Chipotle Chicken Citrus Salad

I am not being reimbursed by Mrs. Dash for this post in any way. Just love their stuff!

With heart disease in both of our families as I have mentioned before, I do try to find low sodium things when possible.

When looking through the seasoning and spices aisle, I discovered that Mrs. Dash had come out with several seasonings with a variety of tastes. So I bought a bunch!

There are grilling spices, Garlic Herb, Carribbean Citrus and Fiesta Lime to name a few. But my favorite so far is the Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend. It is spicy, but used in the recipe below, it is just perfect!

We have started grilling up a bunch of chicken breasts as done in this recipe, slicing them and freezing them to have on hand for salads.

The recipe below is yummy, but you can use the chicken however you want in a salad. I like mine as a chicken taco salad - with spinach, tortilla chips and taco sauce. Stephen loves his with spinach, shredded cheese, black olives and ranch dressing.

Try this recipe, then try your own twist!

Chipotle Chicken Citrus Salad

Ingredients
4 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash® Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend
11 oz. can Mandarin oranges (in light syrup), drained
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 bunch Romaine lettuce (torn)
5 Tbsp. prepared fat free honey mustard salad dressing
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Directions

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with Mrs. Dash® Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend.

Heat grill, place chicken on grill and cook 4 minutes per side, basting when turned. Chicken is cooked when juices run clear.

Meanwhile, add mandarin oranges and grapes to lettuce, and toss with salad dressing.

When chicken has cooled, cut in 1/2 inch strips.

Place grilled chicken on top of lettuce, sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Short Order Home Fries

WARNING: This is not a healthy recipe in any way, shape or form.

WARNING: These are so delicious, you will want to eat the whole batch.

I am a big fan of meat and potatoes for breakfast. And by that, I mean bacon...mmm, bacon...sausage, and hashbrowns.

However, I have never been successful at making good hashbrowns, or home fries, at home.

Until Cook's Country (a division of America's Test Kitchen) entered my life. When watching the show one afternoon on PBS, they were making diner-style breakfast foods - omelets, home fries, etc.

The Home Fries are what caught my eye and I had to make them.

And this is where I had my revelation: the kind of potato you use makes a HUGE difference.

So I bought some Yukon Gold potatoes and got to work.

All I can say is crisp, flavorful, magnificent home fries were the result. And I once again am in awe of America's Test Kitchen.

Give these a shot for breakfast and you will not be sorry.

Short Order Home Fries

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (4 medium), scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion , chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper

Directions
Arrange potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl, top with 1 tablespoon butter, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until edges of potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and pack down with spatula. Cook, without moving, until underside of potatoes is brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue to cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring potatoes every few minutes, until crusty, 9 to 12 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic salt, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve.

Another Coffee House Knock-Off

Have you tried a Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks yet?

So yummy!

But if you haven't, don't go buy one.

"WHAT?" you ask. "You just said it was so yummy!"

It is. I'm just saying - you can make it at home.

And you can serve it to all of your friends and impress the heck out of them.

And by the way, it's so easy.

Thank you Recipezaar!

This makes a big old batch, but it is easily halved or doubled as needed.

Slow Cooker Hot Caramel Apple Cider
16 servings

Ingredients
1/2 gallon apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 orange, sliced

Garnish
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions

Combine all ingredients except topping in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low setting 5-6 hours.

Serve in mugs, drizzling a teaspoonful of topping into each mug.

Told you it was easy.

I also like to add some whipped cream on top and drizzle a little more caramel on that. That is really what makes it special.

Stick some in the crock pot today, fill your house with fabulous smells and enjoy!

Have some cake mix to use?

I love Mommy's Kitchen but haven't had much time to explore it lately. A good friend told me about a very special section of her site called "Cake Mix Creations." So I had to go check it out.

Do you know what I found?

Eleven different recipes using cake mix! And not just to make a cake!

I think that is brilliant, so I had just had to pass it along!

I have made the Pumpkin Crunch before and it is fabulous! So much easier than a pie and so delicious!

Let me know if you try any of these and how they work out!

Do you have any cake mix creations of your own? Would love to hear them!

Banana Crumb Muffins

I had some bananas that were at the perfect ripeness for banana bread...but I wanted something a little different.

So off to allrecipes.com I went to find a banana muffin recipe - and I came across this!

I have always been a big fan of streusel topping on baked goods - coffee cake, muffins, etc. - so it's no surprise these sounded delicious to me.

And they are! Or else I wouldn't be posting it here!

The original recipe calls for 1/3 melted butter and claims it will only yield 10 muffins. A few of the reviews suggested substituting 1/3 vegetable oil and ending up with 12 muffins. I didn't have enough butter so I gave it a shot - and they came out perfect! No need to try the butter for me!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I get a daily recipe in my inbox from allrecipes.com and this was the recipe yesterday. I was intrigued, loving all things pumpkin of course.

Looking at the recipe, I realized I had most of the ingredients on hand but not exactly. So I made it my own! A few tweaks here and there and I was VERY happy with the result.

This dish just screams of fall and that is perfect for me. Plus, it was super easy and very filling. Great for a cold, snuggly, lazy day - like yesterday was for us!

Stephen tried a bite and thought it wasn't bad. I ate it for dinner and will gladly eat the leftovers! Honestly, I loved it!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
2 10-oz cans Rotel Mild tomatoes with green chiles
1 15-oz can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash salt
1-2 cups frozen corn

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. Stir in the frozen corn. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, etc.

You could add in a 1/2 cup a yellow or red peppers with the onion and garlic - I didn't have any in the house so I skipped it. If I had them, I would have thrown them in too!

Next time, I may also add a little chicken broth to thin the chili out. I like the chili thick, but this is an option to suit your tastes!