Spanish Rice and Beans

 

Over the last little while I have been trying to come up with my own Spanish rice and bean dish. I finally came up with one we all love. We like eating it as a rice bowl topped with shredded cheese, as a burrito wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, stuffed and baked in a red pepper topped with melted cheddar cheese, scooped up with lime tortilla chips, or in a cheese quesadilla. Sometimes I add chicken or tequila lime turkey breast from Jennie O' Turkey.

Spanish Rice and Beans
Submitted by Kelly Marsden

4-5 large garlic cloves minced
1 small yellow onion diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chunky salsa (mild, medium, or spicy)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1 15 oz. can corn drained and rinsed
4 cups cooked brown rice (Cook as directed on pkg. I use chicken broth and bullion)
1 15 oz. can pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed

Optional:
Add cooked diced chicken breast or Jennie O' Tequila Lime Turkey breast.
Top with shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese.

In a large deep saute pan saute diced onion and minced garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add tomatoes with juice, salsa, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Simmer and reduce most of the liquid. Next add corn, brown rice, and chicken or turkey (optional). Finally gently mix in pinto and black bean. Heat completely and serve as desired.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

 

I love the garlic primavera veggies. We had some left over from last night so I decided to make Chicken Pasta Primavera. It is easy, healthy, and everyone gobbled it up. My kids even asked for seconds.

Chicken Pasta Primavera
Submitted by Kelly Marsden

1 13oz. box whole wheat pasta cooked and drained. I used Rotini because that's what I had on hand. (Penne or Bowtie pasta would work well too)
2 large chicken breasts diced (I used rotisserie chicken breasts)
3-4 cups garlic primavera veggies (see previous recipe)
2-3 large handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain whole wheat pasta as directed on box. Cook and dice chicken or use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken breasts like I did. If needed warm chicken with veggies on stove, then toss with pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve.

Lemon Pepper Salmon with Garlic Primavera Veggies

 

We love to eat salmon lots of ways raw, baked, and grilled. Tonight for dinner we had baked salmon with lemon pepper. I served it on a bed of brown rice and topped it with garlic primavera veggies. On the side we had roasted asparagus.

Lemon Pepper Salmon with Garlic Primavera Veggies
Submitted by Kelly Marsden

4 6oz Salmon fillets
Lemon juice
Lemon pepper
Brown rice
Garlic Primavera Veggies (see earlier recipe post)
Roasted Asparagus (see earlier recipe post)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon fillets in glass baking dish. Bake for 12-14 minutes depending on size of fillet. Don't over cook salmon or it will be dry. Cook until it flakes. I alway test the thickest part of the fillet. Remove salmon from oven drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Plate your bed of brown rice and place salmon fillet on top of rice. Top with garlic primavera veggies. Serve with roasted asparagus on the side.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

I made up this recipe using ingredients that I love. My family really liked it, even my picky two year old gobbled it all up. It makes a lot so there are leftovers which are just as good the next day. Next time I will try adding broccoli or asparagus too.

Chicken Pesto Pasta
Submitted by Kelly Marsden

1 box whole wheat penne pasta
3-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
3 medium zucchini sliced
2 medium yellow squash sliced
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1 cup homemade pesto sauce
Shaved Parmesan Cheese and toasted pine nuts for garnish

Cook chicken breasts on stove top in pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. After cooking chicken, let rest and chop into bite size pieces. Saute sliced zucchini and yellow squash in little bit of extra virgin olive oil. I don't like my veggies over cooked, I like them to still have a bite to them. Cook pasta as directed on box. Before draining the cooked pasta add frozen peas to hot water for a couple of minutes. This will thaw the peas perfectly. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and peas. In a large pasta bowl add 1/2 cup reserved pasta liquid. Stir in pesto sauce. If you want a thinner sauce add the other 1/2 cup pasta liquid. Add the drained pasta and peas, chicken, veggies, and pine nuts. Stir everything together and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.