Lasagna soup

We love lasagna.  My mom often makes it for Christmas Eve dinner.  It is the best. 
In the winter and fall I love to make soups.  This was delicious.  A good combo of yummy lasagna and warm soup. 

I had a little of the "cheesey yum" leftover and we added it to our white pizza.  Yummy!

Recipe from:  http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2011/03/24/lasagna-soup/

Lasagna Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Cream Cheese Cookies

If you bake cookies for the holidays then here is a new recipe to try.  I got this recipe from a scrapbook message board.  It was posted and 100's of people replied how good it was. The cookies are very soft.  I like to ice these types of cookies.  The original recipe calls for lemon icing.  If you like lemon then make them with that icing.  I hate lemon in my desserts so I took out the lemon juice and lemon rind and used a tsp of real almond extract.  I also think it would be good with chocolate drizzled on top. 

Cream Cheese Cookies

1 cup butter
1 sm pkg of Cream Cheese (3oz)
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese . Slowly add sugar beat until fluffy
Beat in egg yolk, add flour and vanilla. Mix Well. Chill dough
For at least 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 mins.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons of butter
1 grated lemon rind

Cream butter and add sugar slowly add lemon juice and rind.
Spread on warm cookies

Swiss Dip

This is one of my favorite dips.  My mom got it from a small cookbook and it is a family favorite.  It gets devoured every time.  Make it for your next party.

I have never seen this recipe anywhere else.  I have looked online several times.  So enjoy our family recipe.  It is addicting.

Swiss Dip:
1 8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/2 cup swiss cheese (shredded)
slivered almonds (optional)

Mix first three and put in casserole dish (add almonds to top if you like)
Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with savory crackers or chips

Baked Pancake Squares

Every now and then I get in the mood for pancakes.  When that happens we head to our local diner "Gab N Eat".  Mike has tried to make pancakes from scratch many times and just can't seem to master it.  I hate making them.  I don't like standing over the griddle only able to cook a few at ta time.  Then it gets too hot, so some burn.  Ugh!

When I found this recipe I thought it was more for me.  The pancakes are thick, which I like.  They aren't like our local greasy diner but they were still good.





Recipe:

Pancake Squares
3/4 cup milk
2 T. melted butter
1 large egg
1 T. sugar
1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

From:  http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/08/pancake-squares/

Crockpot chicken chili

Fall is here and that means cooler temperatures and a busy schedule for me (its soccer coaching season).  So I try to use my crockpot more often.  This was an easy meal that i found online and had my husband throw together.  It was delicious.  We talked about trying to reduce the amount of cream cheese next time to make it a little healthier. 

Recipe

1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Creamy Baked Chicken Tacquitos

These tacquitos were delicious.  They could be an appetizer at a party or have for a meal.  I actually made them ahead of time and froze them since I am so busy with soccer.  It is great to just pull them out and pop in the oven for a quick little meal or snack.  I also served them with avocado dip.  Yummy!

Recipe:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro  ( I didn't have any of this)
2 Tbsp sliced green onions (I didn't use these either)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheesesmall flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)
Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.
Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Recipe from:  http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/02/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

During soccer season I work in the mornings and have soccer in the afternoon or evenings.  Which means no time to cook a good dinner.  I try to freeze some meals but didn't do that much this year.  So crockpot meals are a good alternative.  We made this one and it turned out good.  I served it over rice and with some broccolli.  Much better then gross quick meals my kids have been eating lately.


Recipe:

1 lb chicken breasts
1 packet Italian dressing mix
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock
egg noodles or rice

Place chicken breasts, Italian dressing mix, butter, lemon juice & chicken broth in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When finished cooking, shred chicken with 2 forks. Serve chicken over egg noodles or rice and top with juices from crockpot.

Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies

My husband has been wanting cookies lately.  I usually bake during soccer season and give the girls my cookies as their "player of the game award".  I baked my go to chocolate chip recipe and must have messed up somewhere b/c they were not very good.  I felt like I had to redeem myself.  So I found this recipe.  I figure it would be good to try something new.  They turned out great.  They are moist and full of flavor.  My husband liked them so much that I got a text while I was at my game telling me they were delicious. 

I think I would like to add more chocolate chips and cut back on the white chips, but that is a personal preference.  They are good regardless.  Make them!!!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package butterscotch instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.
2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in butterscotch pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/butterscotch-pudding-triple-chip-cookies/

Oven Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is another summer picnic food.  Since summer is almost over here is a version that you can make in the oven.  I like the white meat and so do the kids so we make this like chicken fingers.  The breading was good and flavorful.  The chicken was moist.  Next time I make it I will try to cut back on the butter.  We didn't even need close to that amount. 

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breast halves, cut into strips or large pieces
• 2 c. buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. Morton's Season All Seasoning Salt (or your favorite seasoning salt)
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 c. Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

Instructions

• Place chicken strips in a large Ziploc bag and cover with buttermilk. Seal bag tightly (squeezing out all the air) and allow chicken to soak for at LEAST an hour (several hours is best).
• In a shallow bowl or pie pan, combine seasoning salt, pepper, flour, and paprika. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray then cut up the butter into pieces and place around the bottom of the pan (doing it this way keeps the chicken from sticking as bad).
• Place the pan in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until the butter is melted and HOT.
• Remove from oven and spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan.
• Shake excess buttermilk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix.
• Carefully place each piece of chicken in the pan.
• Cook for 15 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

 

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2012/08/oven-fried-chicken.html

Corn Salad

During the summer we love making this corn salad recipe.  It is a great side to take to a bbq, potlock, whatever.  It is simple and yummy... a great combination.  I can't believe summer is almost over!

For this receip, I like to use fresh corn off the cob but have used frozen corn many time and it is still delicious. I don't have exact measurments.  You just put in the amount that you would like and what looks pretty :)


Corn Salad Recipe

Corn-- approx taken from 6 ears of corn
chopped  purple onion
chopped fresh basil
equal parts oil and balsalmic vinegar
tiny bit of lime juice
tiny bit of hot sauce
feta cheese

mix all together.  Let sit for awhile so flavors soak in.  Serve cold

Yum Yum Sauce

We like to eat hibachi.  It is the only time I will eat shrimp or scallops.  Something about that hot grill, garlic, sake, and lots of butter.  Although I usually get steak and chicken. 

Every now and then we make fried rice and some chicken.  I found this simple recipe for the white sauce, aka Yum Yum sauce that they use at the hibachi places.  It tastes good (not good for you though!).  Make sure you let it sit in the fridge over night. If you make it and use it right away it will just taste like mayo.  You need to let the other ingredients get soaked in.  :)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and keep in fridge over night.

Peanut butter chocolate chip brownies

I love almost anything peanut butter and chocolate.  I had these brownies pinned forever.  We were going to dinner at a friends house so I finally made them.  They were delicious.

The recipe is from bakerella's site.  She makes cake pops.  They are amazing.  She makes any character.  They are so cute.  I tried to make Mickey ones for Amelia's birthday party.  They didn't look anything like bakerellas.  My brownies didn't look like hers either but they still tasted good!


Recipe:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 X 8 pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugars and mix until combined.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread in the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Frosting
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Milk

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar and mix until combined.
• Add the chocolate and peanut butter mixture and mix until completely blended.
• You can add a teaspoon at a time of milk if you would like the frosting creamier.
• When the brownies are cool, spread the frosting on top.

http://www.bakerella.com/peanut-butter-brownies/

Cheesy quinoa mac n cheese bake

Ingredients

Here is a little bit healthier version of mac n cheese. My kids love mac n cheese. They would eat it every day if I let them. While they didn't love this they did eat it. So that is a plus. My husband enjoyed it a lot. I think it needs to be a little creamier/cheesier. I would make it again but add less quinoa or make more of the cheese mixture.  You could easily play around with this recipe and add whatever you would like.  I might add some hot pepper seasoning or a little hot sauce next time. 

     Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping

1. Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes)
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish( or 8 individual ramekins) with cooking spray.Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese.
3. Cook for 30-35 minutes

http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html 

Strawberry Lemonade

My husband loves strawberry lemonade (esp from the cheesecake factory).  For Father's Day I wanted to make some to go along with his dinner.  He enjoyed it and later froze it for a slushy.

(recipe from Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
• Ice
• Mint sprigs, garnish
• Whole strawberries, garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Pasta Carbonara

I haven't posted in a long time.  I haven't been making anything exciting.  I need to start trying more recipes again.

We had family staying with us for a week and I needed something that would please everyone.  So I decided pasta (my kids love noodles).  I went on Giada's (from the food network) site.  My husband loves her, most likely b/c her show is full of her cleavage.  But her recipes have always been good.

I didn't have pancetta so we used thick bacon.  I also added some peas b/c that is how I always have seen it at restaurants here.  Everyone enjoyed the meal.  I served it with salad and the Pioneer Woman's cheesy garlic bread. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pound dried penne
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Empanadas

I haven't posted much lately b/c frankly a lot of the new recipes I recently made have not been winners. It is so depressing when you try something new and no one really likes it. Especially with the cost of groceries right now I can't afford too many duds.

Everyone in the family ate these (baby too). I think that these would freeze well so next time I will double the recipe and freeze some for later.

I made these empanadas with some left over ground beef. I mixed in some chili powder, cumin, and and onion powder. Then some cheddar cheese. It would be good with a little more spice next time.

Here is the basic recipe:

For the dough:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup masa harina
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup water (plus or minus 1 tbsp)

Mix together dry ingredients. Using a fork, mix in the butter and distributed within the flour. Slowly add water, carefully mixing with the fork until it begins to pull together. Form into a ball and wrap with saran. Pop in the fridge and hold for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into approx. 1 ounce balls (think ping pong ball size). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle. Spoon filling into the middle. Seal the empanadas closed.

Once your empanadas are made, cover and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Per the blog I got the recipe from you can either fry or bake them. She recommended frying them so that is what I did. For about 5 minutes.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and gaucamole.

Gnudi

I saw an episode of "The Chew" on Valentine's day. Michael Symon made this recipe and it sounded good and didn't seem like it would be too hard to make. We enjoyed it. It would be a good side dish to impress company with.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/gnudi-michael-symon

ingredients

1 1/2 cup Ricotta
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
2 Egg
1 Yolk
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Flour
5 1/2-6 cup Semolina Flour
4 tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Cubed)
15 Small Sage Leaves
1/4 cup Pasta Water


In a mixing bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour. You may need to add another teaspoon of flour here. The batter should be sticky, not wet and loose. You want this mixture to be able to hold its shape.

Spread about 3 cups of the semolina into a baking dish with sides. With wet hands, form the ricotta mixture into little balls, using about a tablespoon each. Drop them into the semolina. When all of the balls have been formed, cover them with the remaining 1 ½ cups of semolina. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Carefully unearth the gnudi and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. The flour that remains can be sifted back into a container to use in the future.

Put a pot of salted water on to boil to cook the gnudi. When the water is boiling, drop the gnudi in. They will cook for a few minutes, and then float to the top when they are ready. Keep in mind that you are just trying to cook the thin pasta exterior. The inside should be molten and creamy.

While the gnudi is cooking, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Watch it carefully, and when the butter solids begin to brown and the butter is foamy, add the sage leaves. This only takes about 1 ½ minutes. Just a few moments longer on the heat and the butter should turn a nutty brown color. By this time, the gnudi should be floating. Turn the heat off on your butter, and using a slotted spoon; carefully remove the gnudi to the pan of brown butter and sage. It will spatter slightly so be careful. Add the pasta water and gently stir to coat. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with some freshly grated nutmeg over the top. Serve immediately!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have been wanting Chinese food lately. But it is expensive and most places here aren't that good. We had PF Chang recently but with 2 kids it wasn't an enjoyable dinner. I haven't found good take out yet. So this is what we had for dinner one night when I wanted Chinese. We enjoyed it and will make it again.
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
For the chicken, cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/07/sweet-and-sour-chicken-updated.html

Crockpot Chili

Chili is a great comfort food. I like making it in the crockpot. I found this recipe years and years ago. I haven't made a different one since.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
3 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican-style
stewed tomatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.


Sometime I blend up some of the veggies in the blender so I can have a soup like mixture in my chili. Yummy!


recipe from: Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
3 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
3 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican-style
stewed tomatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Here is a quick easy beef stew recipe. Its nice to have hot stew on a cold day. And nice warm homemade bread :)

I love using my crockpot. With physical therapy, I am not home all of the time so its nice to put food in and go. And its always nice to not be preparing dinner all day with 2 young kids.

You can add whatever vegetables you want in here. Next time I will add some more.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
Directions:
1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-beef-stew-i/

Roasted Parmesan broccoli

Here is a yummy broccoli recipe. I have made it twice so far and it was enjoyed both times. I didnt have fresh basil so we left that out. One time I made it with pine nuts and one time without. It was delicious either way.

Sorry there is no picture. iPad isn't letting me.

Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

Note: Recipe was halved for TV
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html

NYE appetizers -- Jalepeno Popper DIp and More

For NYE we had some friends over for games and appetizers. I tried 3 new recipes all of which were received well. None are healthy so they did not help Mike with his diet. But its a party right? I do have some healthy chicken recipes to post soon. And our friends brought some yummy fruit kabobs so that makes it all better ;)

The big success of the night was the jalepeno popper dip. It was delicious. We ate the entire first batch so we made some more that night. I later enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast it was that good. Here is the recipe... Make it!
Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork until combined. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden. Serve warm with baguette slices, vegetables, etc. as desired.



We also made buffalo chicken bites from plainchicken.com.

I love buffalo chicken dip so I knew I had to try these. We liked these but I still think I like buffalo chicken dip best. But this was a nice change. And I already had jalepeno dip so I wanted something that was not a dip. Here is the recipe:

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (or more to your taste)
3 1/2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sharp or medium shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 – 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until combined. Stir in the cheddar cheese and onion powder.

Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, spoon out the chicken mixture and roll into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a plate or separate baking sheet until ready to dip.

In three separate bowls, set out the flour, eggs and Corn Flakes. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

**If freezing for later, place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready. To bake, place the frozen chicken balls back on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.


Lastly I made these Cheese Puffs from the Pioneer Woman's site. They were also good. Make sure you let them cook long enough...


Ingredients
1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
½ sticks Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Sliced
1-½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten
Preparation Instructions
Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature