Barbecue Pork Tenderloin with Skillet Summer Hash

This recipe started with me trying to use up fresh veggies from my parents' garden.   They gave me zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes...all fresh from the garden plot.  You could easily grill the pork tenderloin, but sadly, I don't have that option at our house.  I sure wish I did.  One day I will own a grill again.  What a happy day that will be!   Frozen corn can easily be substituted for the fresh corn, a small bag of frozen corn will work just perfectly in the hash.  C thought the hash was missing potatoes, but I thought it was incredibly delicious without!

Barbecue Pork Tenderloin with Skillet Summer Hash

1 pork tenderloin
¼ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 ears corn, shucked and kernels stripped
1 zucchini, cut into half moons
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the pork tenderloin in a greased shallow baking dish. Brush with the barbecue sauce. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the corn, zucchini, bell pepper, basil, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute more.

Slice the pork and serve over top of the vegetable hash.

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Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Miss F spent five blissful days at "Camp Grammy and Grandad", which meant that we could have salad as an entrée without any whining. Or so I thought.  As soon as I plated the salad, C asked what we were having as an entrée...um, salad?  This salad is summer on a plate.   Fresh corn, avocado, tomatoes, bell pepper...all sweet and delicious.  I appeased C with the crushed tortilla chips and cheese, I could have lived without both.  The salad recipe is my own, but the chicken cooking technique comes from The Kitchn.  It is so incredibly easy and cooks chicken perfectly every time.

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

1 avocado
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut from the ear
Juice from ½ lime

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese
½ cup crushed tortilla chips

Place the avocado, vinegar, water, sugar and salt into a food processor. Process until smooth. Stream in the oil and process until emulsified; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the chicken with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish. Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper, tucking it around the chicken. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes or so. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. When cool, cut into bite sized pieces.

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and lime juice, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until corn is tender.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, cheese and tortilla chip pieces. Pour over half of the avocado dressing and toss well to coat, adding more dressing as necessary. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

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Vegetable Calzones

Vegetable Calzones

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees )
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup spinach leaves
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 mushrooms, quartered
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

In the bowl of the stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Add the honey and stir together, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, then the flour and salt. Use the dough hook to knead at low speed for 2 minutes. Turn up the speed to medium and knead 5 minutes more. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 3 minutes more. Oil the mixing bowl and return the dough ball to it, tossing well to coat with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour in a warm spot. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape each by gently pulling the dough and tucking it underneath the bottom of the ball. Roll the ball on a smooth surface until it is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes more. The dough can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone inside. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Press out each dough piece on a lightly floured surface, gradually spreading each into a circle 8" across. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on half of each circle, then top with broccoli, artichoke, spinach, bell pepper, mushroom and tomato. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each, then fold over to create a half circle. Press the edges to seal. Transfer the calzones to the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown.

While the calzones are baking, simmer the crushed tomatoes over medium-low heat with the Italian seasoning. Serve the calzones with tomato sauce on the side.

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Skillet Salsa Chicken

I knew as soon as I saw this recipe on Taste of Home Cooking, it would be a huge hit with Miss F. And I wasn't wrong. She inhaled it, comparing it to one of her favorites, crockpot chicken enchilada soup.  I served it over plain white rice because I am not a huge cilantro fan and neither is anyone else.  I used Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream because I didn't have any on hand, no one was the wiser.  I loved how easy this was, in the time that it took the rice to cook with the magical Fasta Pasta, dinner was ready.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

Skillet Salsa Chicken

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups salsa
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup corn kernels
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 avocado, for serving
Steamed rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Add the onion and saute for another 2-3 minutes until onion is soft and chicken is cooked through. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the seasonings, salsa, broth, corn and black beans to the pan and stir to combine.

Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream and lime juice. Serve topped with sliced avocado and over rice.

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Cajun Crispy Shrimp Pasta

When C has a last minute dinner out with friends or co-workers, I usually try to convert our meal plan for the evening to have seafood in it somehow. C doesn't eat anything from the sea and the rest of us are obsessed with anything that comes from the sea. Miss F's most favorite at the moment is shrimp. I buy a ton whenever we go down to the Seabrook seafood markets and freeze it in one pound portions. And she can easily take down a half pound of shrimp.  Cajun chicken pasta is a favorite around here and I decided to swap out the chicken for crispy shrimp...it was delicious!  Miss F was a huge fan and cleared her plate.  And so did I.

Cajun Crispy Shrimp Pasta

12 ounces linguine
1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chacheres)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine
¾ cup cream
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Prepare the linguine per package instructions, drain and set aside. Toss the shrimp with the cajun seasoning and flour. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, saute the shrimp and bell pepper for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp is crispy and cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Bring to a simmer. Add the cream and basil, stir and heat through. Stir in the parmesan and linguine, toss to coat and serve.

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Ginger Soy Chicken Kebabs

I love kebabs. I do wish we had a grill for cooking them, but the broiler works just fine and they cook up just as quickly. I invested in a broiler pan and that makes everything so easy.  Miss F loves skewering, she always makes herself a skewer heavy on the meat and without a single mushroom.  Feel free to add whatever vegetables you have on hand to the skewer.  Zucchini, summer squash, cherry tomatoes...I've even used new potatoes.  I serve these over rice, rice noodles or even over ramen noodles.

Ginger Soy Chicken Kebabs

1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 pound chicken boneless skinless breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound of whole mushrooms
1 onion, cut in 1 inch pieces

Pre-soaked bamboo skewers

Whisk together the garlic, oil, ginger, soy sauce, and Sriracha together in a large bowl. Add the chicken bell peppers, mushrooms and onion; toss to thoroughly coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Thread chicken on skewers alternating with the bell pepper, mushroom and onion. Brush the vegetables with some of the excess marinade. Grill over medium heat, turning every few minutes, for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, broil on high for 8 minutes, turning half way.

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One Pot Chicken Pot Pie

I was quite wary of a chicken pot pie that could be made with only one pot. My usual recipe dirties at least three pans, four if you include the baking sheet to catch the drips from the pot pie.  I was so wrong to be wary.  This recipe is AMAZING.  And it really only dirties one pot.  I used my largest disher to drop the biscuits, which was incredibly easy and made them all equal in size.  C and I may have indulged in two biscuits each, they were so incredibly delicious.  This recipe was adapted from Community Table.

One Pot Chicken Pot Pie

3 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
3 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Cheesy Drop Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a 12 inch oven safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in the chicken broth and cream until well combined. Stir in the vegetables, parmesan and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, parmesan, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter and milk, stir to combine. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons on top of the simmering skillet. Place the skillet on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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