Spinach, Chicken, and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

 Prep Time:  1 hour

2 - 10 oz. bags of spinach
1 red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup finely diced red onions
6 oz. can of medium olives
14 1/2 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
15 oz. can drained garbanzo beans

1.  Roast the bell pepper over medium heat on a grill for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.  Place in a covered container to let cool for a few minutes.  Remove lid and start peeling the charred skin from the bell pepper, discard the skin and seeds of the bell pepper, and then chop the bell pepper.

2.  Grill the chicken over medium heat, 8 minutes per side.  Let cool 5 minutes, then chop.

3.  Add the bell pepper and chicken to the remaining ingredients and toss.

Makes 8 - 10 main dish servings.

I am in love with this salad!  I found this salad on The Best Bites blog and can't get enough of it.

Greek Spinach-Pasta Salad with Feta and Beans

Makes 6 servings

6 oz. fresh spinach (I buy the 10 oz. bags from Walmart or Smith's for $1.99 and just use a little more than 1/2)
1 - 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I buy the large bricks of President's feta cheese from Costco, come home and cut the block into 9 smaller pieces (each piece is about 4 oz.) and freeze each of the 9 pieces until I need them.  This way 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese costs less than $1)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. dried whole wheat pasta (farfalle, penne, etc.)

1.  In a large serving bowl combine, spinach, beans, cheese, tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel and juice, oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover; let stand at room temperature while cooking pasta or up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

2.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Toss cooked pasta and pasta water with spinach salad mixture and serve.

 This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine in February 2011 and my whole family loves it.  It goes together fast.  I can have this recipe ready in 30 minutes and I can't say that about very many of the dishes I prepare for dinner.  My whole family loves it!

Chili

Prep time:  1 hour

1 lb. ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 14 1/2 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
2 - 15 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained (or 2 cups dried kidney beans: soaked, cooked, and drained)
3 - 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt

In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic.  Drain the fat.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings or about 10 cups

(This is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens that I have adapted.  If you like your chili spicy, you can add additional chili powder and some ground pepper.  This is a very family friendly recipe though.  My 4 year old son says to me when I make this, "I don't like your chili, Mom--I love it!"

Lentil Soup

Prep Time:  1 hour

3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
2 cups lentils, sorted and rinsed
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups diced ham*
1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 tsp. salt (1 tsp. if you make this dish with meat)
1/2 tsp. pepper

1.  Heat the oil in a large soup pot, over medium-low heat and add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, cooking until tender, but not browned (about 5 - 10 minutes.)

2.  Stir in the water, lentils, tomatoes, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

3.  Stir in the ham, vinegar, salt and pepper, and serve.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

(I have taken this recipe from the Joy of Cooking, one of my favorite cookbooks, and have adapted it for my family.  I have added about one and a half extra vegetables, added ham, and reduced the amount of pepper called for.)

*I buy a 1/2 spiral cut ham with a bone-in for a nice Sunday dinner.  I freeze the leftover slices of ham and the ham bone (which is great for this soup!), in quart-sized freezer bags that are very convenient for cooking with later.  This is the only type of ham I use in this soup.  I have tried buying prepared packages from the store of diced or chopped ham, but my family did not enjoy the soup that way, they felt like the ham was too rubbery.

Black Beans and Rice

Prep Time:  45 minutes (longer if you are soaking and cooking beans, rather than using canned)

3 - 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained or 1 lb. dried black beans
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. sausage (I buy a 1 lb. tube of sausage and freeze the other half for later)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Rice

1.  If using dry beans (which I do--a great way to rotate my food storage), sort, rinse, soak for 8 - 12 hours, and cook for 2 hours in salted water (I cook my beans in about 6 quarts of water with about 1/2 Tbsp. salt.)  Drain when tender.

2.  Steam rice according to package instructions.

3.  In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the onion, bell peppers, garlic, and sausage until the sausage is cooked through.  Add beans to the cooked mixture.  (If using dried beans, I generally add all but about 1 cup of the beans to the mixture.  I freeze the remaining cup of beans to use later.)

4.  Serve the bean and vegetable mixture over the rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serves:  6

(I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Heidi.  My two oldest kids are nuts about this dinner.  My oldest son is a picky eater and doesn't usually eat second helpings, but he always does with this dish!)