Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was very yummy! It reminds me of a Mexican Chili but with chicken and more flavors infused. Next time I may substitute ground turkey and see how that tastes. Friends ate almost all of it. It was a hit!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
From Good Thymes and Good Food

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy (I don't like hominy so I used chickpeas)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted as I did not want to purchase a huge package of it)
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (I roasted them at 425 for about 22 minutes.)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I had cheddar/jack and just used that.)c
hopped green onions
chopped red onion
lime juice
sour cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425.
Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a little chili powder.
2. Roast chicken for 22-25 minutes. When cooked, shred with two forks.
3. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.
4. Saute onion, carrot and celery in oil until soft.
5. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
6. Stir in chili powder, oregano and cumin. Coat vegetables.
7. Add tomatoes, broth, and water.
8. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top/garnish with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, chopped green onion, red onion, lime juice and/or sour cream.

Tortellini Sausage Salad

This is my new favorite salad recipe and the best way to eat raw spinach. It's yummy and has a Mediterranean flare.

Tortellini Sausage Salad
from Good Thymes and Good Food

5 T. vegetable oil, divided (I use olive oil and only about 2 1/2 - 3 tbsp.)
1 pkg. Italian sausage links (I used Kielbasa.)
1 pkg. 9 oz cheese tortilli (I used a 16 oz. bag and I could have used more)
1 6 1/2 oz. jar marinated artichokes - reserve marinade
1/2 c. black olives - sliced
1/2 c. feta, crumbled
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp. dried basil (For both the basil and the dill, fresh would be great if you have it.)
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/4 c. green onion
1/2 c. torn/chopped fresh spinach leaves (I used a whole 5 oz. bag and chopped it roughly.)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar (I added this)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high and add sausage. (I cut my Kielbasa up first.)
2. Brown 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Reduce heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes more, turning once. (I cooked it for about 10 minutes total. I also used this pan to make a sauce, don't clean it yet!)
4. Cool and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
5. Cook tortellini and drain.
6. Toss the tortellini in 1 tbsp. oil.
7. Combine tortellini, sausage, olives, feta, artichokes, green onions, and tomatoes, spinach. (I also added the olives at this point)

**This is what I did differently from the recipe. I used the pan I cooked the Kielbasa in. It had a good amount of oil it in. I added the garlic and cooked that quickly. Then I added the other seasonings and about 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar to make the marinade. I whisked that together and gathered all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This is what I poured over the tortellini and sausage. The cooked garlic was better than raw garlic, in my opinion, and I plan it this way from now on.)

8. Which together 1/4 c. reserved marinade, 3 tbsp. oil, vinegar, garlic, basil and dill.
9. Pour over sausage mixture.
10. Refrigerate several hours. (I did not do this. I added the spinach and served immediately and it was fine)
11. Add spinach 20 minutes before serving.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Beef Pepper Steak

This was fairly quick and easy, especially because I chopped up the peppers and onion the night before.

Pepper Steak (from Good Thymes and Good Food)
Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:35 min
Makes: 4 servings

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips (I used 1 medium)
1 lb. well-trimmed boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce (Omitted)
2 cups hot cooked brown rice (I used white rice because I didn't have whole wheat on hand.)
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. (or so) beef stock

1. HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. (I used about a tbsp. of olive oil.)
2. Add bell peppers and onions; cook and stir 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Transfer to large bowl; keep warm.
4. ADD meat, garlic and black pepper to same skillet (I added another tbsp. olive oil); cook and stir 3 min.
5. Add soy sauce; cook 1 min. or until meat is cooked through. Add barbecue sauce (omitted); cook until heated through.
6. SPOON meat mixture into bowl with vegetables; toss gently. Serve over rice.

I made a little sauce with what was left in the pan, as recommended by Good Thymes & Good Food. There was too much delicious, salty soy sauce and garlic to let it go to waste. I didn't want to just pour it over the meat and peppers. Here is what I did:
1. Add 1/2 tbsp. butter and let melt.
2. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir to combine.
3. Add beef stock and bring to a slow boil til thickened.
4. Pepper to taste.
5. Serve over meat, rice and peppers. Delish! :)

Ham and Cheese Turnovers

The recipe is from Real Simple magazine. It's very easy with hardly any prep time at all and all the ingredients compliment each other very well. It's something different but just as easy as making a pizza, etc.

Ham and Cheese Turnovers

1 1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough (I used a tube of pizza dough.)
8 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced (I used Boar's Head low sodium ham - yum!)
4 ounces Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin rings
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (I used honey mustard.)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head romaine, torn into pieces

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles.
3. Stack a piece of the ham, cheese, and onion (I spread a bit of honey mustard on each triangle.) on the bottom of each triangle and roll the dough up around the filling. (Some of the filling will stick out the ends.)
4. Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
(I sprayed the parchment paper with non-stick spray.)
5. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
6. Combine the mustard and oil in a medium bowl and toss with the romaine.
7. Serve with the turnovers.

Make Ahead: These turnovers can be assembled, wrapped tightly, and then refrigerated up to 12 hours in advance. Once cooked, they will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if sealed tightly in bags or containers. Reheat in a 350° F oven until warm.

Yield: Makes 4 servings NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 561(36% from fat); FAT 22g (sat 7g); PROTEIN 28g; CHOLESTEROL 48mg; SODIUM 1346mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 60g

Monday, April 14, 2008

My Darling Clementine Cookies

This recipe was handed down to me by my great Aunt Mary who typed it up using an old fashioned typewriter on yellowed paper years ago.
They are delicious and simple to make. The recipe itself is charming because you sing it!

My Darling Clementine Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup soft butter
3 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Mix in bowl to the tune of "My Darling Clementine"

Mash the butter with the sugar,
stir in twenty times and then,
add the flour-baking powder
and the salt, and stir again.

Add the eggs and then the milk,
and add the vanilla, if you please.
Stir and scrunch well with your fingers
till you work the dough with ease.

Oh my darling, oh my darling
sugar cookies - you are fun!
You will soon be in the oven,
in my tummy when you're done.

Wash your hands, and with a teaspoon
round the dough on baking sheets.
Flatten each round with damp fingers,
top with sugar for a treat.

Bake at 400 deg. for 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly brown.

Spring Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup is light and good for you yumminess. :) It makes a good rainy day meal.

Spring Chicken and Vegetable Soup
from Woman's Day
Happy Easter Dinner menu

Plan ahead: Slice veggies and chicken a day ahead and refrigerate.
3 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
3 Tbsp orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
11⁄2 cups sliced baby or small zucchini and/or yellow squash
4 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup frozen peas
1 Tbsp each lemon juice and snipped dill

1. Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in orzo; boil 9 minutes or until almost tender.
2. Stir in squash and white part of scallions; cook 1 minute. Add chicken and peas; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 minute or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables and orzo are tender.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, dill and scallion greens.
Per serving: 82 cal, 11 g pro, 7 g car, 1 g fiber, 1 g fat (0 g sat fat), 22 mg chol, 413 mg sod

Hershey's Best Brownies

Made from scracth brownies are definitely better than the box mixes. I didn't make the frosting though because I didn't want them to be so rich. These are yummy and gooey!

Hershey's Best Brownies from theNest.com recommendations

Ingredients:1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts(optional) (I'm not a fan of nuts so I didn't add any.)
1/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips dusted in flour (this made them more chocolate-y)

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING
(recipe follows)

Directions: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
1. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies.
Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Mom's Basic Meatloaf

A basic meatloaf with ground beef, cracker crumbs, ketchup, chopped onion, and seasonings.
From About.recipes. com. Simple and yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cracker crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten

PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients together gently. Form into a loaf and place in baking dish or loaf pan. Top with more ketchup if desired. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour. Serves 4.

Fruit Torte

FruitTorte
Recipe from Lisa Waters
A close friend of the family always made this for us when we were kids, etc. It’s so good and not necessarily good for you but at least the fruit makes it feel like you’re eating something healthy!

Crust:
2 C. flour
2 sticks marg. or butter
½ C. sugar
1 C. chopped pecans

Blend together & spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10-15 min. to a light brown.

Topping:
Mix 16 oz. cream cheese with 2 cups powdered sugar. Blend in 2 Cups Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust. Top with favorite fruit: bananas, pineapple, blueberries, etc.
(If canned fruit is used, pat dry with paper towels.)

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Chocolate Bread Pudding
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show:
Paula's Home Cooking
Episode:
Comfort Food

1-pound loaf French or Italian bread, cut into cubes (about 15 cups)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place the bread in the baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur.
In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well. Add this to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.
Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture. Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set; a knife inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean. Serving the pudding warm, or refrigerate it and serve chilled.
Serve it warm or cold, with whipped cream or a dessert sauce.

Notes: My manager brought this in and everyone devoured it. :) I had never made a bread pudding previously and was curious to try it. I used two long loaves of french bread which I sliced into quarters then tore apart with my hands. For the coffee liqueur, I used just under 3 mini bottles of Bailey's Irish Creme because I didn't need a whole bottle.
This is yummy cold with a glass of milk or can be served warm over vanilla ice cream.

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole (Mexican lasagna)

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Show:
Emeril Live
Episode:
America's Wild West Texas Style

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound ground beef
1 pound diced stew meat
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
3 cups beef stock
10 flour tortillas
2 cups grated Medium Cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease a 9 by 9 by 2-inch square baking dish.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced meat and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the chili mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay two tortillas on top of the chili mixture. Sprinkle the top of the tortillas with the Cheddar and Jack cheese. Repeat the layering process until all of the chili, tortillas and cheese are used. (The final layer should be cheese) Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing.

Notes: Paula passed this recipe onto me because I had it at her house and loved it. There are a lot more flavors in this dish than in your typical mexican casserole. Daniel called it a Mexican lasagna because of all the layers and I like that name better than the gooey one. :)
I used turkey instead of beef and beef stew meat and the larger, burrito style rather than taco tortillas.
I served with restauraunt style tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Ingredients:
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
3 TBSP olive oil1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c. dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
chopped fresh basil, for garnish
fresh parmesan, for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tsp. of salt and red pepper flakes.
2. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the shrimp and saute until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a large plate and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the same skillet and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Return the shrimp and accumulated juices to the tomato mixture and toss to coat.
6. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:
I served this over multi-grain, multi-colored farfalle pasta.
The next time make this I intend to use less of the ground red pepper. 1 tsp or like 1tsp and a 1/4 should be fine. 2 tsp. made it pretty spicy. This was actually better the next day because I stored the leftovers in the same container with the remaining pasta and it was less spicy.
Daniel tried this dish and he thought it was leftovers from Olive Garden! :) So it's good and pretty easy.

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs
Courtesy of Aimee's Adventures

1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast
1/2 Cup Seasoned Dried Breadcrumbs
1/3 Cup Chopped Parsley
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Grated Onion
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Ground Pepper
1 Cup Spaghetti Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except spaghetti sauce. Roll into 20-22 meatballs. Place a meatball into each well of a mini muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Fill un-used wells with water. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; add the spaghetti sauce and toss meatballs.

This reminds me of a meatloaf recipe divided into balls. :) It ended up making 24 pretty decent sized meatballs with this recipe. I rolled them on the counter and they actually ended up taking 25 minutes in a mini muffin tin in my oven.
I added some whole wheat pasta and a mix of red and vodka sauces to the meatballs. Yummy!

Onion Baked Pork Chops

Onion Baked Pork Chops

6 pork chops
1 pckg. Lipton onion soup mix (I used an off brand mix)
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine soup mix and bread crumbs. Dip chops in egg and then in bread crumb/onion mixture, coating well. Place in a shallow pan and drizzle well with butter. Bake 1 hour, turning once. Makes six servings.

Notes:
While these weren't as moist as I would have liked, they were still really good. The combo of onions and breadcrumbs is a nice breading.
I added a few pieces of garlic and I also added a little olive oil to the pan before I stuck it all in the oven, just to infuse more flavor.
I also sauteed some onions and add them right before serving. The flavor of real onions added a nice touch to what was a good, hearty meal, not to mention easy! It is also easy to cut in half if you don't need to serve six. I always freeze extra food.
Sides: steamed veggies and rice.