Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Tomatoes with Chicken Apple Sausages

Don't you love the beautiful colors of vegetables?! I thought I would test out all the hype about roasted brussel sprouts and it did not disappoint! The only time I have ever cooked brussel sprouts was when I was pregnant with Weston and I think I cooked it wrong because my house smelled like stinky feet and it made me nauseous. So I tried to stay away from it since then but I thought I would give it another try-and I love it! The roasted brussel sprouts just melted in your mouth and the juicy tomatoes paired nice together. I was just going to do the two vegetables but last minute I added some Aidell's chicken sausage and I'm so glad I did! The sweet apple flavor was a nice touch with the roasted vegetables. My oven might have roasted mine a little too long so I adjusted below.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Tomatoes

wit Chicken Apple Sausages

Preheat oven  to 400

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of brussel sprouts, sliced
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I usually love the yellow ones because they have more flavor!)
• 5 Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausage, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• cracked sea salt
• pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Place brussel sprouts and tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet.
2. Add garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper and then drizzle with olive oil.
3. Place in oven for 20 minutes. 
4. While the vegetables are roasting, pan grill your chicken sausage until heated through and a little brown on the edges.
5. Gently mix everything into a serving dish and enjoy!

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*Please don't steal my recipes :) Always link or credit my recipes if you use it, thanks!

Lentil Soup

Soup season is going on full force at the Boyd home! I think I've eaten soup every night this week. One of our favorites is Giada De Laurentiis' Lentil Soup. She is one of my very favorite chefs I love to follow. Like, since junior high. When other teenagers were watching sitcoms, I watched Food Network on Friday nights. I wasn't ever the normal teenager who did normal teenager things haha.

Before we got married, my husband Josh served a mission for our church for 2 years in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. In a few areas that he served, he would have the blessing of having a few lunch ladies (pencionistas) that would make the missionaries food, mainly because lunch was the most important meal of the day there. They were always simple meals like soup. He ate A LOT of soup on his mission. Almost every day. The most often soup served was lentil soup! He never knew what lentils were before his mission and he grew to really love them! When he came home and we got married, he asked for lentil soup so I searched for a good recipe! Bolivian lentil soup was basically broth, lentils, tomatoes, carrots, and sometimes a little meat, served over rice. At that point in my life, I have never cooked lentils and so I found Giada's recipe online and instantly knew it would be a good one!

Anywho, I've been making this yummy lentil soup ever since we were newlyweds and it's been a favorite during the few cold months we have here in Arizona. I love a recipe that is simple and doesn't ask for a lot of complicated ingredients. When we were first married, I was obsessed with Pinterest recipes. Although I still love finding a good Pinterest recipe, I found that so many of them called for many ingredients that would hurt our grocery budget. I hated buying that one ingredient that you would only use for that recipe.

Now in the Boyd home, I buy simple yet important ingredients that can be used for multiple recipes! For example, I stock my fridge with lots of fruits and vegetables and always have the basics like chicken, turkey meat, brown rice, wheat tortillas, lentils, black beans, cans of diced tomatoes, green chilies, chicken stock, etc. And I stock our spice cabinet too and have versatile sauces in our fridge. Things that can make a very flavorful meal with simple ingredients-and easy on the wallet! Your meals don't have to be complicated for it to taste good! This lentil soup is super easy and cheap! You can find a bag of lentils at the store for like a dollar and carrots and cans of diced tomato are super cheap too. 

I won't post the recipe myself since I shared the link but I do change a couple of things:

• I use Italian style diced tomatoes (I love the added flavor of Italian seasonings!)
• Even tho full sized carrots have more flavor, sometimes I use baby carrots because we always have those on hand. 
• I opt of the celery because both Josh and I hate celery...I've always wanted to try putting a different vegetable in there tho!
•  I usually opt of the elbow pasta too because we rarely ever have pasta in the house. Weston does not like pasta, so that's our main reason for not buying it. Plus I don't really like the carbs of pasta ;)

Not the best picture but you get the idea! *Lentils are packed with protein so this soup is a double win! I would make this a lot when I was pregnant :) Enjoy!

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Homemade Cilantro Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

I love a good chicken enchilada and this one is point on with LOTS of green sauce. Just the way I like it. A couple months ago, I posted this on Instagram/Facebook and SO many people asked for the recipe and I'm finally getting around to posting it! I've made it a couple times for family and friends and I'm proud to say, they think it's restaurant worthy! Sorry I don't have professional pictures or anything but I promise this recipe is for the books! It's a Boyd favorite.

Homemade Cilantro Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Preheat oven to 375

Spray a 9x13 glass pan

Ingredients:

Green Sauce-

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Dashes of salt, pepper, and cumin (to your liking)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup of medium salsa verde (my favorite is the 505 Southwestern Green Hatch Chile brand)
• 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt

Enchiladas-

• 8-12 whole wheat flour tortillas
• About 4 cups of Shredded chicken (I like to use Costco's rotisserie chicken or just crock pot chicken)
• Shredded Colby jack cheese (for inside and on top)
• Optional: add avocado slices, veggies, onions, etc.

Directions:

Green Sauce-

1. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute (don't burn!)
2. Add the flour and whisk as your pour in the chicken broth. Add in the seasonings and come to a low boil.
3. Add the chopped cilantro, salsa verde, and the Greek yogurt. Whisk it all together.
4. Turn off the heat and pour 3/4 cup of sauce on the prepared pan.

Enchiladas-

1. Place about 1/2 cup of chicken in each tortilla. Add optional veggies. Sprinkle cheese.
2. Fold in half, to close, and then roll and tuck. Do this for all the tortillas. Pour the rest of the green sauce on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese on top.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

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*Please don't steal my recipes :) Always link or credit my recipes if you use it, thanks!

The. Best. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Surprise...another pumpkin AND chocolate chip recipe! I blame my big bag of chocolate chips I bought at Costco on sale. I usually make and bring these to our family Thanksgiving dinners, but I have already made this recipe 3 times this fall season! If you don't like pumpkin things, I don't care, this will be the ONE pumpkin thing you have to try! I promise, it won't disappoint :)

Every year for the big Lewis Thanksgiving dinner (Josh's side), I bring these cookies and all 5 dozen that I make get gobbled up! They love it that I bring these, especially all the little cute cousins running around.

*Update* About 4 years ago, when I originally made these cookies, I got the inspiration from this recipe! You can see it's similar (like most pumpkin cookies are) but I adapted it to my own liking. For a couple years, I couldn't remember where I hand jot this recipe, but alas here it is! Of course, they are from the days where I was obsessed with Food Network recipes, before the Pinterest Boom ;)

These delectable cookies have that perfect softness with that slight golden-brown outer edge. It's perfectly seasoned with fall spices and the chocolate compliments it! Hope you try it and share it with your family! It'll be gone within minutes!

The. Best. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 5 dozen

Preheat your oven to 350

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Prepare your baking sheets by using parchment paper. My favorite are these pre-cut parchment baking sheets! They are great for an easy clean up.
2.  Using a mixer, beat butter until smooth. Beat in white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then mix in vanilla and pumpkin puree.
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons (or use a cookie scoop) onto the prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are brown on the edges. Let it rest for 2 minutes before you cool on wire racks.

*When you take them off the cookie sheets, spray your spatula with cooking spray to get the cookies off the spatula easier! Sometimes cookies will stick to the spatula and break off because they are still hot. This way it can glide off without breakage!

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*Always link or credit my recipes if you use it, thanks!

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Here's a quick post on one of our favorites and a staple in the Boyd home. Everyone loves a good crock pot meal right? This is for simple shredded chicken salsa recipe with a flavorful punch. All it calls for are 4 simple ingredients! Super easy. I usually make it in the beginning of the week so we have it all through out the week for easy to-go meals. Easy lunch that Josh likes to take to work.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken breasts (I like to use the big bag of frozen chicken from Costco and they are big pieces)
• 2 cups of Kirkland Organic Salsa
• 2 Tbsp of Trader Joe's Hot & Sweet Mustard (my favorite mustard)
• 2 Tbsp of brown sugar

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts inside crock pot.
2. In a medium bowl, mix salsa, mustard, and brown sugar together.
3. Pour it on top of the chicken.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Shred the chicken and pair it with a whole wheat tortilla or brown rice and top it with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. 

See I told you it's easy! Hope you enjoy!

Looking for more of my food diary posts? Go to Instagram and look up #jessiesfooddiary

*Please don't steal my recipes :) Always link or credit my recipes if you use it, thanks!