Stuffed Chicken with Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

3 red bell peppers
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup low sodium, organic chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 jalepeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless organicchicken breast
1 small container goat cheese (optional)
8-10 asparagus spears, trimmed (and halved if large)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg. Roast red bell peppers on baking sheet for 20 min. Turn and roast another 30 min.
2. Remove peppers from oven and place under inverted glass bowl to steam for 10 min. With pairing knife, scrape off brown skin, halve, remove stems and seed. Slice 1 bell pepper into strips, set aside the remaining.
3. Place uncut bell peppers, oil, vinegar, garlic, and jalapeno into blender. Puree until smooth.
4. Pour blended sauce into sauce pan over med low heat. Add Italian seasonings, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 min.
5. Meanwhile, cut chicken breasts nearly in half, so it folds open like a book. Inside each spread approx 1 Tbsp goat cheese on each half of breast. Add 3 to 4 asparagus spears and divide the cut bell peppers between the 4 breasts. Close by folding top half over the bottom, over the sandwich filling.
6. Transfer chicken to casserole dish. Pour 1/2 of the roasted pepper sauce over breasts and bake for 40 min, or until chicken cooked through but cheese is still soft and sauce moist.
7. Pour additional sauce over breasts before serving, if desired.

*Caveat: for those with milk allergies, we made this with and without the goat cheese. It was still absolutely delicious without!!! Make sure your broth is gluten free if this is important for you! We use Pacific organic and it is.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

3 cooked chicken breasts, diced
4 cups cooked white beans
1 box diced tomatoes (we used boxed to avoid the BPA)
4 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 med bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

optional: serve with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In large soup pot, saute onions, peppers, garlic until soft. Add chicken, beans, tomatoes, and broth.
2. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne as desired.
3. Simmer about 20-30 min.

*caveat: Make sure your seasonings and broth is gluten free if you are on a gluten free diet. These can contain hidden sources of small amounts of gluten.

Louisiana Sauce Piquante

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef and/or pork (or cut roast)
2 links Cajun sausage
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Rotel tomatoes

Directions:
1. Season meat with preferred seasoning: salt, pepper, Cajun seasonings
2. Brown meat and sausage.
3. Remove meat and sausage from pot
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil
5. Add rotel. Return meat to pot
6. Add water to just cover meat. Cook until meat is tender, at least 45 min
7. Serve over rice

*caveat: you can clean this up by not using Rotel, but it DEFINITELY doesn't taste the same :) You can also serve over quinoa if you are not a fan of rice.

Also, I use Cajun sausage, made from fresh venison and pork, smoked in my uncle's back yard. All true cajun style. That is not available at the local grocer. That being said, I tried it with store bought sausage, and it was not the same, but not too bad.

Mexican Pozole with Roasted Corn and Feta

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen organic corn (avoid those GMO's :)
5 tsp ground cumin, divided
2 tsp EVOO
2 tsp coconut oil
4 cloves garlic
3 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
1 2oz bag sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 approx 1lb spaghetti squash, skin and seeds removed, cut into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp chili powder
feta cheese (optional)
1 green onion, minced
2 Tbsp cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place corn on baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with 2 tsp cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil. toss with fingers to mix. Bake for 35 min or until kernels golden brown
2. Heat coconut oil in large stockpot on med. Add onion and poblano pepper and saute approx 3 min. Add garlic, saute 2 more min.
3. Add broth, 1 cup water, tomatoes, squash, chili powder, remaining cumin. Bring to boil, then reduce to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 min.
4. Stir in roasted corn. Garnish each bowl with green onion and cilantro.

We served this with tortilla chips and avocado.