Heaven! Thank you Rachael Ray, I LOVED it! I kind of doubled it (see notes below) so I could serve it for lunch with a friend and for dinner that night too. Even Mike said it was good and he is not a soup fan...I think the sausage made it manly enough for him :-). Yum, Yum, Yum!!!
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (used 16 oz)
* 2 onions, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon butter
* One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (used 2 cans)
* 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (used 2)
* 1 cup half-and-half (used 2)
* One 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
* Salt and pepper
* Chopped fresh dill, for garnish (didn't have...still good)
Directions:
1. Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through.
3. Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the dill.
Corn and Kielbasa Chowder
Cauliflower Poppers
I saw these awhile ago on Taste Buds and finally tried them. I had 1/2 a head of cauliflower leftover from another recipe, so I cut the spices in half and whipped these babies up. I LOVED them...I could almost just eat them as chips...and I'd be much healthier if I did too :-). Will definitely be making these again, and trying some other veggies in the mix!
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp course salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut cauliflower florets into {good sized} bite-sized pieces.
Place all ingredients in a large zip bag and toss to coat.
Spread on prepared baking sheet and bake until tender, but not mushy, stirring halfway through, about 10 min.
Djion Pork Chops
I had a few more pork chops left from my last stock up and found this recipe to try on The Sister's Cafe, one of my favorite recipe blogs. They were easy and I liked the little tang in the gravy from the dijon mustard. My favorite part of the meal was the gravy over rice though :-). I also made some cauliflower poppers to go with them.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 inch thick butterfly pork chops
6-7 T. flour (I used cornstarch)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 c. butter
2 T. finely chopped green onion
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c. cold water
2/3 c. dry white cooking wine
fresh chives to garnish
Directions:
Pound pork chops with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. (they said they had skipped this and I did too)
Combine 5 T. flour with pepper, seasoning salt, and poultry seasoning in shallow dish.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge chops in flour mixture and then brown in melted butter on both sides. Remove chops from skillet and set aside.
Add green onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 1 minute.
Stir together wine and mustard. Add to skillet and stir to combine with meat juices.
Return chops to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 8-10 minutes or until tender.
Remove chops to warm platter.
Combine water and 1 T. flour in a small bowl and mix well. Add to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 1 minute.
Pour sauce over chops and garnish with chives before serving.
EASY French Bread
If I made it folks, you can too! I stay away from baking...especially things with yeast...it just seems so scary for some reason and I can't eat most of it anyway. Michele posted this on The Occasional Vegetarian long ago, but after Mike's parents began to rave about it I finally decided to give it a try. I halved the recipe to make one loaf and guess what?! It turned out and it was tasty too (I had to try ONE bite). So, if you think bread and yeast are scary, here is one for you to try!
Ingredients:
2 T yeast
2 T sugar
2 1/2 c warm water
3 c flour
1 T salt
2 T olive oil
3 more c flour
Directions:
-Mix first 3 ingredients together and let yeast rise 5 minutes (yeast, sugar, water).
-Mix next 3 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl (flour, salt, oil).
-Add liquid mix to flour mix.
-Slowly add up to 3 more cups of flour.
-Let rise for 10 minutes and punch down, repeat 5 times.
-Shape into 2 long skinny loaves and bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes.
*For a crispy crust, brush egg white over loaf before baking*
Mexican Chicken Enchiladas
I found this recipe in the latest Season's Best recipe book from Pampered Chef (Fall/Winter 2009). I'm always up for an enchilada casserole and this one had me at cream cheese :-). It was VERY good. The next time I make it I am going to make this sauce from Pioneer Woman instead of using the canned kind and the meal will officially be one of my favorites!
Ingredients:
1/4 c lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat kind)
2 c shredded Monetery Jack cheese, divided
1 med onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) enchilada sauce (make this, seriously! and I didn't use my whole can because it was getting to saucy)
12 corn tortillas
3 c diced or shredded cooked chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
(I added garlic too)
Directions:
-Chop cilantro. Place cream cheese in bowl and microwave until very soft. Add cilantro and 1 1/2 c of the MJ cheese; mix well.
-Chop onion; set aside. (I sauteed mine a little with some garlic and olive oil because I don't like onions that aren't cooked enough in my dishes)
-Spread 2/3 c enchilada sauce over bottom of dish (they tell you to use the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker, I don't have this so I used one of my dishes that holds 3 qts) and pour remaining sauce into a shallow dish.
- To assemble, dip 4 tortillas in sauce that is in the shallow bowl and arrange in bottom of dish, overlapping as necessary.
-Scoop half cream cheese mixture over tortillas and spread (I spread a small amount on each tortilla, and then dipped it in sauce to make the spreading easier). Top with 1 c chicken and 1/3 of the onion.
-Repeat same layers again (tortillas, cheese mixture, 1 c chicken, 1/3 onion).
-Dip remaining 4 tortillas in sauce and arrange over 2nd layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining sauce over lasagna (I just barely covered it) and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. MJ cheese.
-They say to microwave, covered on high 12-15 minutes and let stand 10 minutes. I baked mine in the oven so I could cover it with foil at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbly.
Classic Baked Potato
Ingredients:
baking potatoes (russets)
olive oil
kosher salt or garlic salt
pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Scrub potatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Prick each potato with a fork a few times. Rub each potato with olive oil (the amount is up to you, just don't over do it) and sprinkle with choice of salt and pepper.
Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 40-60 min, or until tender. Let sit a minute or two and make a slit across the top of each potato and push ends together to open nicely.
Top as desired...of course butter and sour cream are musts!
Chicken Spaghetti
This is the first recipe I am trying from my new Pioneer Woman cookbook (from my mom :-). I knew it would be delicious, because all her recipes are, but this one was actually not too fattening. Mike was quite skeptical, he's not much of a casserole guy, but he actually like it! I loved it!!! I couldn't help myself and went back for more.
(I halved the recipe for our little family)
Ingredients:
1 cut up fryer chicken (I used 2 breasts)
3 cups (16 oz) Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces (I used gluten-free)
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup (I used 98% FF)
2 1/2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
1 small white onion, finely diced
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Put chicken in large pot, cover with water and boil until cooked. Remove to cool and reserve 2 cups broth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook spaghetti in remaining chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook.
When chicken is cooled, use fork to pull chicken apart into small pieces.
When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except 1/2 c. of cheese.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly.
Coconut Chicken Chili
My mom passed along her Jan 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens and there are some scrumptious looking recipes in it! This one was at the top of my list to try...because honestly I have yet to try a recipe that involves coconut milk that I don't like :-). It was De-Licious and Addie helped me cook it...which meant she even decided to give it a try. Leftovers for lunch yesterday were just as good :-).
Ingredients:
-12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chopped (I just used 1 small breast and I think you could leave it out all together to make it meatless - the beans give enough heartiness)
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 1/2 t. chili powder
-1 1/2 t. ground ginger
-1/2 t. each salt and black pepper
-1/4 t. cayenne pepper
-1 T. olive oil
-1 T. flour (I used cornstarch)
-1 14oz. can coconut milk
-1 T. peanut butter
-1 c. water
-1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (my store didn't have, so I used great northern)
-3 med. carrots, shredded
-1 stalk celery, sliced
-1 med. green onion, sliced
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-2 T. chopped fresh basil (I didn't have, so I just sprinkled in some dried basil)
Directions:
-In large saucepan cook chicken, onion, chili powder, ginger, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t black pepper, and the cayenne pepper in hot oil over med heat for 6-8 min or until chicken is no longer pink.
-Stir in flour and cook 1 min more.
-Stir in coconut milk, peanut butter, and 1 c. water. Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally.
-Stir in beans, carrots, celery, green onion, garlic, and chopped basil. Return to boiling; reduce heat.
-Simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
-Serve over jasmine rice (I used brown). Top with basil leaves and slice jalapenos (I didn't do that :-).
Weekend Breakfast Bake
I brought this new breakfast casserole and our family favorite, Southwestern quiche, to our Christmas morning brunch. Real Mom kitchen had a lot of different breakfast dishes posted but I went with this one because there was no bread involved, and it was a great success! Everyone loved it and it was super easy to make too!
Ingredients:
12 oz. pork sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese (I used 1/2 MJ and 1/2 cheddar)
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (I used 98%FF)
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Combine eggs and soup; pour over cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Peppermint Bark
I was in the mood for a festive treat and now that I'm trying to be better about not cheating on my gluten-free diet, I needed an alternative to cookies. I came across a bag of white chocolate chips and thought, "Peppermint Bark!" It was easy and turned out very pretty and tasty (if I do say so myself). I think it will be my new holiday trademark treat :-).
Ingredients:
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag white chocolate chips
6-8 candy canes (I think I used about 7)
Directions:
-Enlist the help of some eager hammering hands to smash the candy canes. I unwrapped mine, placed them in a thick Ziploc bag and let the kiddos hammer away.
-Spread a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet (I didn't have any and used aluminum foil which I sprayed lightly with my canola oil spray)
-Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a double broiler (or if you do it the ghetto fabulous way like me, boil some water in a big pot and put the chips in a smaller pot inside the boiling water). Once melted smooth, spread into a thin layer on the cookie sheet (I put about 1/2 t oil in help make the chocolate more smooth). Place in freezer until it is cooled and hard.
-Melt the white chocolate chips the same way. When it is smooth pour in most of the crushed candy canes, saving some for the top. Spread this layer on top of the chocolate layer quickly, before the dark chocolate starts to melt again.
-Sprinkle the top with the remaining candy canes and push lightly into the soft white chocolate.
-Freeze again. Once cooled, break into pieces of the desired size and enjoy!
Chicken Enchilada Soup
I saw this recipe awhile back on Real Mom Kitchen and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it. With our cold, rainy weather I was excited to try it out. It was good...like a creamier version of my tortilla soup. And of course, crock pot meals are always a nice way to make your day easier. The girls really liked it!
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn (I'll use a can next time, I think the corn stays crunchier)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper (I used red)
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild red)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup (I used 98% FF)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese
2 chicken breasts (I used 1 can chicken and dumped broth in too)
Directions:
In a slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper.
Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.
Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup.
Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.
Almond Stuffed Chicken
This recipe is from an old issue of Cooking Light that I came across. Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the one they pictured :-), but it still tasted great and that's really what counts, right?!
Ingredients:
-1/3 c. light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese, such as Boursin light (I used 1/3 less fat garlic and chives cream cheese)
-1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped, and divided
-3 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided
-4 chicken breast halves
-1/2 t. salt
-1/4 t. freshly ground pepper (I used much more)
-1 1/2 t. butter
Directions:
-Combine spreadable cheese, 3 T almonds, and 2 T parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.
-Cut horizontal slit through thickest portion of chicken to form a pocket. Stuff 1 1/2 T almond mixture into each pocket; secure each with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
-Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over med heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and let stand 2 minutes. Top chicken with remaining almonds and parsley.
Cheesy Rice Fritters
These little guys were a surprise hit with everyone in the family! I knew I would like them, but Mike and the girls loved them almost as much as I did! I made a few with breadcrumbs and most of them without and the ones without stayed together and got even crispier on the outside than the ones with! I didn't have any bacon on hand and just sliced up some ham lunch meat and it seemed to work fine, but you could leave the meat out to keep it vegetarian too. The other change I made was adding some finely diced onion when cooking the ham and I thought it was a great addition! I subscribed to Rachael Ray's magazine during some Amazon deal last year and I'm so glad I did - I have come across lots of tasty recipes in them each month and it's much more fun to flip through a magazine than search her site!
Ingredients:
* 1 cup arborio rice (I used brown rice)
* 3 slices bacon, chopped (I used sliced ham lunch meat)
***1/2 c. finely chopped onion***
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* Salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (optional)
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* One 10-ounce bag spinach, coarsely chopped
* 1 pinch crushed red pepper
Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the rice is still firm but cooked through and the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, add the bacon to the rice, reserving the skillet with the bacon fat. Stir the mozzarella, parmesan and egg into the rice mixture; season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the rice mixture into 12 mounds on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten into 3-inch patties. Sprinkle on both sides with the breadcrumbs.
4. Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the patties and cook, turning once, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning, until wilted, about 2 minutes; season with the crushed red pepper. Top with the fritters.
Pepper Jack Potato Soup
Chrissy told me about this yummy potato soup recipe and then actually remembered to email it to me too...thanks :-)! It was SO good...a great new Southwest twist on classic potato soup. It also was super creamy despite the pretty light ingredients I used.
Ingredients:
3 strips of bacon (plus extra for garnish, and added tastiness)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed russet potatoes (about 4 or 5 medium sized)
1/4 cup butter (I used 3 T)
1/4 cup flour (I used 3 T cornstarch)
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (I used FF)
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (I used light pepper jack)
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground thyme
Directions:
1. fry the bacon, crumble and set aside
2. heat the oil in a soup pot on med heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and the bell peppers; cook and stir just until the onions are soft. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, or until carrots are cooked.
3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a medium saucepan until they are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the soup with bacon. Wipe out the pan if necessary and use if for the next step.
4. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and turn the heat up slightly and whisk until the mixture is bubbly. Add the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Add to the soup.
5. Stir in the cheese and continue to cook until the cheese melts. Do not boil. Add the white pepper, salt, and thyme. Ladle into bowls!
Notes from Chrissy:
Mine ALWAYS comes out super thick. I don't know if that's how it is supposed to be, but we like it to be a little soupier... so I just add milk at the very end until its the consistency that I like, plus it cools it down so we can eat it sooner :-) And I always have it with fresh french bread to dip in it.
Sizzling Beef and Scallions
Oh, how I'm missing having some daylight to take pictures of my food in. I just don't have anywhere great to take them inside and my pictures are certainly not doing the food justice. About the recipe though...this one was in my last issue of Rachael Ray and I LOVED this one. I haven't made anything Asian inspired for awhile and this deluxe fried rice hit the spot! Easy, light, and flavorful.
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces London broil, sliced into short, thin strips
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 10 scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (I had an orange one on hand)
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
* 2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed (I used less)
* 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 4 cups cooked white rice, chilled
(I added some garlic salt and crushed red pepper)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
2. In the skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, bell pepper and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; stir in the peas. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs until they begin to set, then stir in the vegetables. Add the egg-vegetable mixture to the beef; stir in the sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, then cook, without stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Stir in the beef mixture and scallion greens.
