Recipe #100: Chicken Minestrone Soup

Check it out, recipe #100!  Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, offers suggestions, and makes these recipes themselves!!  So, spring's coming but it still feels like the dead of winter (yay Cleveland), so soup is still quite appropriate.  Here's a good hearty one from one of my cook books.... I was very lenient with the amounts of vegetables here, and I added more pasta and broth and lots more chicken...  I like really chunky soup.  It's customizable!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sliced carrot (we used more)
1/2 cup chopped celery (we used more)
1/2 cup chopped onion (we used lots more)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 14oz cans chicken broth (and I added more later)
2 15-19oz cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8-10oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (we used 1.4lbs!)
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (you guessed it- we used a little more)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dried bow tie pasta (we used closer to 2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

DIRECTIONS:

In a 5-6 quart Dutch oven, cook carrots, celery, and onion in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add broth, white kidney beans, chicken, green beans, and pepper.  Bring to boiling; add pasta.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Stir in zucchini.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes.  Stir in undrained tomatoes; heat through and serve!

Recipe #99: Crock Pot French Dip!

Nick's latest new favorite thing to get at restaurants is a French dip, an overstuffed beef sammich that has a gravy sauce for dipping, called au jus.  Naturally, I had to find a recipe for this, and this was quite up to his standards... and super easy to make!!  I found this on allrecipes.com.  Talk about tender...  mmmm...

Ingredients

• 4 pounds rump roast  (I used a 2.75lb one and that was plenty!)
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth  (I used a can of Campbell's Consomme)
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer  (I used Guinness, of course!)
• 6 French rolls  (I found some other buns to use...)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. (I also seasoned the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (I used my toaster oven)
3. Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.  (I topped them with shredded mozzarella cheese too)
4. Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping. 

 

 

Recipe #98: Tomato Basil Soup

Mmmmmm....

 This one's quite simple and makes a lot!  And of COURSE I had to serve it with grilled cheese!  This is from Rachael Ray's book Veggie Meals.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

2 cans (28oz plus 14.5oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14.5oz) vegetable broth

Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste

20 leaves fresh basil, torn or coarsely chopped (I bunched them and snipped with kitchen scissors)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a deep pot or skillet over medium-low heat.  Add olive oil, garlic, and onion.  Saute onions until soft and sweet, 8-10 minutes.  Add crushed tomatoes and broth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Recipe #97: Tuna Casserole

There's probably a million ways to make a tuna casserole.... here's my version!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12 oz) package of egg noodles (or comparable amount of elbow macaroni- I used both)
1/4 cup chopped onion (or more to taste)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen green peas
3 (6 oz) cans tuna
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of onion soup
8 oz (approx) sliced fresh mushrooms, broken into smaller pieces
Salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder to taste
About 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
Bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes and drain.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix noodles, onion, cheese, peas, tuna, soup, mushrooms, and seasonings.  Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle the top generously with bread crumbs.  Put butter pieces evenly across the top.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Feed an army.

Recipe #96: Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Pizza

I am currently eating this delicious concoction as I type, and I've promised to make it again.  SO HEARTY!  And something different for a pizza!  I believe I first saw this recipe through one of the sites I "liked" on Facebook, and thought to look again online when I realized I had all the ingredients on hand already.  This is a slightly modified version of what I found (just added some spices).  I HIGHLY recommend this recipe if you like artichoke dip!

INGREDIENTS:

    * 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped  (I used a 12oz jar)
    * 3/4 cup KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat Mayonnaise  (I had regular Mayo)
    * 1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese
    * 1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
    * 1 ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch)
    * 1/4 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers  (we used more)
I also added black pepper to the mix, and brushed the crust with olive oil and garlic powder before topping it.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Combine first 4 ingredients.

Spread onto crust; top with peppers.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe #95: Ground Turkey Paprikash-Goulash

This is a winner from Rachael Ray's Book of 10 (and it's also on Food Network's website, as copied below).  I've made this before, but before I had my blog.  As is typical of her recipe, "serves 4" usually means it serves an army, so we ended up with tons of leftovers.  ...not that we mind!  You can make this recipe a little spicier with diced jalapeno, and I used dried dill and parsley because I didn't have any fresh on hand.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 package, 1 1/3 pounds average weight, ground lean white turkey
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock, available in small 8 ounce paper containers on soup aisle of market
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Directions

Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook pasta 6 minutes to al dente.
While water comes to a boil and pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then butter then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and seasonings to the turkey. Cook 5 or 6 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add cooked pasta and stir. Let pasta absorb some sauce, a minute or so. Adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley and dill.

House

I can't wait to cook in my new kitchen.  That's right- we're buying a house, and we should be completely moved in by April 30th.  We get keys March 30th, and we're overlapping with our apartment lease so we can paint and get some new furniture in the house.  We'll be getting some new appliances, including a STOVE that I just can't wait to cook on- my very own brand spanking new, never been used by anybody except me, STOVE!

There's a double sink with a hose faucet and garbage disposal...  We'll probably be getting a side-by-side fridge.  There's a great big pantry!  I'll have a dining room!  So excited to have a kitchen that's mine with appliances we picked out!!

I'll be posting pictures once we've moved in!

Recipe #94: Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Now, not everything I make comes out how I want it to.  This recipe had one problem- green peppers tend to be on the bitter side, especially once cooked, and the slow cooker really brought that out this time.  Next time I try this, I'm going to use red bell peppers or 6-7 cubanelle sweet peppers.  Otherwise, this is a fantastic recipe, and the filling is sooo good and hearty, which is why I think it deserves a blog.

 
INGREDIENTS:


1 package (about 7 ounces) Spanish rice mix (the box kind with a seasoning packet) *see note at end
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced celery (we used more)
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
4 medium green bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded *I recommend trying other kinds
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup water (I used chicken broth instead)

DIRECTIONS:

Set aside seasoning packet from rice.  Combine beef, rice mix, celery, onion and egg in a large bowl.  Divide meat mixture among pepper halves.

Pour tomatoes with juice into slow cooker.  Arrange filled pepper halves on top of tomatoes.  Combine tomato soup, water/broth and reserved rice mix seasoning packet in a medium bowl.  Pour over peppers.  Cover; cook on LOW 7-8 hours.

*Note:  I couldn't find the Spanish rice mix I wanted, so I used a box of Uncle Ben's rice that had a sundried tomato and basil flavoring, and it was fantastic!

Recipe #93: Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

I was drooling just from the smell of the seasonings, long before I even started cooking this recipe.  The cinnamon adds a depth of flavor I wish I could describe.  This meal is a little spicy, and definitely sweet, and totally amazing.  So easy to make, and perfect with a side of cous cous (recipe for that included), this is a fantastic way to add something a little different to your repertoire.  This is from the pages of the Jan/Feb issue of Cooking Light (and also online).

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  paprika
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  shallots, quartered
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro  (I omitted this)

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with Scallion Couscous: Bring 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup uncooked couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped green onions.  (NOTE:  I didn't have green onions, so I used a comparable amount of fresh chopped chives) Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe #92: Crab and Avocado Salad

Fresh, easy, and seafoody!  Made this for dinner tonight, and it's quite filling.  I was excited to use a new ingredient:  anchovies!  At first, I was going to skip them, but I decided that I'd try them... they get blended into the dressing anyways, just like Caesar dressing.  This recipe is intended to feed four people, and won't make good leftovers (soggy lettuce and croutons- yuck...) so half it if you're only feeding two.  This is from Food Network magazine (and also on their site).

Interesting assortment... but it comes together well!

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound haricots verts or green beans, halved
• 2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt  (I used plain Greek yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound lump or claw crabmeat
• 1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted and diced
• 3 romaine hearts, chopped  (I used 2)
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat croutons  (I used whatever...)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the haricots verts and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Puree the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, basil and anchovies in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the crabmeat, half of the avocado and about 1 tablespoon of the yogurt dressing in a small bowl. Toss the romaine, croutons, haricots verts and the remaining avocado with the remaining dressing in a large bowl.
Divide the romaine salad among plates, top with the tomatoes and place some of the crab mixture in the center.