Sopa Seca

Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
3 small tomatoes (about 3/4 lb)
Large green pepper
Medium-size onion
2 large garlic cloves
2 ounces Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 lb)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound vermicelli
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
salt
1 teaspoon minced coriander for garnish

Directions:
1. Bring stock to a boil in medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Wash, dry, core, and coarsely chop tomatoes.
3. wash and dry green bell pepper. Core, seed and dice pepper.
4. Halve, peel, and finely chop onion. Crush, peel, and mince garlic.
5. Using food processor or grater, grate cheese. Transfer to small serving bowl.
6. Add chicken breasts to boiling stock, reduce heat, and poach at a gentle simmer 10 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached chicken to plate. Reserve stock. Allow chicken to cool until it can be easily handled.
8. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-gauge saute pan over medium heat until hot. Break vermicelli into 3-inch lengths and cook in oil, stirring and tossing frequently, 2 minutes, or until browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer vermicelli to large serving dish; set aside.
9. Add remaining tablespoon oil to saute pan. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
10. Meanwhile, coarsely shred chicken.
11. Return vermicelli to pan and add reserved stock, cumin, and Cayenne. Cook over medium heat, covered, 4 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Cook, covered, another 4 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and vermicelli is tender.
12. Season sopa seca with salt to taste and transfer to large serving dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese and minced coriander. Serve remaining cheese on the side.

Notes: Tasty! The name of this dish means "dry soup," so it does not have a liquid consistency. This dish has a bit of a kick to it, so if you have sensitive taste buds, I would recommend starting with a smaller amount of Cayenne pepper and season it to taste. I found the flavors to be similar to those you would find in an enchilada that you would order at a Mexican restaurant. We liked the combination of those flavors with the texture of the pasta. We used spaghetti instead of vermicelli, since that is what we had on hand. I didn't serve the sopa seca with cheese, since John isn't a huge fan of Parmesan and I didn't think I would like it as much with the flavors in the dish. We did season our own individual servings with coriander and thought it was yummy. I forgot to add the salt at the end and found that it tasted just fine without it. Out of the last few recipes that we have tried, this is probably our favorite. This is another recipe from Great Meals In Minutes: Soup and Stew Menus.

Yam and Ham Soup with Ginger

Ingredients
Medium-size onion
2 large carrots (about 1/2 lb. total weight)
1-inch piece fresh ginger
Medium-size orange (for garnish)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
Small bunch parsley (for garnish)
3 or 4 medium-size yams (about 2 lbs. total weight)
3/4 lb. baked ham
2 Tbsp bourbon (optional)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Halve and peel onion. Peel and trim carrots. Using paring knife or vegetable peeler, peel ginger. In food processor with steel blade, or with a chef's knife, coarsely chop onion, carrots, and ginger; set aside.
2. Wash and dry orange. Using grater, finely grate enough zest to measure 6 teaspoons; set aside. Note: this is used as garnish.
3. In large heavy-gauge saucepan or flameproof casserole, melt butter with oil over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables and 2 teaspoons grated orange zest and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
4. Stir in chicken stock and apple juice. Cover pan, increase heat to high, and bring liquid to boil.
5. Meanwhile, wash and dry parsley. Finely chop enough parsley to measure 2 teaspoons; set aside.  Note: this is used as garnish. Pare yams with vegetable peeler and cut enough into small dice to measure about 6 cups.
6. Add yams to boiling stock and reduce heat to medium. Gently boil yams, partially covered, 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
7. Cut enough ham into 1/4-inch dice to measure about 2 cups; set aside.
8. Using slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups cooked yams to food processor or blender. Process, adding a little of the soup liquid, until yams become a smooth puree. Using rubber spatula, scrape puree back into soup and stir to blend. Add ham, and bourbon if using. Simmer gently until ham is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep soup warm over very low heat until ready to serve.
9. To serve, ladle soup into 4 individual bowls. Garnish each serving with 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon orange zest.

Notes: This recipe comes from Great Meals in Minutes: Soup and Stew Menus.  We thought it was all right, but nothing we will make frequently.  I would also recommend against the orange zest as garnish unless you really know what you are doing; I garnished my first bowl and ended up with soup that had an overpowering taste of orange zest.

Eggs in a Basket

Ingredients
One egg for each slice of bread
Cooking spray or butter

Directions
This is one way to make these.  There are probably other ways.
1. Warm up frying pan to medium-high heat.
2. Butter both sides of the bread.
3. Break or cut a whole in the middle of the bread.  (The bigger the whole, the thinner the egg will be and the faster it will cook.)
4. Place bread in frying pan.  Crack open egg and empty into "basket" in the bread.  Allow time for one side of bread and egg to cook, then flip and cook other side.
5. The piece of bread that was cut out can also be toasted in the frying pan at the same time or afterwards.

Notes: It seems like whenever it was my dad's turn to make breakfast when I was growing up, this is what we had.  I like to top mine with ketchup or barbecue sauce.  Apparently there are lots of different names for this meal, and lots of different variations (see here for example).

Chicken Azteca

Ingredients:
2-15 0z. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 c. frozen corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. salsa, divided
4 large chicken breasts
2-8oz. pkg. cream cheese
Cooked rice
Shredded cheddar cheese
Lettuce
Sour cream
Other burrito-type toppings you want
Tortillas

Directions:
1. Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin, and half of salsa in slow cooker.
2. Arrange chicken on top of bean and corn mixture. Pour remaining salsa over top.
3. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
4. Once chicken is done, remove it from slow cooker and cut into bite-size pieces or shred. Return to slow cooker.
5. Stir in cream cheese and cook on high until the cheese melts.
6. Fill tortillas with chicken and sauce and any other toppings you might like. You can also just top rice with the chicken and sauce, but it tastes great as a burrito.

Notes: This makes enough to completely fill a 3-quart slow cooker. We had a ton leftover, which I plan to freeze and save for later. We had this meal while visiting John's brother and had to ask for the recipe. It is quite tasty!  We didn't use as much chicken as the recipe calls for, so ours came out a bit more saucy.

Summer Soba Noodles

Ingredients
8 oz. soba noodles
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup shredded carrots
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp hot water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered

Directions
1. Cook noodles according to package directions, about 8 minutes or until tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.
2. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with edamame, carrots, and sesame seeds; set aside.
3. Mix peanut butter, mayonnaise, soy sauce, canola oil, hot water, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic in a covered blender or food processor until smooth.  Toss into noodle mixture.  Makes 6 servings.

Notes: This recipe is from the June 2011 issue of Parents magazine.  The edamame and soba noodles aren't common ingredients for us, so it was a nice change.  The flavor was good but not as strong as might be expected.  Toasted sesame oil is pretty expensive so Brittany replaced it with another cooking oil.

Peppered Pork Pitas with Garlic Sauce

 Ingredients
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 Tbsp milk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1 jar (7.25 oz) roasted red bell peppers, drained, sliced
4 pita fold breads (7 inch)

Directions
1. In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, milk, and garlic; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, mix pork, oil, and pepper.  Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook pork in skillet 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork is lightly browned and no longer pink in center.  Stir in bell peppers; heat until warm.
3. Heat pita folds as directed on package.  Lightly spread one side of each pita fold with garlic mixture.  Spoon pork mixture over each; fold up.

Notes: Delicious! Easy to make, too.  Recipe comes from the Betty Crocker website and was recommended by my sister, Jen.  Check the link for a better photo.  (Our local store only had pocket pitas.)  Although I am just now getting around to posting it, we've already had it a couple of times in the last month.
Note from Brittany: I just seasoned the mayo sauce with garlic powder to our own liking. I thought 2 cloves of garlic was quite a bit, but some people might like it that garlicky.

Chicken Cutlets Parmesan

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup dry unflavored bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Using sharp knife, remove and discard any excess fat and gristle from chicken breast.  Cut away tendon from fillet.  Place 1 breast half, smooth side down, on sheet of waxed paper.  Top with another sheet of waxed paper.  Pound cutlet until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Discard waxed paper.  Repeat process with the remaining breast halves.
2. Dust pounded cutlets with flour on clean sheet of waxed paper; shake off any excess.
3. Place eggs in bowl and beat.  Place bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and oregano in another bowl and stir together.
4. Dip each cutlet first in egg and then in crumb mixture.  Set cutlets aside on wire rack until ready to cook.
5. Heat oil in skillet over moderately high heat until almost smoking.  Place 2 cutlets in skillet and fry until crisp and golden brown.  Turn over with tongs and fry on other side about 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and fry remaining cutlets in the same manner.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Notes: This was really tasty.  The crumb coating had a nice crunchy texture.  We found the recipe in a book called Great Meals in Minutes: Chicken & Game Hen Menus, which was published back in 1983.  (When we lived in California, a neighbor of ours was going to throw it away and I thought a few of the recipes looked interesting so I took it.  It has taken us a year and a half, but we are finally trying it out.)  I forgot to add the salt and pepper at the end, but I don't think it needed it.  We had a lot of extra bread crumb mixture.  Also, I was a bit lazy and didn't get my chicken as thin as the recipe called for, so it took a bit longer to cook and the crumb coating ended up a bit dark (slightly overcooked) as a result.

Addictive Mexican Stew

Ingredients
1 cup dice onion
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken or 3 cups cooked turkey, diced or shredded
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix
2 (14.5 oz) cans ready-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can black beans or kidney beans, drained
1 (8.75 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions
1. Cook onion and garlic in oil in large saucepan until tender.
2. Add cooked chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes, beans, corn, and chilies.
3. Blend broth and cornstarch; add to saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes; stirring occasionally.
5. Serve with corn bread for a hearty meal.

Notes: This recipe comes from Food.com, and was suggested by a former roommate of mine a couple of years ago.  We just now got around to trying it.  Basically it is a taco soup recipe.  I don't know if I would call it addictive, but it was pretty good.  I had it for lunch the next three days after we made it and didn't get sick of it.

Pork Pot Roast in Cider

Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pound boneless pork blade or sirloin roast
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 medium red potatoes or round white potatoes, peeled (if desired) and quartered
3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat. In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Stir together apple cider, bouillon granules, mustard, and pepper.  Pour over meat.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion.  Simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender.  Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter, reserving juices in Dutch oven.  Keep warm.
3. For gravy, measure juices; skim fat.  If necessary, add enough water to juices to equal 1 1/2 cups.  Return to Dutch oven.  Stir cold water into flour.  Stir into juices in pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  To serve, remove string from meat, if present.  Slice meat and serve with vegetables and gravy.

Crockery-Cooker Directions
Trim fat from meat.  Brown meat as directed above.  Place potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker.  Cut meat to fit in cooker and place on top of vegetables.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours or until tender.  Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.  Prepare gravy in a medium saucepan on the range top as in step 3.  Serve as above.

Notes: Brittany made this in the crockpot.  We didn't have any parsnips.  This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book.

Baked Praline French Toast

Ingredients
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
10 to 12 slices soft bread, 1 inch thick

Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups chopped pecans

Directions
Generously butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  Mix the eggs, half-and-half, syrup, and sugar in a large bowl.  Place the bread slices in the prepared casserole dish and cover with the egg mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the casserole from the refrigerator.

Make the topping: melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the sugar and maple syrup and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the pecans.  Pour the mixture over the bread and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:  Delicious - but how could anything with this much butter and sugar not be?  I made this for Brittany's birthday breakfast this year, and while I'm still probably more fond of the other baked French toast recipe we've tried (Apple with Caramel Sauce), this was certainly tasty.  I've been enjoying the leftovers as dessert for my lunches.  This recipe comes from a blog called "Crave. Indulge. Satisfy."

Brittany's notes: I love pecans, maple, and brown sugar combined, so I thought this was absolutely delicious. It may have tasted even better since I didn't have to make it :)

Bacon-Wrapped Meat Loaf

 Ingredients
Glaze
1/2 cup chili sauce (or substitute ketchup)
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. cider vinegar

Meat Loaf
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 med. cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or whole milk)
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal (or more pork instead)
2/3 cup Saltine crackers, crushed (about 18) or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6-8 oz. bacon, thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

Directions:
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and set aside.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and milk or yogurt.  Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl.  (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt a couple tablespoons at a time until it no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface.  With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape.  Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking ban.  Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour.  Cool 10-15 minutes.  While meat loaf is cooling, re-heat remaining sauce and brush some over loaf if desired.  Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze.

Notes: I'm pretty sure Brittany didn't follow this recipe exactly (I don't think we had hot sauce or ground pork, and I know we didn't have veal), but whatever she did was still tasty.  This recipe came from Our Best Bites, which apparently got it from America's Test Kitchen.  I'm not sure if it was the bacon, but I didn't enjoy this as much when eaten as leftovers compared to other meatloaf recipes we've tried (regular and mushroom-and-sour-cream).  Also, we didn't have very much extra glaze for serving with the sliced meatloaf.
Update by Brittany: I used 1 pound of ground pork in addition to the ground beef. I used oatmeal instead of crushed crackers, and we didn't have any Dijon mustard, chili sauce, or hot sauce on hand. I agree with John-it was tasty (and it made the house smell delicious!), but I would probably prefer one of the other meatloaf recipes to this one. Perhaps I will try it again without the bacon. The glaze was really yummy.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions (less to taste)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown beef in a large skillet.  Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.  Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.  Cook egg noodles until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese.  Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper.  Add to noodles and stir.  Add green onions and stir.  To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish.  Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar.  Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.  Serve with crusty French bread.

Notes: This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman.  When I first saw it in the dish I thought it would be similar to the Lasagna Toss recipe we've got on this blog, but the flavor was completely different.  Tasty.

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
1 lb. spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon, chopped
1 qt. water
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
2 to 4 russet potatoes, cubed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 med. onion, chopped
2 C. chopped kale or swiss chard
1 C. heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. In a skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it into pieces; set aside.
2. In a skillet, brown the bacon and crumble it into pieces; set aside.
3. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are done.  Add sausage and bacon to pot and simmer 10 more minutes.
4. Add kale and cream at last minute.  Let sit for a while but don't boil it.

Notes: This recipe came from Brittany's sister, Stephanie.  Very tasty!

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:
6 c. diced and peeled potatoes
5 c. water
2 c. diced onions
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/4 c. butter
4 tsp. bouillon cubes (may want to start with 2 and add to taste)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except for milk, parsley, and cheese. Cook on high for 7-8 hours  until veggies are tender. Stir in milk and parsley. Stir in cheese until it melts, or serve it on top of individual servings.

Notes: Feeds 8-10 people. We got this recipe from Brittany's mom.

Rice-Sausage Bake

Ingredients
1 lb. ground sausage
1 C. celery, chopped
1 1/2 C. rice, uncooked
1 pkg. Lipton noodle soup mix
1 C. water

Directions
1. Cook rice until almost done.  Brown sausage with celery.
2. Add rice, Lipton noodle soup mix, and water.
3. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until rice is cooked and casserole is warmed all the way through, about 20 minutes.

Notes: This recipe came from Brittany's sister, Melanie.  When I first saw it after Brittany made it I thought the flavor was going to be a bit bland, but I actually ended up really liking it.  We will definitely have this again in the future.

Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce

Ingredients
1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb) pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 med. onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup root beer*
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 cups root beer (2 12-oz cans or bottles)*
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 tsp root beer concentrate (optional)
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
8 to 10 hamburger buns, split (toasted, if desired)
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Tomato slices (optional)
*Do not use diet root beer

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat.  If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3.5- to 5-quart crockery cooker.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Transfer meat to cooker.  Add onions, the 1 cup root beer, and garlic.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan combine the 3 cups root beer and the chili sauce.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups.  If desired, add root beer concentrate and hot pepper sauce.
4. Transfer meat to a cutting board or serving platter.  Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from cooking juices and place on a serving platter.  Discard juices.  Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds.  To serve, if desired, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices.  Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce.

Notes: This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book, and is one of their "Best Loved" recipes.  I have only had root beer pulled pork a few times in my life, but I have enjoyed it every time.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (ours was about 5 pounds)

Non-stick cooking spray

Paprika

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Spray a large crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Take chicken out of its packaging and remove the innards from the inside of the chicken (these are usually conveniently packaged in a bag, but my chicken today just had them floating around inside the cavity...). Rinse the chicken well, both inside and out. Place the chicken in the crock pot and season with any combination of spices/herbs you want. I used paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can also use the herb combination from this roasted chicken recipe. Put the lid on the crock pot, turn it on low, and leave it in there for about 7 hours. Make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F to ensure that it is fully cooked. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the crock pot, cut up, and serve.

Notes from Brittany: I loved how easy and practically effortless this meal was. As I removed the chicken from the crock pot, the drumsticks and wings just fell off and the meat was really tender. The skin doesn't get crispy like it does in the oven, but I liked cooking the chicken this way, since I don't have a roasting pan and like to have all the drippings and liquid leftover for my own chicken stock. I got the idea for this meal from my visiting teacher and did a little research online. I followed the Happy Housewife's directions. I suggest reading her post and the comments for some great tips and ideas. After dinner tonight, I removed all the meat from the bones and place the bones back in the crock pot with all the juices that were left from cooking the chicken. I added some carrots, celery, and onions and enough water to cover the bones and veggies, then turned the crock pot on low and will leave it overnight to cook my own chicken stock. The Happy Housewife goes into more details about this on her blog.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

4 large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1 Tbsp salt

1/2 C white rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 to 1 jalapeño, minced (or a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle chili powder, to taste

1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper, more to taste

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 1/4 C jack or pepper jack cheese, divided

3 to 4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

tortilla chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides.  Bring 4 quarts water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.  Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.  Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper.  Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro.  Stir to combine well and give it a taste.  Add additional salt, pepper, and chili powder to your liking.  Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.  Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and crushed tortilla chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Notes: Delicious!  I found this recipe on Our Best Bites.  Apparently our peppers weren't large enough because we had a lot of leftover filling.  (The filling by itself was tasty, too, when eaten with tortilla chips.)  I don't think this recipe would work as well with green bell peppers.  Much better, in my opinion, than Croation Stuffed Peppers.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


Directions
1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
4. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
5. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
6. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.


Notes: Brittany found this recipe on a blog called Our Best Bites.  As you can see from the photos, our tortillas cracked.  These were really quite tasty.

Spaghetti Pie

 Ingredients
4 oz. dried spaghetti
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.
2. Return spaghetti to warm saucepan.  Stir butter into hot pasta until melted.  Stir in egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and fennel seeds until meat is brown and onion is tender.  Drain.  Stir in tomato sauce and oregano; heat through.
4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.  Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate, forming a crust.  Spread cottage cheese on the top and up the sides of pasta crust.  Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.  To serve, cut into wedges.

Notes: This was actually quite tasty, and reminded me somewhat of lasagna.  It comes from the Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition cook book, and is one of their "Best Loved" recipes.  Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup lemonade
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 bay leaf
1 (12 oz.) package corn tortillas
1 head lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 (8 oz.) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz.) jar salsa
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, lemonade, olive oil, lime juice, and Worchestershire sauce.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaf.  Simmer until chicken is no longer pink, and juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave until soft.  When chicken is fully cooked, transfer to serving bowl.  Place lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and sour cream in serving dishes.  Each person can create their own wrap, using their preferred ingredients.

Notes: We didn't have lemonade, so we used limeade.  Lemonade would probably have been better.  We also used flour tortillas instead of corn.  We liked this recipe but didn't think it was anything special.  It didn't really taste anything like what I expect a taco to taste like.  My sister-in-law has a chicken taco recipe that we like much better that we will have to make some time in the future.  Brittany found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  Makes 8 servings.

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 (4 oz.) boneless pork loin chops
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

2. Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

3. In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.              

Notes: Brittany's sister, Kim, shared this recipe with us, and she found it on allrecipes.com.  We obviously didn't follow the directions exactly, since our pork is bone-in, our raspberry sauce has seeds in it, and we put the sauce on top.  Still, very tasty.  I think this is only our second pork chop recipe on the blog, but we prefer this one to Pork Chops and Orange Rice.

Tamale Pie Dinner Muffins

Ingredients
Corn Bread
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1 egg

Tamale Pie Filling
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef (browned and drained)
1 can cream-style or regular corn (or equivalent frozen)
1 1/2 tsp. chile powder
Optional: chopped olives, green peppers, onions

Directions
1. Make corn bread mixture:
  a. Combine dry ingredients.
  b. Stir in milk, oil, and egg.
  c. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened (do not over-mix).

2. Make tamale pie filling:
  a. Brown beef (and green peppers and onions if desired), then drain.
  b. Add remaining ingredients (corn, chile powder, olives) and mix together.

3. Grease muffin pan.  Pour in a layer of corn bread mixture, then a layer of tamale pie filling, then another layer of corn bread mixture into each cup of the muffin pan.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until corn bread is golden brown on top.

Notes: The proportion of ingredients for the corn bread and the filling may be off a little (there may be more filling than corn bread), since this is just a combination of 2 different recipes.  See also our Tamale Pie recipe.  I believe Brittany's sister, Kimberly, came up with the idea to make these.  Other fillings can also be used.

Homemade Pizza

BBQ Ranch Pizza

  

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
3/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. (or 1 package) yeast
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. shortening

Toppings
1/2 - 3/4 c. light sour cream
Ranch dressing (dry) mix
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
BBQ sauce
Green pepper, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Pineapple
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sift together all-purpose flour, wheat flour, and salt. Cut in shortening. Add yeast and water mixture to flour mixture. Mix well with a fork and knead until smooth. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
2. While dough is resting, prepare toppings. For the sauce, combine sour cream and your desired amount of dry ranch dressing mix. Start with a little bit and taste as you add to your liking. Add desired amount of BBQ sauce to shredded chicken.
3. Press dough onto a greased pizza pan or place on a preheated pizza stone that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. (If using a pizza stone, you may want to shape the dough and add the toppings, then transfer it to the pizza stone, although this can be tricky without a pizza peel.)
4. Assemble the pizza by adding sauce, shredded chicken, green peppers, green onions, pineapple, and cheese.
5. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and crust is cooked through.

Jalapeno Bacon Pizza

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough recipe (above)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
Bacon, cooked and chopped
Red onion, chopped (optional)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Prepare pizza dough by following the instructions above.
2. If you want a spicy sauce, add some of the seeds from the pepper to the cream cheese. Make sure the cream cheese is soft enough to spread over the pizza crust.
3. Press dough onto a greased pizza pan or place on a preheated pizza stone that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. (If using a pizza stone, you may want to shape the dough and add the toppings, then transfer it to the pizza stone, although this can be tricky without a pizza peel.)
4. Assemble the pizza by adding cream cheese, jalapenos, bacon, onion, and mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and crust is cooked through.

Notes:
This is one of John's favorite meals. You can make the crust with all white flour, but we have found that the half-wheat crust really enhances the flavor. I got the topping ideas from my sister, Kimberly, who makes really delicious pizzas! See also: Scrambled Egg Pizza.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
3-4 slices cooked ham, chopped
1 c. frozen peas
1 carrot, shredded
4 cups cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce, if desired

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Scramble eggs in skillet. Remove from pan and keep warm. Heat chopped ham in skillet until slightly brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
2. Add peas and carrots to skillet and cook for a couple minutes until they are tender. Add rice, cooked eggs and ham to the skillet and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, serve with soy sauce.

Dinner Braids

Ingredients

Enough bread dough for one loaf of bread (Brittany has a homemade bread recipe here)

Your choice of ingredients for the filling (see some options below)

Directions

I found it a little difficult to write the instructions in a clear way of how to braid the dough, and since we don't have a picture of the entire bread braid, I searched for a video that you can watch to see how it is done. You can use any combination of ingredients that you would like. This is a recipe that you can be very creative with. You can find the video here.

Just a few notes on what I do a little differently than the lady in the video: I roll the dough out onto my greased cookie sheet so that I don't have to transfer it later. Instead of using a ruler, I just eyeball it and try to make my strips equal. I also cut the strips using the edge of a large metal spatula, since it is about the length needed for the strips. You can choose to brush the dough with an egg white, or you can bake the braid without brushing it. If you add bread crumbs or spices on top, though, you will want to brush it with an egg white, oil, or melted butter. This recipe isn't as complicated as it seems, and is a fun variation of some common meals.

Dinner Braid Fillings

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese

1 ½ to 2 C. cooked shredded chicken

1 to 2 C. cooked broccoli

½ can cream of chicken soup or chicken gravy or more to taste

1 C. cheddar cheese

Chicken Cordon Bleu Braid

Ham or canadian bacon slices—enough to layer on bottom of braid

1 C. cooked shredded chicken

1 C. shredded swiss cheese

Layer the ingredients on the middle section of dough; braid. Spread egg wash or oil on braid and sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs on top before you let it raise. Bake.  You may pour gravy on to serve.

Taco Braid

½ to 1 lb. cooked ground beef flavored with taco flavoring

½ to 1 C. favorite cooked beans (kidney, black, pinto, refried, etc.)

Diced tomatoes

Green onions

Sliced olives

Cheddar cheese

Any other taco toppings that would bake well.

Chicken and Cream Cheese

2 cups cooked chicken shredded

cream cheese

green onions

Mix together and fill in braid.

Cream Cheese Dessert Braid

4 oz. softened cream cheese

½ C. powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix together well and spread in middle section of braid. Spread a small layer of jam or fresh fruit on top—you don't need a whole lot. Braid and bake. After it comes out of the oven, let it cool for 5-10 minutes then spread frosting on.

Frosting –this is about twice as much as you will need for one braid, so you can half it.

2 C. powdered sugar

¼ C. softened butter

½ tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. water

Other ideas

Chicken alfredo with peas, broccoli, carrots (all vegetables pre-cooked)

Cabbage bun filling (see here)

Pizza toppings—any variety, Hawaiian, supreme, etc.

BBQ pork or beef

Sloppy Joe

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

Ingredients
1 c. mayo
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. onion
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 can chicken or 2 shredded chicken breasts
1 c. Swiss cheese
2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine mayo, mustard, parsley, and onion. Mix well. In a 2nd bowl mix bacon, chicken, cheese, and 1/3 cup mayo mixture. Arrange crescent rolls on circular pizza pan with points of triangle hanging over the edge and wide ends overlapping. Place chicken mixture on rolls. Pull point to wide end and tuck under. Slice tomatoes and put on each roll. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve the leftover mayo mixture as dipping sauce.

Notes: This is another recipe we made a while ago from the Recipes and Remembrances cook book.  I had forgotten about it until I went looking through old photos.  I remember really liking it.  The raw onions in the leftover dipping sauce were too strong for my taste, though.  I prefer my onions cooked.

Variation
We tried this with taco meat, sour cream, and cheese as the filling.  It was also tasty that way, although I think I prefer the original.

Crockpot Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 (15 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 tomato, chopped
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 (7-inch) tortillas

Directions
In a skillet, brown and drain ground beef.  Add onion and pepper.  Add beans, chilies, enchilada sauce and tomato.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  In crock pot, layer some beef mixture on bottom, then cover with a tortilla, then cheese.  Repeat over and over until meat mixture is gone, reserving some cheese for later.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Add cheese on top for last hour.

Notes: We actually had this a few months ago, so I don't remember too many details.  I believe the tortillas we used more or less disintegrated, and, as can be seen from the photo, it didn't really end up looking like an enchilada.  Still, it was tasty and we enjoyed it.  The recipe comes from the Prairie 4th Ward's Recipes and Remembrances 2nd Edition cook book.

Cream Cheese Pasta

Ingredients
12 oz. garden noodles, cooked
1 large chicken breast, diced and cooked
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 bag of frozen California-style vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)

Directions
Boil noodles in water until tender.  Dice chicken, then cook on medium heat until golden brown.  In a medium sauce pan, mix cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, milk, and parsley on low heat until melted.  Add vegetables to chicken and stir until vegetables are cooked through.  Mix completed sauce with noodles and then serve.

Notes: Brittany added ham.  We didn't have California-style veggies, but we did have broccoli and cauliflower, so we used those.  Tasty.  We got this recipe from the Prairie 4th Ward Recipes and Remembrances cook book.

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half (or milk)
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings.

Notes: Delicious.  Brittany found this recipe on Copykat Recipes.  We found gnocchi in the pasta section in a vacuum-sealed package, but we've also seen it in the frozen section before and Copykat Recipes suggests looking in the gourmet section.