What's for Dinner?

Apps
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
White Bean Hummus
Crab Cakes
Jalapeño Poppers
Twice Baked Potatoes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Caprese Salad Bites
Goat Cheese, Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomato Terrine
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Cajun Rock Shrimp
Stuffed Artichoke

Sides
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes
Corn Side Dish
Hot Corn Dip
Corn-Tomato Salsa

Soup
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Green Chili Stew

Vegetarian
Pesto Portobello's
Vegetable Lasagna
Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers
Black Bean Burgers
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Lentil Curry Bowls with Cilantro Cashew Sauce

Mexican/New Mexican Favorites 
Zesty Chicken Enchiladas
Paella
Baked Chicken and Spinach Burritos/Flautas
Green Chili Stew
Fish Tacos

Louisiana Cookin
Crawfish Pie
Crab Cakes
Cajun Rock Shrimp
Crawfish Corn Bisque

Thanksgiving 
Crock-Pot Turkey and Gravy
Cornbread Dressing

Eat More Chicken
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Blue Cheese
Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Baked Chicken and Spinach Burritos
Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Blackened Chicken with Zucchini Rice Pilaf and Corn-Tomato Salsa
Mango Chicken Salad
Trinidadian Chicken Curry

Italian
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Pesto Portobello's
Vegetable Lasagna
Shrimp Regatta

Crockpot
Greek Meat
Turkey and Gravy

Meatloaf
Turkey Meatloaf #2 (with spinach)
Turkey Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Sweets
Cake Batter Blondies
Zucchini Bread
Red Velvet Cake Balls

Drinks
Dirty Bananas (Martha's Vineyard Mudslide)
Basil Infused Vodka

Trinidadian Chicken Curry

• I adapted my own recipe from three recipes for Trinidadian Chicken Curry based on some of what I had on hand. It turned out really good. Id like to get advice from my Mom's best friend from Trinidad about the recipe she has used. if there are any updates I will post. But in the meantime I will definitely keep this recipe in rotation.
•  
• Ingredients: 
• 4 chicken thighs (i used boneless)
  3 cloves garlic
• 1 Bunch Collard Greens (I used Chinese broccoli)
• 1 jalapeno
• 3-6 thai chilis depending how how you want it (optional)
• rice or polenta (optional)
• 
  
• Marinade: 
• 2 green onions
• 1 tomato 
• dash tumeric
• 1/4 tea cumin
• 1/2 tea thyme
• 1 tea garam marsala
• 2-4 tea curry powder 
• 
  

1. Cut the chicken into ~1 inch peices
2. Marinate chicken at least 30min with the above marinade ingredients
3. cook the collard greens or chinese broccoli for ~4 min with the garlic and 1-2 tea olive oil or coconut oil
season with salt and pepper
set aside
4. heat pan with 1-2 tea. olive oil or coconut oil
add chicken with marinade
cook ~7-10min until cooked through
add 1 Tbs. water, season with salt and pepper
5. Serve over the greens and if you would like over polenta or rice

Mango Chicken Salad

Trying to eat healthy after a summer full of indulgence is not always easy.

But finding this amazing blog 'Pinch of Yum' has definitely made the task fun and enjoyable. 

I made some modifications to the recipe and it was a hit.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast
• 1 tbs. each minced garlic and jalapeno and olive oil
• 1 mango, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• juice and zest of ½ lime
• ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 chopped red pepper, roasted or raw. (either will be great)
• optional add-ins: 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. Saute garlic and jalapeno in oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 1 minute. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in skillet until cooked through and brown on the outside, about 4 minutes per side. After chicken has cooled, dice or shred into small pieces.
2. Toss chopped celery, peeled and chopped mango, and cooled chicken in a large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and yogurt. Add lime juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in red pepper and cilantro.  Serve with a warm tortilla if desired.

Lentil Curry Bowls with Cilantro Cashew Sauce

I found this recipe on a cute blog called 'Pinch of Yum.' This healthy recipe was sooo good. I was a little nervous to try it because I do not like cooked carrots, but it turned out amazing. I did roast a sweet potato as well in case I did not like the carrots and it was an excellent addition. I think you could add butternut squash as well if you want to not add the calories and carbs of a potato. I did not have garam masala so I just used curry powder. Also, I made my own chili powder because I did not have any on hand. 

This was a huge hit. My boyfriend and friend came over and both were excited to take some home for lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS

For the Cilantro Cashew Sauce:

• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• ¾ cup cashews (I used raw but you can use salted)
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons honey

For the Roasted Carrots:

• 8-10 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder ( see recipe below)
• salt to taste

For the Rice and Lentil Curry:

• 1 cup basmati rice (or long grain) (update: I made this using 1 cup cauliflower rice last night (put in raw) and it was fantastic, could not tell the difference) 
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin seed (or ground cumin)
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 14 ounces tomato puree
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• pinch of salt
• avocado and cilantro for topping

Chili Powder: 

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 
  
• 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the sauce, puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste and adjust.
2. For the carrots, toss all ingredients together. Roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions. I used a rice cooker.
4. For the curry, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the curry paste and spices; saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the lentils, tomato sauce, and broth. Simmer until lots of the liquid has evaporated - continue adding ½ cup of liquid as needed (the lentils will just keep soaking it up). Repeat this process for about 45 minutes until the lentils are soft (I needed to add 2 more cups of broth and 1/2 cup of water).
6. Add the rice to the lentil mixture; stir to combine, adding extra broth or water as necessary. 
7. Serve in bowls topped with the roasted carrots, cashews, cilantro, and cilantro cashew dressing. (all optional)

Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf #2 (with spinach)
Turkey Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Crockpot

Greek Meat
Turkey and Gravy

Italian

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Pesto Portobello's
Vegetable Lasagna
Shrimp Regatta