Chicken Chipotle Chowder

from ourbestbites.com

1 large onion, minced
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
2 colored bell peppers, chopped
1 chipotle chili, chopped (seeded if you’re worried about heat)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 heaping cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
5 cups low-fat milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 small red potatoes, chopped
1 small can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies to taste (we used 2-3 teaspoons)
Chipotle Tabasco sauce
Shredded sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and chipotle chili until the veggies are tender. Add the flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and cook until the flour is smooth and the broth starts to thicken. 

Add the milk and bring to a low simmer. Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the milk isn’t burning. 

Add the chicken, corn, black beans and a small amount of adobo sauce at a time, and any additional salt to taste. Serve with chipotle Tabasco sauce and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Serves 8-10.

I've made this recipe twice. The second time I left out the chipotle chilis and the black beans and like it just as well as the first time. That's what recipes really are: suggestions! We get to take what sounds best to us and try and try again until we get it just the way we like it!

Husband rating: 4.5 stars
Boys gave it a thumbs up

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Asian Dry Rub

lightly adapted from the Costco Connection magazine

2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 pork tenderloins (around 1 pound each, trimmed if needed)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a medium baking pan with foil.

Stir together brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cloves in small bowl. Rub pork with mixture.

Place pork in prepared pan and roast for 15-18 minutes, or until the pork's internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 3 minutes. Cut into slices. Serve with mashed potatoes, seasoned rice, green beans or roasted broccoli.

My youngest son said described this pork as "epic!" Our whole family loved it. This is easy, healthy and inexpensive. 

Breakfast Parfait

For a super easy and healthy breakfast use greek vanilla yogurt, granola and your favorite fruit. Here I used bananas and blueberries. My husband likes to use raspberries. It's fun to layer the cup with a couple of scoops of yogurt, a layer of granola, then the fruit and repeat.