Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados ala ~DKBB~

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocadoes ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Jenny on homeandbirch.com)

 2 cups leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ to ½ cup diced jicama (optional – provides crunch and texture)

1 cup corn kernels (I use thawed frozen corn)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 poblano pepper

¼ cup cilantro

5 to 7 oz. plain Greek yogurt (whatever size you can find will work)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

6 avocadoes, halved

• In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, jicama (if desired), corn, and black beans.
• In a food processor, combine the poblano pepper, cilantro, Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper; pulse until well combined, then add to bowl of chicken; mix well.
• Spoon the chicken salad into the avocado halves and serve; you can serve with lime slices and squeeze lime over each serving, as desired.

Banh Mi Tacos ala ~DKBB~

Chicken Banh Mi Tacos ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from loveandrisotto.com)

Tacos

4-6 Tortillas

1 cup roasted or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

4 to 6 jalapenos, chopped or sliced

1 cucumber, diced

1 onion, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Sauce

3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I prefer Kraft Olive Oil & Cracked Pepper mayo)

1½ tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

½ tsp. white vinegar

¼ tsp. minced garlic

¼ tsp. minced ginger

¼ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. sugar

• Mix all sauce ingredients together and whisk thoroughly; add the sauce to every taco.
• Assemble tacos with ingredients you prefer (all or some).

Cuban-Style Pork Chops ala ~DKBB~

Cuban-Style Pork Chops ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Erica Allen on TasteOfHome.com)

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. adobo seasoning

2 boneless pork chops

2 slices deli ham

2 slices Swiss cheese

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (optional)

Dill pickles, sliced

Hot and sweet red peppers, sliced

• Whisk mustard, lime juice, and adobo seasoning together.
• Lightly pound pork chops with a meat mallet to ½-inch thickness; spread both sides of pork chops with mustard mixture; refrigerate, covered, for 3 to 4 hours.
• Grill pork, covered, over medium heat, turning at least once; when pork chops are nearly done, top with ham slices and grill 2 minutes, then top that with Swiss cheese slices (and cilantro, if desired) and grill 1 minute more; remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve with pickle slices and hot and sweet red peppers.

Classic Macaroni Salad ala ~DKBB~

Classic Macaroni Salad ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Dorothy Bayes found on TasteOfHome.com)

Makes 8 servings.

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 

1 cup mayonnaise

2 to 3 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

2 tsp. sugar

3 tsp. red wine vinegar

¾ tsp. ground mustard

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ cup chopped celery

⅓ cup chopped carrot

½ cup chopped onion (red preferred, or you can use 4 to 6 green onions)

2 to 3 whole roasted red peppers, chopped

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water; cool completely.
• For dressing: in a small bowl, combine the mayo, relish, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper; mix well.
• In a large bowl, combine cooled macaroni, celery, carrot, onion, and roasted red pepper; add dressing a bit at a time (you might not use it all, depending on how creamy you want your salad to be) and toss gently to coat.
• Refrigerate until serving; you may wish to garish with paprika before serving.

Low Country Grill ala ~DKBB~

Low Country Grill ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Alaina Showalter on TasteOfHome.com)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1½ tsp. salt, divided

1½ tsp. garlic powder, divided

1½ tsp. seafood seasoning, divided

8 to 12 small red potatoes, quartered

½ green, red, yellow, and/or orange peppers (mixture thereof), cut into smallish chunks

½ cup butter, melted

1 lb. (or 1 large) polkas kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 medium ears corn, but in half

1 to 1½ pounds uncooked shrimp (8 to 12 large), peeled and deveined

• In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with ½ tsp. each of salt, garlic powder, seafood seasoning; add potatoes and peppers; toss to coat; spoon into double-thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square); fold foil around potatoes and seal tightly.
• Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until tender, turning once; set aside and keep warm.
• In a small bowl, combined melted butter with remaining salt, garlic powder, and seafood seasoning; grill kielbasa and corn in grill pan, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally and basting constantly, using half of the butter mixture; keep warm.
• Thread shrimp onto metal or wood-soaked skewers (4 per skewer); grill, covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink, basting with remaining butter mixture.
• Depending on how many servings you have prepared, put a portion of the potato/pepper mixture, corn/kielbasa mixture, and shrimp on each plate. Enjoy!