Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup

2 lb of lean stew meat - chopped bite size

4-5 pieces of bacon - chopped and cooked in soup pot (save fat)

One chopped onion

1 cup of sliced carrot

1 cup of green beans

1 cup frozen corn, petite peas, baby lima beans, field peas

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1 large can of tomato sauce

2 cans of water

4 white potatoes - chopped

chopped frozen okra

salt, pepper, McCormick Season All

Cook bacon pieces until crisp and then put in chopped lean stew meat to brown. Add onion and continue to brown meat.  Add the rest of the vegetables and seasoning and cook on medium until all veggies are tender. (about an hour or more)

 I always add the potatoes at the last so they don't get mushy.  Season as you like.  Serve with corn bread!

*To spice it up, add a little cajun seasoning and Hot Shot pepper :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

You can make this stove top or dump in it all in a crockpot !

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 chicken breast

2 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies (or habaneros)

1 can of chopped green chillies

1 chopped onion

1 cup of salsa
1 can mild enchilada sauce 

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of water

1 can of corn -drain

1 can of black beans

salt & pepper (or hot shot)

tortilla chips & cheese (for topping)
Can add a little sour cream and chopped avocado

I cut the chicken breast into thirds (to shred later) and put it in the crock pot and add everything else. Cook on high for 5-6 hrs. You can shred or chop the chicken when it's done and return to pot.  Serve in a bowl and top with broken tortilla chips/ or strips and shredded cheese. If you like...a blob of sour cream and chopped avocado.

Smashed Red Potatoes

Smashed Red Potatoes

Boil however many red potatoes you need (2 per person).  Drain water.
Grease and salt a cookie sheet.  Spread potatoes out and smash them!  I use a rolling pin :-)
Sprinkle salt and pepper, shredded cheese, chopped bacon bits and green onion.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.  Should look like this.....

A great side dish with steak or grilled chicken!  Or even as an appetizer - like a potato skin! You could also add a blop of sour cream or swirl of ranch dressing :-)

Lemon Pepper Drumsticks and Cajun Rice

Lemon Pepper Drumsticks

Actually you can use any piece of chicken...but I like the leg and when they go on sale, I will buy a big package and do this. They remind me of the wings at D.D. Peckers :-)

Rinse chicken and leave the skin on.  Put in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil to coat pieces of chicken and let seasoning stick.  Sprinkle 1- 2 T of lemon pepper (or whatever seasoning you like).  Turn your oven to broil but leave your rack in the middle of your oven.  I put my cookie racks on a cookie sheet and lay the chicken out on that.  Monitor your chicken because you will have to turn it in about 15-20 minutes when it starts to looked grilled and skin is crispy.  Turn it until all sides look done and browned.

Cajun Rice

I love rice and you can mix it with just about anything to go with your meal.  No wonder it is a such a staple for the world! 

Cook 1 cup of rice.

In a skillet - melt 2 T butter.  Add 1 can of drained kidney beans, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery.  Add 2 tsp cajun seasoning.  Cook until veggies are tender and then stir in your cooked rice.  Season more as you like.  You can do this while your chicken is cooking and it should all be done together.

Parmesan & Poppy Seed Rolls

Basic Roll Recipe

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
- Put water in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast, sprinkle sugar - do not stir
- In a larger mixing bowl...blend the following
1 cup warm water

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

3 eggs
1 cup of plain all purpose flour
- Add yeast mixture
Then stir in 3- 31/2 more cups of flour...one at a time.

Dump dough out on floured surface and knead softly until manageable soft but not sticky!
Put in lightly greased bowl to rise for an hour...or you can put in the fridge covered overnight.  If you have saved them to do for the next day, take dough out about 3 hours before you need to make them. 

After dough has risen to double, you can shape them however you want.  Let rise again and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350.

Parmesan Poppy Seed Rolls

Using the Basic Roll recipe - and when you are ready to shape rolls...roll into a rectangle.

Spread soft butter all over and sprinkle parmesan cheese and poppy seeds.  Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 2 inch slices.  Grease muffins tins and place slice in each one.  Let rise again until double (1 hour) and bake at 350 until brown around the edges.

Lasagna

Lasagna

3 lb ground beef

1 smoked beef sausage

1 lb mushrooms

1 onion chopped

1 big can of petite diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

1 T of minced garlic

3 T Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

1 pkg of lasagna noodles

1 carton of cottage cheese

1 carton of Ricotta cheese

2 eggs - beaten

1 T parsley flakes

Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and sausage together and drain grease thoroughly.
Add garlic, seasonings and onion - cook until onion is done.

Add  diced tomatoes, paste, and mushrooms - cook on medium and stir until starts to bubble a little - then lower heat and cook...and stir for about an hour....or longer if you have the time. Taste and add more seasoning if you need to. 

Cook lasagna noodles.
Mix cottage, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs & parsley flakes together.

When you are ready to layer in your lasagna pan (deeper than a regular cake pan)....

- Spread just a small amount of meat mixture first

- Noodles

- Meat mixture

- Cheese mixture

- Sprinkle mozzarella

- Then repeat with noodles, etc.

Your final layer should be a layer of noodles - some more mozzarella and a final sprinkle of parmesan!

Cover with tin foil and cook in oven at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Uncover and let set before serving.

Serve with salad and bread!  Lasagna is almost better leftover and it freezes well .

Zucchini-Corn Cakes

Every once in a while, I actually buy a magazine...instead of just looking at it while I wait in line at the grocery store.  This is the reason I bought this one!

Zucchini - Corn Cakes
1 cup of shredded zucchini
1 cup of frozen or fresh corn
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

2/3 cup plain flour

1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix this all together to make a chunky batter.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet.  Drop a spoonful of batter into skillet and press down just a little to form a small fritter.  They only take about 3-4 minutes on each side...so watch your heat and don't burn them.   Flip and cook on other side.  Place on plate with paper towel.  Add more oil to skillet if needed to cook the rest.  This recipe makes about 10 cakes.  You can double it...or you can make them smaller. 

I like to top them with a spoonful of guacamole and a little "ranch" sour cream.  Or you can serve them with salsa...makes a good side dish or an appetizer!

Protein Shake

People often ask me if they should do a "protein shake", what kind...etc.  Personally, I would rather eat my food instead of drink it, but I do use a shake as a supplement...especially after a morning workout.  I choose a low calorie whey protein (110 calories - 20 grams of protein). 

Vanilla - 1 cup of water, 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, 1 scoop of protein and 4-6 ice cubes.  Mix in a blender until smooth.  If you use fresh fruit - you will need more ice.

Chocolate - 1 cup of ice, 1 scoop of protein, 1 tsp instant coffee and 1/2 - 2/3 cup water.  Blend.

*If you want it to have a few more calories or fiber...add 1/4 cup of quick oats in the blender or some almonds. You can also use skim milk instead of water.

I work out at home, so this isn't a big deal for me, but if you want it to be less trouble...buy "light" muscle milk...or use a shaker from GNC that just mixes it up when you shake it, then you just drink it down.

Ha ha...this probably sounds nasty to most of you :-)  It is an acquired taste for sure...and yes...Starbucks or a Chicfila milkshake tastes way better!!!  

Grilled Cheese with a Kick!

Grilled Cheese

Butter slice of sourdough bread - sprinkle lightly with garlic salt - place on hot griddle or pan.
Put your favorite cheese on - colby jack or pepper jack - splash some HOT SAUCE on top of the cheese.
Place other piece of buttered bread - sprinkled with garlic salt.  Flip over when golden brown.

You can also make this a breakfast sandwich by adding a fried egg and some ham or bacon.

Easy Broiled Chicken!

It seems that I am old enough to remember when you bought a whole chicken, cut it up and used it however for dinner.  Then there was the day of a pack of cut up chicken breast that you could get on sale for 99 cents a pound.  Now...I just buy the boneless, skinless and throw it on the grill. 

Occasionally, when I want to make some kind of soup, I will buy a whole cut up chicken...or "pick of the chick" because I want all the stock and flavor.  So...I had one in the freezer that needed to be used and it was too hot for soup.  I forgot how to just roast a chicken!!  So I had to look it up in a cookbook and this is what I ended up doing.  It was the easiest thing and fastest thing...and so much flavor!

I put a rack in the bottom of a large pan or you can use a broiler pan, cleaned and washed my chicken pieces.  Then I brushed a little oil on them and seasoned with a cajun spice that I had (also used a lemon pepper another time).  Turn your oven to BROIL and put your rack about 6 inches under the heat - bone side up first.  Broil 20 minutes....turn over and broil another 20 minutes. That's it!  Make a salad or some sides to go with it.  If you don't like the skin, just take it off before you eat it.

Fried Rice

This is always good if you have just a little leftover chicken or pork.  My daughter Megan showed me a few little tricks with this and so it's even easier and better than I used to make it!

Fried Rice

Make rice - 2 or 3 cups cooked - set aside

Chop meat in small pieces (chicken or pork)

1 cup chopped white onion

1 can of diced water chestnuts

1 bunch of fresh spinach

3 eggs

bunch of green onion

sesame seeds

garlic & soy sauce

In a skillet or wok, heat 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil (or whatever you have) with a 1/2 tsp minced garlic and a few splashes of soy sauce.  Add meat (cook if not already), onion, water chestnuts.  As soon as meat is done or warmed through...set aside. Mix and scramble the eggs in a separate pan - stir and chop until very small pieces of egg.  Chop spinach very small also -about 1 1/2 cups of it.  Chop green onion. Put skillet back on heat and add  rice to meat and veggies.  Stir in spinach, egg, green onion and 2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds.  *Scramble eggs and chop everything while rice is cooking and you can put it all together at once.

Ribs, Purple Cabbage Salad & Cheddar Biscuits

Ribs -

I like baby back ribs and I wait for them to go on sale!
You need a large pan like a deep dish lasagna pan...or I use 2 large disposable tinfoil pans (doubled because they are kind of flimsy - wash and reuse).

Wash 2 racks of rib and cut into pieces.  Place bone side down in pan and add an inch of water in bottom of the pan.  Cover with heavy tinfoil - seal completely!  Put in the oven @ 290 for 3 hours.

When time is up, take ribs out of pan, clean them up a little (any goober looking things) and lay them on a cookie sheet so that you can put sauce on and take them to the grill.  (It's ok to let them sit for a while if you are not ready to grill yet)

I like Stubbs Spicy!  Brush a little on the bone side and place that side down on your HOT grill first.  While that side is cooking, brush sauce on meaty side.  Turn and cook when ready.  They are already done so all you are doing is getting them grilled and sauced.  I don't like a lot of sauce ...but your choice.  Watch your flame because the sauce will burn and you don't want them charred black!

Purple Cabbage Salad

This is a very colorful and crunchy salad that lasts well in the fridge for several days.  This makes a lot - so if you just want it for a meal...half this!

One purple (red) cabbage

1 white onion

1 cucumber

3-4 Roma tomatoes

1 pkg of Good Seasons Italian Dressing

1 can of small black olives (optional)

Cut cabbage into 4 wedges and slice (shave) as thin as you can. 

Cut onion in half and slice thin

Cut cucumber and tomato small
Toss this all together in a large bowl

Mix dressing as package instructs... then pour all of it over mixed salad veggies and toss until well mixed

*Add black olives if you like them

 

                                 

Cheddar Biscuits
( makes 10 )

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

(I like the 4 cheese blend)

2/3 cup milk

*Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter - add 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp parsley flakes - set aside

Stir ingredients (except butter) together to form a soft dough and spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 8-9 minutes until tops are just turning brown.  Brush immediately with melted butter and garlic.  Really fast and easy !

Chicken Salad

Whenever I go to Sam's, I buy a Rotisserie Chicken...cause it smells good and makes me hungy.  One time I bought two...and had leftover chicken.  So I picked off all the skin and bone and made chicken salad.  It was the best!!  So now...it is our standard "baby shower" food...and if you come for the weekend...there will be a batch of it in my fridge.  Eat it on a soft roll or croissant, with crackers, put it on a salad...or just eat it plain out of the bowl! 

Chicken Salad

1 Rotisserie Chicken - basic flavor (picked and cut small )
1/2 cup (or more) diced purple onion
1/2 (or more) cup diced celery
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Approximately 1/2 cup Helman's mayo
Black pepper
*chicken is already salty - so taste before you add more salt
Mix all together - add more mayo if needed.
Simple....and good :-)

Sesame Tuna with Asian Wild Rice - Dinner #10

Sesame Tuna with Asian Wild Rice

1)  Make one cup of "wild rice mix" - melt 1 T butter, add 1 1/2 cup water, 1 T soy sauce, and rice to saucepan.  Bring to boil, stir, reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Cover and set aside while you chop...1/2 cup green onion.  Add 1 can of diced water chestnuts, 1/2 cup frozen petite peas and the green onion.  I also added some pine nuts (optional).  Cover and cook your tuna.

2) The tuna cooks very fast and you want it to be pink...just seared.  Put sesame seeds on a plate and coat each side of your tuna.  Heat sesame oil in a skillet...should be hot but don't burn it.  Place tuna in pan until you get a crisp sear (about 2 minutes or less) and then turn over and do the same.  Serve with your choice of wasabi sauce or mustard.

Brownie Cookies

Brownies Cookies 

1 1/4 cup of butter (softened)

2 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all together and spoon onto cookies sheet.  Bake @ 350 for 8 minutes.  They will be flat, soft and delicious!  Add chopped walnuts if you like.



Grilled Lemon-pepper chicken/Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Vinegarette - Dinner #9

Being at my mom's house the past few weeks, made me realize how much I cook on the grill...because she doesn't have one.  Anytime of the year...throw some meat on the grill...make something to go with it...and there you go.  Just makes it easier for me...

Basic Marinade - (4-6 chicken breasts or 4 steaks, etc)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup lime juice...or lemon juice...or 2 T vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons of seasoning
*increase or cut this down depending on how many pieces of meat
Be creative - put a splash of this and that to change it up... but remember that soy sauce is very salty.
Put your meat in a pan with marinade at least an hour before cooking - turn sides occasionally.

Lemon Pepper Chicken
I used this marinade with fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning.

While I was waiting...I made a salad with:

Spinach and Arugula greens

Grape tomatoes - cut in half

Sliced cucumber

Sliced yellow pepper

1/2 of a sliced white onion

Garbanzo beans (rinsed out of the can)

Sunflower seeds

Creamy Poppyseed Vinegarette

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp ground mustard

1 Tablespoon poppyseeds

One 4 or 6 oz container of Honey-Greek Yogurt

Whisk until smooth and refrigerate - whisk again before serving.

Squeeze 'em!

I  thought  it was a good idea to bring these home with me from Florida....
My mom and I picked as many as we could...and then I climbed the tree to get the really good ones at the top...throwing them down and my mom catching them :-)  I couldn't stop myself...just had to get that big yellow one...just out of reach!!  Three laundry baskets later....

Now I am squeezin' them and making the best grapefruit juice you've ever tasted. 

First - you have to wash them because they are not like what you buy in the store.  They are kind of dirty and organic.  Fill up the sink with water and grapefruits...and put a little salt in it.  Just scrub them a little to make sure there are no bugs & stuff. 

Second - Get your area organized and your containers washed and ready.  Have a trash can near by for peels and seeds.  Do not put them in your garbage disposal....there are lots of seeds and they can possibly get all stuck up in there and shut it down...(how do I know that??)

Third - Start squeezin' em! It takes a lot of fruit to make a gallon of juice.  I put one in the fridge and the rest in sealed containers in the freezer.  It thaws out nice and tastes just as fresh.  

Just one of the reasons I LOVE FLORIDA!

My Mom's Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie

1  10 inch Graham Cracker crust
12 oz cream cheese (1 1/2 packages)  - softened

1 8oz cool whip

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

12 oz carton of strawberry pie topping gel (I don't use it all)

2 quarts of strawberries - sliced

Blend softened cream cheese, cool whip and powdered sugar together until smooth (no lumps of cream cheese).  Mix in chopped pecans.  Dump and spread gently into graham cracker crust.  Form and pack an even mound of sliced strawberries over the cream cheese pie bottom.  Spread gel all over like a glaze to seal it in.  Refrigerate to firm it up before serving (best if made the night before or morning of)....and eaten by the pool in Florida  :-)

I believe in Chicken Soup...

On my recent visit to Atlanta, my daughter Megan had bronchitis, strep and a sinus infection.  I sent her to bed, played with Damian and made soup.  I guess you never get too old to have your mom take care of you when you are sick...and homemade chicken soup is just one of those things that makes you feel better...and a little bit more loved :-)
 

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 chicken (or chicken pieces)
1 cup of chopped celery - about 3 stalks
1 yellow onion
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 package of Fettuccine noodle - uncooked
1 Tablespoon of Morton SeasonAll Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Fill a large stock pot with water (2 or 3 inches from the top)  - boil chicken (whole or equivelant of 2 breasts, 2 thighs & 2 drumsticks) - Use both white and dark meat for good flavor....about 45 minutes.

This liquid will be the chicken stock for your soup...so don't dump it out!  Remove chicken when done (almost falling off the bone).  I like to strain stock into a clean pot or bowl (get all the goobers out).

Pick your chicken (get all the skin and bones off) and you should have at least 3 cups of chicken pieces.  Set aside.

Chop celery, onion, and carrots - 1 cup of each... but a little more is ok too!  Put into your clear chicken stock (add some water if needed) and continue to cook on medium/high until veggies are tender.  Add  - 1 Tablespoon of McCormick SeasonAll salt and 1 tsp black pepper.  Season more if you like.

Add 2/3 box (or the whole box if your pot is big enough) of uncooked --broken in half--Fettuccine noodles.  I like to use these because they don't get soggy!  Stir and cook noodles into your soup (making sure they seperate) and then add all your chicken pieces.  Continue to cook all together until noodles are done. 

Get well soon!

It's ALL on the grill...Dinner # 8

I love cooking on the grill!  In the summer...almost every night.    After prep time, this meal took about 25 minutes!

Blackened Chicken, Red Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Seasoning - (for about 6 chicken breasts)

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp of Hot Shot (black & red pepper) or just black pepper

Put all in a container and shake together.

When you are ready to cook your chicken, brush oil on each side and sprinkle seasoning evenly all over each side of the chicken - pat it to stick.

Red Potatoes

Wash potatoes with a veggie brush and slice into spears (like thick apple slices).  Put spears in a bowl and add 1 Tablespoon of oil and 1 Tablespoon of "roasted vegetable and fry" seasoning (or something like a Lawry's or SeasonAll ).  Toss and evenly coat. 

These will go on the grill first...on the top rack.  Put them on about 5 minutes before the chicken. 

*If you put them on a skewer - it is easier to turn them...instead of one at a time with your tongs!  They should be done when everything else is.  Turn them over when you put the corn on.

Corn on the Cob

Shuck and clean fresh corn.  Put on the grill just before you turn your chicken over.  Tend it and turn in so that it roasts on all sides.  Brush on butter & salt when done.

So...you are going to put the potatoes on, cook for about 5 minutes, then put your chicken on....close the hood (but check on it).  In about 8 minutes, put your corn on...turn your potatoes over...and turn your chicken over.  Keep turning the corn till it roasts on all sides...and when your chicken is done (about another 8 minutes)...it should all be done!  Serve like this or add a salad... or you could even do some roasted tomato slices to make it pretty :-)

And for dessert...

Key Lime Pie                                                                            

(best if made the night before or the morning of)                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Preheat oven to 350

Put in a blender....

8 oz softened cream cheese

5 ounces of "Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice" (grocery store)
14 oz can of  Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

Blend till completely smooth and pour into 9" graham cracker pie crust and bake for 12 minutes.

After baking, let cool for 15 minutes and put into fridge. 

Serve plain or with whipped cream and lime slice garnish.