• 1 medium cucumber-diced
• 1/2 medium onion-diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic-minced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Mix chopped onions, cucumbers and garlic in a bowl

2. Add dressing and salt and mix well

3. Let sit at room temperature for one hour

This recipe scales very well.  The photos you see here are from a double batch.  It is wonderful served with hot, fresh bread and freezes very well.  I make mine in a dutch oven but I’m sure it would do well in a slow cooker too.

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite site pieces
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms-chopped
1 bag frozen of Italian style mixed vegetables (squash, zucchini, asparagus,carrots)
1 can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
½ large can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine
¼ cup barley
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Saute garlic, mushrooms and onions in oil in dutch oven.

Add all other ingredients

and bake, covered at 250 for 90 minutes (minimum, can go longer, up to 4 hours)  increase heat to 400 and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups medium pearled barley
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
• 12 ounces thinly sliced cooked beef*
• 1/2 cup onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper-chopped
• 1 & 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cilantro
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing**
  

Directions

1. Bring beef broth to boil, add barley, reduce to a simmer, cook 35 minutes
2. Pour barley into a bowl (its okay if it still has a little bit of liquid on it)

3. Add onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, parsley, mustard, salt & pepper

4. Stir in cheese

5. Stir in beef strips
6. Make dressing by mixing the red wine vinegar with the balsamic vinaigrette.

7. Pour the dressing on and stir to combine
8. Refrigerate overnight if you can then reheat when ready to serve otherwise, serve promptly

*I like to use John Soules Angus Beef Fajita Strips, they are precooked and come in a bag.  I usually get them at Wal-Mart

**My favorite brand is Maple Groves Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, it works great on salads, as a marinade and in all kinds of sauces

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey breast (I use turkey breast because its lower in calorie and we are trying to lose weight, but feel free to use ground beef, pork or chicken or any combination of meats)
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper chopped
• 1 can black beans (black beans are essential to this recipe, they have a wonderful texture and flavor)
• 1 can pinto beans (can also use kidney beans or white beans)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 packet chili seasoning mix ( My favorite is Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit but I also like  Brooks or Williams brands)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup medium picante sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cook the meat until about half done

2. Add peppers and onions

3. Cook until peppers and onions start to become soft

4. Add one can of the diced tomatoes (with  juice)

5. Simmer for about 5 minutes

6. Place mixture in crock pot (or large pot) and add remaining ingredients

7. Stir well

8. Cook for 2-3 hours if using a crock pot or 1 hour if cooking on the stove top (you can cook this all day on low in a crock pot to have a nice dinner when you get home from work or sledding)

Serve straight up or with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sliced green onion or sour cream.

Nutritional Information (based on the ingredients and brands I use)

Servings: 8 (breakdown is per serving)

Calories: 213

Fat: 3 grams

Cholesterol: 26.5 mg

Sodium: 972 mg

Carbs: 24.5 grams

Sugars: 6 grams

Fiber: 8.75 grams

Protein: 19 grams

Cut 3/4 to 1 lb of chicken into small pieces

Place 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a ziplock bag, then place the chicken in the bag and shake to coat

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pot.  Once hot add the chicken and flour mix and stir occasionally until brown the chicken

Once the chicken has browned, add 1 cup of chicken broth

Cut one large russet potato into medium large chunks

Add the potatoes to the pot

Next add in about 2/3 of a package (about 5 oz)  of dried cheese tortellini

Add the tortellini to the pot along with 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic  and salt to taste.

Simmer for at least an hour, the longer the better, I think it would also be good in a crock pot.

I served mine with some fresh baked bread.