Easy-Peasy Caprese

It is officially tomato week. Our garden is producing more tomatoes than we know what to do with- I'm sure many sauces, salads, and salsas will be made! This salad is awesome for fresh tomatoes- It is SO simple, and I make it all the time for lunch or a dinner side!

-Jillian

• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Arrange mozzarella and tomatoes on plate, top with basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and pepper to taste.

Fiesta Salad

To celebrate the (almost) end of a seemingly endless work week, I decided to turn our average Thursday night into a fiesta! I’m not gonna lie, this salad is a little time consuming. BUT you can really cut back time by making the dressing ahead of time, and preparing your veggies the night before. All of the components of this salad were so tasty, and together it was certainly a fiesta. I will definitely be making this chicken often, even with just rice and a salad! Enjoy!

-Jillian

Lime Marinated Chicken:

• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• Juice of 1 lime 
• Dash of ground cumin 
• 1 tbsp. chili powder 
• 4 cloves minced garlic 
• 4 chicken breasts

Flatten out the chicken breasts a little (you can just use the bottom of a measuring cup as a press), and add to Ziploc with marinade ingredients. Let sit for 30 minutes or up to an hour. Grill and slice for the salad!

Fiesta Dressing:

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Juice of ½ lime

Combine and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Fajita Veggies:

• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• ½ red onion, cut into rings
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of ½ lime

Saute peppers for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, add onions, cook for 10 more minutes or until cooked to preferred softness. Remove from heat, add cilantro and lime.

Tortilla Strips:

• 4 corn tortillas
• Olive oil spray
• Salt

Preheat oven to 350, slice tortillas into ½” strips. Arrange on baking sheet, not touching. Spray lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 7 minutes. Flip tortillas, and bake for 5 more minutes or until golden brown.

The Rest of the Salad:

• Romaine lettuce
• 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained, and chilled
• 1 can corn, rinsed, drained, and chilled
• 1 cup cherrytomatoes, halved
• 1 avacado, sliced
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated

Assemble salad ingredients. Top with chicken, fajita veggies, tortilla strips, and dressing to taste! Enjoy!

Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

After a finals/start of summer/mid summer craziness we have finally come back for some summer posts! The garden is full of fresh peppers, squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers- The cooking possibilities are endless! Today's recipe uses up some of the summer squash and green peppers.. Recipe adapted from One Lovely Life and All Day I Dream About Food, Enjoy!

-Jillian

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked 
• ½ onion,diced
• 1 small summer squash, cubed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can mild green chilies
• 1/2 cup cilantro, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1+ 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• ½ tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ lime, juiced
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
• 6 medium green peppers, cleaned with tops removed. 

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Saute onions until soft, add garlic and squash, cook for 3 more minutes. In a bowl, combine quinoa, onion mixture, and remaining ingredients (Except the peppers and cheese). Mix thoroughly, then fill peppers with mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Add cheese to tops, bake for another 10 minutes or until peppers are tender.