Somehow I made it to the ripe age of 23 before ever having touched bread pudding. It was love at first bite. Yet I’ve never made it myself. And while I enjoy the dessert variety thoroughly, I knew a fancy-pants Parmesan Basil Sundried Tomato did not a sweet dish make. That’s above my skill level. So I devised another plan, took a quick photo for the blog and lost it. But it was a hit with all our guests, and I think you’ll enjoy it, as well.

Spinach & Bacon Bread Pudding
8 slices of bacon
1 large loaf of day-old crusty bread, cubed
5 eggs
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 C. milk (or more)
2 cups baby spinach
1 medium yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3/4 C. shredded cheese of your choice (I used parmesan)
Salt & Pepper

Pan fry the bacon until just crispy, set aside to cool. Roughly chop onion and peppers. In a large bowl, crack eggs and mix with a fork. Crumble the bacon and add it to the bowl. Next mix in bread, cream, 2/3 C. of the milk, spinach, onion, peppers, cheese, salt and pepper until well combined. The mixture should be quite wet, so depending on your bread, you may need to add more milk at this step.

Pour in a greased 13×9 baking dish and bake for 45-60 minutes. The dish should be brown and crispy on top, and set on the bottom.

Enjoy!

Chicken Green Chili Soup
2 C. rice
8 C. chicken broth
2 C. water
2. C. chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded
1 can Ro-Tel (or other diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 small can green chilies
Juice from 2 limes

2 Avacadoes, chopped
1/2 C. cilantro, chopped

In a soup pot, cook rice according to package directions. Add in chicken, chicken broth, water, Ro-tel, chilies and lime juice. Cook until simmering.

While soup is heating up, chop avocado and cilantro. Then admire your handiwork.

Spoon soup into bowls, and add avocado and cilantro just before serving.

Enjoy!

Couscous & Feta Stuffed Peppers
4 bell peppers (of any color)
1/2 lb. ground beef (you could also use ground turkey)
2/3 C. couscous
4 sliced scallions
1 C. crumbled Feta
Salt & Pepper

Prepare couscous according to package directions (I chose a variety with pine nuts for some extra texture). Rinse, dry, and hollow out peppers. Brown seasoned beef in a skillet, drain off any excess grease. In a bowl, combine couscous, beef, feta and sliced scallions. Season to taste. Scoop filling into peppers, and bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, covered. Serves four. Enjoy!

And if you haven’t had lentils, they are delicious. They’re a legume, and unlike most other dried legumes, don’t have to soak overnight before you cook them. (Am I the only one who thinks to herself, “I’m going to make a pot of beans tomorrow” for three days before I actually remember to soak them the night before?) You just rinse, check for any non-lentil pieces (sort), and drain. They’re also packed with protein and fiber. So try them, ok? As for andouille, it’s an absolutely delicious cajun sausage that can (thankfully) be found in my local grocery store. The kind I like comes fully cooked, and has a spicy, smoky taste. Here’s the package so you know what to look for:

Lentils With Kale & Andouille
1 (small) bag dried lentils
10 cups water
4 andouille links
5 stalks kale
2 t. thyme
salt & pepper

Rinse, sort and drain the lentils. Then add them to a large pot with the water, along with the thyme. Bring to a boil, and cook on medium for 25 minutes. In the meantime, chop your andouille into bite-sized chunks. Feel free to eat a couple on the spot (but only if you have the pre-cooked variety, of course). Go ahead and add the andouille to the pot.

While that’s cooking, rinse and drain your kale. Be sure to remove the leafy part from the stem by just running your knife down the edge. Like this:C

Chop the kale into small pieces (just so you’re not getting a giant leaf in the middle of the bite). But wait until your timer goes off to add the kale. You don’t want to over-cook it.

After the 25 minutes is up, throw the kale into the pot and let it simmer an additional five minutes. The leaves should turn a bright green – that’s when you want to eat them. Add your salt and pepper in to taste. Enjoy!

Lemon Pecan Pasta
1 lemon, juiced and zested
4 T (1/2 stick) butter
1 T olive oil
1/3 C. pecans
1 t. sugar
salt, pepper to taste
4 servings of your favorite small pasta

In a saucepan, melt 4 T. butter over medium heat. Mmmmm.

While that’s melting, chop up your pecans, then add them in. Let them get all nice and toasty.

Add in the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and salt & pepper.

Pour over your cooked and drained pasta, and enjoy. My mouth is watering again just typing this. Serves 4.

This is a super healthy, and super tasty meal, that literally takes about 10 minutes to throw together.

Rice Steamer Quick Meal
1 C. rice
2 1/4 C. water
1 can beans, rinsed and drained. (Note: I like chick peas here the best, but any bean will do.)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C. chopped fresh vegetables of your choice
Salt, pepper, and seasonings of choice

Just dump your rice and water into the rice cooker. Then in the steam basket, add your chopped fresh veggies (I am loving zucchini, peppers and onions, but really anything you have on hand will work). Add on top the beans and tomatoes, salt, pepper, and seasonings. Turn the steamer on, wait until it beeps, then pat yourself on the back for making something delicious and healthy for dinner.

Carne Asada with Mojo Marinade
2 lbs of skirt or flank steak
2 limes
1 jalapeno

1/3 C. orange juice
1/3 C. olive oil

2 T. white vinegar
4 cloves garlic
cilantro (lots of it)
Salt & pepper

Slice jalepeno, leaving seeds and membranes out, and mince. Mince garlic. Roughly chop cilantro. In a plastic container or  jar, combine garlic and jalapeno with orange juice, olive oil, and vinegar. Shake well. In a baking dish, place the salted-and-peppered steak in the bottom, then pour the mojo mixture over top.

Cover tightly, and place in refrigerator to marinate for 4-8 hours. (Note: you may want to set a bit of the marinade aside as a condiment. I forgot. But it would have been extra delicious) .Grill steak over medium high heat for 10 minutes on each side. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice on the bias.

Serve with fresh veggies, salsa, and taco shells. Enjoy!

Also note that because I love my rice steamer, I cooked the rice separately and spooned the jambalaya mixture over the cooked rice. This is considered cheating to native Louisianians, (as is, I’m sure, the use of chorizo in place of andoulle – but I just couldn’t help myself), so if you’re going the traditional route, simply add in two cups of long grain rice at the end and cook an additional 20-30 minutes, or until rice is done.

Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1″ pieces
3 chorizo sausage links, crumbled
4 T butter
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1 medium red or white onion
1/4 cup green onion
3 cloves garlic
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. cajun seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock

Brown chicken in a skillet or pot (use 1 T oil if needed). Add diced peppers, onion and celery with butter and saute until softening. Add in cayenne, seasoning, garlic and green onion and stir. Then add chorizo, chicken stock and tomatoes. Simmer on low for at least 10 minutes (or longer – whatever floats your boat). Spoon over rice. Serves 6 normal portions, or 4 very large portions. Consier serving Tums for dessert.

Mandarin Chicken with Caramelized Onions
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenders, cut into 2″ cubes
2 T olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4-6 jalapeno pepper rings
1 T Soy sauce
Salt & pepper
Green onions / chives for garnish
(serve with rice)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until brown and soft. Meanwhile, cut and season chicken with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Deglaze pan with 1 T. mandarin orange juice (from can) when onions are finished.  Remove onions from pan and add chicken. Cook until done. Add onions and pepper back into pan, along with 1/3 C. mandarin orange juice and soy sauce (you may want to add more soy suace to taste). Simmer on medium-low heat for five minutes. Stir in 1/2 can of oranges. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve with rice.

Because I love caramelized onions so very much, here is a before and after. Mmmm.