Kale, Sausage, and White Bean Soup!

In my last organic produce delivery I got a bunch of kale and some celery.  While I love kale, I was really looking to do something different!  So I researched and came up with this recipe.  I made a few changes and am really happy with the end result!

2T Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil

 1C diced onion
1C diced red pepper
1C diced celery
1/2C diced carrot
1/2C mushrooms
8oz diced smoked sausage
2 cloved minced garlic
1 bunch rinsed and chopped kale
4C chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Great Northern Beans
1 can Cannelini Beans
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

In a large skillet heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions, bell pepper, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and sausage.  Saute, stirring, until onion is tender.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add kale and garlic; cover and continue cooking for 2 minutes.  Add broth, tomatoes, and beans; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until veggies are tender.  Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

The ingredients in bold are the additions/changes I made.  Unfortunately, this is not a meal my family would even taste so I didn't have any guinea pigs to try it out on but I really enjoyed it!  The steaming bowl was perfect to enjoy on this semi-cold, rainy day!

The crock pot is my best friend!

I am in love with my crock pot.  And I'm slowly learning that it can pretty much be used to make ANYTHING!  One of our other favorite go-to meals, especially when we have company over, is tacos!  It is great because despite the fact that I am egg and dairy free, tacos allow those who 'need' dairy at every meal to be satisfied!

Easy-peasy recipe:
Crock pot Taco Chicken

Put 4 frozen chicken breasts in crock pot.
Sprinkle with about half a packet of taco seasoning.
Pour half a small jar of salsa on top. (More if you use more chicken)

Turn crock pot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Shred the chicken and return to crock pot, stirring with the salsa.

Then set up your taco bar!  For my tacos I typically just use avocado, black olives, and onions.  And depending on my mood, either use soft whole wheat flour tortillas or hard corn taco shells.  (This recipe is gluten-free if you use the corn taco shells!) For company I put out cheese and sour cream as well.

It doesn't get much easier than this!

Our go-to meal!

This is a simple dish that was introduced to us the summer after we got married.  One of the hubs' best friends moved in with us for a few months while he was doing an internship.  I know it doesn't sound too nice, having a roommate when you're newlyweds but we had a blast!  Anyway, he was always cooking up this chicken dish so we've adapted it a little bit and made it our own.  Now we eat it weekly (except for when I'm pregnant and lose all taste for chicken!)

We use Harvestland chicken from BJs.  It comes frozen and is all-natural.  And you can't beat the price!  The hubs defrosts the chicken part way in the microwave and then cuts it up into bite size pieces.  The reason he only defrosts part way is that it is easier to handle and cut that way.  Plus, we don't have to worry about taking it out of the freezer the day before.

We usually use cut up red or orange pepper, zucchini or yellow squash, and onions.  The more colorful the better tasting and better for you!

Start with the chicken in a large pan over medium-high heat and pour in some Free Zesty Italian.  I unfortunately can't give you an exact measurement but I'd say 1/4 of a cup.  You don't want too much liquid in there.  After the chicken is almost cooked fully, throw in the veggies.  We do it this way because we want the veggies to stay crispy!  Once the chicken is fully cooked, I like to turn the burner to high and let the liquid burn down, then I pour in a little water and scrap off the sides and mix it with the chicken.  That helps add flavor and a nice brown color.

The hubs eats his just like that, in a bowl.  I like to add mine on top of a salad.  Sometimes I add a balsalmic dressing.  Because my eczema is only affected by cow's milk, not goat, I often will add goat's milk feta.  Yum!  (but make sure you read all labels because many 'goat cheeses' in the United States are actually made from cow's milk!  Yup, you read that right!  So make sure in the ingredients it says 'pasteurized goat's milk')

Enjoy!

Condensed Recipe without all of my blubbering!

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 yellow squash, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4C Free Zesty Italian dressing
Spinach or mixed greens, optional
Feta cheese, optional

Cook chicken with dressing on medium-high heat.  Add veggies when chicken is almost done.  Turn to high and burn off liquid.  Add small amount of water (maybe 1/8C) and scrape sides and bottom of pan to help brown chicken.  Serve over greens or with feta if you chose.  Enjoy!

Honey Apple Pork Tenderloin

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  Don't you just love Pinterest?!!?  It is so addicting!

Anyway, I took the little bits apple picking this year at our local produce farm.  We had a great time and came home with a peck of apples!  Not knowing what to do with that many apples, I turned to the internet!  Most of the apples went into homemade applesauce for the little little bit but I reserved some for us bigger folk.

3 pounds porkloin
3 red delicious apples, sliced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup red onion, sliced

 Lay several apples in the base of the slow cooker. Slice slits into porkloin horizontally about 3/4 inch deep. Drizzle honey into slits and fill each with an apple slice.

Transfer porkloin to slow cooker. Drizzle with any remaining honey and cover with apples and onions.
The onions help cut the flavor, otherwise this would be a huge mouthful of unrelenting sweetness. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cook on low for 7 hours.

I omitted the cinnamon because the hubs has a sensitivity but next time I will probably make one tenderloin with cinnamon and one without because I definitely missed that flavor.  The big little bit gobbled this dish up!  It will definitely become a fall staple!