You see a green tomato-looking fruit and you think “fried green tomatoes,” but is a tomatillo really a tomato? You can say that a tomatillo is the tomato’s cousin. The tomatoes you usually eat fried are actually red tomatoes that haven’t fully ripened. You’ve probably had tomatillos in a salsa or in a batch of homemade enchiladas. Here are a few recipes that deliciously showcase tomatoes and tomatillos.

Tomatoes can be used in more than just sauces. For a new way to enjoy both tomatoes and eggplant, try Patricia_Scarpin’s Grilled Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cheese. Familiar ingredients usually used in Italian dishes get a recipe make-over with Patricia’s unique dish that includes capers and garlic.

Paul123’s also got an eye-catching recipe for Herb Stuffed Tomatoes that sounds like it’d be pretty tasty for dinner… I’m thinking Thanksgiving dinner with that herby stuffing.

ForkSpoonKnife’s Pepian Sauce Over Chicken is an elegant dish with a kick. She appreciates the tart flavors of the tomatillo and pairs it with spicy ingredients to make the sauce mouthwatering. Like all good sauces, this one’s completely homemade.

I’ve never seen tomatillos served up like this, so I have to say I’m impressed with bsherrill’s Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Dressing. Make your salad even greener with her tangy ranch/lime/tomatillo dressing.

What would happen if we paired up tomatoes and tomatillos? Hopefully we’d end up with something as tasty as HungryGal’s Salsa with Tomatillos and Roasted Tomatoes. Though tomatillos are delicious, HungryGal says that if you really want to make your salsa special, add roasted tomatoes!

How many of you have a whole chicken or even a few chicken breasts left over from dinner earlier this week? I know I do.

After you’ve made all the chicken quesadillas you can stomach and made enough chicken salad to last you til next summer, what do you do? Joanne and Adam from Inspired Taste say you should make a pot of good ol’ chicken noodle soup! I have to agree.

I’d say they’re even experts when it comes to the topic of chicken soup, you can count on them to offer tips on making your bowl extra delicious. For instance, I’ve never thought about adding mashed potatoes to the broth! And here I am adding flour to thicken my broths, it’s time for a change! Check out their other tips… and also, be sure to check out the yummy chicken soup recipe :).

Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup

Since its just the two of us, Adam and I almost always have leftovers. We used to be so terrible about using them up, but are getting better and actually have found that sometimes what you make with the leftovers turn out to be tastier than the original meal anyway. Here are some tips for great leftover chicken soup.

* Depending on what you have in stock, create a base using an assortment of onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cut the onions, celery and carrots into 1/2 inch dice for a heartier soup.
* As a basic process, saute your base vegetables for about 10 minutes to draw out the natural sugars, then add any dried herbs and seasonings along with the leftover chicken and finally add the chicken stock, I usually add 4 cups and simmer for about 20 minutes.
* Add some pasta, rice or uncooked potatoes to the soup for some heartiness, for 4 cups of chicken broth use about 1/2 - 3/4 cups of uncooked rice and pasta and 1 large uncooked potato cut into cubes. If you are using rice, add it at the same time as the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes. If you are adding pasta, add it 10 minutes before serving so the pasta does not get overcooked. For potatoes, add them 5 minutes into sauteing the base vegetables.
* Just before you add chicken stock add a mixture of dried herbs for extra depth of flavor, my favorites are to add one bay leaf and about a tablespoon of herbs de Provence per 4 cups of chicken stock
* Season all layers of the soup with salt and pepper to create a well-seasoned soup. While sauteing the base vegetables lightly season with salt and pepper, then after adding the chicken broth season to taste, this way the soup will be seasoned not salty. By adding salt at the beginning of the process, you are able to draw out the natural sweetness of the base vegetables, adding more flavor to the soup. If you only add salt at the end, it is very easy to find yourself with a salty soup.
* If you have it in stock, add one can of diced tomatoes for a richer broth or a can of beans, just make sure you rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.
* If you have some to use up, add leftover mashed potatoes to the broth to make a thicker soup.
* For a creamier and luscious soup you could add about 1/4 cup of milk or half and half. This also rounds out the flavors nicely.

Leftover Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 carrots

1 medium onion

3 celery stalks

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup leftover chicken

1 tablespoon herds de Provence

1 bay leaf

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup uncooked pasta

salt and pepper

Dice the carrots, onion and celery into 1/2 inch dice. Add the olive oil and diced vegetables to a large soup pot over medium heat, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper), then saute for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the minced garlic then saute for another 5 minutes.

Add the herbs de Provence and chicken to the vegetables then saute for another minute. Add the bay leaf, chicken stock and tomatoes then bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then season to taste.

After 10 minutes, add the pasta and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are cooked.

I know this isn’t the first peanut butter post we’ve blogged, but can you ever get too much of the good stuff that gets stuck to the roof of your mouth? Pour yourself an ice cold glass of milk because you’re going to need it to wash down every one of these nutty recipes.

Peanut butter isn’t just for crackers and sandwiches these days. UrbCindy’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Popsicles just might be the thing you crave if warm summer weather’s stickin’ around your neck of the woods.

I also like how mytastytreasures creatively uses peanut butter to make frosting for her Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. Think of a favorite chocolate candy bar, but in cake form. Yummm!

If you came here for a classic recipe with a twist, this is it: Elle’s Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies. Time to refill that glass of milk, you’ll want to dunk these! The combination of sweet and savory always makes my mouth water. Take a look, she actually adds pretzel pieces to the dough!

Now, I know that a blimp-shaped lump of ground meat doesn’t necessarily look appealing, but I’ve got to admit… I love meatloaf. Crazy is what some may call me. But it’s one of the most versatile foods, really! You can make everything from burritos to sandwiches with it, and you can stuff a meatloaf with pretty much anything, read on for more ideas.

Rejadez Spinach and Feta Meatloaf looks amazing. It’s been stuffed with some tasty ingredients, and it certainly looks like more than just a lump o’ ground hamburger meat ;)! That’s because it’s got everything from carrots and onions to… spinach and feta!

How about some fusion cooking. Who knew you could incorporate asian flavors into a meat loaf recipe? Lynchris does it with her Sweet and Sour Meatloaf. Instead of serving a meatloaf with plain ol’ ketchup, whip up some of her tart and savory sweet and sour sauce.

DomesticMuse turns to Tyler Florence’s Dad’s Meatloaf with Tomato Relish. DomesticMuse calls this a moist meatloaf, i’s taken to the next level with a veggie-laden tomato relish. Take a look! I bet you’ll never look at meatloaf the same way again :)!