Italian Orange Salad

Reagan and I used to have this tradition where we ate pizza every Sunday night. Be it frozen, homemade, carryout - we ate pizza. After I had to go gluten free, I spent my Sunday nights pretending to like the flatbread(ish) pizza that I had to eat while Reagan ate something delicious.

The other day I remembered this Italian Orange Salad recipe and decided to "surprise" (ha!) Reagan with it on a Sunday night. (My reasoning is that it has pepperonis. That's pretty solid, right?)

Italian Orange Salad
serves 4

For salad:
1 small head of lettuce (or a bagged lettuce of your choice)
1/2 head curly lettuce
1 large can mandarin oranges
1/2 red onion, sliced
Pepperonis
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1/3 cup walnut halves
1/4 tsp. salt

For dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seeds

To make walnut croutons, melt 1 1/2 tsp. butter in skillet.  Add 1/4 tsp. salt. Add 1/3 cup walnut halves and brown over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well.  Assemble the salad and enjoy!

After this dinner, Reagan suggested we change our tradition to salads on Sunday night. I think that was the I'm-taking-three-finals-in-three-days-and-I'm-delirious-from-studying voice talking!

P.S. If you are ever in the mood for whipping up a homemade pizza, I highly recommend this recipe. Or, if you are really brave and want to try a creative salad, give this Southwestern Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Salad recipe a try! Pin It

Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas

I've convinced Reagan to have one vegetarian day in our house. It doesn't normally end up as Meatless Monday, but we have Meatless Whatever-Day. This is a HUGE deal since Reagan didn't eat anything but beef until we met. Baby steps, people.

I got the idea for these enchiladas from the cooking bible, but I changed it up to use what vegetables I had on hand.  Enjoy our meatless meal from last week!

Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas (adapted from Taste of Home)
serves 2

1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped green chilies
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon cilantro
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
1 can enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheese

1. Saute the onion, pepper, and squash in oil until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add garlic and cook for one mintute more.  Add the beans, chilies, seasoning, and cilantro.  Cook until heated through, 2-3 more minutes.

2.  Spoon the bean mixture into the warmed tortillas. Roll up and place them into a 9x13 in. greased baking dish, seam side down.  Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. 

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Lifestyle Change

Reagan and I decided to make a few changes when school started this year. We are affectionately calling this project "Lifestyle Change 2012." Obviously, we think we are hysterical.

Here's the deal. Reagan will be busy this year. Like, 18 hour days busy. In order to spend time with my hard working husband, I need to have my evenings free to hang out at the law school, go to events, etc. How do I free up my evenings? Work out in the morning....

Honestly, this was NOT my idea. I have a normal office job, hence I don't have to study after 5 p.m.  My husband, on the other hand, has his nose in a law book most evenings. He suggested we get up and go to the gym together before work/school, then we I have more spare time in the evenings to be a dedicated law student spouse. I gladly agreed to this plan because I am not-so-secretly hoping it will cure Reagan's insomnia and help him sleep like a normal human being. (Law student sleeping problems are a whole other post!)

Last first day of law school

So, we are two days into Lifestyle Change 2012 a.k.a. 5 a.m. wake up call. How's it going? Not terrible. On Day One, the extra hour in the morning was the only time we saw each other, so it was worth it in my book.

The second part of our lifestyle change project is our meals. Since we are constantly running in two different directions, I'm making it a point to plan and prep meals for the entire week to avoid defaulting to Taco Bueno.

Meals this week include:

• Cajun Chicken and Rice from Real Simple
• Veggie Enchiladas
• Tuna Melts
• BBQ Grilled Salmon and Vegetables

I generally take leftovers or an "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" salad for lunch; however, I'm struggling with lunches for Reagan. He says he will eat a turkey sandwich every day for lunch, but how long before that gets old? I would love suggestions on man-friendly, not too heavy lunches.

Vegetable and quinoa salad

So there you have it. Lifestyle Change 2012. Stay tuned. Pin It

Tortilla Soup

It was 103 degrees in Lubbock yesterday. The heat, however, didn't slow me down, and I made soup for dinner! Soup is generally a fall/winter meal, but I just love it too much to not make it in the summer.

Before I moved into an apartment, my Nana wrote off a ton of recipes and made me a cookbook. It has everything from soup and salad, to desserts and casseroles. (My personal favorite recipe in the cookbook is Texas Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cream frosting. Nana has managed to create a gluten-free version. Yuuuuum. Ok, moving on.)

Reagan had a meeting last night, so I pulled out Nana's cookbook and made this tortilla soup before he left. It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to simmer. Delicious!

Saute corn tortillas, cut into strips, with an onion and cilantro in oil.

Add your other ingredients,

simmer for 30 minutes,

and feed your hungry husband.

Nana's Tortilla Soup

serves 6

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons cilantro

3 Tablespoons oil (of your choice)

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

2 qt. chicken broth

1 can diced tomoatoes

1 can Rotel

1 Tablespoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Saute the tortillas, onion, garlic and cilantro in oil. Add other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with grated cheese, avocado slices, lime slices, and crisp fried tortilla strips!

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