Chicken and Blackbean Soup

I saw a crock pot recipe for a chicken, salsa and blackbean soup and decided that that was what I was going to have for dinner tonight. But I wanted to use my leftover rotisserie chicken and I didn't want to use the crockpot. So after unsuccessfully trying to find a recipe I wanted to use here's what I came up with. The ingredient list is kinda long...but if you have a well stocked pantry you should have most everything on hand.

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I just tore the chicken into smallish pieces)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can of water
1.5 tbs cumin
1 tbs chili powder
1 tsp mexican oregano (optional)
2 cans black beans rinsed
1 can corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs hot sauce (optional)
2 cups salsa (I used Old El Paso)
optional add-ins:
cooked brown rice
sour cream
shredded cheddar
chopped green onions

In a large pot saute the garlic in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth plus fill one can with water and add to the pot. Add the black beans. Using a potato masher mash the black beans to your preferred consistency (I also added 1 extra can of black beans I had run through the blender to make the soup thicker). Add all other ingredients except the add-ins. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 30-45 mins. Put rice on the bottom of your bowl then spoon in the soup and top with sour cream, cheese, and onions. Enjoy!

NOTE- I made two seperate pots of this. Once I added everything but the meat I set aside a small pot for the Vegetarian. Instead of adding chicken I added 2 veggie bugers that I had cut up. In retrospect I would have just added one to such a small pot. Though honestly, it really didn't need anything extra since I had already added that extra can of beans. We all loved it. And the Veggie's friend ate 2 bowls...which is a big deal, this boy eats like a bird. My toddler loved it, and it didn't take near as long to have her finish her dinner than the usual days. This is definately something we'll make again.

Chicken Curry Soup

I made this last night for the sick vegetarian staying with us. Her friend...who's a boy (but don't say boyfriend)...took her to the ER yesterday b/c she had a high fever and was feeling awful. Knowing they'd be there for quite a while and would be hungry when they came back I made this soup for her. It's pretty good. I liked it. I didn't add chicken but I would next time I make it for the rest of us.

1 cup thinly sliced chicken breast (this is easier to do if the meat is a slightly frozen)
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 cups water
1 chicken or veggie bullion cube
2.5-3 tbs curry powder
1/2 tbs parsley
4 cloves smashed garlic
1 clove smashed and minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 butternut squash diced into larger pieces
1 med sweet potato diced
1 large diced carrot
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery diced

saute the chicken on med-high heat with salt and pepper and 1 clove of minced garlic until no longer pink. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 mins or until veggies are soft.

NOTE-My vegetarian doesn't mind chicken stock but to make this truly vegetarian stick with vegetable stock. You can also substitute the chicken for Quorn chik'n tenders or tofu. This soup isn't spicy but it has a lot of flavor and is perfect for what ails ya.

meatloaf

This is one of my favorite recipes from my Betty Crocker cookbook. Though I do twist it up just a little. If you want a good cookbook you should check this one out. It has a bit of everything! And the best part, it has an emergency substitution chart in the back...SCORE! I'm always forgetting some ingredient and it's nice to know I can look in the back of my book for a good subsitute. Anyway, I'm posting this recipe just for my good friend, Joyce. I hope you enjoy!! Y

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic finely chopped (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
1 large egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion chopped
1 cup ketchup divided
1/2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp mustard

Heat the oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients except 1/2 cup of ketchup and the last 2 ingredients listed. Spread mixture in an ungreased loaf pan (though I use my stoneware casserole dish). Mix the other 1/2 cup of ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard together then spread on top of the meatloaf. bake uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until juice is clear and a meat thermometer reads 160. Drain the meatloaf and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. I usually serve my meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Note: I've fed this to people who claim to hate meatloaf and they end up loving this. My family loves it...even my husband who swore he only likes his mama's meatloaf...of course that was before he had mine. ;)

Chicken Noodle Soup

It's been way too long since my last post. I've made plenty of yummy meals thinking "I need to blog this!" But I'm a procrastinator and I can't remember most of what I wanted to post. So I was determined to post this since we all loved it! And since my resident vegetarian has been MIA this week I could devote all my attention to a yummy meat filled meal! :)

This was adapted from a recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook (I love that cookbook!)

Total prep/cook time: appx 1 hr 30 mins

3-3 1/2 lbs cut up chicken (I had 3 1/2 lbs of fresh bone-in breasts so I used those)
6 cups cold water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 chopped stalk celery
2 chopped medium carrots
1 chopped small onion (I roughly chopped it)
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tbs chicken bouillion granules
4 cloves of garlic-smashed but not crushed
1 cup of chopped asparagus
1-1 1/2 cup of egg noodles
1 cup boxed chicken stock (optional)

Start by making the chicken and broth. Now, really you're supposed to make the broth, discard the veggies, cut new veggies and make the soup. But I thought that was a waste of veggies and time. Remove excess fat from chicken, place chicken (giblets-except liver, and neck if you're using a whole cut up chicken) in a 4 quart pot. add remaining ingredients except noodles and asparagus and heat to boiling. Skim any foam from the broth and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 mins or until chicken is fully cooked (use a meat thermometer or check if juices run clear). Remove chicken from the broth and debone. Using only breasts really helped this process go quickly. You might want to let the chicken cool...my poor fingers. waiting for the chicken to cool is a good time to skim the fat from the broth. Cube chicken then add back to the pot. Add the noodles and asparagus and heat to boiling then reduce the heat and allow to simmer uncovered for 7-10 minutes or when noodles are soft. Serve with bread or crackers (my daughter loved that I added goldfish crackers to swim in her soup).

Note: Now, when I made this I had a box of chicken stock in my fridge and I didn't feel like I had enough "juice" (as my daughter would say) once I added the noodles. So I added probably a cup of stock. Then today when we reheated it I added another cup of stock. It was chock full of chicken and noodles and so yummy and really didn't take much effort! Next time I might add shredded cabbage and/or squash just to play around with it a little. I hope you enjoy this recipe!!

Quick and Easy Calzone

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. There are many different variations to the Calzone. The original recipe I found was for a broccoli and cheese calzone using simply ricotta cheese, cooked broccoli, and mozzarella. I decided at the last minute not to go this route and to make the calzone my own. Traditionally, however, Italians would make calzones using leftover vegetables from the day before. So use your imagination and put your own spin on this easy to make recipe!

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury pizza dough
1/4 cup of Ricotta cheese (more or less depending on your taste)
1 cup of marinara sauce or pizza sauce
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 roma tomato sliced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
4 thinly sliced cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of diced ham
2 tbs of melted butter

Heat oven to 425. Roll out the pizza dough onto a pizza stone or pan. Spread Ricotta cheese over the dough leaving an inch of dough around the edges. Spread pizza sauce on top of the ricotta. Add garlic. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, and/or other toppings of your choice. Sprinkle liberally with mozzarella. Carefully fold over and bring the edges up and pinch together to keep sealed. brush top with melted butter and bake for 15 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb ground beef
6 Bell Peppers (any color)
2 tbs chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cup rice
15 oz of marinara/spaghetti sauce
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350. Brown beef with onion. Add garlic, salt, rice, and 1 cup of sauce. Stir over med heat until hot. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the peppers and clean them out. Add them to boiling water and cook for 5 mins. Place peppers into an ungreased pan and fill with beef mixture. Pour the rest of the sauce over the peppers and top with mozzarella. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!!

Note: to make this vegetarian you can substitute beef for crumbled boca burgers and firm tofu. I followed the same recipe to make 2 vegetarian peppers except I browned the crumbled tofu (half a package) with 1 crumbled boca burger. Then I added rice, garlic, and sauce. And continued to follow the rest of the recipe.

Family Recipe Hamburgers

My brother is a huge griller. He loves to grill. I think he might even be a little obsessed with grilling. I love to grill as well and will grill whenever I get the chance. I used to simply use the frozen patties that you just slap on the grill...but my brother taught me a little secret recipe. Well, not the whole secret...he keeps a secret ingredient. But since I'm grilling burgers tonight I thought I'd share the recipe! It's simple..but everytime I grill for people they beg me for the recipe.

1.5 lbs of 92% lean (or higher) ground beef
1/2 cup of salsa (eyeball it...you don't want too much)
1 tbs of McCormick's steak or hamburger seasoning (either one works)

Mix ingredients in a bowl, get your hands dirty! Form into patties (size depends on you and your choice of buns). Grill over med-med high heat or fry in a skillet. Flip only once...I flip when the tops are turning brown. But then again, I'm not the master griller like my brother. I still burn my patties once in a while. You can always break one open to check doneness.

Make sure to have fresh tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and whatever else might be your favorite dressings! I also love to mix it up by putting out shredded lettuce and guacamole to dress the burgers or whatever I feel like. :)

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

1 can of cheddar cheese
1 can of cream of mushroom (or cream of broccoli)
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 bag of frozen chopped broccoli (cooked)
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of cooked diced chicken or Quorn chik'n tenders
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients except shredded cheddar together in a bowl and place in a lightly greased casserole dish. Bake for 25 mins, top with cheddar, bake another 10-15 mins until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

*Thanks to Joyce for helping me tweak and correct this recipe!*

Cheesy Potato Casserole Supreme

I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook and put my own spin on it. It was REALLY good. One of the household members described it as "cheesy potatoes in awesomeness". It originally calls for 1 can of cream of chicken soup but I replaced it with 1 can of cheddar cheese sauce. And I also added chopped Quorn Chik'n Tenders.

Prep: 15 min; Bake: 50 min

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cheddar cheese sauce
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (I used O'brien potatoes)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup) (I omitted the green onions since I used the O'brien potatoes)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 1/2 cup of diced cooked chicken or Quorn Chik'n Tenders (optional)

Heat oven to 350°. Grease rectangular baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Mix soups, sour cream, milk and pepper in very large bowl. Stir in potatoes and onions. Spoon into baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly around edges.

Notes: You could also add chopped broccoli or carrots or other veggies to sneak veggies into your kids' dinner. I would recommend making this with frozen O'Brien potatoes since it has onions and bell peppers already added. It adds great flavor and color to the dish and saves you an extra step!

NUTRITION FACTS: 1 Serving:; Calories 325 (Calories from Fat 135); Fat 15g (Saturated 8g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 1,060mg; Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 9g % DAILY VALUE:; Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 16%; Iron 6% DIET EXCHANGES:; 2 Starch; 2 Vegetable; 3 Fat

From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs / Baked Vegetarian Spaghetti

It's been a rough week for me this week and after eating out or ordering in way too much I decided to whip up something for dinner last night. I've been meaning to make Spaghetti and Meatballs for about a month but didn't have the ground beef and kept forgetting to pick some up. So now that I was equipped with some fresh ground beef I decided to go ahead and make it. But I didn't feel like spaghetti...I was actually more in the mood for a lasagna, of course I lacked the lasagna noodles so I compromised. Here's what I did...and remember I'm also cooking for a vegetarian so that meant I was cooking two seperate meals. However, this meal is so simple that it didn't make a difference.

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs of beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs
1 tbs parsley
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 400. Saute garlic in olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and roll into 1-1.5" balls and place into a lightly greased pan. For this recipe I recommend 1" balls. Place into oven for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.

Spaghetti:

1 package spaghetti

While cooking meatballs cook the Spaghetti noodles as directed on the package.

Sauce:

1 jar of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 tbs Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups of your fave brand of "meatless" crumbles (optional)
2 cups grated Mozzarella

Set oven to 325. Saute garlic in olive oil. If you are going for a vegetarian dish you can add the crumbles and saute with the garlic and olive oil and omit the meatballs. Once the noodles are cooked thoroughly drain the noodles and combine with all the sauce ingredients except the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of marinara. Mix well and transfer to a baking or casserole pan. Place the meatballs onto the mixture and nestle them into the spaghetti. Pour remaining sauce over the spaghetti and meatballs and top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

NOTES: Even though it's a lot of steps this actually didn't take much effort to make...and I was exhausted by the time I started. The best part is that you can make the meatballs ahead of time. This made one large pan of baked Spaghetti and meatballs and 2 small pans (bread pans) of vegetarian Spaghetti. What I did was combine the sauce with the noodles except for the meatless crumbles. I poured the mixture into the large pan then mixed in the crumbles and poured into the smaller pans. I put the extra small pan into the freezer along with a freezer bag of extra meatballs. This will help when I'm too tired to cook but too broke to order in.

Hearty Vegetable Stew

My plan tonight was to make vegetarian chili...but after talking to Steph she had me craving Vegetable soup. My problem was that it's the day before payday and I've already gone WAY over my budget for groceries this month. This recipe could also be called "End of the month whatever I have left over Vegetable stew". You can throw in whatever you have on hand...well almost ;). Normally I would use a broth as the base but I have a vegetarian in the house and all I had was either chicken or beef broth, no vegetable broth. So I compromised and it turned out great!

3 ribs celery
1 small onion
1/2 a poblano pepper
1 bag frozen veggies or 3 cups fresh veggies
5 cups of low sodium V8 juice or other vegetable/tomato juice
3 cups water
1 cup of barley
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen diced potatoes (I used O'brien hashbrowns)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt (optional)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder (optional)
2 large bay leaves
2-3 cloves of garlic (crushed or chopped)
2 tbs of butter or olive oil
1 cup of morning star "meat" crumbles (optional)

Heat butter or olive oil over medium heat in a stock pot. Saute celery, onions, poblano pepper and other fresh veggies for 3 minutes. Add water and V8 juice and the rest of the ingredients except the meat crumbles. Set heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes until barley and veggies are tender. During the last 10 minutes throw in the crumbles. Taste and add spices as needed. Enjoy!!

Note: I'm also cooking for a toddler so I have to watch the heat...However, the rest of us love to heat up our dishes with hot sauce. So I simply put out the hot sauce for each person to add according to their taste. If this was an adult only meal I would have added several hearty dashes of hot sauce to the stew. Also, I actually probably added a lot more salt and pepper than I mentioned in my recipe. So you might want to play around with the spices and continue to check. If you used canned veggies you'll need less salt b/c of the sodium content in canned vegetables.

Speaking of spices...I know this recipe calls for a lot of different spices..and many of my recipes might. I'm always buying new spices to stock my rack so that I'm never lacking spices. lol, in fact I bribed the movers with Pizza to allow me to pack my spices when I moved from Germany. If you don't have all the spices, that's ok...use what you have and improvise. But I do recommend stocking up here and there with different spices or at least investing in a good spice rack that comes with the spices. You can find them for $20+.

Spinach Baked Pasta

• 1 box of penne or other pasta
• 1 box of Silken firm tofu...drained and crumbled
• 3 bunches of spinach blanced, drained, and chopped
• 1 jar of marinara (I used mushroom & ripe olive)
• 3/4 cup of diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1-2 cups of mozzarella to top

Preheat oven to 350. cook pasta as directed on box. saute onion and garlic in olive oil. blanch and chop the spinach then add to onions. add crumbled tofu and saute for a couple minutes (add salt and pepper if you want). When pasta is cooked and drained add all ingredients together and mix well. Pour into pan and top with mozzarella cheese. bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Notes: I threw this together tonight based on a lasagna recipe found on the box of tofu. I put my own spin on it. I didn't have 3 bunches of spinach...I had half a bag of prewashed baby spinach...and I didn't have mozzarella so I used the 4 blend Mexican cheese I did have...and I didn't have fresh garlic so I used powdered garlic. This made 1 large and 1 smaller pan. It was pretty easy to put together. Usually I would make baked pasta dishes with ricotta cheese but the tofu is perfect in it--and it makes it a healthier alternative! And if you made it with soy-based parmesan and omitted the mozzarella it would be a perfect dish for any vegans in your life.

I always say that most recipes are flexible. And this is one is no different. If you don't have spinach, oh well! You can use what vegetable you have that could be substituted based on your preferences. Squash or zucchini could be used instead of spinach, or even fresh or frozen peas. Don't be afraid to play around with recipes. You can really cut down your grocery budget by trying to use what you have on hand instead of heading to the grocery store when you see you're missing an ingredient.

No-Pain Lo Mein

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com.

No-Pain Lo Mein
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show:
30 Minute Meals
Episode:
Last Minute Get-Together

• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow drizzle) vegetable or wok oil
• 1 cup (2 handfuls) snow peas, halved on a diagonal
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into match stick size pieces
• 1/2 pound assorted mushrooms (shiitake, straw, enoki, or oyster), coarsely chopped, if necessary
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 2 cups (about 4 handfuls) fresh bean spouts
• 2 inches fresh ginger root, minced or grated with hand grater
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente and drained well
• 1/2 cup aged tamari soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, several drops

Heat a wok-shaped skillet or large non-stick skillet over high heat. When pan is very hot, add oil, (it will smoke a bit) then, immediately add the snow peas, pepper, mushrooms, scallions, and bean sprouts. Stir fry for 1 minute to flavor the oil, then add the ginger and garlic, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and toss with to combine. Add the soy sauce and toss the ingredients to coat noodles evenly with sauce. Transfer the lo mein to a serving platter and garnish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Added Notes: The great thing about cooking is that you can usually improvise with recipes. When I made my lo mein I didn't have bean sprouts or cabbage so I just used red and green bell peppers and button mushrooms. Sesame oil of course is preferred when cooking stirfry and asian rice and noodle dishes, but in a pinch vegetable oil can be used. Don't be afraid to try your own twist on recipes you find.

When Dinner Blunders Happen

I consider myself a pretty good cook. Not as good as my mom...she's chef material. But I can hold my own in the kitchen. However, many times when I cook I throw things together without a recipe. Last night was no different. I had decided I was going to make veggie lo mein. So I cooked up a box of noodles, chopped and stirfried the veggies. Then I added the noodles (just plain spaghetti) once I dumped them in I realized that I had made way too many. You would think this would ruin the dinner. But that's when improvising comes in handy. I simply added more sesame oil and more soysauce. It certainly wasn't as good as I hoped but I'm always my worst critic. Everyone else ate them up. And there's plenty left for lunch today. I won't post my recipe but I'll post one I found from Rachel Ray on FoodNetwork.com. lol, hopefully that'll come out better than the one I made.

Welcome Jammie!

Yay! Jammie has joined us! :D Just to give a little bit more information on her, Jammie and I met on Babycenter about 2 years ago! (Can you believe it's been that long?!?) Her daughter, Jaycie, and Kairi are just a few weeks apart in age. After discovering a shared love for Stargate SG1 and Richard Dean Anderson, we hit it off and haven't stopped talking since.

I love sharing recipes with her and am super excited about hearing more from her!

Cooking with Love

I was asked to co-author this blog today. I think it's a great idea and I love sharing my love for food. One of my favorite TV shows is The Next Food Network Star because that seems like such a dream job for me. What better job than to share your passion? I admit, I don't always cook meals for my family. By the end of the day I'm exhausted and the thought of preparing a meal and cleaning up the mess is daunting. But our budget (and waistlines) don't allow for frequent pizza deliveries or McDonald's runs. Besides, I believe establishing healthy eating habits for my toddler is incredibly important. So I decided to start cooking more...and cooking more healthy. Some days I cook simple easy meals and other days I'm inspired by Food Network and try my hand at more complex meals. Lately, however, I've been cooking more vegetarian meals since I currently have a vegetarian in the house. You might be like me and think that a vegetarian meal couldn't be satisfying, especially if you love meat as much as I do. But I was pleasantly surprised to find how much my family has enjoyed vegetarian meals. I hope you enjoy the recipes I'll be sharing and you're inspired to try your hand at different styles of cooking.