Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. finely chopped celery
- 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
- 3 c. water
- 2 cups, peeled and diced potatoes
- salt and pepper
- 2 chicken boullion cubes
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 1 pint half and half
- 2 tbsp. flour
- chives, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese (optional toppings)

Directions:
Bring to boil vegetables and seasonings in water.  While cooking, mix sour cream, half and half and flour in a bowl.  When potatoes are tender, add sour cream mixture.  Stir and simmer on low heat about 15 minutes.  Serve with optional toppings. 

Pork Chops with Carolina Rub with Stove-Top Barbecue Beans

I got a new cookbook- Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook- and I love it!  Here's a new good recipe from the book.

Pork Chops
Combine 1 each of garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, paprika (I used smoked paprika because I heart it!), chili powder and black pepper along with 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Combine and rub onto pork chops.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Grill pork chops about 4 minutes, then turn and grill 2 minutes.  Brush with 1 tbsp. barbecue sauce each and grill about 2 more minutes or until done. 


Stove Top Barbecue Beans
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add 1/2 c. chopped onion and 1 minced garlic clove; saute 3 minutes. 

Stir in 1/3 c. ketchup and 2 tbsp. each of brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, and soy sauce along with 1 tbsp. chili powder.  Add 2 (15.5 oz) cans of drained and rinsed Great Northern beans.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Much Requested Recipe: Easy Taco Soup

People ask for this recipe all the time, so here it is.  I love it so much because I usually keep all the ingredients in the pantry during the fall and winter, so I can make it any time!  I often double or triple it to put some in the freezer for later.  It freezes great.  I love it with Scoops tortilla chips. I bet it would be great without the meat and some extra beans.  I'll add a picture next time I make some.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
- 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 can beans, drained (kidney or black beans are both great in it)
- 1 can corn, drained (regular whole kernel or fiesta corn)
- 1 jar salsa
- Optional for serving: tortillas chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions or chives

Directions (couldn't be easier):
- Brown and drain meat.
- Add soup, broth, beans, corn, and salsa.  Stir well and simmer about 15 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips and optional garnishes. 
- Enjoy! 

One of My Favs: Fish in a Bag

I had this dish at Red Lobster many years ago and loved it.  Since I'm allergic to shellfish, I don't usually have lots of choices at seafood restaurants.  This is one of my favorite recipes, so I can't believe it hasn't made the blog yet.  I actually got this one from the Red Lobster website.  I will say that after many times of making it, I really like mine better than the one I was served at the restaurant. 

Ingredients:
- 4 large sheets of parchment paper (probably about 18" long)
- 2 lemons, cut into wheels about 1/4 inch thick
- thyme sprigs
- blackened seasoning (I use Old Bay brand)
- 4 tilapia fillets, about 8-10 oz. (I use frozen, but thaw it out first!)
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 medium red pepper
- 2 stalks of celery
- 8 oz. carrot matchsticks
- 2 potatoes
- 2 tbls. dill weed
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbls. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tbls. butter, melted

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Cut the potatoes in half then into thin slices.  Steam the potato slices for about 5-8 minutes to soften.  I do this by putting them in a glass pie plate covered with plastic wrap with a few holes punched in the microwave.  You could also use the zip top steam bags.  I cool them off in cold water when finished.
- Cut the onion, pepper and celery in thin strips. 
- Put cooled potatoes, onion, pepper, celery and carrots in a large bowl.  Add dill, salt, pepper and thyme and mix well.  It works best to mix it with your hands. 
- Lay out the parchment sheets and brush each with melted butter.  Place 1/4 of veggie mix on each sheet- put it over to one side so you can fold it over later. 
- Prepare fish fillets by scoring it about every 1/2 inch.  You don't need to slice deep; just about 1/4 inch.  Brush each fillet with butter, then sprinkle with salt and blackened seasoning. 
- Place a fillet on top of each pile of veggies.  Cover with a few lemon wheels and thyme sprigs.
- Fold the parchment paper over; fold and crimp edges to seal. 
- Place packets on a cookie sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes.  You can check the fish temperature for doneness- it should be between 140-150. 
- Open the packets and enjoy!

Although I usually don't like fish left over the next day, if left in the packet and warmed in either the oven or microwave, it is great the next day!

What's for Dinner Tonight? Sloppy Joes

Alan loves sloppy joes.  I never really knew how much I liked them until I discovered that they don't have to come from a can of Manwich.  They are really easy to make.  I found this recipe in Cooking for 2 magazine, but just double the recipe to make more. 
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tbls. chopped onion
- 2 tbls. chopped green pepper
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
- 2 hamburger buns

Directions:
- In a skillet, brown the beef, onion and pepper over medium heat; drain.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients (not the buns of course!) and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
- Serve on buns.

Watermelon Sorbet

I love my local farmers' market in Statesboro.  One of the vendors gave me the recipe for melon sorbet.  I made it with watermelon, and it was fabulous!  It is so good on a hot day.  I don't know how to explain it, but it is the coldest thing I've ever eaten- colder than ice.  I don't know how that is possible, but try it and see for yourself.  My sister has been after me to post the recipe, so here it is.  I adjusted it to make enough to fill my ice cream churn.

UPDATE:  I tried this substituting agave nectar for the sugar/simple syrup, and it was just as fabulous without sugar!  Also, I think it works best in a food processor than a blender. 

Ingredients:
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. water
- 10 c. cubed watermelon with seeds removed
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
- Make a simple syrup by boiling the water and sugar until dissolved.  Cool in the refridgerator. 
- Working in two batches, put half the watermelon, half the cooled simple syrup, and half the lemon juice in the blender and puree.  Pour mixture into your ice cream churn.  Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. 
- Follow the directions for your ice cream churn to process the sorbet.

Quesadilla Casserole

Super easy, super yummy, and even better left over!

I'm usually pretty organized when it comes to menu planning and grocery shopping ahead of time.  I'm not sure what happened this time.  I was certain I had all the ingredients to make this casserole.  I got home and began making the recipe- that's when I realized perhaps I hadn't planned ahead as well as I thought.  I was missing SEVERAL ingredients.  No worries- I improvised and it still turned out great.  Below is the original recipe with my substitutions in parenthesis. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion (I used dried minced onion)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce (I used leftover marinara sauce)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained (I used Bush's Grilling Beans Black Bean Fiesta, not drained)
1 8.75 oz ccan whole kernel corn, undrained (I used frozen)
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies, undrained
6 flour tortillas, 8 inch
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used colby jack)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions:

1.  Brown beef and onion in skillet; drain. 
2. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, green chiles and spices.  Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
3.  Spread 1/2 cup of beef mixture on bottom of 9x13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
4.  Top with 3 tortillas.
5.  Layer with 1/2 remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of cheese.
6. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

So easy, and so so good!  I'm not a big fan of eggs, so I usually don't like breakfast casseroles.  The original recipe (The Big Book of Breakfasts) calls for cubed ham, but I LOVE sausage. 

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

3 c. frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, slightly thawed
1/2 c. grated pepper Jack cheese
1/3 c. grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 lb. sausage, browned and drained
6 to 8 green onions, sliced
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an 8x8 lightly sprayed dish, arrange a layer of hash browns, grated cheese, sausage, and green onions. 
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.  Bake uncovered until center is set, about 50 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Chocolate Mousse Brownie

Ingredients:

3/4 c. whipping cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (1 c.)

1 pkg. fudge brownie mix

water (as directed on brownie mix)

vegetable oil (as directed on brownie mix)

eggs (as directed on brownie mix)

3 eggs

1/3 c. sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. 

2. Heat whipping cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until melted.  Cool about 20 minutes.

3. While cooling, make brownie mix as directed on package, using the ingredients on the package.  Spread batter in pan.

4. Beat 3 eggs and sugar, using wire whisk or hand beater until foamy; stir into whipping cream mixture.  Pour over brownie batter.

5. Bake about 65 minutes.  Cool completely, about 2 hours.

6. For easier cutting, use a wet knife and cut with straight up and down motion.  Store covered in refridgerator.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Superquick (15 minutes tops) and super good!  You won't even notice there's no meat!

Ingredients:

1 tbls. olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed (or use frozen cubes like I do!)
1/4 c. diced onion
1 diced red bell pepper
2 c. chopped tomatoes (diced in a can would work fine- just drain first)
1 c. frozen kernel corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 (8 in) tortillas
1 c. Mexican blend cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler and cookie sheet.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic, pepper, and onion and saute 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, beans, and corn and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.  Place tortillas on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Top each with 3/4 cup bean mixture and  4 tbsp. cheese.  Fold in half.  Coat tops with cooking spray.
4. Broil 3 minutes or until lighly brown.  Cut each into 3 wedges. 

Prosciutto and Fontina Stuffed Chicken Breasts

All I can say is Wow!  So good!

Ingredients:

1 oz. chopped prosciutto
1 1/2 tsp. minced rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. shredded fontina cheese
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tbls. Dijon mustard
2 tbls. canola oil

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add proscuitto to pan; saute 2 minutes.  Add rosemary and garlic and saute 1 minute.  Spoon mixture into a bowl; cool to room temperature.  Stir in fontina cheese; set aside.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast to form a pocket.  Stuff about 2 tablespoons prosciutto mixture into each pocket; press lightly to flatten.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
3. Place crackers in food processor and process until finely ground.  Place cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.  Place flour in another shallow dish.  Combine egg whites and mustard in another shallow dish.
4. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, dredge in flour, dip in egg mixture, and coat with cracker crumbs.  Set aside. 
5. Heat pan over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes on each side. 

Broiled Red Snapper with Sicilian Tomato Pesto

After tonight, Alan declared that he has a new favorite meal!

Pesto:
1 c. basil leaves
2 tbls. pine nuts, toasted
2 tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 1/2 c. chopped plum tomatoes (about 3)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Fish:
6 (6 oz) red snapper or other firm whitefish fillets
1/4 tsp. salt
Cooking spray

Remaining ingredient:
3 cups hot cooked orzo

Directions:

To prepare pesto, place first 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.  Add cheese and red pepper; process until blended.  Transfer mixture to a bowl.  Add tomato, 1/2 tsp. salt, and black pepper, stirring gently. 

Preheat broiler and broiler pan. 

To prepare fish, sprinkle with salt.  Arrange fish on broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily.  Place orzo on plate; top with fish and pesto. 

Nutritional Info: 437 calories, 10.8 fat grams (for 1/2 c. orzo, 1 fillet, 1/4 c. pesto)

I served mine with broiled asparagus.  Simply place asparagus (with thick end cut where it naturally breaks when bent) on cooking sheet coated with cooking or olive oil spray.  Spray or drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper and toss.  Cooked along side the fish in the oven, it will cook in the same amount of time!

Speedy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

These enchiladas were super easy and fast- it took me maybe 15 minutes from start to finish!  I served mine with some Mexi-corn.

UPDATE:  I made these with ground beef this week instead, and they were great!!!

Ingredients:

1 c. chopped white onion

1 c. chopped green or red bell pepper

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

2 c. chopped chicken breast

1 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 tsp. ground cumin

8 (6 in) tortillas

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Directions:

Preheat broiler. 

I grilled 4 chicken tenders seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin; but you could use leftover chicken, supermarket rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken.  Just shred the chicken and mix with the cumin and 3/4 c. of the cheese.

Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray.  Add pepper and onion, and saute 2 minutes.  Add enchilada sauce, and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Warm tortillas.  I do this by wrapping the stack of tortillas in a couple of damp paper towels and microwaving for 30 seconds.  You could also heat them by wrapping in foil and baking or warm them on a grill pan or skillet individually. 

Add 1/4 c. of chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla, and roll.  Place tortillas seam side down in a rectangular baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Pour sauce mixture over enchiladas; broil for 3 minutes. 

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cheese and broil 1 minute.  Serve with sour cream and cilantro. 

                                      

Nutrition Info: (for 2 enchiladas using reduced fat cheese, corn tortillas and fat free sour cream)

  364 calories, 11 grams of fat

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers

1 lb. lean ground beef (turkey would be great too!)

2 tbs. chopped onion

1 c. cooked rice

1 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each pepper, removing the top.  Remove the seeds and rinse.  Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover for 5 minutes.  Drain.

Cook beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until brown.  Drain.  Stir in rice, salt, garlic, and 1 cup of the sauce.  Cook until hot.

Stuff peppers with beef mixture.  Stand peppers up in square baking dish.  Pour remaining sauce over peppers.  Cover and bake 45 minutes. 

Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake about 15 minutes longer.  Enjoy!

Buff Smoothie

I saw Alton Brown, our favorite Food Network guru, make this smoothie on the episode where he shared how he lost 50 pounds in 9 months.  It looked good, so I gave it a try.  I love it-- it is my new weekday breakfast.  I pour it in a sports bottle and drink it on the way to work.  When I first saw soy milk in the ingredients, I thought no way!  But trust me- while I certainly won't be drinking it by itself, it makes the smoothie taste like there is ice cream in it and the protein keeps you full.  This makes a 24 oz. smoothie.  I was worried that I would be hungry, but the mixture of fruit, fiber and protein keeps me full until lunch!  And according to Alton Brown, eating purple equals antioxidents!

Ingredients:

4 oz. soy milk (I used 8th Continent Vanilla Complete that has added Omega 3, fiber and calcium)
4 oz. grape, acai berry, or pomegranate juice (I used pomegranate)
4 oz. frozen bananas
4 oz. frozen strawberries
4 oz. frozen blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries (I used blackberries- but you will have seeds!)
4 oz. frozen peaches, mango, or pineapple (I've made it with peaches and pineapple- both are great.)

Directions:

Prep your smoothie the night before.  Put all ingredients in the blender and put in the refridgerator overnight.  This will save you time in the morning and allow the fruit to thaw slightly.  In the morning, blend starting at low speed.  When you get a vortex (like a tornado), blend on medium for 1 minute then on high for 1 minute.

Penne Rustica

This dish was so delicious and easy!  All you have to do is roast some veggies, grill some chicken, and boil some pasta- simple enough. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. penne pasta
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 zucchini
1 c. roasted red peppers (jarred)
3 Roma tomatoes
1 Lemon
Oregano
Basil
Salt
Pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut zucchini and tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Put on baking sheet, flesh side up.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  To the zucchini, also add the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon and a pinch of oregano. 

Roast in oven for 30 min. 

While roasting, grill the chicken breasts seasoned with the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon, salt and pepper. I cut mine into bite-sized pieces first, but you could do this afterwards. 

Also, boil pasta until al dente. 

When all three are done, cut the chicken, zucchini, tomato, and roasted red pepper into bite-sized pieces.  Toss with the drained pasta.  Season with salt, pepper, and basil.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss.

Variation: 

It would also be great with 1/2 a jar or can of artichoke hearts.

Next time, Alan wants to add some black olives and feta cheese to his!  (I don't like either.)

Bacon-Cheese Drop Biscuits

These yummy biscuits are easy to make, since they are mixed in a food processor and just dropped onto the baking sheet!

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbls. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tbls. shortening, cut into pieces
1 c. buttermilk
3 thick cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a food processor, mix first five ingredients.  Add shortening and pulse until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Add buttermilk and process until dough holds together.  Fold in bacon and cheese.  Drop heaping tablespoons of dough for each biscuit onto an ungreased baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment) and bake about 10-12 minutes.