Grilled Bruschetta Chicken (Balsamic Marinade)

A savory and slightly tangy main dish that is perfect for a weekday! I love how everything just whips together quickly!

MARINADE:

1 C zesty italian dressing, your choice of brand ;)

1 TB balsamic vinegar

Throw 4-6 chicken breasts in a bag, pour marinade over... keep in the fridge all day/overnight ontop of either a cookie sheet or in a bowl (in case the bag leaks). Or if you're lucky enough to come across a Tupperware Marinator Container (link here), use it!

TANGY BRUSCHETTA:

6 roma tomatoes (or if you were really pressed for time, like I was, 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, drained well)

3 cloves minced garlic (use 2 if you're not a strong garlic fan)

1/2 a yellow onion, diced (try to keep it the same size as tomatoes)

2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar (honestly, I just did a few quick splashes, so that's a guesstimation)

1/4 C olive oil

Cracked Black Pepper & Salt, to your tasting

Throw everything into a bowl and mix. Let sit for at least 30 mins, or all day! =)

Come dinner time all you need to do is fire up your indoor or outdoor grill, throw the chicken on and cook (usda's reccomended cooking temps here). I've seen some versions of bruschetta chicken where they put the bruschetta ontop of the chicken during the last few minutes of cooking. However, if you're like me and DISPISE when veggies fall between the grill grade... let's learn from other's mistakes: heat your brushetta in the microwave for about a 1:30-2:00, then everyone can spoon their desired amount onto their chicken. If you wanted to you could put shredded mozerella on top! Cheese makes everything better for my toddler ;)

Apple Croissants

Need a quick dessert for your family? Or, if you're like me, there's a few apples sometimes that really need to be used up. Come fall we'll be up to our armpits in apples (almost every family member has some sort of apple tree), and I can use every single apple recipe there is!

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 apples, peeled & sliced
1 can croissants (in the refridgerator section of your store)
1 TB butter
1/4 C splenda
1/2 - 1 tsp of cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so I do 1tsp)
quick dash of nutmeg

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg, cook for about 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Seperate the croissant triangles from the roll of dough. Approximately 2-3 slices will fit in each croissant. Roll them up (they won't be perfect, this is a rustic dessert), and bake according to the croissant directions. Place into a bowl with a towel to keep their warmth. If you want you can make a quick frosting with equal amounts of confectioner's sugar & milk, with 1/2 tsp vanilla...and drizzle that over the croissants... oh... yum!

Black Bean Tacos

As I'm writing this the next day, I am very tempted to go heat one up to eat. I love when a recipe turns out better than I had planned. I know there are hundreds of bean tacos, this is just my spin on it!

INGREDIENTS:
~2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
~1 can fire roasted salsa/tex mex style tomatoes, strained/seperated from juices
~2 TB olive oil
~1 TB minced garlic, or 2 cloves smashed&minced
~1/2 large red onion, diced
~1 green pepper, diced
~half of your choice red, yellow, orange pepper, diced
~2 tsp Adobe seasoning
~Your favorite shells & toppings!

DIRECTIONS:
In a skillet (prefereable with raised edges) over medium heat saute onions & peppers in olive oil for about 3-5 minutes, until they're tender (but not mushy). Add in black beans, and garlic. Let that mingle for another minute, but not too long or else the garlic may brown (which is a legal kitchen offense, bytheway). Turn heat to low, add the strained tomato mixture. Season with Adobe, and salt & pepper if you choose.

Assemble your tacos however you please. I put down the black bean mixture, cheese on top to get it all nice & melty, fresh chopped onions & lettuce, with some sour cream. YUM! If you wanted to make it a wee bit spicy add in a couple dashes of hot sauce or even chopped jalapenos to the black beans! I have to keep it kid friendly, so everyone is responsible for their own level of hotness on their own plate. Enjoy!

Do you (or a certain manly man of the house) absolutely HAVE to have meat on this? Grilled chicken would pair wonderful with this mixture.