Braised Radish Greens with Chickpeas & Tomatoes ~ Meatless Monday

I had some radish leaves left over from the bunch that our 'gentleman farmer' neighbor brought over the other day, ((see the post that I wrote about the homegrown radishes HERE))  and I'm still amazed to find out that you really can eat radish greens.  It really shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.  If I had to describe them, I'd say they are a bit tough and a tad bitter, sort of like turnip or mustard greens.  I'm glad I gave cooking/braising them a try, and was happy with how my meal turned out.  It was pretty simple to make...

I trimmed off the tougher ends of the leaves (saving them for the juicer) and gave the radish leaves a rough chop.  I braised the leaves with about a half cup of canned diced tomatoes/ juice, a cup of chickpeas and some EVOO.  As you can see, they cooked down a lot.  When they were done, I gave the whole thing a drizzle of maple syrup, a shot of Bragg's Amino Acids, and some crushed red pepper/salt.   I think this works for either a light lunch/dinner or as a side dish.  Next time you find yourself with some homegrown or some organic radishes, consider cooking the leaves ~ I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, too.  Happy Meatless Monday!

Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ Meatless Monday

For a super easy, really tasty and very low carb breakfast, I like to turn to eggs poached right in the skillet with some juicy, sauteed veggies.  I'm a huge fan of canned, Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.  When you add them to lightly sauteed spinach and then crack an egg or two on top of the mixture, you can't go wrong.  I'm heavy handed with the tomatoes, I just can't get enough of the lightly smokey flavor!  I'll sprinkle on some herbs, spices and maybe some chipotle Tabasco sauce, too.  I let it all simmer/poach until the egg is almost set, then I cover the skillet with the lid for an extra minute or two, just until the egg white 'sets' on top of the egg ~ then breakfast is served.  I think this would also make a great brunch or light lunch/dinner, too.   Who says eating low carb has to be boring?  Certainly not me!  Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ what a great way to start your Meatless Monday!

Roy's Deluxe Tomato Soup

We all enjoy Roy's Deluxe Tomato Soup, especially when it's cold outside.  Add a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and life doesn't get much better.  Roy likes to doctor up a basic can of condensed tomato soup by adding a can of diced stewed tomatoes to it.  He'll use the canned juice from the stewed tomatoes to replace some of the water called for.  (he always adds less water, since he likes his soups thicker)  When I make it, I like to use fire roasted tomatoes and some dried basil, for another layer of flavor.  How do you like your tomato soup?

Spiced Chicken Cacciatore

Since it's the New Year, I'm back to looking for healthier recipes that have a lot of flavor, but go light on the calories.  This Weight Watchers recipe for ~ Spiced Chicken Cacciatore ~ fits the bill.  I really liked the addition of the curry powder in this dish.  It's an unexpected spice, not one you would find in a classic Chicken Carriatore recipe, but, it's one that I really like.  Its flavors (minus the curry) are similar to the French inspired ~ Hunters Chicken / Chicken Chasseur ~ post that I did last year. (check out that recipe post ~ here)

I decided to serve it with rice, since I already had some on hand and used skinless legs for the same reason.   I also used sliced/frozen, 3-color bell peppers from Trader Joes, I've always got some in my freezer, I just love 'em!  This turned out to be a really tasty dish and one that I'll be making again.  So, if you're looking for a new way to cook your chicken, that's not quite traditional, that's lower in calories and is pretty quick and easy to get to the table ~ than give this one a try.  Check out the recipe for the Spiced Chicken Cacciatore over on the Weight Watchers site.  Enjoy!  

Cabbage Soup ~ Grandma Bunni's family favorite

Grandma Bunni's Cabbage Soup ~ A super easy & really tasty soup that's simple to make.  A wonderful soup for the chilly nights of autumn.

 

As I was going through an old cookbook of Grandma Bunni's, I came across her recipe for ~ Cabbage Soup.  It's a simple & easy to prepare soup that is full of the flavors I remember from my childhood.   It just so happens, a few weeks ago J & I found some late season cabbages to harvest over at the Community Garden.  This recipe was the perfect way to use them!

When I was cooking this soup, its aroma filled the kitchen & I was taken back, probably 20+ years, to the last time I enjoyed a bowl of this comforting homemade soup.  I'm so glad that I found Grandma Bunni's old Cabbage Soup recipe & I'm looking forward to finding other recipes of hers.  I have a habit of stashing recipes (those written on slips of paper) in random cookbooks & it seems she did the same thing, too.

Who knows what, where and/or when I'll find the next recipe of hers.  Let me just say, I get such a kick out of sharing old family recipes, it makes my heart happy.  Grandma Bunni is now gone, but it's like she's still in the kitchen with me when I use her old, handwritten recipes... and I like that, I like it a lot. :)


Grandma Bunni's Cabbage Soup
a big soup pot full

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef ~ cooked, drained & crumbled
• 1 28 oz. can diced/chopped tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tomato can of water
• 1/2 medium cabbage, chopped
• 1 16 oz. can of kidney beans with juice (or your favorite kind)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Brown beef, then add remaining ingredients to a big soup pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for one hour.  Stir occasionally.  Taste before serving & adjust seasonings as needed.  As I remember it, we used to eat this will lots of fresh bread & butter.  Enjoy! 
 

Green Tomato Brownie Cake ~ an easy & tasty way to use up some of those green tomatoes...

Green Tomato Brownie Cake ~ What a perfect way to use up some of those green tomatoes hanging around in your garden.

Cold nights have brought an end to a rather lackluster growing season.  All the tender vegetables are long gone and the tomato vines had just about given up the ghost.  (Halloween pun, couldn't resist - sorry :)  On Wednesday, I picked about 10 pounds of semi-ripe & green tomatoes, trying to get the dying vines out to the curb before the trash man came.   Now, I've got lots of green tomatoes to ~ ripen, use as-is & to freeze.

One of my favorite ways to use green tomatoes (besides eating them in my Fried Green Tomatoes recipe) is to bake them in a chocolate cake.  I've got a really old recipe that I've used in the past (a copy of that recipe is at the end of the post), but this year I wanted to see if I could make the cake a bit lower in fat calories.  For inspiration, I looked to recipes from ~ Crescent Dragonwagon's - Passionate Vegetarian - (Sweet Harvest Applesauce Breakfast Bundt Cake), from my old copy/recipe for Green Tomato Chocolate Cake & from just plain ol' winging-it.

When all was said and done, the cake smelled wonderful as it was baking & it tasted great!  It sorta reminded me of a cross between a cake & a brownie, so, I'm calling this my ~ Green Tomato Brownie Cake.  The recipe I came up with only used 1/4 cup oil & while it was good, next time I make it, I think I'll increase the oil to 1/3 or 1/2 cup, so it will be just a tad more moist.  Of course, maybe I baked the cake a bit too long... that's the problem with being a challenged baker... sometimes, you just never know.  :)

Green Tomato Brownie Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp chopped walnuts

• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup pureed green tomatoes (about 1 1/3 cup chopped, then pureed in blender until smooth)
• cooking spray/Pam
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting the finished cake

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray a bundt pan or pan of choice with cooking spray, until well coated. (or prepare how you would normally would if you're a real baker :)

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & cinnamon together, into a large bowl.  Toss the raisins, chocolate chips & walnuts in the flour mixture, making sure they are well coated.

Puree the chopped green tomatoes in a blender, until nice & smooth. Set aside.
  
Mix the instant coffee with the water, in another bowl.  Add in the sugars, egg, oil, vanilla & the pureed green tomatoes.  Combine until well mixed.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, then pour into the prepared pan of choice.

Bake until the cake tests clean with a toothpick - about 30 minutes or so.  Remove from oven when finished baking & let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Then turn cake out of pan & allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  Serve sprinkled with Confectioners' sugar (or your favorite glaze/icing)  Store in a covered container.
 

I have no idea who gave me the following recipe for ~ Green Tomato Chocolate Cake ~ or when, but I've used it in the past and enjoyed it.

Green Tomato Chocolate Cake ~ This old photocopied recipe has been in my recipe box for decades.  I've long forgotten who gave me this recipe, but ~ Thank You!

Easy Chili Mac Soup

Easy Chili Mac Soup ~ This family favorite is easy to make and if you have leftover macaroni & cheese already made up ~ it's a great way to clean out the fridge, too.  :)

Grandma Bunni used to LOVE eating Chili Mac Soup.  It was one of her favorite soups to make & as she got older, one of her favorites to order when she went out for dinner.  Since I had sooo much left over Macaroni & Cheese from a recent meal I made (read the post on that meal here), I decided to make a big ol' pot of Chili Mac Soup with the leftovers.  J was VERY enthusiastic when I made this & he declared it his very favorite soup of all-time!  Grandma Bunni would have been so pleased ~ I can see the apple didn't fall far from the tree on that one.   :)  Enjoy!

Easy Chili Mac Soup ~ a favorite soup of Grandma Bunni :)
makes a big ol' pot

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean hamburger, cooked, drained & crumbled
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 can chili beans, with/in sauce
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix
• 4 cups precooked elbow macaroni (or leftover macaroni & cheese, like from this recipe)
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Place first 8 ingredients in a large pot, stir well & bring to a boil.  Reduce heat & simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the onion & green pepper are tender.  Add a little extra water if it gets too thick.

Add the precooked elbow macaroni & gently stir to combine.  Simmer all together for an additional 5 minutes.  Add salt & pepper, as desired. 

Serve as-is or with your favorite toppings and/or sides.  Some of our favorite extras are ~ shredded cheese; crushed tortilla chips; sour cream; crackers; corn bread.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes ~ easy 'sun dried' tomatoes

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes ~ Making your own 'sun dried tomatoes' is easy when you use your oven.

Yellow & Red Roma Tomatoes

This summer, we've been enjoying lots of different varieties of homegrown tomatoes ~ in lots of different ways.  We've been picking the tomatoes from our garden, our neighbors have shared some of their tomato bounty with us & we've harvested veggies over at the Community Garden.  Some of the many ways we've been enjoying these tasty veggies (botanically speaking, they're fruits, but I always think of them as veggies) is to ~ simply add them to our garden salads; throw them into the juicer; and by slow-roasting them in the oven.  Homemade 'sun-dried tomatoes', if you will.

I've found this easy Slow-Roasted Tomato recipe over at Smitten Kitchen & it's a treat!  So easy to make & so very tasty.  So far, I've added the Slow-Roasted Tomatoes to ~ warm salads; slipped them into sandwiches; enjoyed them on French bread with cheese; and munched on them, as-is.  They make such a delightful morsel & when they are prepared this way, it perfectly heightens the robust flavors of homegrown, summer tomatoes!

I like removing the seeds before I slow-roast my tomatoes ~ it's easy to do...

Tomatoes are all prepped and ready to go into the oven...

A couple of hours later, you've got Slow-Roasted Tomatoes ~ Ahh! The perfect condensed flavor of summer!

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes & Ratatouille over a bed of Quinoa ~ Oven roasting really brings out the full flavors in these homegrown veggies!

Kale, Quinoa and Heirloom Tomato Salad ~ Meatless Monday

I'm a huge fan of raw kale salads & when you add some extra superfoods, the salad gets even better.  Full of flavor & lots of different goodies, this salad makes for a perfect Meatless Monday meal.


Kale, Quinoa & Heirloom Tomato Salad
serves 1~2

Ingredients

• 2 cups kale, packed ~ torn into bite sized pieces 
• 1 cup chopped heirloom tomatoes (a variety of regular & cherry)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa ~ fresh cooked/cooled or leftovers
• 1/4 cup sliced purple onion
• 2 Tbsp cranberries
• 2 Tbsp walnuts

 Cilantro & Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Heirloom Yellow Pear Tomatoes

Toss first six salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar & shake-up until combined.

Pour vinaigrette over salad & toss again.  Plate up & enjoy!

Join the Movement...

Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn

Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn ~ Homegrown tomatoes, onion & fresh-from-the field corn (literally from just across the street) make for a perfect way to enjoy the end of summer garden bounty.

The last of our sweet corn is now gone.  We've enjoyed having some of the freshest picked corn available.  I mean, how could it get any fresher?  When it gets handed to you, fresh picked from the stalk, it's awesome!  With this last of the season sweet corn, I made a ~ Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn ~ including some homegrown tomatoes and onion, too.  This is the perfect end of summer treat!  If you don't have any fresh sweet corn, just use canned corn, or thawed out frozen corn will work fine, too.  Hope you are enjoying these last few days of summer as much as we are!


Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn
makes a bowlful

Ingredients

• 1 cup lightly cooked sweet corn kernels 
• 1 can black beans ~ drained & rinsed
• 1 cup fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced ~ or more, to taste (optional)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp cumin
• salt & pepper, to taste

 

Directions 
 
Quickly cook a few fresh ears of corn, in boiling water & cut the kernels off.  Allow to cool while assembling all the other ingredients. 

Mix together all of the above, in a large bowl,  when the corn has cooled.  For best flavor, allow the salsa to marinate in the fridge, for at least an hour or overnight.  (but, if you just can't wait, have at it :)  Serve with your favorite chips.  Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Fresh Tomato Chutney ~ served on Grilled Bread with Ricotta Cheese & Honey

Easy Homemade Fresh Tomato Chutney ~ served on Grilled Bread with Ricotta Cheese & Honey.  This recipe from ~ Ladies Home Journal ~ is so tasty!  It's such an easy way to showcase the fresh tomatoes of summer.

With all of the homegrown tomatoes that my neighbors, Bill & Cheryl, have so kindly shared with us, I've been on the lookout for unusual recipes to use all the different tomatoes in.   (see my recent post using some of the green tomatoes they gave me ~ here)

After looking around, I found a bunch of recipes in the Aug. 2012 issue of ~ Ladies Home Journal ~ that featured fresh summer tomatoes.  After reading the article & seeing the pictures, I decided I just had to try the recipe for ~ Tomato Chutney with Grilled Bread.

It's a sweet & slightly spicy tomato chutney.  It's perfect with the grilled bread, ricotta cheese & drizzle of honey that the recipe calls for.  But, I think it would be just as good served alone on a regular slice of crusty bread, or when served along side some grilled chicken/steak & maybe even tossed in as part of a pasta salad.  If you don't like the tomato skins in the chutney, just peel to tomatoes & then follow the recipe.  This is my new fall-back recipe to use when I've got some tomatoes that are past their prime, but are still good to eat.  I love having good, basic recipes up my sleeve! (just not smeared all over my sleeve ~ haha)

Thanks for all the red & green tomatoes, Neighbors!  I'm just about out... Care to share a few more?  heehee  :)

Low-Fat 'Fried' Green Tomatoes ~ Meatless Monday

'Fried' Green Tomatoes ~ My version is very low fat & low cal, it makes a perfect summetime meal since green tomatoes are so plentiful right now.  I enjoy this recipe from now until frost.  As long as there are green tomatoes, I'm cooking/eating this dish.  :) 

Grandma Bunni was raised in the hills of West Virgina, where eating Fried Green Tomatoes was part of her childhood & she made it a part of mine.  I gotta say, I'm a huge fan of Fried Green Tomatoes, but not of the actual 'frying in oil' that goes along with making it.  When the tomatoes are cooked like that, they are really tasty, but they just have too much fat & calories to let me enjoy them with a clear conscience.

Years ago, I came up with a recipe that allowed me to enjoy this meal anytime I want to ~ and my version of 'Fried' Green Tomatoes is low fat & low cal ~ Yes!  With green tomatoes now showing up in our garden, (and in Bill & Cheryl's veggie garden, thanks for all the tomatoes, Neighbors!) as well as at the local Farmers Market, now is the perfect time for enjoying this ol' homestyle, summertime favorite.  Who says you have to wait for your tomatoes to get ripe before you can begin enjoying them...certainly not me!  

Low-Fat 'Fried' Green Tomatoes

serves 1

recipe can be doubled, just use a bigger skillet

• one medium (or large) green tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 Tbsp Italian Style/Spiced bread crumbs *
• 1 Tbsp cornmeal * (optional, use all bread crumbs if you like)
• smoked paprika (or regular) ~ for sprinkling on the tomato slices before cooking
• 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' Spray ~ for spraying on the tomato slices before cooking (& maybe after, too :)
• Pam, butter flavored or regular
• salt & pepper, to taste
• your favorite hot pepper sauce, to taste

*double the bread crumbs/cornmeal if making a double batch or if your tomato is really big


Heat skillet over medium heat.  Combine Italian bread crumbs & cornmeal and place in small plate for dredging the tomatoes in.

Take the sliced green tomatoes, dredge both sides in the Italian bread crumbs/cornmeal mixture, sprinkle one side with smoked paprika & spray with 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' Spray.  (there should be enough moisture on the tomato slices for the bread crumb mixture to stick, if not ~ dip the tomato slices in water & then proceed with the dredging)

When the tomatoes are ready, spray the skillet with Pam & lay the tomato slices in a single layer, with the paprika sprinkled side down, so that side cooks first.  Cook for approx. 3 minutes.  While the first side is cooking, sprinkle the top side of the tomatoes with paprika & spray with ICBINB Spray.  When the 3 minutes is over for the first side, flip & cook the other side for an additional 3 minutes or until the green tomatoes are golden & getting softer, but are still a bit firm. (sorta like how pasta cooks to al dente)

Serve the 'Fried' Green Tomatoes with your favorite hot pepper sauce and salt & pepper to taste.  Add some extra ICBINB Spray to the tomatoes, if you're so inclined. (I'm always so inclined, I love that stuff)   I usually make at least 2 or 3 tomatoes for my meal.  I'll eat the first tomato, while the second one is cooking & eat the second one, while the third one is cooking.  Enjoy!

Kosher Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes

Kosher Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes ~ such an easy way to enjoy all of the abundance of green tomatoes ~ either now (early in the growing season) or in the late fall (when the frost is coming).  They are a unique & tasty change from cucumber pickles.

I've always loved dill cucumber pickles, so making dill green tomatoes was the next logical step for me.  With the abundance of homegrown green tomatoes in mid summer, I'm all about using them in different & unique recipes.  Who says you have to wait until a tomato is ripe before you can enjoy it?  Not me!  This is also a good recipe for the fall, no need to waste the green tomatoes that won't ripen before a coming frost, just turn them into pickles.  This is such a great way to keep the garden goodness going all season long.

The first picture is from when I first started the 'green tomato pickles' & the last two pictures are from when the 'pickles' were ready to eat, two weeks later.  The color changes as they sit in the dill brine.  The dill flavor really develops & is amazing!  So, next time you are looking for a recipe to use up some of those green tomatoes that are just hanging around in your garden, or that you find at a farmers market, why not give this recipe a try.  No boiling required, you just let them sit in the brine in the fridge ~ two weeks later, they're ready to enjoy.  Easy-peasy! 

Two weeks later & you've got Kosher Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes!

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ It's all Greek to me!

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ all the freshness of a Greek Salad mixed with eggs for a perfect breakfast.  Low carb, low fat & low cal ~ great for brunch, too.

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~  I'm on a Greek Salad kick right now & have been enjoying one every day this week, but I've been using spinach instead of lettuce. (I've been craving spinach, what can I say)   I'm lucky that my new next door neighbors, Bill & Cheryl, have been sharing some of their homegrown veggies with us & that makes for a lot of fresh salad fixin's.  Tomatoes & cucumbers are so much better when you can just go outside & pick them right off the vine.

I've also been talking to my friend, Misty, about the different ways that they cook all those glorious, fresh laid eggs she gets from her hens. (see my recent post about her best egg layer, Little Bessie, here)  One of the ways her family likes to eat the eggs they gather, is to scramble them with cooked spinach.  Say no more....


So, today I made a hybrid version of a Greek salad & spinach scrambled eggs and came up with a ~ Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ dish.  The meal turned out great!  I prepared all the veggies like I was going to make a salad, then I sauteed them in a little olive oil until the spinach wilted.  I then added the scrambled egg mixture to the cooked veggies, added some Greek seasoning blend, extra oregano (I like a lot of oregano in my Greek dishes), salt & pepper and finished cooking the scrambled eggs.  After I plated it, I added some crumbles of reduced-fat Feta cheese & a few sliced black olives (I ran out of Greek olives, darn it!) ~ and I was good to go!

I'm so glad I have friends who inspire me to come up with unusual combos in the kitchen, especially for a Meatless Monday meal, it makes cooking so much more fun! 

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa   ~  This Tex-Mex salsa is zesty & full of the flavors that make a fresh salsa so great.  It's easy to make & it's perfect with chips, tacos, tostadas, burritos, eggs, chicken, steak, pork ~ just about anything that you want to add some bold,  Mexican flavor/flair to.

My friend, Rick, told me about this really great salsa that his wife, Jeannette, makes.  Since I'm a salsa lover from waaaaaay back, I told him I needed her recipe ~ ASAP.   He promptly gave me the recipe & I made it soon after...and proceeded to eat the whole batch that day...by myself.  (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE fresh salsa??) 

Jeannette's recipe calls for RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Chilies & I just so happen to always keep a few cans in my pantry ~ so I knew this was gonna be my kind of salsa.  I think her salsa would be a perfect addition to any party, celebration, buffet, get-together, breakfast, potluck or just because you feel like making some amazing, homemade fresh salsa.  So, if you're looking for a salsa recipe for your 4th of July party ~ look no further...this is the salsa you should be serving.  Be sure to make a lot, because it will be hard to share...  I know, from firsthand knowledge.    :)

Thanks for sharing the recipe, Jeannette & Rick!

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa

makes a big ol' bowl of salsa

• 1   10oz.  can RO*TEL Mild Diced Tomatoes & Chilies  (not everyone in my house can handle the heat of the 'Original' RO*TEL, but you can use your favorite variety/heat level instead)
• 1 small,  7oz.  can chopped/diced green chiles
• 1 really large bunch cilantro, chopped ~ about 1 1/2 cups chopped (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or green onion, rinsed/drained  (more or less, to taste)
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice, or to taste  ~ optional  (I added this to her original recipe because I always like the flavor of fresh lime in my salsa)
• 1 tsp avocado oil or olive oil, or to taste  ~ optional  (I added this to her original recipe because I think a little oil helps the flavors to blend together better)
• salt, to taste

• your favorite tortilla chips ~ (Rick & Jeannette like Tostitos Hint of Jalapeño Tortilla Chips) 

 

Add first 6 ingredients together in a big bowl & toss together until completely mixed & then add salt, to taste.

Let salsa sit in the fridge for about 1/2 hour for the flavors to blend.  As it sits, it will create a really flavorful juice in the bottom of the bowl.  Stir well & serve with your favorite chips.    Enjoy!

Hunters Chicken ~ Chicken Chasseur

Hunters Chicken ~ In France, this dish goes by the name of ~ Chicken Chasseur.  I made the sauce really quickly using Bisto Chicken Gravy for the base, 1/2 can of chopped fire roasted stewed tomatoes, a small can of sliced mushrooms, a little diced onion, a few herbs & a splash of sherry. (or you could use your favorite cooking alcohol)

If you don't have Bisto Gravy to make the sauce with, you could just combine a jar of brown gravy & a jar of chicken gravy ~ then add the other ingredients & simmer all together until warmed through.  Add your already cooked chicken & let it all simmer together for a few minutes, then dish it up & eat.  This is a great meal to make if you have leftover chicken (pieces or slices) hanging around the fridge.  It's also nice enough to serve for dinner when you have company over, but no need to wait for a special occasion.  You could easily use fresh ingredients, instead of canned, but the sauce will need to be simmered longer before you add the cooked chicken.  This French inspired recipe is a versatile, quick & easy meal that is cheap & cheerful, too.

If you want a more traditional version, that is still pretty quick, try the recipe over at the site ~ Easy French Food.