Tag Archives: weeknight dinners

May29

Barbeque chicken salad with homemade blue cheese dressing

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In high school, I used to love the barbeque chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen. We were craving grilled chicken on Saturday, but wanted to mix it up a bit from our usual slaw. The creamy, salty blue cheese dressing was a lovely complement to the charred, sweet chicken. I even ate the tomatoes, which I usually pick out of salads.

Barbeque Chicken Salad
(Serves 2)

2/3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
barbeque sauce
lettuce or spring mix
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
1 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 c cucumber slices
1/2 c black beans, rinsed and drained
blue cheese dressing (see below)

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Grill for several minutes on each side, until almost cooked through. Brush with your favorite barbeque sauce, and cook for another minute on each side.

Combine all salad ingredients in a salad bowl. Toss together, then serve with chicken and blue cheese dressing.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/3 c mayo
1/3 c sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp worcestershire
5 oz. blue cheese (I used stilton)
kosher salt
black pepper

Combine the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Crumble in the blue cheese, and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

May2

Super simple slow-cooker chili

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Chili was one of the first things that my mom showed me how to make while I was in college.  It’s so simple, and can be modified any way that you like.

In my first post-college apartment, my parents gave me a slow-cooker, and chili was the first thing I tried to make with it.  It blew my mind!  I could leave the house while it cooked and let the flavors really develop, and the beans were much more tender.  Now I always make my chili in the slow-cooker. I usually eat it with rice, or try it with baked fries for a healthier version of my favorite food, chili cheese fries.

Slow-Cooker Chili

1 lb. ground sirloin
1 14 oz can of pinto beans, drained
1 14 oz can of kidney beans, drained
1 14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 chipotle in adobo
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c water

Serve with any combination of the following:
rice
tortilla chips
french fries
baked potato
finely chopped red onion
sliced green onion
grated cheddar cheese

Add all ingredients to slow-cooker. Cook on High setting for 4 hours or Low setting for 8 hours. Stir and break up the beef with a wooden spoon. Taste and add additional seasoning as necessary. I sometimes add a bit of hot sauce (Chipotle Tabasco is my favorite for chili) or barbeque sauce at this point.

Serve with any or all of the desired toppings.

Other simple chili variations:

  • Use ground turkey or pork instead of beef.
  • Use white beans, black beans, or garbanzo beans.
  • Add beer instead of water.
  • Add chocolate!  A handful of chocolate chips (or 1/4 c if you have big hands) add a little sweetness/richness to the chili.
  • Add more vegetables – Try corn, mushrooms, or bell peppers.
  • Use diced tomatoes with green chiles (instead of fire-roasted) and omit the chipotle in adobo, for a less smokey chili.
Apr30

Lentil, spinach, and lamb soup

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This was super easy and a really delicious combination. I seasoned ground lamb with coriander and red pepper flakes to give it a spicy lamb sausage flavor.  It paired really well with the lentils!

Lentil, Spinach, and Lamb Soup

1/3 lb ground lamb
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
kosher salt
3 small potatoes (or 1 regular sized one), diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 c lentils
1 bay leaf
4 c chicken broth
3 cups raw spinach
1 T olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the lamb, and break apart with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and cook until browned.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and saute until soft. Add the carrots, onions, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth the pot and increase the heat to medium high. When the pot boils, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

When the lentils are tender, stir in the raw spinach until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Apr25

Baked zucchini fries and dill dipping sauce

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I love zucchini. I usually eat it grilled or sautéed, but I wanted a vegetable/french fry substitute to go with our lamb burgers, so I made baked zucchini fries and a dill dipping sauce.

The burgers were delicious, too!  I used this recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

Baked Zucchini Fries with Dill Dipping Sauce

For the zucchini:
3 small zucchini or 2 large ones, sliced into thin french fry-like shapes
1 egg, beaten
1 c panko bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 c light sour cream
2 T mayo
1/3 c fresh dill, finely chopped
kosher salt
lemon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Dry the zucchini slices with paper towels. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. On a separate plate, combine the panko, salt, and pepper.

Dip the zucchini first in the egg, shaking off any excess moisture. Then lightly roll the zucchini in the panko mixture, and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake or 20-25 minutes or until browned.

To make the dipping sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Apr23

Cooking for One – Chicken and spinach enchiladas

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I had never made enchilada sauce myself; it turns out that it is super simple!  This was an easy way to turn leftover chicken into something new.

I made this just for myself, so double it if you’re cooking for two. Enchiladas are not very photogenic, but they tasted much better than they looked!

Enchilada Sauce

1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T flour
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 T New Mexico chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 c water
kosher salt

Enchiladas

1/2 c cooked, shredded chicken
2 c raw spinach, wilted (add 1 T water and microwave for 30 seconds)
3 corn tortillas
enchilada sauce (see above)
cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and garlic until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the flour and stir in with a whisk to make a roux. After the flour has cooked for about 30 seconds, add the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, water, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, taste, and add additional salt if necessary.

Spray a 9×9 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with spinach and chicken, then roll loosely, with the seam on the bottom. Cover in enchilada sauce and top with shredded cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes.