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.