Vegetable & Sausage Saute.

This meal went together quickly and disappeared just as fast. Serve with fresh bread or brown rice and a salad.

• 1 package fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
• 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Saute sausage and onion over medium heat until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add pepper strips and mushrooms.  Cook another 5 minutes, tossing several times.  Add tomatoes and seasonings. Stir. Cover and cook 3 minutes more, until everything is heated through.  Peppers should still be brightly colored and slightly firm.  Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Corn Vegetable Soup.

I set out to make chicken corn chowder, but without the heavy, creamy consistency. This recipe will go through several more iterations before it's exactly what I am after, but this is a very good start. The chief taste-tester in my kitchen had only positive reviews.

• 2 T butter
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 T heavy cream
• lime juice

Melt butter in stock pot or large soup pan.  Saute onion & red pepper until soft.  Add chicken broth and celery. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add corn, clilantro, and chicken. Simmer another 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream. Serve with a splash of lime juice.

Lemon Dill Potato Salad.

Challenged to create a unique potato salad, I came up with this little recipe. Yum.

• 8-10 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt & pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

Peel potatoes and cut in half. Cook in boiling water until tender.  Cool.  Slice potatoes crosswise.  Gently toss with onion and celery.  Mix oil and lemon juice and pour over potato mixture.  Gently toss with dill. Add salt & pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Lemon Mushroom Orzo with Cilantro.

I love reading recipes. I have shelves filled with cookbooks, some of which I purchased simply to read. Lately (I think it must be the cooler weather!), I've been reading a lot of risotto and orzo recipes and was inspired by a lemon and rosemary orzo posted at Eat Yourself Skinny.  This is my twist on a lemony orzo. There was great debate in the test kitchen about the add-ins, so I left them as optional. My preference is to add the pine nuts. One of my tasters preferred the original with no add-ins and the other went for both pine nuts and prosciutto!  Enjoy.

• 1 1/2 c orzo
• 1 T butter
• 1 c chicken broth
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 box sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• toasted pine nuts, optional
• prosciutto crumbles

Saute orzo in butter for 5 minutes.  Stir almost constantly to avoid over-browning.  Add broth, lemon, water, mushrooms, and salt.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.  Stir in cilantro and, if adding, sprinkle pine nuts and prosciutto crumbs on top.

Tangy Mango & Squash Salad.

This recipe was inspired by a blog a friend shared with me. Thanks, Erika! Check out Eating Rules for a version of this recipe that uses sweet potatoes and a whole lot of great healthy eating information.

• 4 c butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 mango, cut into chunks larger than the squash
• 1 c cooked edamame
• 3 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 T lemon juice
• 2 T agave nectar (honey works too)
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 3 T cilantro, chopped

Note: This step can be done ahead of time to allow time for the squash to cool. The salad is best when chilled.  Toss the squash in 2 T of olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with sea salt & pepper. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Squash should be soft but not mushy.  Cool completely.

Mix dressing: 1 T olive oil, lemon juice, agave nectar, and vinegar.

When squash is cooled, gently toss with mango and edamame.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and drizzle with dressing.  Toss to mix.

Sausage, Tortellini & Spinach Soup.

It was another soup & bread day in my kitchen. Yum! This hearty soup is a twist on chicken noodle: it uses turkey sausage and cheese tortellini, and adds mushrooms & spinach. With both the sausage and the tortellini, it makes a filling meal. The crumbled prosciutto on top adds great flavor and texture. 

• 1 package of turkey Italian sausage or bratwurst, cut into 1 inch pieces or smaller
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 1 package fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 box cleaned, sliced mushrooms
• 6 large handfuls fresh spinach
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 slices prosciutto, cooked until crisp and crumbled

In stock pot or large soup pot, cook turkey sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add mushrooms and parsley.  Cook for two minutes.  Add tortellini and cook for 5 minutes or according to package directions.  Stir in spinach and cook for 1 more minute. Ladle into bowls and serve with a sprinkling of prosciutto crumbles on top.

Prosciutto, Pear, & Lemon Stilton.

Quick and elegant, with a nice mix of flavors. Just the way a busy girl likes to cook!  I made one pear's worth for lunch (about 10 pieces) and every time I turned around, one was missing and the remaining wraps were rearranged on the plate. Rave review, indeed!

• prosciutto
• pear, peeled & sliced
• Stilton cheese with lemon, sliced

Wrap a slice of pear & a slice of Stilton in a piece of prosciutto and enjoy!