Recipes

So now that we are getting settled and I'm finding my groove again, I've started cooking a larger variety - not just the staple (easy/fast) recipes that we lived off of the last several months we were in Durham. This past week I stumbled on 2 oldies - 1 of which I started cooking way back when we still lived in Birmingham! - and we tried one new recipe. So here you go:

Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (i use 1 rotisserie)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup grated cheddar
3/4 cup grated Monterrey jack
1/4 cup sour cream
1 4oz can diced green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt/pepper to taste
tortillas


Heat oven to 350. Mix chicken, green onions, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 cup Monterrey jack, sour cream, chiles, cilantro, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Season with salt/pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture, roll up, and place seam side down in pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top. Top with remaining cheeses. Bake until bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.

Oven Fried Chicken Cutlets
1/3 cup melted butter
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 "tube" of butter round cracker crumbs (AKA Ritz!)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 chicken cutlets

Stir first 5 ingredients together in shallow bowl. Combine cracker crumbs and cheese in a second shallow bowl. Dip chicken in butter mixture and then dredge in cracker mixture. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

*the Dijon adds a great "twist" on the standard oven fried chicken recipes*

Edamame and Sweet Corn Succotash
2 tsp olive oil
3 green onions, sliced; white and green parts separated
1 cup corn kernels (2 ears corn)
1 cup shelled frozen edamame
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 tsp marjoram or oregano
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup veg. broth (i used chicken because that's what I had and it was great!)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp melted butter

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add white part of green onion and cook until starting to brown (about 1 minute). Stir in corn, edamame, red pepper, and spices. Cook, stirring often, until veggies are tender crisp (about 4-5 minutes). Stir together broth and corn starch. Add it to corn mixture along with remaining green onions. Cook until thickened and bubbly and liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat and mix in butter until melted.

Soup Season

Okay, so I am a very seasonal cooker...salads, pastas, and lighter meals during the summer...and lots of soups, stews, and crock pot dishes during the winter...I must admit that I am so excited for the cooler weather so that I can start serving up soup!! Here are a few of the soup recipes that we have eaten regularly for a few years now...

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 12oz jar salsa Verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (rotisserie or leftovers work well)
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
2 green onions, chopped
Sour cream and tortilla chips if desired

Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes over medium heat and then add chicken, beans, broth, cumin. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Top each bowl with green onions, sour cream, and chips.

I serve this with cornbread. I also add an additional can of beans to make it heartier.


Beef and Barley Soup

1 lb beef tenderloin roast ( I use whatever meat is on sale that week) cut into ¾ inch cubes
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cups chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 TBSP minced garlic
6 cups beef stock/broth
½ cup tomato puree (or whatever tom. product you have on hand – puree, sauce, etc )
¼ dry red wine
1 tsp crushed thyme
Salt/pepper to taste
1 cup quick cooking barley
Fresh parsley and basil if desired

In a 4 quart pan, brown half of the meat in hot oil over medium high heat. Remove meat from pan. Add remaining meat, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until meat is brown and onion is tender. Return all meat to pan.

Stir in beef stock, tomato puree, wine, thyme, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until meat/veggies are tender. Stir in parsley and basil.

The wine in this gives lots of flavor and its very filling.

Hamburger Soup

1 ½ lbs ground beef
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
Salt/pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder to taste
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can condensed tomato soup
3 cups water
Beef bouillon (a cube)

Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook until evenly browned. Drain and set aside.

Place potatoes in a layer to cover the bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle celery over potatoes. Cover with ground beef. Add remaining veggies and seasonings. Mix together the soup, water, and bouillon and pour over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I may have posted this one before...not sure....but its really good and manly!!

I love to try some of your favorite soup recipes as well!

Easy Roasted Pork

I haven't posted many recipes lately...mostly because I haven't made anything new or exciting! We've been eating a lot of the "old faithfuls" that I can make quickly and without thought! Here is a recipe I made tonight - I have made it 2-3 times now and Brent loves it. And I might add that Griffin actually ate dinner tonight - the first time in like a year!!!

Easy Roasted Pork

2/3 light brown sugar
1/4 cinnamon applesauce (I just used 1 of the little cups of regular)
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 lb boneless pork loin roast

Preheat oven to 325.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, applesauce, and ginger.
Place pork roast in oven bag. Pour the brown sugar mix over the roast. Seal the bag and cut several small slits in the top.
Cook the roast for 1 hour.


I served this with apples, sliced and sauteed in butter with cinnamon and a box of garlic/olive oil couscous. It was delicious!

I am itching for some new recipes so please send me some of yours!!!

Rice and Bean Burritos

Here is a recipe from my sister-in-law Hannah. Its vegetarian, healthy, very filling and tasty!

Rice and Bean Burritos

1 box spanish rice mix
2 tsp butter
2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
flour tortillas
cheese and sour cream for garnish

Brown the rice in the butter.

Add diced tomatoes (undrained), salsa, and 2 cups water. Stir together and bring to a boil.

Reduce and heat. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until rice is tender.

Add the kidney beans, corn, and seasoning packet from the rice mix (which mine didn't have). Stir together and cook for 2 minutes or so, just until beans and corn are heated.

Remove from heat. Spoon onto warm flour tortillas and top with cheese, sour cream, or whatever else you'd like!

A Summer Recipe

Here is a recipe from my friend Lisa. We had this tonight - halved the recipe, left out the pine nuts, and put grilled chicken on it. It was delicious! She adds broccoli, leaves out the basil, and serves over lettuce. Either way, its a great summer meal.

Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb orzo

2 cups red and/or yellow grape or teardrop tomatoes, halved
7 oz feta, crumbled or cubed
1 cup fresh chopped basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil. Season with salt/pepper.

Bring broth to a boil. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer to a large, wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.

Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, green onions, and orzo. Add vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

BBQ Beef and Bean Sandwiches

I haven't done too much real cooking since Graham was born so I haven't had any new recipes to post. I've been sticking to my "normal" stuff and using up the freezer meals that I had stowed away! But tonight I made something new and easy so I thought I'd pass this one along.

BBQ Beef and Bean Sandwiches
1 (3 lb) chuck roast
1 yellow onion, sliced in rings
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (16 oz) can BBQ baked beans
2 TBSP water
1/4 cup prepared BBQ sauce
sliced cheese and jalapeno slices (optional)

Place meat, onion, and garlic in crock pot. Pour the beans on top. Put the 2 TBSP water into bean can and swish around. Pour that in too. Add the BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on low 8-12 hours. Shred meat 2-3 hours before serving and return to pot. Serve on rolls with cheese and jalapenos.

I used about 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and will leave out the water next time. This was really easy and good!

Meatball recipes

Here are 2 recipes that you can use the meatballs in....other than the obvious spaghetti and meatballs!

Italian Wedding Soup

Using a stockpot over medium heat, saute in 2 T olive oil until softened:
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup ham, diced
1 T garlic, minced

Add and simmer for about 15-20 minutes:
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp crushed red pepper flake
1 bay leaf

Drop in and cook until they float to the top, 3-4 minutes:
30 uncooked marble-sized meatballs

Stir in and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes:
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups whole spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with a whisk. Off heat, stir egg mixture into soup.

Meatball Sub Sandwiches

Preheat oven to 450.

Prepare 4 6" hoagie buns by shaving a thin layer off the top and removing some of the bready interior so that you are left with a "submarine."

Brush the inside of hollowed out buns with olive oil.

Fill the bottom of each bun with mozzarella cheese and place them on a baking sheet. Bake until buns are lightly browned and cheese melts.

Fill subs with hot tomato sauce, then about 3 meatballs.

Top subs with more sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Basic Meatballs

I learned early on in our marriage that Brent did NOT consider spaghetti as a main course! Not that I ate it regularly or anything, but its a cheap staple that you can always have in your pantry... but I only made it once in the first few years of marriage! About 3 years ago, I found this recipe for homemade meatballs. Its really easy, really good, and turns spaghetti into a meal acceptable by husbands!!

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix together using 2 forks (prevents compacting meat):
2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

In separate bowl, stir together:

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten
2 T dried oregano
1 T minced garlic
1 T salt
1 T ground black pepper
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
pinch nutmeg

Add meat mixture with other ingredients. Using a melon scooper or 2 spoons (or your hands!), shape the meat mixture into golf ball sized balls. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Space the meatballs on the pan so that they are not touching. Add 1 cup of beef broth to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until meatballs are just cooked through.

You can freeze these once cooked and cooled. I also sometimes freeze 1/2 of the uncooked meat mixture and use it later to make meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup (you need uncooked meatballs for that recipe). I'll post that recipe next...

Pasta with Chicken, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta

So I can't remember if I've posted this recipe before...and I didn't see it listed when I glanced through old posts...so forgive me if this is a repeat! If its not, you're gonna love this one!

Pasta with Chicken, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 12oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped (you find them in the section with pickles)
6 oz Grilled chicken breast strips (I use about 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded)
8 oz bow-tie pasta
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook and stir garlic in 2 TBSP olive oil in skillet on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add peppers, chicken, and remaining oil. Cook 2 minutes until heated through. Toss veggie mixture with hot pasta and feta cheese. Sprinkle with parsley.

Pasta Fagioli

Brent got me a cookbook for Christmas - "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" - its a cookbook written by the lady who spent 2007 writing the blog 365 Days of slow cooking. Anyway, I love my crock pot - it seems to be the best and least stressful means of getting a hot meal on the table! I'll post some of the recipes as I try them out.

Pasta Fagioli
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes with their juice
16.5 oz jar pasta sauce
4 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp oregano
1 TBSP Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup dried pasta (I used bowtie because I had a little left from another recipe)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Dump everything in except the pasta. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high 4 hours. Stir in dry pasta about 1 hour before serving. Garnish with Parmesan.

I served this yesterday with drop biscuits - and it was perfect for a winter day! Next time I will leave the Tabasco out and let people add it to their own dishes because it was a little spicy for the kids. Also, it makes a lot so I am going to freeze it for another meal!

Chicken 'N Dumplins

Here is another yummy recipe. I made this last night for the first time and it was so good. Brent is a southern boy so this was right up his alley - and it was super simple (and used the crockpot) so it was right up mine as well! And perfect for a cool day....

Crock-Pot Chicken 'N Dumplins
3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 can low sodium cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (12 oz) can refrigerated biscuits

Place chicken in Crock-Pot. In a bowl, combine butter, soups, water, and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. An hour before serving, tear chicken with a fork into bite size pieces and add back to crockpot. Cut biscuits in half and add to crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 40-45 minutes or until biscuits are done in the center. Gently stir to cover dumplings with sauce.
*Your chicken can be frozen when you put it in the Crock-Pot.

Asparagus Pasta with Toasted Pecans

This is a recipe that we eat pretty frequently and both really love. Its vegetarian but hardy because of the pecans....and I'm posting this per my hubby's request! (its one of his favs)

Asparagus Pasta with Toasted Pecans

16 oz pkg penne pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2 TBSP olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBSP fresh basil - chopped
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 TBSP butter
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and divided

Prepare pasta according to pkg. Rinse and drain.
Snap/cut tough ends off asparagus and cut into 2 inch pieces.
Saute asparagus in hot oil over medium hear for 4 minutes.
Stir in red pepper and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp tender.
Stir in salt/pepper.
Toss together pasta, asparagus mixture, basil, 1/2 cup cheese, butter, and 1/2 pecans.
Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 cup pecans. Serve!

makes 6 servings

Yummy Recipe

Just wanted to share a good recipe with you - especially since its really kid friendly and i'm always searching for something healthy that avery will eat. the recipe is for greek pita pizzas and its from my sister-in-law hannah. avery loves them - i leave the tomato and olives off of hers and she can polish off about 2/3 of a pita herself! here it is:

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped and drained well
2 zucchini - coarsely shredded
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried oregano
6 pitted kalmato olives, chopped
4 whole wheat pitas (6.5 inch diameter)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1 scallion, thinly sliced

preheat oven to 425. cook the artichokes, zucchini, garlic and oregano for about 5 minutes over medium high heat, until the zucchini is tender. stir in the olives. place pitas on a baking sheet and spread with zucchini mixture. sprinkle with feta and tomatoes. bake for about 10 minutes. sprinkle with mozzarella and bake 3-4 minutes longer until the cheese is melted. sprinkle with scallions and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

enjoy it! and maybe your kids will secretly eat zucchini and artichokes under the pretense of "pizza!"