2015 Goals {January update}

I decided that this year I would pop in occasionally, maybe at the end of every month, to update y'all (like you even care...ha!) on how my 2015 goals/resolutions are going. So far I've kept everything. Woohoo!

One of my goals was to read 2 books a month. The first book I read was Gone Girl and it was so good. So messed up, but so good. Once I actually had time to get into this book I couldn't put it down.

I'm currently finishing up It Was Me All Along. This is written by Andie Mitchell who is a popular food blogger. She wrote this memoir about her struggles with food and her weight. It is so inspiring, heartbreaking, and honest. I've loved this book.

Up next will be The Husband's Secret and The Girl on the Train. I've heard great things about both of these and I'm excited to read them. 

In the weight loss category...things are coming along slower than I would like, but I'm still losing weight so I can't complain. I'm down 6 pounds this month. I was hoping to lose 10 in January so that didn't happen but I'm still happy with what I did.

I don't want to post too many food/workout selfies (haha!) but I'll share a little every once in a while. This is a typical lunch for me. 2 ounces of Boar's Head honey maple turkey, 1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge, cucumber, and garlic salt on a sandwich thin or this thing I found in the deli area which is only 80 calories. Plus a bowl of berries. Yummy and filling.

Oh...and my nails have been painted every day. :)

Alright, 1 month down...11 to go!!! If you have any book or meal suggestions, please leave a comment!

tortellini, corn, and tomato salad

This is one of our very favorite summer recipes! It is the perfect little recipe that can be served as lunch, or a light dinner. It's perfect to serve as a side at your Fourth of July cookout this weekend! I found this recipe a few years ago and can't remember where. I wrote it down on a post it note and did not reference it. So I apologize for not being able to site where it is from. But all that's important is that you make this!

It's so simple and you'll love it!

18 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini 

1/2 cup olive oil 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese 

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 garlic cloves 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 cup fresh corn kernels 

1/2 cup sliced green onions 

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 

salt and pepper 

Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Put olive oil and next 5 ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with tortellini, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake

I love lemon. And lime. And orange. Really anything citrus. During the fall and winter I love all things pumpkin, spicy, and rich. When it starts warming up I love lighter (in flavor not calories) desserts. 

I saw this recipe in Southern Living a couple months ago and new I had to try it. The original recipe was "Lemon Lime Pound Cake" but I wanted to do just lemon. I added more zest and made a couple other small changes and the result was fantastic! I had 1 bite and then sent the rest to John's office. :)

If you love lemon then you have to try this lemon pound cake. It's perfectly dense, moist, and rich...just how a pound cake should be.

Lemon Pound Cake
adapted from Southern Living

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Sprite or 7-Up
Shortening & flour for greasing pan
Lemon Glaze
Candied Lemons

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with a stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat at medium speed 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and extracts.

Add flour to butter mixture alternately with Sprite, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased (with shortening) and floured 10-inch Bundt pan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 45 to 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove cake from pan to wire rack.

Spoon Lemon Glaze over warm or room temperature cake. Top cake with Candied Lemons.

Lemon Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice, in a bowl until blended and smooth.

Candied Lemons

3 medium lemons
4 cups water
2 cups sugar

Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick slices; discard seeds. Stir together water and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a light boil, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Add lemons; reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer 45 minutes or until rinds are very soft and lemons are translucent, turning lemons every 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in a single layer on a wire rack. Cool completely.

Sausage Bagels

I've posted a picture of these sausage bagels on Instagram several times and have had numerous requests for the recipe. So I decided to share it here as well. These are simply delicious. Lady (my mom) has been making them since I was a little girl. They are so easy to throw together and then you just keep them in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. They're perfect to have on hand around the holidays, when company is visiting, when your kids have sleepovers. Or just on a regular Tuesday morning alongside your cup of coffee with pumpkin spice creamer. Enjoy!

Start by getting a bag of just regular plain bagels. I usually use the Sara Lee brand but these were Thomas I believe. Split the bagels in half and pinch out the insides leaving the "shell" in tact. 

With your hands, break up the pieces of bagel that you pinched out into smaller pieces. They don't need to be bread crumbs but they do need to be small. Like this.

Then add 1 pound of breakfast sausage (this was regular Jimmy Dean) and 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese. For just about everything I use blocks of cheese and shred it myself. But with this, the pre-

shredded stuff works perfectly.

Then, again with your hands, mix everything together. It is impossible to use a spoon for this and I guess if you are against using your hands you could always use a mixer or something but why dirty up something else?

Then stuff the mixture into the bagel shells. Without fail I always have 1 bagel at the end without any stuffing so I have to go through all the other bagels to pinch a little off here and there and it works out perfectly. 

So once you get all of the bagels stuffed, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover tightly with foil and put them in the FREEZER. Once they're frozen solid remove them from the baking sheet and store in gallon size freezer bags. When you are ready to eat them, take them out of the bag (however many you need) and put them on a baking sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Lady's Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband is a chocolate chip cookie snob. They're his favorite cookie. Let me rephrase, they're the only cookie he will eat. This is my mom's recipe and it's perfect. Buttery, a little crispy on the edge but soft and gooey on the inside. Loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips, these are the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Lady's Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 40 large cookies

2 sticks {real} butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 scant teaspoon salt

3 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

*Yes...it calls for 5 cups of chocolate chips. Just try it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter with sugars and vanilla until smooth. Mix in eggs. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans if using. Drop onto lightly greased (or lined with a silpat) cookie sheets. 

Bake 9-10 minutes.

taco night!

A couple of weeks ago I made the Oven Baked Tacos that have been floating around Pinterest. I made a few changes the 2nd time I made them to fit our tastes a little more and we all love them! With the tacos I served black beans and PW's Mexican Rice. It was a great meal.

Hudson loves Mexican food! South Texas is a great place for this kid. :)

Here are the recipes I used with my tweaks. 

Oven Baked Tacos

adapted from Mommy I'm Hungry

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, diced 

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 of a (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
18-20 hard taco shells

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain any fat. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, crushed tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with favorite taco toppings.

Mexican Rice
adapted from The Pioneer Woman


2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 whole Large Onion, Chopped
2 cups Long Grain Rice
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Rotel Diced Green Chilies And Tomatoes (10 Ounce Can)
1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce Can)
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth and stir together. Add some kosher salt and a good teaspoon of cumin--—more if you love cumin flavor! Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky. Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top.

Slow Cooker Black Beans
adapted from Our Everyday Dinners

1 pound dry black beans
4 cups beef stock, plus water to cover beans
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

Rinse beans and check for rocks. Cover beans with water and soak overnight. In the morning, rinse the beans and place in the slow cooker. Cover with beef stock/water and add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 hours on low in the slow cooker. About an hour before serving, add the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, and cumin. Stir and then taste for salt and add more if necessary. Cook for another hour on low.

taco soup

Earlier this week I made taco soup for dinner. It was perfect because we had a big cold front come in and it was a great meal. 

It's also perfect for Hudson because I just strain out the broth and he eats it with a fork. I just put cheese and Fritos on the side for him with some green beans for extra nutrition. :)

I love this recipe because it isn't tomato sauce based. The recipe is from my friend Beth. Give it a try!

Taco Soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

3 cans beef broth

1 can Rotel, lightly drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 package taco seasoning

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain off the fat and combine with all ingredients in a pot or crock pot. I did this in the crock pot and let it cook all day. The longer it cooks the better. Serve over Fritos and top with shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Brown Sugar Glaze

My sister shared this recipe with me over the weekend and I knew I had to make them immediately! They are very soft, cake-like cookies that are so delicate and sweet. A perfect pumpkin spice flavor with the brown sugar glaze sends them over the top. Make these soon!

Hudson is a HUGE fan of these cookies. :)

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Brown Sugar Glaze

adapted from food.com

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Brown Sugar Glaze
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Mix in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour mixture into butter-sugar mixture. Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks. Let them cool completely for a least 30 minutes, then frost with glaze.

For Glaze:

In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened. Whisk in the milk, then whisk in the powdered sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable. Use a silicone basting brush or a butter knife to spread glaze on the cookies. This glaze will harden fairly quickly so you should keep the saucepan over the stove on the lowest heat possible to prevent it from hardening.

{recipe} Margherita Pizza

Not the greatest picture ever, but I promise this is good. I made Margherita pizza for dinner this week and few people asked for the recipe so I thought I'd share what I did. Super easy!

I used to use this recipe for pizza crust, but I recently found the recipe below (maybe on All Recipes, I can't remember) and it's much better and easier! 

For the crust:

1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast

3/4 cup warm water

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and mix to combine. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer combine flour, salt and olive oil. Mix slightly until combined. With the mixer running, slowly add the yeast mixture. Spray a glass bowl with cooking spray and form the dough into a ball. Place in the glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

For the pizza:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic cut in quarters

8 ounces mozzarella, sliced or shredded

10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Yes, that's very hot!

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute until it becomes fragrant. Make sure you don't burn the garlic. Discard the garlic and set the oil aside.

On a large baking sheet, drizzle some of the garlic oil. Take the dough and stretch and press it into the pan. With a pastry brush, brush the entire surface of the dough with the garlic oil. Sprinkle the cheese on, then arrange the tomato slices and sprinkle with the basil. Sprinkle the entire pizza with salt and pepper.

Bake at 500 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch it closely!

Cut and serve! So yummy!

Blueberry Peach Crisp

I made this dessert for Father's Day and it was so so yummy. I used several recipes as inspiration and came up with this. We had so many peaches that my dad brought down from Cooper Farms in Fairfield, Texas. The best peaches ever! We also had blueberries leftover from Hudson's birthday party. I knew I wanted to do a crisp instead of a cobbler for convenience. I didn't feel like making a pastry for the crust and this turned out to be perfect!

2 pounds peaches
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup sugar (divided)
1 1/4 cups flour (divided)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cold butter, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the peaches in boiling water for 1 minute and then place them immediately in ice cold water. Peel and slice the peaches, and place them in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and blueberries. Toss well. Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. For the topping, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in a bowl and using a pastry cutter, combine until the mixture is the size of peas. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 45 minutes, until crispy and bubbly. Serve with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or all alone!

Queso Poblano Chicken Sausage Grilled Pizza

Our grocery store here (HEB) has this great little area in it where chefs cook and have samples to try. They always have recipe cards so you can recreate the recipe at home. This is where this recipe came from. I rarely buy the stuff for the recipes and usually just taste what they've made. But this week when I was shopping I knew John would love this pizza. We made a few changes from the original recipe so I'll post what we did. It's SO SO SO good!

You will need...

1 thin pizza crust

2/3 cup Philly Cooking Creme in Savory Garlic

1/4 cup pizza sauce

2-3 links of queso poblano chicken sausage (or something similar)

1/2 of a bell pepper sliced (we used red and green)

1/4 of an onion sliced

shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend)

guacamole (make your own or use a pre-made kind)

And here's what to do...

Start by removing the sausage from the casings and brown in a skillet. Remove from skillet when finished cooking. Add the peppers and onions and sauté until tender. 

Grill the pizza crust on each side for 1-2 minutes. Then top with the cooking creme. Spread the pizza sauce over that. Sprinkle on the cooked sausage, peppers and onions and then the cheese. 

Place on the grill over low heat for 6-7 minutes with the cover closed. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving. Top with guacamole!

*You could also make this in the oven. Just follow the cooking instructions for your pizza's crust.

Tilapia with Mustard Chive Sauce

It's been a while since I shared a recipe but this one is too good, easy and fast not to post! This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis but I made a few changes. Here is the recipe the way I made it. We LOVED this.

4 tilapia fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon course grain Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the fish: Preheat a broiler. Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Drizzle the tilapia fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, agave nectar, mustards, lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

French Onion Soup

Hi, my name is Lindsay and I am a French Onion Soup snob. I love it and recently was craving it. John was out of town one weekend (well, he was out of town for 3 out of 4 weekends of January!) and I went to work in the kitchen. To make it perfect it will take a couple of hours but it is so worth it.

French Onion Soup


4 large sweet onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 stick butter
1 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts beef broth
kosher salt
pepper
1 baguette
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Thinly slice the onions but not too thin. They are going to cook for a long time. In a large dutch oven melt the stick of butter over medium low heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, about 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Take the lid off the pot and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, remove the bay leaves. Turn the heat to medium high and add the red wine. Cook until all the wine is evaporated. This will take about 15 minutes.

Slice the baguette and spread each piece of bread with butter. Broil the bread slices until golden brown. Flip them so the other side gets toasted also. Set aside.

Add the flour and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls, top with a few of the toasted bread slices and then the cheese. Place under the broiler to let the cheese melt and get a little toasty.

Lasagna

Classic lasagna...there's nothing like it. And this version jazzes it up while keeping it real. It's easy to prepare and can be made ahead. I love lasagna and this is my favorite way to make it.

Lasagna


8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
salt
pepper
2 jars marinara sauce
8 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large pan, season with salt and pepper. Add the marinara sauce to the meat and set aside.

Mix the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan, pepper and basil in a bowl. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1 cup of the meat sauce. Arrange a single layer (3 sheets) of the uncooked lasagna noodles on the sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly on top. Add half of the cheese mixture by spoonfuls evenly over the meat sauce and spread carefully. Top with a layer of noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with a layer of noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and the final layer of noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 10-15 more minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving.

Open Face Mushroom and Spinach Sandwiches

When my sister was in town last weekend we saw a commercial with these sandwiches. They looked so yummy and easy to make so we made a quick trip to HEB to get the ingredients.

They were SO yummy and a perfect lunch. You can make the different components in advance (mushrooms, ricotta mixture) and then it is an easy lunch to throw together during the week.

Open Face Mushroom and Spinach Sandwiches


4 whole grain sandwich thins
1 cup part skim ricotta
5 sun dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
fresh baby spinach
Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split sandwich thins and toast until lightly golden brown.

Combine sun dried tomatoes, ricotta, and 2 teaspoons of sun dried tomato oil, a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of sun dried tomato oil. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble, spread ricotta and sun dried tomato mixture on sandwich thins, top with a few baby spinach leaves, then mushrooms and sprinkle parmesan on top.

Bake for 5-7 minutes to heat through.

So YUM!!

White Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

Living in South Texas has some major advantages. We are close to the coast and have awesome Mexican food. That's really all I can think of right now. Hurricanes and humid weather are really blocking my brain from thinking of anything else.

But back to the Mexican food. It's amazing. We do not have a single chain Mexican food restaurant where we live. They are all locally owned and so good. There is something I love about each one. However, the calories that come with delicious and authentic Mexican food are not favorable.

I found this recipe earlier this summer and knew that I had to make them. And they turned out to be delicious. We loved them and did not mind the leftovers.



White Bean and Chicken Enchiladas


Chicken and White Bean Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
15.5 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 cup water
1 chicken bullion
1 teaspoon cumin

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chiles
2 jalapeños, chopped (I used jarred)
salt
1/2 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro, green onions and tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalapeños, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro, green onions and diced tomatoes.

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Baked French Toast

Thank you Pioneer Woman for another amazing dish! I made this amazing meal last weekend when my dad came in town for a visit.

It was so easy to throw together the night before. In the morning I threw the topping on and let it bubble away in the oven. So good!

This is easy, delicious and a crowd pleaser.

Notice I didn't say low fat.

Pioneer Woman's Baked French Toast

1 loaf sourdough bread

8 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, in a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut into the dry mixture until mixture is all crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the topping over the french toast. Bake for 1 hour.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Fruit Salad with Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette

This is our absolute favorite summer salad recipe. Oh it is so delicious. All of the yummy fresh fruit with tender salad greens, red onion and creamy avocado makes for a perfect combination.

Fruit Salad with Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette
8 cups salad greens
2 mangos, sliced
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 large avocado, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 (10-ounce) jar seedless blackberry preserves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
3/4 cup canola oil

Combine salad greens, mango, strawberries, blackberries, avocado and red onion in a large salad bowl. Using a blend, combine blackberry preserves, vinegar, basil, garlic, salt and seasoned pepper. Then slowly stream in the canola oil.

Toss the dressing with the salad and serve. Perfect!

Flank Steak Crostini with Chimichurri

While my dad was in town last weekend we made this AMAZING meal. We served this with the Layered Cornbread Salad and grilled corn on the cob. It was the perfect meal.

This flank steak is marinated in red wine and garlic overnight. The acidity in the wine really made the steak tender and so delicious.

The chimichurri sauce and the Vidalia onion relish topped the steak which sat on top of a grilled crostini. This meal was absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to make it again.

Flank Steak Crostini with Chimichurri and Vidalia Onion Relish

For the steak:

2 cups red wine
1/4 cup canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 to 3-pound) flank steak
Kosher salt

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Vidalia Relish:
3 Vidalia or other sweet onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Canola oil
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 green onions, sliced
1 serrano chile, minced with the seeds (warning, these chiles are so much spicier than jalapenos)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

To serve:
1 baguette
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steak:
Mix the wine, oil and black pepper in a pyrex dish. Add the steak, turn to coat, and marinate overnight or at room temperature 1 hour.

Sauce:
Pulse the herbs and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add 3/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to make a soupy vinaigrette — it will look a bit creamy until it settles. Add more oil and/or vinegar if too thick. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and more pepper. Grill, covered, until nicely charred and medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Relish:
Brush the onions with some canola oil and season with rub, salt and pepper. Grill the onions, turning, until charred and soft. Remove from the grill and chop coarsely. Chop again with the green onions and then stir them together with the chile, oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal 1/4-inch thick. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill briefly, until just starting to crisp. Top each piece with some sauce, a slice or 2 of steak, more sauce and some relish.

Adapted from Bobby Flay

Layered Cornbread Salad

Lady made this recipe so many times and it is one of those that I never got tired of. It is perfect in the summer paired with yummy grilled chicken or smoked brisket.

It can be made in advance so you can spend most of your time with your family. This will be perfect to make this weekend for the 4th of July. Each flavor blends so well together and looks beautiful served in a trifle bowl. I love this salad!

Layered Cornbread Salad

1 (6 oz) package Mexican cornbread mix

1 small can chopped green chilies

dash of sage

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 (8 oz) container reduced fat sour cream

1 cup mayo

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

3 large tomatoes, chopped

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced

Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions, adding green chilies and sage. Bake and cool completely.

Combine ranch dressing mix, sour cream and mayo. Set aside.

Crumble half of cornbread into a bowl. Top with 1/2 of the beans, 1/2 of the sour cream mixture, 1/2 of the green bell pepper, 1/2 of the corn, 1/2 of the tomatoes, 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the green onions. Repeat layers.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.