Homemade vinaigrette is simple to make, and not time consuming at all.   Once you start making your own vinaigrette at home, you’ll never buy the store bought stuff again.  It is fresh, tastes amazing, and you know exactly what is in it!

Champagne vinegar gives a unique punch to your basic dressing, and a little goes a long way.  Pair it with a unique salad of mix greens, roasted pumpkin (see below), gorgonzola cheese, and pecans, and you are all set for a beautiful fall salad.

Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing
makes 2 cups (8 oz)

1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Using your blender, place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend well. While still blending, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil.

Enjoy!

{Roasted Pumpkin with Herbs}

Serves 2

1 sugar pumpkin (about 2lbs)
olive oil
sea salt
chopped fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, are all great choices)

Set your oven to Broil.

Slice the pumpkin in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds and string, and cut away the stem. (be sure to save your pumpkin seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds)

Place the halved pumpkin on a solid surface and use your knife to cut off the skin.

After the skin is all removed, cut 2 inch strips length wise, then into small 2 inch bit sized pieces (or cubed if you prefer, about 1 inch)

Placed pumpkin on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, and stir.

Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, and sea salt.

Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven, and sprinkle with your favorite fresh herbs.  (*Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano would be a great addition too!)

You can also serve it as a delicious side dish!

Enjoy!

When the weather turns cold, I immediately start to make soup several times a week.  My favorite part about soup is that you can make a huge batch, and it will last for a few days, making dinner and lunch time a lot easier at my house.

Today I am sharing a great recipe for white bean chili.  It is a unique take on chili, with a great blend of flavors and spices.

White Bean Chili with Ground Turkey
Serves 6-8

1 pound ground turkey (or chicken), browned
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans white beans, drained (Great Northern, Navy Beans, or Cannellini)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 (3.5 ounce) cans diced green chilies, un-drained
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Top with:
Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Green Onions, chopped
Jalapenos, chopped
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Lime Juice/ Wedges
Avocados, chunks
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

Drain and rinse beans and set aside.

In  medium skillet, brown ground turkey until fully cooked through.  While the meat is cooking, sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.  Drain the meat, and set aside.

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook about 2-5 minutes.  Add garlic, and stir for about one minute.

Add drained beans to the pot, as well as the cooked ground turkey, diced green chili’s, cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Stir well, then add chicken broth.

Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then turn down to medium low to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add lime juice, and fresh cilantro and stir.

Serve with preferred toppings listed above.

Enjoy!