Turkey & White Bean Chili

This soup is cozy, slightly spicy and easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Plus, it's got beans. My husband is on a mission to eat more legumes, much to the horror of my children.

One of my boys did taste this chili and said it was pretty good. But he still cooked himself mac & cheese instead.

Fine by me. The turkey and lime in this dish are super tasty, so I'm enjoying the leftovers.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Turkey & White Bean Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice from 1 medium/large lime)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 8-10 minutes.

Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano. Stir and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds.) Add beans and stir. Then add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes

Remove 2 cups of the bean mixture and puree in a blender or food processor. Return bean soup to pot and add turkey. Cook until heated through.

Add tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes more. Dish up into bowls and top with more cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

Lime Cream Trifle

I can't really take credit for this recipe, which comes from Food Network Chef Marcela Valladolid, but it is so good I had to share it.

This trifle is pretty in green and white and makes the perfect Easter or spring time dessert. The taste combo of lime and cream is refreshing and light.

We enjoyed this treat on Sunday, upon my husband's return from a week of work travel. He and I loved it. My boys ate all of their servings and I heard them whisper to each other that it was pretty good. When I asked Sam how he liked it, he said this: "It's OK, but what I really want is a cookie."

The recipe comes from a recent issue of People magazine shared by a friend. Much thanks, Molly!

The trifle tastes better the longer you can let it set-up in the fridge. We let ours chill for about 3 hours before digging in. When I took the serving-size photo the next morning (and then proceeded to eat most of it for my breakfast) everything held together better and the flavors had blended even more wonderfully.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime Cream Trifle

1 12 ounce pound cake, store bought
2 cups heavy whipping cream (you might want a little bit more whipped cream for topping, so go ahead and use 2 1/2 cups if you like)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 limes, zested and juiced
For garnish: crushed graham crackers and very thin slices of lime

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pound cake into small cubes. Spread pound cake cubes in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cake is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Beat whipping cream and powered sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form. Place in refrigerator until ready to build trifle.

Place 1/2 cup lime juice, condensed milk and evaporated milk into a blender. Process until smooth. If needed, stop blender and scrape sides with a rubber spatula to incorporate everything, then process again.

Using a large glass trifle dish, spoon 1 cup of the lime mixture into the bottom. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of lime zest over the lime cream. Spread 2 cups of cake cubes on top in a single layer. Add 1 cup of whipped cream to the center of the cake cubes and spread it toward the sides of the trifle dish. (Don't worry if it doesn't spread evenly or cover everything.

Repeat the layers 2 more times.

Top the trifle with any remaining lime cream mixture and another 1 teaspoon of lime zest. Add remaining whipped cream to the center.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours.

Garnish with crushed graham cracker crumbs and lime slices before serving.

Lime Ginger Cookies

The first time I made these cookies was a few years ago for a cookie swap. We ate all of them before the event took place and I had to make another batch. They are that good.

The combo of lime and ginger adds a flavorful zing that really makes these goodies stand out. The taste gets even better a day or two after you bake them.

When I decided to take part in the 2015 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap (which partners with Cookies for Kids' Cancer) these goodies immediately came to mind. Once you grate the lime zest and fresh ginger, the kids can definitely help out by rolling the dough balls and coating them in the fragrant lime-ginger sugar.

Need more holiday cookie recipes? Be sure to check out some of our favorites: Kris Kringle Rice Krispie Treats, Ginger Cookies, Cherry Orange White Chocolate 7-Layer Bars, and Sugar Cookies.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime Ginger Cookies

1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated lime peel
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Optional: coarse green sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees and position rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Using a food processor, combine sugar, lime peel and fresh ginger. Cover and process for up to 3 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl during this process. Set aside ½ cup of sugar mixture.

In a large bowl combine the rest of the sugar mixture, butter, egg yolk, lime juice, corn syrup, ground ginger, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on low and then raise speed to medium. Mix for about 2 minutes until well blended.

Beat in about half of the flour on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour and beat until everything is incorporated. If dough is too dry, add up to a ½ tablespoon of water. If dough is too wet, add up to 3 tablespoons more flour.

On a cutting board or rolling mat, shape dough into a flat disk. Cut into quarters. Then cut each quarter into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Place reserved sugar mixture into a shallow container or plate. Roll dough balls in sugar to coat.

Place dough onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten tops with bottom of a glass. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until edges are light brown. Centers will be soft.

Place cookie sheets on wire racks to cool. Sprinkle with coarse green sugar, if desired. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or freezing.

Grilled Cabbage with Thai Dressing

If you need a speedy way to spice up your menu, this grilled cabbage will do the trick.

I don't usually cook cabbage, but my husband and oldest son love it. When I get in a rut, they remind me that I haven't made cabbage in awhile.

In fact, I had not whipped up this side dish in more than a year. Thank goodness for those Facebook flashbacks to remind us of what we were doing so many months ago. This little gem popped up on my feed. Thank goodness. 

Everyone in our house gobbled this up, and my boys even had seconds —which hardly ever happens with a vegetable. We enjoyed the cabbage with a roasted chicken. It makes the perfect lunch all by itself the next day.

The folks over at The Kitchn get all the credit here, and their notes about grilling the cabbage ahead of time are perfect. These cabbage steaks hold up beautifully in the fridge. Just warm them up in the microwave and you are good to go.

I recommend doubling the dressing, because it tastes so good you'll want some leftover for the next time you have salad. 

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Grilled Cabbage with Thai Dressing

Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchn.

For the dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (bottled is OK, too)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/3 cup fresh cilantro (Leaves and thin stems. Remove thicker, tougher stems)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Give it a taste. You might want add a bit more lime juice or fish sauce, depending on your taste. The dressing will have an orangey-green hue.

For the cabbage:

1 head green cabbage

Vegetable oil

Preheat your gas grill to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, you'll want low flames. You can also use a grill pan and cook up the cabbage on the stovetop.

Slice cabbage into wedges that are about 1 inch thick. You should get at least eight and you might end up with more, depending on how large the cabbage is. Brush both sides of each cabbage slice with oil.

Grill cabbage for about 6 minutes or until the edges are charred. Flip over and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, again grilling until the outer leaves acquire some black char. 

Remove from grill, top with dressing, garnish with slices of lime and serve warm.

To warm up leftover cabbage (or if you did your grilling in advance,) place cabbage slices on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and heat for about 45 seconds a slice.

Watermelon Lime Salad

We eat lots of watermelon in the summer. If I let him, my Sam would eat nothing else.

I decided to try using it in a salad thanks to all the magazines I see featuring the bright red fruit as the starring ingredient.

This side features what I had in the fridge the day I made it. I meant to add feta cheese to the recipe, but completely forgot about it. The kids were hungry and kept asking when we were going to eat, and I was rushing to get dinner on the table.

Turns out it tasted perfectly yummy. I added feta when I had leftovers for lunch the next day and yum! That was tasty, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Watermelon Lime Salad
Inspired by the many magazines delivered to my home

6 to 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1/2 a large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
Optional: Feta cheese, chopped chives, cold cooked shrimp

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Serve right away or let salad chill for bit in the fridge first.

You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding feta cheese and chilled cooked shrimp and serving it over mixed greens. No need to add any dressing.

Grilled Corn Salsa

The sweet corn is at the market and it tastes so good cooked on the grill.

Erin's Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad and Amy's Chili Lime Corn Salad are delicious ways to make the most of summer produce. This salsa is how we do corn at my house, when we aren't eating it straight from the cob.

I always cook a few extra ears when I make grilled corn in case someone wants seconds — and so I have enough leftover to whip up this side dish.

The combination of lime juice and fresh corn is a taste I just can't get enough of. Yellow or red bell peppers add some crunch, but since my husband is not a huge pepper fan, I usually leave them out.

We like to eat this salsa with chips or pair it with tacos, grilled meat or fish.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Corn Salsa

3 ears of grilled corn on the cob
1 pint yellow and red grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon lime zest for garnish
Optional: 1 bell pepper, any color, diced

After the ears of corn are cool enough to handle, slice kernels off the cob and place in medium bowl. Hint: Use a bundt pan (shown below) to catch the kernels as you slice them off the cob.

Add tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, bell pepper if using, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with lime zest.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. A little chilling lets the flavors combine and really boosts the taste of this salsa.