Black eyed pea salsa

We were having my sister-in-law Angie over for dinner last night. My go to appetizer/snack is guacamole. I went to the store yesterday, but all the avocados weren't ripe enough or were way past ripe. I then decided to try this salsa instead. Scott was very upset when I told him I was substituting a bean dip for our favorite guacamole.

In the end, we really liked this salsa. It was fresh and a nice change. The apple cider vinegar really added an extra kick to the salsa flavor. This sits well overnight too!

Black eyed pea salsa-adapted from The New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 1 15-ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Tortilla chips for serving

In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips.

Trattoria Spaghetti

Scott just got home from his fraternity's alumni golf weekend. I had a pretty laid back weekend-a good friend, Julie had her bridal shower which was so cute! Great brunch (and sangria!) from Thunder Bay-I'd definitely recommend it for your next gathering!

The Sangria!

Super cute. I LOVE the tags :)

Flowers in Julie's wedding colors :)

A very sunny picture of Megan & I

 After the shower, I had a busy weekend of cleaning and organizing the apartment. I had been wanting to clean out our storage closet and spare bedroom forever. It seems as though we never truly unpacked in the spare room. Now it looks like a bedroom a bit more!

After all that this weekend, I just wanted to have a relaxing night once Scott got home. This meal takes about 20 minutes. It has a lot of veggies in it, and still a lot of flavor without a ton of fat for you. It's also meatless, which I'd like to try to do a few more times a week when possible! I changed up the recipe (which I put below) with what vegetables I have on hand. You can certainly add whatever you'd like to it!

Trattoria Spaghetti-adapted from 365 Last-Minute Meals by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 9 ounces dry spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain then return to pan or a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushroom and pepper and stir for about a minute. Add in tomatoes and carrot. Cook, covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add tomato mixture to pasta and mix thoroughly. Stir in feta cheese.

Salmon with Quick Ratatouille

I absolutely loved this recipe! The ratatouille is one of the best things I've ever made! The salmon turned out perfectly too. It's a super quick recipe that's a real meal! And, I think my picture looks pretty close to the one in the recipe book too!

Salmon with Quick Ratatouille-adapted from 30-Minute Dinners by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 4 salmon fillets
• Penzey's Trinidad Marinade and seasoned pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small eggplan, peeled and cubed
• 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoned pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle fish with the trinidad marinade and seasoned pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fish begins to flake (about 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness).

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with fish.

Salsa Fish

When I come across a recipe for any kind of whitefish--tilapia or halibut for example--lately I've been substituting swai fillets. They're usually a bit cheaper at the store, and I think they taste pretty much the same!

This recipe was an...interesting one. I'm pretty sure I put too much dijon mustard because it was very tangy. And by very, I mean overly mustard-y. And I'm not really a huge mustard fan. Mistake #1. There was then also a lot of salsa to this too. I'm not sure I'd make this again. Scott liked it okay, but I wasn't overly thrilled.

If I do make this again, I think the key is to spread on the mustard and salsa to your own taste.  Then you can make sure you don't over do it like I did. Let me know if you try it!

Salsa Fish-adapted from 365 Last-Minute Meals by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 4 white fish fillets (halibut, tilapia, swai, etc.)
• 1/2 cup bottled chunky salsa
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place fish in a shallow 2-quart baking dish and bake uncovered, about 6 minutes. Drain liquid from baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine salsa and honey until blended. Brush mustard onto fish and spoon salsa mixture on top. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes more or until salsa mixture is heated through.

Bruschetta Pork Chops

Fresh bruschetta is one of our new favorite things. I love how fresh everything tastes, and when you get some nice crunchy bread, and a good balsamic sauce with it, there's nothing better. Because I don't consider myself a huge tomato fan, you'd think that I wouldn't like it, but I can't get enough of this!

The original recipe calls for lamb chops, but, come on, who can afford those these days? The flavors were great, and having fresh tomatoes will make this even better!

Bruschetta Pork Chops-adapted from 30-Minute Dinners by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 2

• 2 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle pork chops to taste with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook pork chops until they begin to brown on both sides and are no longer pink in the middle.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, oregano and vinegar until blended. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pork chops.

Picante Pot Roast with Couscous

This is a really quick dinner recipe that can be made with precooked pot roast, for those nights you just don't want to take a long time cooking dinner. The addition of salsa to the pot roast really gives it an extra kick!

Picante Pot Roast with Couscous-adapted from New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 16-17 ounce package refrigerated cooked beef pot roast with juices
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup prepared salsa
• 1 cup quick-cooking couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sour cream, for serving

Transfer liquid from pot roast package into a large skillet; add mushrooms and salsa. Cut pot roast into 1-inch pieces and add to skillet. Bring to boiling and then reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions. Add garlic salt, seasoned pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

Spoon pot roast mixture over couscous and serve with sour cream.

Cranberry Meatball Skillet

To be honest, this recipe scared me. I think it was the cranberry sauce. I love dried cranberries in any sort of baked good, but have never been a cranberry sauce fan. Personally, I think that stems from my Perkins waitressing days and interesting looking turkey dinners.

Either way, I bought the whole cranberry sauce instead of the jellied stuff, which I think made quite the difference. Surprisingly, the cranberry sauce sweetness didn't override the dish. Scott shared it with coworkers and they loved it! It was very easy and quick to make too.

Cranberry Meatball Skillet-adapted from 30-Minute Dinners by Better Homes and Gardens

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 16 ounce package frozen cooked Swedish-style meatballs
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 8 ounces fingerling potatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

In a large skillet, combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Asparagus

I've recently realized that I probably have an obnoxious love of asparagus. I feel like we never had it at home when I was a kid, so I never really wanted to try it when I got out on my own in college. Now, I've had just plain baked asparagus and prosciutto wrapped asparagus--if you have not tried this, it is definitely something you need to do. A friend made these over Thanksgiving, and I've been craving them ever since.

Anyway, this recipe was so simple. I love the added pepper and onion for a little extra flavor. It's incredibly easy that can be ready for dinner in less than 30 minutes, and only about 5 minutes of prep! The one new thing I learned is how to trim the asparagus. You can see the instructions on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

And yes, you can see by the picture below, we had this with GIANT, delicious ribeye steaks with mushrooms and onions. Best. Dinner. Ever.

Roasted Asparagus-adapted from Better Homes and Garden's New Cookbook
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 2 pounds asparagus
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. Place asparagus, onion, pepper in a large baking dish (I used 9x12). Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, seasoned salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.

Lemon Chicken with Olives & Ricotta

I made this meal for a Sunday night dinner with our best friend that just moved in a few doors down. We have been trying to trade off making meals for each other once a week so we always have something healthy and new to try!

This chicken had a lot of flavor, and I LOVED the ricotta cheese. I seriously think that is my new favorit ingredient. I would probably add it to pretty much anything if it sounded right. The one thing that could've been added to this recipe would be artichoke hearts. I normally have a few cans in the pantry, just in case, but I somehow missed it this time around. (I did add it to the recipe below, so I don't forget next time).

Lemon Chicken with Olives & Ricotta Cheese

Lemon Chicken with Olives & Ricotta-adapted from '30 Minute Dinners' by Better Homes and Gardens

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large sauce pan, or Dutch oven, bring 3 inches of water to boiling. Add noodles and the 1 teaspoon oil. Cover and cook for 6 minutes, or until tender; drain. Lay noodles in a single layer on waxed paper; set aside.

Meanwhile, shred peel from lemon; set aside. Halve lemon and juice one half. Sprinkle chicken with the lemon peel, salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook about 10 minutes, or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through cooking. Add olives and artichoke hearts; heat through. Remove from heat.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine lemon juice, ricotta cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Microwave for 30 seconds, stirring once.

Spoon ricotta mixture into four bowls. Top with the noodles, chicken, artichoke hearts and olives.

Apricot Chicken and Orzo

I'm always hesitant to try fruit with meat. I don't know why, it just always seems wrong in some way. I feel as though I'm always surprised though! The curry powder in this recipe brought in some great flavors. The apricots really brought in an interesting texture. And I always love cooking with orzo. If you haven't yet, you need to. I love it.


Apricot Chicken and Orzo--adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 1/4 cups dried orzo pasta
• 1 15-ounce can unpeeled apricot halves in light syrup, undrained
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 green onions

Cook orzo according to package directions, drain. Drain apricot halves, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Set apricots and the syrup aside. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add apricot halves, cut side down, to the skillet for last 2 minutes of cooking. Transfer chicken and apricots to keep warm.

Cut green tops off two of the green onions and cut into this diagonal slices; set aside for garnish. Chop remaining green onions. Add chopped green onions and the remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder to skillet; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved syrup and orzo. Spoon onto plates and garnish with green onion tops.

Asiago Cheese Dip

This is NOT  healthy dip, as you can easily see by the ingredients. But it was rather yummy! The one thing I thought it was missing (sticking along with the not healthy theme) was bacon! It needed a little extra crunch. The next time I make it I'm adding bacon! This was really easy since it's in the slow cooker, and I'd definitely make it for a party! I also have to say, that I love serving dips with Hawaiian bread! If you haven't tried it, you really need to! It's just so flavorful and soft, you can't go wrong!

Asiago Cheese Dip-adapted from Better Homes & Garden New Cookbook
Total Time: 3 hours
Makes 6 1/2 cups

• 4 ounces dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 32-ounces fat-free sour cream
• 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut up
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 6 ounces shredded Asiago cheese
• Chips, hawaiian bread, or vegetables for dipping

In a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker combine all ingredients except bacon and those for dipping. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 1/2-2 hours. Top with bacon, and more green onions if desired. Serve with chips, hawaiian bread or vegetables.

Chicken Salad

I've never made chicken salad before. I honestly don't know if I've ever even had it. It always looks pretty good though. So I came across a recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (which is one of the best beginner cookbooks out there-fyi!) and decided to try it! I'm a sucker for not reading recipes the whole way through before I go to cook them so I couldn't chill this like I was supposed to for the first time we ate it. I'll definitely do that next time but it still turned out great! I just poached some chicken to use, but you could use the rotisserie chicken or leftovers or whatever you choose! Overall, we'd give this a 4/5!

Chicken Salad over Arugula Greens

Chicken Salad-Adapted from Better Home's and Garden's New Cookbook

Serves 4

Total Time 1 1/2 hours

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Bread or mixed salad greens (optional)

In a medium bowl combine chicken, celery and green onion. For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise  basil, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours. Serve as a sandwich filling on bread slices or over salad greens.

Crispy Oven-Fried Fish

I know the picture isn't pretty but I left the fish in a little long and it stuck to the pan and I had issues getting it out!

This recipe is definitely easy! I didn't think it had that much flavor so if I make it again, I might play around with that-or even add some lemon juice and/or zest. If you are craving fish and want something new to try from scratch I'd highly recommend it!

I used cod for this recipe, but as you can see from the other review on the link at Better Homes' website, the other person used catfish. I think you could use almost anything!

Crispy Oven-Fried Fish-adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1  pound fresh or frozen skinless fish fillets, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
• 1/4  cup milk
• 1/3  cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3  cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2  teaspoon dried dillweed
• 1/8  teaspoon black pepper
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted   

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving-size pieces, if necessary. Measure thickness of fish; set aside. Place milk in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish combine bread crumbs, cheese, dillweed, and pepper. Add melted butter; stir until combined.

Dip fish in milk; coat with flour. Dip again in milk, then in crumb mixture to coat all sides. Place fish on a greased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I couldn't sleep last night and really felt like baking. It had been a really long day and baking relaxes me (plus it always helps when you can eat cookie dough!). I also had a staff lunch I had to bring stuff too, and I thought you can never go wrong with chocolate chip cookies! {Update} These are awesome and so easy to make! A classic :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies-Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

• 1/2  cup shortening
• 1/2  cup butter
• 1  cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 60 cookies.