.hamburger salad.

This is the quickest, healthy and hearty meal anyone could ask for when they have no time to cook. We always keep frozen hamburger patties in the house, along with spinach salad so this one is simple. YUM!



Ingredients
hamburger (frozen or fresh)
salad dressing of choice (i prefer thousand island)
onions
spinach salad
shredded cheese (optional)

Preparation
Cook hamburger to desired preparedness. Chop and place on top of salad with desired salad dressing. Top with cheese, sliced onions and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

.chop chop chop.

This is my new favorite tool! What on earth was i thinking trying to chop everything by hand, geez it took forever! This one is made by my love Martha Stewart, found at Macy's for only $15. woo!

.open-faced chicken parmesan sandwich.

SO quick, SO easy, SO delicious! Enjoy!







Ingredients (serves 4)
1 loaf whole-grain Italian bread
2 cups jarred marinara sauce
4 5-ounce cooked skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Preheat the broiler
Slice the bread in half lengthwise, then in half again crosswise so you wind up with 4 pieces. Scoop out the bread to remove the soft inner portion. Place the bread scooped side up on a baking tray. Spoon 1/4 cup of sauce into each piece of bread. Lay a piece of chicken on top and cover with 1 cup of spinach leaves. Pour another 1/4 cups of sauce on top of the spinach, then sprinkle each sandwich with 1/4 cup of mozzarella and 1 tablespoon of parmesan. Broil until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is bubbly and browned. 4 to 5 minutes. Enjoy!

.chicken tortilla soup.

I was craving this soup from one on my favorite restaurants but did not want to spend the money and energy to go out. After looking this recipe up on allrecipes.com I discovered that I already had all the ingredients so I could easily make it :) I did not have corn tortillas so I used tortilla chips that I already had and just crushed them up. Im sure it would be even better with the real tortillas. Also, you can add much more chili powder and cumin if you like the flavor much stronger like i do :) Enjoy!



Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked

Preparation
In a large stock pot heat oil. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro and onion. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves and chicken stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add salt and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Heat through and serve.

.cucumber & tomato salad.

I was introduced to this simple and refreshing salad through a family that I work with. It is so simple and delicious. Great for those lazy and hot summer days and even better if you can get some fresh tomatoes and lemons from a neighbors garden :)



Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
Cilantro
2 lemons (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Preparation
Cut vegetable into cubes and add lemon juice and salt to taste, mix. Add cilantro on top. Enjoy!

.grilled corn and shrimp chowder.

I LOVED his soup! It came from my "Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook." I did change some of the recipe to make it simpler and serve less people. Instead of shucking 3 ears of corn, I just used some frozen corn from my favorite Trader Joe's, im sure a canned corn would also work fine. Good luck and enjoy!



Ingredients
3 ears of corn, shucked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely choppe
2 cups of red potatoes, peeled and cute into 3/4-inch dice
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 bottles (8 oz.) clam juice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Bring a saucepan to medium heat, melt the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, celery, potatoes, and bell pepper and cook. stirring occasionally, until softened, 10-12 minutes. Add the clam juice and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the corn and cream, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Tabasco sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!