Salsa Bean Soup

Cook beans from a bag, follow directions on the back of the bag.  I used a 15 bean variety bag. (you could also use canned beans which would be way quicker, but this way made me feel like I could actually cook without using canned everything!)
I actually didn't do exactly as it directed on the bag, I rinsed the beans really good, then I put the beans in my crockpot around 4 the day before and set it on high until 8 that evening, then I turned it off and let the beans sit overnight.  The next morning the beans were DONE, all I needed to do was add the rest of the ingredients.  I also used half a bag, a whole bag makes A LOT of beans :)  Drain all the water the beans have been sitting in then I added,

(all of these measurements are "about", then I added a little of what I thought it needed until it tasted yummy!)
about 2 cups of salsa
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup taco seasoning
and enough water to make it soupy

You can also add ground or meatballed hamburger, turkey or sausage.
Serve with chips or rolls.
Easy, cheap and Yummy!
Enjoy!!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken breast cubed (I have also used canned chicken and it works great!)
1 c sliced carrots
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c celery sliced
(I usually use 3 cups of frozen veggies instead of cutting up fresh ones to save time)

1/3 c butter
1/3 c onion
1/3 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t celery seed
1 3/4 c chicken broth (1 can)
2/3 c milk
2 pie crusts

Preparation
In one sauce pan boil chicken and veggies together for 15 minutes.

In a separate pan melt butter and saute onions.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Pour in broth and milk.  Whisk together until no clumps remain.  Simmer until sauce thickens. 

Drain chicken and veggies.  Add to sauce and mix together.  Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes and enjoy!   
Tip:  I try to let mine cool for 30-45 minutes before eating to let the sauce thicken up.  Otherwise it is pretty runny, but it tastes yum either way!

Cafe Rio Please :)

Thanks to Esther Murdoch for making some delicious Cafe Rio style pork and dressing and letting us sample some.  Good eats, good friends, good talks....don't you wish you woulda come!?!?  Enjoy trying these recipes!

Pork: 

4-6 lb pork roast
2 cup brown sugar
16 oz. salsa
1 can of coke
*optional ingredients: 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Shred and place back in juice in crockpot for about an hour before serving.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

3 c. water
3 c. rice
4 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp chicken boullion granules
lime juice
put next ingredients into a blender: 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 1 can green chilies, 1/2 onion
Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Simmer for 30 mins.

Tomatillo Dressing: 










3/4 c. buttermilk
1 can green chilies
1/2 c. cilantro
1 tomatillo
1/2 tsp lime juice
dash of cayenne pepper
1 c. Mayonnnaise
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalepeno (you can used canned ones)
1 tsp salt
dash of Tabasco (optional)
1 pkg ranch mix
Combine in a blender and mix until smooth.

You can eat this several ways: pile the meat onto the rice and add dressing,  eat it on a tortilla shell, add additional toppings like lettuce, black beans cheese, whatever else you think sounds good with this.  Yum, YUM!

p.s.  the pictures were taking from other people's blogs and don't represent the yummyness we had today, but you can get an idea of how it all looks :)

Chili Cheese Souffle

                          

                                       

10 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp baking powder

2 - 4oz cans chopped green chilies

4 cups grated cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 small pint, cottage cheese

1/4 cup butter melted

Mix together eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.  you can mix this recipe up, use any type of cheese you would like or anything that goes good with eggs...green peppers, onions, bacon, 1/2 cups salsa, tomotoes, olives, etc, etc. 

Pour into greased 9x13 dish

Bake in preheated oven at 400 for 15 minutes, 

then reduce temp to 350 and 

bake another 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Easy Kid Friendly Cookies

Want the easiest, most kid-friendly cookie recipe? It is fail proof and has very few ingredients. I am no chef, but these always seem to get rave reviews. They are what I seem to whip up in a pinch as well. People are always asking for the recipe and I just have to smile at how simple they really are.

Cake Mix Cookies

Combine:
1 cake mix (any kind works, chocolate is my favorite)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
chocolate chips

Roll cookies into small balls; add chocolate chips to tops of cookies if desired. (Who wouldn't desire them??) Bake 10 -12 minutes at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Tiramisu Bowl

3 c. cold milk
2 pkg. Jell-O vanilla instant pudding
48 Nilla wafers
1 c. fresh raspberries
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 tub Cool Whipped topping, thawed
1/2 c. brewed Maxwell House coffee, cooled (I used cooled hot cocoa)
2 squares Baker's Semi-sweet baking chocolate

1. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mixes.
3. Stir in 2 c. whipped topping.
4. Line bottom and sides of bowl with half wafers. Drizzle with half cocoa. Layer half of pudding mixture over wafers and top with half grated chocolate.
5. Repeat layers starting with wafers and cocoa.
6. Top with remaining whipped topping and raspberries.
7. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Enjoy =) Nathalie

Easy Tortellini Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 14oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth (I'm cheap and just use 3 1/2 c. water and 3 chicken bullion cubes)

9oz pkg. of tortellini (I buy frozen tortellini and just double the recipe or only use half the bag)

4oz. (or half of one tub) cream cheese w/chives and onions

11oz. can tomato soup

Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Instructions:

In medium sauce pan bring broth to a boil. Add tortellini: reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. In a bowl wisk 1/3 c. hot broth with cream cheese until smooth. Return all to sauce pan along with tomato soup. Heat through. Sprinkle with chives (or maybe mozzerella cheese) before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Note: This seems to be pretty high in sodium as I type it out. I imagine if you used low sodium chicken broth, low sodium tomato soup, and low fat cream cheese this would still taste divine. Oh! And if you decide to use vegetable broth you can even call this vegetarian! Not that I'm vegetarian....

Chrissy Parkinson

Italian Wedding Soup

(Recipe courtesy: Barefoot Contessa)
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed (I used turkey sausage)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (I didn't add this.)
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Kelly P.

Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

This is suppose to be one of those recipes taken from Macaroni Grill. I don't know about that, but I do know this is a FAVORITE in our home! I make it every year for Valentines (cause it's kind of red).

Ingredients:

garlic, 2 cloves

butter 1-2 tsp

onion (optional)

chicken breast or tenders

sun-dried tomatoes 8.5 oz jar (I buy the julienne style with herbs)

heavy whipping cream (small container)

1 can chicken broth

basil

bow tie pasta

Melt butter (1-2 tsp.) in large skillet. Add 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Sautee cut chicken breast until browned. Add cut sun-dried tomatoes (the recipe calls for 3/4 c. but I dump in the whole jar...I drain off most of the oil). Add 3/4 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil. The tomatoes will soften in about 10 min. Simmer uncovered for those 10 min. Add cream (all of it). Simmer over med. heat to thicken sauce. Sprinkle dried basil over the top. Pour over cooked bow tie pasta.

I always serve it with cabatta (sp) bread and olive oil with balsamic vinaigrette for dipping (with fresh crushed pepper on top).

Enjoy!

Rebecca Fluhman

Caramels and Canteens

Canteen (just a weird name for a loose meat burger)

1 lb ground beef (you can use turkey too) salt and pepper beef bouillon Ground the beef and season to your taste with the salt and pepper and bouillon, you can change this up and add chopped onion, peppers, garlic, make it your own.
Serve on hamburger buns, rolls, biscuits, hot dog buns, you name it. Add pickles, lettuce tomotoes, cheese, all your regular favorites for a hamburger!
These are so easy, simple and fast and you just need a few items, and my kids Love them. (warning, they can be a bit messy with kids!)

Caramels
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup white Corn Syrup
1/2lb butter (1 cup)
1/2 can evaporated milk (6 oz.)
1 more can evaporated milk to pour in while boiling

Combine first 4 ingredients on medium heat to boiling, add full can of evaporated milk while boiling, drizzle it slowly so boiling doesn't stop.
Cook to solid ball 235. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour into buttered dish and let cool, cut into squares and wrap eash piece with wax.

Just a few tips: this recipe takes patience, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to reach solid ball stage, keep on medium heat or it will boil over, you don't have to stir it constantly but every couple of minutes so it doesn't burn, you can tell when it is done when the butter is seperated from the caramel, also by doing a cold water test, if you pour a little caramel into a bowl of cold water and it stays together and you can form it into a ball then it is done.
After you have poured it into a dish, put in the fridge for a couple hours or over night, then let it warm a little and then cut into pieces. You can also undercook this and use for caramel topping for desserts, cook for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup and French Bread

Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup

3 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp. Salt
2 C. Water
3 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
3 Scallions

Bring water, salt and bouillon to a boil, add vegetables until soft.
Add:

2 C. Mashed Potatoes
1 - 2 C. Ham

Whisk 2 Tbs. of flour into 2 1/2 C. Milk and add to the soup when Potatoes are all incorporated.

Bring soup to a simmer then take off heat and add:

2 C. Grated Cheese

French Bread

1/2 C. Water
2 Tbs. Yeast
2 C. Hot Water
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Salt
1/3 C. Shortening
6 C. Flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large mixing bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt and shortening and allow to stand until lukewarm. Add yeast and 3 C. Flour. Beat until smooth and well blended. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough that can still be mixed with a spoon. Allow to rest 10 min. Stir batter down. Rest again. Repeat 5 times.

Form dough into balls for bread bowls or shape into 2 loafs. Let it rise for 30 min. Bake at 400 for 35 min. or until done.
Megan Murdoch

Wheat Berry Stir-Fry

This is a very healthy, and very delicious recipe:

WHEAT BERRY STIR-FRY
(double this recipe if you want to eat it all week)

4 C. Prepared Wheat Berries (chilled)(see below recipe for wheat berries)
2 T. Butter
2 t. Olive Oil
1/8 t. Pepper
1/8 t. Garlic salt
1/4 C. chopped onion
2 C. Chopped Mushrooms
3 Eggs
1 C. Broccoli cut
1 C. Sliced Carrots
1 C. Corn
1 C. Green Peas
1/2 C. Ham (I used chicken for a healthier protein, but you could also omit this for a veggie meal)
3 T. Soy Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high het.
2. Scramble eggs in small bowl, pour into hot oil, and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Cook eggs until they are firm enoug to flip- flip over and cook the other side.
4. Remove cooked eggs (large pancake shape about 1/4" thick) from pan and cut into 1/2" squares.
5. Saute mushrooms and onions with butter and garlic salt. Drain the liquid and set aside.
6. Heat vegetables in the preheated frying pan.
7. Add Chilled whea berries and mix ingredients together.
8. Combine the egg and mushroom/onion mix with the other ingredients in the pan.
9. Add your pre-cooked protein.
10. Drizle mixture evenly with soy sauce and stir in.
11. Season with salt, pepper and additional soy sauce if needed.

I got this recipe out of the book "Discover Wheat and Other Grains" by Cary Ruggles. The book has about fourteen other recipes, but tells you how to make the wheat berries in other ways, and how to also make creamy wheat berries, which have a cooked oatmeal consistency.

How to make "Wheat Berries":

4 C. White Hard Wheat
8 C. Water
1 t. Salt

Put all of these in a large pan (at least 5 qts).
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once you have reached a boil, place lid on pot, and simmer for 1 hour and 5 min. (or until the berries have a soft chewy consistency similar to brown rice. Some may be slightly cracked and open.)

This amount made me about 14 C. of wheat berries!

ENJOY
-Lindsay Kirby (smilelifeaway.blogspot.com)

Corn Bread

The best homemade corn bread I have tasted. Got it form my sister-in-law while in Utah.

Corn Bread

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
1 c. milk
1 can cream corn
1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350* Cream together butter & sugar in a plastic bowl. Add eggs, mix in. Add rest of ingredients & mix. Pour into a greased 9x13 glass baking pan & bake for 40-45 min, or until golden brown. Serve with honey & butter. (recipe by Jenny Bates)

-Rebecca Fluhman

Peanut Curry Chicken

4-5 small scallions
1 inch grated ginger, peeled
2 large garlic cloves mashed
1 small red chili pepper, seeded
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 rounded Tbs curry powder
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup Greek style yogurt, plain
1 Tbs oil

-Brown chicken in oil until golden brown.
-In food processor make a paste of scallions, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, cilantro and curry.
-Stir paste into chicken.
-Add chicken stock and peanut butter to the chicken mixture. Cook until peanut butter is incorporated.
-Add yogurt. Mix well and simmer.

Serve over rice. Serve with more Greek yogurt on side to help with the "heat."

Kelly P.

Easy Caramel Pecan Rolls

Easy Caramel Rolls

1 c. chopped pecans
20 frozen dinner roll dough balls*
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 3-oz. pkg. cook-n-serve butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
4 T. butter, cut into 20 pieces

Butter a 9-x13-inch pan. Spread chopped pecans evenly in bottom of pan.

Place frozen dough balls in five rows of four. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pudding mix. Dot with butter pieces.

Let rise uncovered on counter overnight. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until tops are brown and center of rolls do not appear doughy. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto another baking sheet, scraping any caramel left in the pan.

*Sometimes I buy two packages of the HyVee brand rolls (12 per pkg.) and use all 24 dough balls, making six rows of four. Cut butter into 24 pieces instead. May need to add about 5 minutes to baking time.

Posted by Hilery- Cooking Club November 30th

Cream Cheese Dessert Crepes

Crepes: Mix together
1 1/3 cup milk
2 Tbl oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8th tsp salt
2 Tbl sugar

Crepes should be about 1/16th of an inch thick and do not overcook- they cook fast and should not be brown.

Filling: mix together
1- 8 oz pkg of softened cream cheese
1 small container of whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar

Once crepes have cooled, put a small amount of filling on crepe and roll crepe from one side.

Topping: chocolate sauce, raspberry or strawberry jam or raspberry or cherry pie filling.

Yum-O!

Posted by Hilery- cooking club November 30th.

Whole Grain Penne with Artichoke-Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole grain pasta (don't try this with regular white or it won't taste right. The whole grain adds a nutty flavor)

2 14 oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained (I prefer them packed in water not oil)

12 oz. jar red peppers, drained

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp. lemon juice (or 1/2 a fresh lemon)

1 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. salt

dash freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan Cheese (I use about 2 cups, but I like a lot of cheese)

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender combine artichokes, red pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and 1/4 c parmesan. Drain pasta but do not rinse. Add sauce to the pasta and toss over low heat until heated through. Add lots of parmesan and serve immediately! Served about 6 for dinner. I usually add a side salad, green beans, or broccoli.

Chrissy Parkinson

Toscana Soup

1 1/2 Cup sausage
1 1/4 tsp garlic
2 Tbl chicken base
1 qt water
3/4 Cup diced onions
2 medium potatoes
2 Cups kale leaves
1/3 Cup heavy whipping cream

Brown sausage with garlic, salt and pepper and set aside. Simmer veggies and chicken bouillon in 1 qt. of water. Do not drain water...In fact you can add a little more water if needed. Once potatoes are tender add sausage and whipping cream.

Sharon

Chicken tostados

Chicken breast (1 to 1 ½ breasts per person)

Shredded lettuce

Sour cream

Cotija cheese (found w/the Mexican cheeses, it is a white Mexican cheese)

Chopped tomatoes

Tostado shells

Limes

Pico or Salsa (optional)

Boil the chicken in water until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and with 2 forks begin shredding the chicken.

While the chicken is boiling cut up the lettuce, tomatoes, limes and crumble the Cotija cheese if it is not already.

To make the tostados the best way is to take a shell and place sour cream on the top (to hold the cheese and chicken) then sprinkle the cheese over the sour cream and add the shredded chicken. Next add the lettuce, tomatoes and Pico or salsa. Take 1 to 2 lime wedges and squeeze over the top.

They are messy to eat, but oh so delicious and easy to make!

Aupreille

Tortellini with Artichokes & Pepperoni

Tortellini with Artichokes & Pepperoni

1 – 9oz pkg cheese tortellini

1 – 14oz can artichoke hearts drained, chopped

½ tsp minced garlic

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 ½ TBS balsamic vinegar

1 – 6oz pkg turkey pepperoni

½ cup sliced black olives

¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

2 TBS olive oil

Cook tortellini according to package directions and drain it.

In large bowl, combine pepperoni (cut into thin strips), artichokes, olives, and garlic. Add the cooked tortellini to the mixture and toss it lightly; add cheese, basil, oil and vinegar and toss in gently.

Best served warm.

-Aupreille