Click here to Pin this Recipe!

I am desperately trying to change up the easy weeknight dinner game these last few weeks. I’m looking through cookbooks and magazines for ideas and something new to try. My friend Robyn of the popular blog Add A Pinch just released her new cookbook and it couldn’t have arrived at my doorstep at a better time.

Robyn is one of those friends I’ve known since my very early days of blogging, yet have never met in person. I think we have to change that this year Robyn!!! Her cookbook, the Add A Pinch Cookbook is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve seen, filled with gorgeous photos of recipes that have a Southern flair using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I’m all about those fresh seasonal ingredients, as you know.

(more…)

The post Easy Pepper Steak from Add A Pinch Cookbook appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Vinaigrettes are my absolute favorite way to dress a salad. I believe my love of vinaigrettes come from my parents and grandparents because growing up, there were no bottles of ranch or blue cheese on our dinner table, there was oil and vinegar.

Fast forward a few years to my parents’ second restaurant and that is where I learned how to make a proper vinaigrette (aka house dressing).

(more…)

The post Maple Vinaigrette Dressing appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

This Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchilada Bake recipe is sponsored by Bush’s Beans.

A few years ago, I discovered how well black beans and sweet potatoes go together. There have been plenty of times since that discovery where I have served myself roasted sweet potato halves or rounds topped with leftover black beans on a plate for a simple, yet filling, vegetarian lunch or dinner. There’s such a good sweet and savory balance that comes from the pairing, and it’s fun to experiment with it too. And not to mention, Bush’s black beans and sweet potatoes are pretty much healthy staples in my kitchen so it’s not hard to include them in everyday recipes.

This recipe for Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos are what started it all, though it’s been a while since I’ve made them. They are actually what inspired this enchilada bake. I have been wanting to make the burritos but was looking for something I could prepare ahead of time and easily throw in to the oven at dinner time. I guess I could have probably still done that, but then I wouldn’t have this new recipe to share with you, would I? 😉

Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Most of it goes into a roasting pan all at once and you can even cook it up ahead of time like I did. Having my go-to enchilada sauce recipe ready to defrost in the freezer is a huge help – if you haven’t tried it yet, please do!

If you’re looking for a good meatless dinner option try this one out!

Enjoy!

(more…)

The post Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchilada Bake appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

In just a couple of months, I’m going to be counting on seriously quick and easy meals to put together for dinner. I’ve never been a big make-ahead-freezer-meal type of person, but lately I’ve been thinking of ways to get some shortcuts together for myself to keep in the freezer to make things a little easier for when the baby comes. One shortcut that has worked for me in the past – when I’ve taken the time to do it – is pre-cook ground seasoned ground beef or turkey for Mexican or Italian recipes. I cook up a big batch, seasoned up as I want, and once cooled, store enough in separate baggies (labeled!) for a couple of meals. I did the same with chicken a month ago, and I have to say, having a bag of already shredded chicken to throw into quesadillas or soup has come in really handy the last few weeks. I usually feel like doing this after a shopping trip to Costco since I can buy in bulk and boy does it feel good when I’m done.

Recently I froze up leftovers from a big batch of homemade enchilada sauce – same concept, I just portioned it out into meal sized containers to use for our next enchilada night. The rest of this enchilada dinner came together extremely easily since all the ingredients – like Bush’s Black Beans, tortillas and cheese – were ones I typically always have in the pantry or refrigerator. I kept these Cheesy Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas as a vegetarian recipe, but if you had some precooked shredded chicken or ground turkey in the freezer, that would be a great addition as well.

I would be happy to hear any make-ahead meal ideas or shortcuts you have – I need all the help I can get! Leave me a note in the comments!

In the meantime, enjoy this recipe for enchiladas for dinner. You can honestly never go wrong with black beans and cheese, these were a total hit and no one (my husband) missed the meat!

(more…)

The post Cheesy Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I spent some time with my family this weekend, and as per usual, my grandpa sent me home with some home grown goodies. During the winter his trees are bursting with tons of citrus like tangerines, grapefruits and lemons  and my car gets loaded up with plenty of gorgeous fruit, but this time around I came home with a huge bag of Swiss chard. He must have known I’ve been craving greens lately. This Kale and Chard Green Power Salad with Maple Vinaigrette definitely satisfied that craving.

I’ve been craving greens in the worst way. I am pretty sure I felt the same way this time last year, because I remember making and eating a super salad like this one every day for lunch for almost a month. I have to say, I’ve never tried Swiss chard raw in a salad before, at least not that I remember. I usually eat it sauteed in olive oil with lots of garlic, in soup or in tomato sauce over pasta. Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens, and I have a hard time resisting picking it up every time I pass by it at the produce market. As excited as I am to have so much Swiss chard in my possession (only half is shown in the picture above), I’m slightly concerned I may run out of ideas of how to cook it up in the next week.

Have you tried Swiss chard? What’s your favorite way to cook it up?

(more…)

The post Kale and Chard Green Power Salad appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Somehow, I’ve avoided the “winter blues” this year. I know a lot of it has to do with the truly beautiful weather we’ve been getting here in Florida, a blue sky and bright sun never hurt anyone that’s for sure.  I’ve been staying active, getting my workouts in, as well as spending the month of January really getting my house in order…lots of decluttering, deep cleaning and freshening up. I’ve kept myself so busy that I haven’t really had time to settle into that funk that I tend to settle into after the holidays.

I think what I’ve been eating and cooking has also played into it too. Lately I’ve been finding myself cooking up a huge pot of soup or chili on Sunday or Monday, and having it for dinner and lunches throughout the week. When I think of soup or chili, I think of big bowls of comfort, especially during the cooler months. Once it’s cooked up, it can last for days as leftovers and right now, for me, that’s a really good thing.

When I make soup, it’s all about nutrition. I try to pack in as many vegetables, beans and sometimes lean protein as possible. I don’t like to feel gross after eating soup or chili, I like to feel good. This Two-Bean Turkey and Vegetable Chili makes me feel good. It truly hits the spot when you don’t have time to make lunch or you need a dinner that pulls a double duty. I enjoyed this chili as is for days, but my husband and kids loved it over whole wheat macaroni. However it’s eaten, I know you’ll enjoy it.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Bush’s Two-Bean Turkey and Vegetable Chili

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Ground Turkey
• Method: Stove

Print

Pin

---

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• big pinch salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 15 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can Bush’s Red Kidney Beans, drained
• 1 can Bush’s Pinto Beans, drained
• 3 cans of water (I use tomato cans to use all the leftover flavor)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, cook ground turkey and onion until browned. Add carrots, bell peppers and seasonings and cook for 5-8 minutes until veggies are softened. Add tomatoes, beans and water to pot. Bring to a slow boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until chili starts to thicken. Taste for salt and pepper, most likely it will need salt. Adjust to taste.

**Stay tuned for the Bush’s Beans Winter Comfort Foods Virtual Recipe Exchange and Linkup hosted here and on Real Mom Kitchen on February 4th. You’ll have a chance to link up your favorite Winter Comfort Food recipes that include beans for a chance to win a pretty nice giveaway (that may or may not include a big and pretty heavy pot 😉 ). Get your recipes ready!!

(I am in a paid partnership with Bush’s Beans. All opinions are my own)

Linking to:

The post Bush’s Two-Bean Turkey and Vegetable Chili appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

One of the recipes that was shared with us during the Bush’s Beans Culinary Event was these delicious scallop tacos.  I will admit, I was not a huge scallop fan until I tried these.  I have ordered scallops a few times out at restaurants and I just wasn’t thrilled with the texture or taste.  I never say never when it comes to food, so I was excited to try them again.  Jeffrey Saad created this recipe for us and demonstrated how to perfectly sear the scallops during his presentation.  I learned how important it is that your seafood (or any meat that you are going to sear) is dry before putting it into the hot skillet.  This ensures that the scallop (or whatever you are searing) gets that crisp outer crust that searing is all about…if water is left on the scallop then the result is more of a steamed scallop…and that is not what you want when you are searing.  Make sense?

(touch your food…best way to when to know the scallops are done is when they bounce a bit after being poked.  If they are mushy then they still need more time.  Let them spring back at you a bit…and don’t overcook.  Keep in mind they will continue to cook for a bit after you take them off heat.)

I made these the weekend after I got home from my trip for my hubby and a couple of friends.  I think it’s safe to say they were a HIT.  They were pretty easy to put together once I got some of the prep work out of the way earlier in the day.  I shredded the cabbage, made the beans, the chipotle sour cream, the green chile chutney earlier that afternoon…which left just searing the scallops and toasting up the tortillas when it was time to eat.  I set it up as an assembly line on the kitchen counter and we all had fun putting our tacos together.  They were DELICIOUS.

(Team Scallop:  Kristen, Sandy, Cheryl and Laura cooking alongside Jeffrey Saad)

The green chile chutney was the star of the show in my opinion.  Wow, I’ve never tasted anything like it.  I didn’t have a jalapeno so I substituted a red onion to balance out the heat with more sweet.  It was amazing.  During the cooking event, I picked Jeffrey’s brain about pickling and chutneys so I was excited to try this out.  Once made it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks…it would make a great topping for just about anything…sandwiches, eggs, salads, rice….seriously anything.

If you watch Cooking Channel then you may have seen that Jeffrey has a fun new show coming out…United Tastes of America actually premieres today!  I’m excited to watch as he explores food on a whole other level!

BUSH’S® Seared Scallop Tacos with Black Beans and Green Chile Chutney

Ingredients:

For Scallop Tacos:

• 8 large sea scallops
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp  canola oil
• ½ cup  cabbage, shredded
• 6 each  corn or flour tortillas

For Black Beans:

• 1 clove  garlic, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz)  BUSH’S® Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup  chicken broth
• 1 tsp  smoked paprika

For Green Chile Chutney:

• 6 each Anaheim green chile
• 1 tsp  cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 2 tsp  oregano, toasted and ground
• ¼ cup  apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup  sugar
• ½ tsp  kosher salt
• 1 each  red onion, chopped  (original recipe uses jalapeno)

For Chipotle Chile Sour Cream:

• 1 can (7 oz) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. To roast peppers:
   Blacken Anaheim chiles over an open flame (holding chiles with tongs) or broiler.  Place chiles in small bowl and cover with aluminum foil to allow skin to steam loose.  After 10 minutes, wipe off skin with fingers.  Seed and chop into ½" pieces.
2. For Scallops:
   Pat scallops dry and remove rubbery lip from side of each scallop.  Season with salt and pepper.
   Add oil to medium sauté pan over medium high heat.  Once oil is hot (you see a haze coming off the oil), add scallops to pan.  Sear until you have a nice golden crust.  Flip scallops over and continue cooking until you see the side of the scallop go from translucent to opaque.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3. For Black Beans:
   Add garlic to the same sauté pan.  Stir briefly just to soften then add beans, chicken broth and paprika.  Turn to low and cook 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
4. For Green Chile Chutney:
   In a medium size skillet (non-stick is ideal) over medium high heat add cumin and oregano.  Toast for 1 minute just until you can smell the cumin and oregano.  Immediately add vinegar, (don't breathe in as the vapor of the vinegar rises) sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add Anaheim chiles and red onion (or jalapeno) and simmer until a thick sauce consistency (about 8 minutes).  The chutney will thicken as it cools so stop cooking when the chutney is still saucy (easily flows from side to side as you tilt the pan).  Using a rubber spatula move chutney into a small bowl and let cool. The remaining chutney will last for three weeks in the refrigerator.
5. For Chipotle Chile Sour Cream:
   Puree chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a blender or food processor.  In a medium bowl mix together 1 teaspoon of chipotle puree, sour cream and salt.  Squeeze in lime juice and mix well. (Tip: store rest of chipotle puree in small ziplocks in freezer. I portioned out 2 tablespoons into snack size baggies.)
6. Toast tortillas over an open flame (using tongs), in a non-stick pan or under the broiler and lay on plate.
7. Place three tablespoons of black beans across each tortilla.
8. Cut the scallops into rough ½" pieces and lay on tortilla.
9. Top with the chutney, cabbage and chipotle chile sour cream mixture and serve.

Created for BUSH’S® Beans by Jeffrey Saad, Chef, Culinary Entrepreneur and Host of “United Tastes of America” for the Cooking Channel.

Good luck with the new show Jeffrey!

All of these fantastic culinary event photos were taken by Faith Echtermeyer of St. Helena, CA.  Thank you so much Faith!

The post Seared Scallop Tacos with Black Beans and Green Chile Chutney appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Earlier this summer I was contacted by the editor of CBSNews.com asking me to contribute a healthy recipe to their Health section.  Of course I was totally flattered and thrilled by this request considering how much I love to talk about food and share healthy recipes with just about anyone and everyone who crosses my path…and let’s be real, it’s CBS!!  My first assignment was “sliders” and I decided to recreate a tried and true turkey burger I’ve been making for some time now.

To me, a slider is basically a mini burger.  I think sliders are genius because if you are really trying to watch your portions, it really forces you to eat less.  That is, if you stick to the one slider…which I really try to do.  That’s the whole point in my opinion…you get a “taste” of the good stuff and then fill up on the actual “good for you” stuff on the side.  But that’s just me…

What makes these BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders awesome is the sauteed green onion and celery along with the smoky Chipotle Tabasco and paprika that is added into the ground turkey mixture before being shaped into patties.  The combination of all those ingredients really adds flavor to the normally pretty bland turkey.  Also, adding shredded cheese directly to the mixture adds a little fat to the lean meat and keeps them juicy.

Visit the Health Section of CBS.com to read the article for this recipe along with a newer one featuring Summer Vegetable Gratin and Baked Zucchini Fries.

Smoky BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders

Ingredients:

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large Vidalia (or sweet) onion, thinly sliced
• Pinch salt and pepper

BASTING SAUCE

• 1/3 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 2 TB mango chutney

CHIPOTLE SAUCE

• 1-2 TB Chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt or reduced-fat mayonnaise

PATTIES

• 1.25 lb extra-lean ground turkey
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 TB Chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• good pinch salt and pepper
• 8 whole wheat potato rolls

Directions:

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high. For best results, use a non-stick grill which helps to avoid adding oil.
2. On the stove, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a non stick skillet. When oil is hot, place celery and green onion in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. We are going to add these to our burger mixture later.
3. In the same nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil in . When oil is hot, place sliced onion in pan. Season with good pinch of salt and pepper and cook. Saute onions until browned and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While onions are caramelizing, prepare basting sauce and Chipotle Sauce.
5. Combine Greek yogurt (or mayo) and Chipotle Tabasco in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Combine barbecue sauce and mango chutney in small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make patties:

1. Combine ground turkey, Chipotle Tabasco, smoked paprika, low-fat cheese and cooked and cooled green onions and celery in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gently combine and mix using hands or large spoon. Form into 8 even sized patties, do this by scoring meat mixture in half, then quarters, then eighths.
2. Use a non-stick canola oil spray, to prevent patties from sticking to grill.  Spray patties directly with spray before placing on grill.
3. Place patties on grill rack, cover and cook until bottoms are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Using spatula, flip patties and cook additional 4-5 minutes. After flipping, use brush to baste turkey burgers with mango BBQ sauce. After cooking for 4-5 minutes, flip and baste other side.

To assemble burgers:

1. Spread chipotle sauce on both sides of open potato rolls. Place patty in bun and top with caramelized onions. Take a big bite and enjoy!
2. For those sauce lovers (like my hubby!), can be served with additional Mango BBQ sauce on side!

The post Smoky BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

It’s the most wonderful time … of the year…

It was the start of football season in our house yesterday. It was the first Gator game and my husband woke up almost giddy. We love this time of year…it just screams fall, even though it’s still in the 90s with 80% humidity, just gross, I know. I tried to forget what was going on outside, opened up a Sam Adams Octoberfest and lit a few fall candles around the house. And started a pot of chili.

 

 

I get excited about planning our Game Day meals…for me, food is a big part of watching the game. I don’t always pay attention to every minute and detail of every play…and sometimes I fall asleep in the middle of 3rd quarter…but it’s all good, as long as the food was good and everyone was fed then I am happy. And of course if the Gators win too.

I love making chili…it’s one of those things that can be tweaked and changed every time it’s made. It’s really hard to follow a chili recipe in my opinion. I wanted to try something new this time so after perusing a bunch of recipes online I came up with a good idea of what I wanted to include in my pot of chili. I had picked up some nice looking dried New Mexico chilies at the grocery store the other day…that was a first for me. I have such a love for fresh chilies but admit I’m a bit intimidated by the dried ones…they just look hot to me! I love hot spicy food, but didn’t want to ruin a big pot of chili by making it too hot if you know what I mean. I added in one of the NM chilies whole and let it simmer in the chili…it softened naturally and kinda just fell apart. I picked out any big pieces of it that I found before serving. The chili had just the right amount of heat for us…it is on the spicy side, but could always be toned down with some sour cream or Greek yogurt if it’s too hot to handle.

 

 

This was honestly the best chili I have ever made. It had so many layers of flavor. I used a combination of chili powders that I had on hand to make it a little more interesting. And the two key ingredients in my opinion…beer and chocolate. Yes, beer and chocolate. You’ve got to try it! The chocolate gave it such a warm, almost creamy, balanced heat. It was absolutely wonderful.

PS…Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients!

Game Day Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 TB olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 lb mild turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1 cup of grilled corn kernels, about 2-3 ears of corn
• 1 can chili beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained but not rinsed
• 3 TB chili powder (I did a combination of regular chili powder, chipotle chili powder and New Mexico chili powder)
• 1 TB smoked paprika
• 1 TB cumin
• 1 TB garlic powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 good pinches of salt
• 1 dried New Mexico chili, whole
• 1/2 bottle Sam Adams Octoberfest (if you prefer not to use beer, sub 1 cup red wine, chicken broth or water)
• 1 28 can of diced tomatoes
• 4 squares dark chocolate (about 1 oz), rough chopped

Directions:

1. Heat Dutch oven with 1 TB olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, season with salt and pepper. Add turkey sausage and crumble. Cook through, then add chopped peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes until peppers begin to soften. Add chili powder, spices, salt and dried chili and stir. Once all the spices have combined with veggies and meat, pour in half a bottle of Sam Adams Octoberfest (or any other beer you are drinking) and deglaze bottom of pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add in tomatoes and stir. Bring chili up to a boil then simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Add chocolate to chili and stir. Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. Taste for salt.
2. Serve with your favorite toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, grilled corn kernels, chopped cilantro, green onions

Follow AggiesKitchen on Instagram and show us what recipes you are making from the blog! Use the hashtag #aggieskitchen - I'd love to see what you are cooking up!

The post Game Day Chili appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Happy Friday everyone! We are off to Cocoa Beach this weekend for a family getaway and to celebrate Father’s Day! I am so looking forward to relaxing near the ocean while the kiddies play in the sand and water all day… Nothing like the beach for a playground right?As much as I love to cook, I will tell you that I am welcoming the break in the kitchen. I’ve been feeling a bit burnt out lately, not really in the mood to cook much…it may have a lot to do with this close to 100 degree weather we are having. I can not wait to be waited on and to try out a couple of local beachside restaurants that were recommended to me. I love seafood and plan to eat lots of it this weekend! I hope to be able to get some good pics and give you a review of our eats…but dining out with my 2 little ones is a challenge in itself so I won’t make any promises!(Happy Father’s Day Daddy! xoxo)

I’ll leave you this weekend with an easy slow cooker recipe for beans. I created this recipe a couple of weekends ago and we really enjoyed it. Beans like this are a great summer side dish…serve them alongside some grilled BBQ chicken and vegetables and you’ve got yourself a meal!

Slow Cooker Barbeque Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 cans pinto beans (drained but not rinsed)
• 1 large can cannellini beans (drained but not rinsed)
• 2 andouille chicken sausage links, diced (you can subsitute 1/2 package turkey smoked sausage)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 TB Worcestershire
• 2 TB chili powder
• 1 TB smoked paprika
• small pinch of salt and big pinch of fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 3-5 hours.

Follow AggiesKitchen on Instagram and show us what recipes you are making from the blog! Use the hashtag #aggieskitchen - I'd love to see what you are cooking up!

The post Slow Cooker Barbeque Beans appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.