This meal makes enough for a small country.  Adam and I had two big bowls and I am freezing the rest.  Freezer “take-out” is my kind of take-out. Total hands-on time for this dish was less than 10 minutes.  The hardest part was not slicing my finger on the top of the cans.  I failed at that.  If you fail at that, beware of the lime juice later.  Ouchie.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 3 whole chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
• 3 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15 oz) cans whole corn, undrained
• 2 (10 oz) cans Rotel, undrained
• 2 (1 oz) packets Ranch dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese or Neufchâtel
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Garnish:

• Tortilla Chips
• Limes
• Cheddar Cheese
• Lime
• Hot Sauce (If you’re feeling really saucy)

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of a large crock pot. Add the beans, corn, Rotel, Ranch dressing mix, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, cumin. Stir together.
2. Add the cream cheese on top and put the lid on.
3. Turn the crockpot to low and cook for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. (Or do it on high, about 4-6 hours.)
4. Remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks – it may be tender enough to mix all the ingredients and shred the chicken in one motion!
5. Use a spoon to stir in the shredded chicken and the cream cheese (which should be melted).
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
7. Serve with tortilla chips, lime juice, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. You can also serve this as a dip with tortilla chips.

*Inspired by Recipes Cookbook

So, I’ve got to admit, now that I’ve joined society and am no longer working from home, putting together meals that take longer than about 45 mins (start to finish) gets a little tricky.  However, I’m still bound and determined to put healthy, yummy meals on the table at least 4 nights a week.  In honor of this new chapter (and cooking learning curve), I’m starting a new series – “MM” aka Minute Meals.  I’ll be adding “30MM” 0r “45MM” to recipes that are under 1 hour, from start to finish.  Remember, the right side bar has all kinds of categories in case you’re looking for something specific.  You’ll also now find “30MM” and “45MM” – so if you’ve got tighter timelines, you can hop in there and check out some great quickies. (Side note: Did that make you think of inappropriate things?  My mind is always in the gutter.)

Geez Court, GET ON WITH THE MEAL.  30MM, 3 hour long story.  Story. Of. My. Life.

Ya’ll, we’ve officially been Austin residents for three weeks.  My how time flies when you’re eating BBQ.  I thought I’d take the southern food festival down a notch and fix up something fresh.  These California Greek Chicken Bowls are delish and can be customized.  Hopefully my version will give you a good launching point to create your own:

Have you ever heard the saying, “The things you own, end up owning you”?  I heard that once from one of my Southern California hippie friends who shared a studio apartment and had lawn chairs for furniture.  I might have looked down my nose at that comment a few days ago, but I suddenly understand it all.  After these last two weeks, I have understood so clearly the pros of only having a lawn chair couch and a dream.  You guys, WE HAVE SO MUCH F’N STUFF.  We’re close to the end, but we have been unpacking, organizing, setting-up for daaaaaaaaays.

I’m finally in a place where I can take a few moments to make some dinner and share the ridiculousness of my life with you (albeit, dinner was eaten on TV trays surrounded by packing paper and boxes).  But regardless, it’s good to be back in the saddle.  I wanted to share a recipe I made right before we left San Diego when we had a few friends over.  It was bright and super flavorful.  A perfect Friday evening meal with your lova or your favorite ‘Bachelor’-watching gal pal.

This salad, oh em geeee, this salad.  Not only does it go perfectly with my Christmas-themed tablescape (weirdo-alert), but it is packed full of everything you need, as well as some of my favorite ingredients.  We’ve got a superfood, healthy carbs, fresh veggies, calcium, protein and flavor for days.  This would be a great lunch, light dinner OR you could pair it with a small skirt steak (like we did tonight) for an extra punch of protein.

You could probably do this with regular mozzarella, but then you’ll miss the creamy goodness that burrata provides.  If you’ve never had burrata before – it’s a fresh mozzerella with a mix of cream and mozzerella in the middle.  It’s like what Maya says, “When you know better, you do better.”  So now that you know better… try some burrata.

Last Saturday, I went to HomeGoods (my heaven) and they are currently focused on kitchen essentials, given the upcoming holidays and all those big dinners that come with them.  When I walked in, I got a little weak in the knees.  And after slapping myself out of thinking I needed a self-spinning ice cream cone holder,  I snagged a new knife set (and then I sliced off a good chunk of my thumb a day later), as well as a little set of individual sized pizza stones.  I’ve been wanting to do a make-your-own pizza night for a while, but it loses a little something without the stone.  These little 8 inch individual sizes are so fun – but if you have a big one, just have each person pick a side and top it as you want.

The results were almost as good as how much fun we had going to the store, picking our ingredients and then trying to figure out what the hell we were doing.  In case you’re looking for inspiration, here’s what we topped ours with… but really there is no wrong answer to the question: How will you top your pizza?

Mine: Chanterelle Mushrooms, Gruyere and Prosciutto Pizza- (fancy, huh??)

*Please excuse my Saturday evening disaster hair*

Ingredients:

• Trader Joe’s Herb Pizza Dough
• Chanterelle Mushrooms (sauteed before topping)
• Red Onion (sauteed before topping)
• Gruyere, shredded
• Prosciutto
• baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
• Pizza sauce

Adam’s: Pepperoni, Sausage, Onions, Bacon with Two Cheeses (Look at that face…)

Ingredients:

• Trader Joe’s Herb Pizza Dough
• 1 sausage, removed from casing (browned before topping pizza)
• pepperoni
• 1 slice of bacon, chopped
• onion, sliced
• green peppers, chopped
• baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
• pepperjack cheese, shredded
• mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Pizza sauce

For both pizzas, we prepared the dough according to the directions.  Preheat the pizza stones in the oven (500 degrees for 20 mins). Dust the stones with cornmeal. Place pizza dough circles on the stones. Top with everything and cook for 12-17 minutes (depending on how thin you can get your crust. We failed miserably at that, and had to cook ours for about 17 minutes)

Before I met Adam he ate three things for dinner – Hungry Man frozen dinner (ughhh), Steak and Potatoes, and Mac and Cheese with canned tuna.  No wonder I can’t get rid of him. (wink) Now, when I have time, I’ll put together some meals that I freeze for him for those nights when I won’t be home.  But there is one dish that is so easy, not even he can screw it up.  This is a super easy, hearty little dinner option for those nights when the freezer is empty and I have to leave him on his own.  The biggest challenge is convincing him that he can do this.

Let’s push ourselves, shall we?  Around here we love a big hearty breakfast on Sunday mornings paired with some football and relaxation.  I usually throw together a scramble with all the leftover veggies from the week and some leftover protein.  This weekend, however, I wanted to do a little something different, make a REAL brunch.  So, I did the impossible… I made eggs benedict (homemade Hollandaise AND paoched eggs???)…. and wouldn’t ya know – it worked!  I scoured the internet for tips and tricks from making a great Hollindaise that wouldn’t have me whisking in the kitchen for thirty minutes and I found some great options.

This breakfast is not healthy.  It is not something that belongs on a blog that is supposed to be focused on healthy eating.  But ya know what?  This is MY blog. And a girl can’t be good allllllll the time.  So sometimes, give yourself a Sunday splurge and get that feel good feeling from being able to say, “Hope you had fun at yoga, I made my own eggs benedict this morning…  And damn, I’m good.”  (Then lunge all around the house for the rest of the day and do squats while you brush your teeth;)

Bacon and Crab Eggs Benedict with a Jalapeno Hollindaise Sauce – Serves 4

Ingredients:

(Easy Blender) Hollindaise Sauce:

• 3-4 pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
• 10T unsalted butter
• 3 egg yokes (how to separate eggs)
• 1T Lemon Juice (or the juice from 1/2 lemon)
• 1/2t salt
• 1/8t cayenne pepper

*From Simple Recipes

Benedict:

• 4 whole wheat english muffins
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 8 eggs
• 1 small jar of fresh crab meat (you can leave this out if you’re looking to save some $$)
• 1-2t of vinegar (to poach eggs)

Directions:

Prepare bacon by placing strips in a cold oven.  Turn oven up to 405 degrees, let cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare hollindaise sauce.  Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds.  Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.

Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.

Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an hour or so.

To poach the eggs:  Begin boiling water in a sauce pan.  Once water is about to boil, add vinegar to water (this will help to congeal the eggs and keep them together!)

Slowly drop in one egg at a time.  It may be helpful to crack the egg into a little cup and then release it into the water.  Using a spoon, nudge the egg whites closer to their yolks. This will help the egg whites hold together.  Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 minutes while the eggs cook.

While eggs cook, toast english muffins and prepare to build!!

Building your benny – place toasted english muffins on plate, top with crab meat, then bacon, then poached egg and hollindaise sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced avocados.

Seems like a lot of work – but it sounds much harder than it is.  I found the toughest part was figuring out timing, so now you don’t have to.

Have you heard the news about the Siracha plant possibly being shut down due to the unbearable smells and stinging eyes it is creating for its neighbors?  Well, if not – be afraid, be VERY afraid – because if that happens, it’s about as close the apocalypse as we’ve come.  Screw the locus and earthquakes… no Siracha???  I might as well rip up my clothes and leave my car in the middle of the street while I walk to “Old New York” in search of water – because this, my friends, is the end of days.

In order to celebrate (read: possible MOURN) my favorite condiment, I went to the store and purchased 5 big bottles.  Don’t judge me… I consider myself more “Doomsday Peppper” than “Hoarder”.

After I rolled around on my bed with the bottles… I mean hid them under my bed in a locked box with a password only Gidget and I know… I put together a little dish I’ve seen swarming all over Pinterest recently, and now I know why. These Crockpot Korean Tacos are about as easy as it gets and wowzers,  they are gooooooooooooood.  I topped them with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil, some low fat cheese, asian pickled cabbage (or you could grab some kimchi at the store), a creamy umani sauce and Siracha (duh).

So many leftovers, so I froze almost all the rest for another quick meal down the road. Two meals, one night – VICTORY!!

Pull up your boot straps kiddos, it’s finally fall in Southern California.  I’ve stocked up on seasonal candles, crockpot recipes and baby pumpkins so even if Helen Keller came to visit, she’d know what time it was in our house.  BOOM.

Tonight was perfect for a simple soup that is one of my favorites – inspired by Cooking Light – this one pot White Bean and Turkey Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Spinach and Zucchini can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.  As with all soups, it gets better with age – so you’ll be happy to know it feeds four with leftovers for lunch the next day.

I think I’m in the running for worst blogger this month.  I’ve gotta say, this has been one of the more hectic months this year, between weddings and parents – I feel like I’ve left Lemons&Lunges at the firehouse in a basket.  If you’re still with me, I promise to buy you a pony for Christmas.

Since I’ve been soooo out of the loop, I thought it might be easier to catch-up with some photos and the recipe I made for Adam’s parents the first night of their visit – Caprese Salmon with Kale Pesto over a Spring Rice.  His stepmom is a FANTASTIC cook, so the pressure was on.  And this one’s a keeper – rave reviews all around.

So here goes:

First, I started out the month getting down and dirty at the Del Mar Mud Run.  It was so fun and so disgusting.  I managed to come up injury-free and repped Team Lemons&Lunges with pride! (I’m probably going to get arrested for this copyrighted photo – but i can’t find it anywhere.)

Then, Adam and I were off to Orlando for my friend’s wedding.  And… we forgot sunglasses:

When in Orlando, you MUST get $25 8.x10 photos of yourselves while doing sports on your birthday:

And then upgrade your rental from compact to convertible…(Only to find the convertible top does not go up, so you get refunded… but still have a GREAT time driving around like two gay men in a parade).

After the trip, it was back to San Diego.  Adam had to miss Dave Chappell (after buying tickets), so I scooped my friend Trish and off we went to a big night on the town.  When we were shown to our seats… in the last row,  I noticed my seat was a little askew, so I notified someone and BINGO, BANGO, BONGO…we were ushered to new seats a few rows from the front, with the security guards and the ushers.  We’re so “in”.  And then we almost got escorted out for taking this picture.

Lastly, our parents came and we did all kinds of touristy stuff – from the Midway (look how cute they all are – new BFF’s forever)…

To Mister A’s, a fantastic restaurant that sits on the circular top floor of the building, overlooking all of downtown San Diego, complete with planes flying in next to your dinner table.  (It’s the kind of place that frowns on someone flicking off a Southwest plane b/c it gives her memories of some bad experiences… but ya know that didn’t stop me.)

And more baseball than any girl should ever be subjected to – “Fear the Beard” – Go Sox!

And last but certainly not least, I knew my proudest moment had arrived when I went into a bathroom stall at a college bar and was face-to-face with myself.  Yep, these flyers for a Vavi (the Mud Run peeps) Halloween party are everywhere.  Bathroom stall status… I’ll never be president.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some good food for you mouth AND your skin