one of our favorites. I have made an enchilada casserole using ground beef and also regular enchiladas using chicken. The possibilities are endless. Another one our favorites is the Sweet and Sour Chicken flavor. I made turkey meatballs (frozen) and used the simmer sauce to cook them in, then added onion, red pepper and pineapple to the sauce. I served it over rice and topped it with the finishing sauce and viola! Just another quick dinner idea!

I have discovered this is becoming my niche so as I come up with more, I will keep sharing! I don't know about the rest of you, but I am always looking for easy AND delicious. I like to fool people into thinking it was more work than it really was ;-)