Taco Soup

Brown

1 lb ground beef or turkey or plant-based "ground beef"

with 1 diced onion

add 1 packet taco seasoning. 

Drain and add:

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can carrots

1 can corn

Add

1 can beef broth (14 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

Simmer for 10-15 min. OR put in crockpot on low until warmed through, up to 6 hours.

Top with sour cream, cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

summer tomato soup with shrimp, zucchini, and corn

I found this in a magazine last summer and I loved it. I've decided poblanos are my favorite pepper. They're not too hot, but because of them and the onions/garlic you only need to add salt and pepper for seasoning.

Here's a link to the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1. 2tablespoons olive oil
2. 2poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
3. 1large onion, chopped
4. 3cloves garlic, sliced
5. Kosher salt and black pepper
6. 2small zucchini, chopped
7. 128-ounce can diced tomatoes
8. 1pound raw medium peeled and deveined shrimp
9. 2cups fresh (from 4 ears) or frozen corn kernels, thawed

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
   Add the poblanos, onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper.
   Cook, stirring, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
   Add the zucchini and tomatoes (and their juices).
   Cook, stirring, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
   Add the shrimp, corn, and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer.
   Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are white throughout
   and the corn is tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
   Sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

Banana Bread

adapted from Flour Bakery's recipe

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C oil
• 3-4 bananas, roughly mashed
• 1/4 C buttermilk (or 2 TBSP sour cream)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 C chocolate chips (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 335°F.
Sift together first four ingredients.
Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy. At least 3 min, if not more.
Drizzle in oil.
Add bananas (make sure they're not pureed- some good chunks of banana are part of what make this bread so good), buttermilk, and vanilla.
Fold in flour mixture and chocolate chips/nuts.
Pour batter into a greased 9" x 4" loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Or in 4 mini loaf pans for 35-40 min

Creamy White Chili

Creamy White Chili
7 Servings

1 lb cubed chicken (or 2 lbs)-- any left over chicken, especially rotisserie is good
1 med onion, chopped
1.5 tsp garlic powder-- we use fresh garlic
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans (15.5 oz) Great Northern Beans-- any white bean will work. we use 2 different sizes for variety
1 can of chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
.5 tsp pepper
.25 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
.5 cup whipping cream

Directions
Sautee chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil
Add beans, broth, seasonings, and boil
Simmer down for 30 minutes
Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream

French Toast Dip-- Anna's first recipe

Anna made this little creation for dipping her french toast tonight. I asked her if I could have some and she shook her head no. I dipped anyway and I was severely reprimanded. And after having tasted it, I can see why. It was delicious! Once I told her how much I liked it and what a fabulous cook she was, she had even more fun mixing and stirring.

Ingredients:

maple syrup
applesauce
cinnamon

Directions:

Mix and dip :)

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a GFCF recipe that Rachel's sister, Deb, sent us. Very delicious! (the recipe calls for pork, but we use chicken)

1/3 c water

1/4 c soy sauce

2 1/2 T sugar

1 T lemon juice (or 1/2 T vinegar)

2 T cornstarch

1/4 t dried crushed red pepper (we use cayenne)

2 T oil

3/4 lb meat cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2-4 large garlic cloves

1 red or green pepper cut into thin strips

1 small onion chopped

1/4 c unsalted roasted peanuts (optional)

Hot cooked rice

Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and cayenne in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.

Pour oil into wok or large skillet, turn on to med-high heat until oil is very hot. Add pork and garlic; stir-fry about 3 min or until meat is cooked. Add pepper strips and onion; stir fry 3 min just until veggies are tender.

Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook, stirring constantly 1 min or until thickened. Stir in peanuts. Serve over rice. Makes about 4 medium servings

Southwest Pasta Salad

Sam's mom gave me this recipe and I love it. It's really easy to make and is great for potlucks. But be aware, the whole recipe makes a ton of salad. If I'm just feeding our family, I half the recipe and we still have leftovers. Anna likes it warmed.

I put *asterisks* around ingredients I usually leave out and {brackets} around ingredients I like to add

SOUTHWEST PASTA SALAD

Cook 1 pound tricolor pasta until al dente; do not overcook

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with

½ cup finely chopped red onions

*½ green pepper, finely chopped*

1 cup frozen or canned corn(I just use a whole can of corn)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small can chopped green chili peppers (sometimes I leave these out and it's still good)

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, or black beans rinsed and drained (I still use the whole can, even when I half the recipe)

4 ounces cubed or shredded cheese (cheddar, taco mix, or colby jack works well)

{half to a whole avocado}

{one or two tomatoes, or some salsa}

{one or two whole green onions}

{chopped black olives}

{some chicken that I stir fried in garlic powder, chili powder, and oregano)

Whisk together these sauce ingredients in small bowl and then pour over those in the large bowl

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth

5 Tbsp white-wine vinegar

3 Tbsp tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

Tortilla Soup, take one

My friend Marci brought her yummy tortilla soup to our Relief Society Super Saturday. I found the recipe on her menu blog and gave it a whirl. I'm a big fan. I really like that she uses canned chicken so there's minimal cooking, but there are enough spices to mask that unmistakable canned chicken flavor.


MARCI'S CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
1 T. olive oil
1 (12.5 oz.) can chicken (do NOT drain)
1/2 c. finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. ground pepper
(I use "heaping" teaspoons when measuring the spices)
1 (14 ½ oz.) can chicken broth
1 (15 ¼ oz.) can corn kernels (do NOT drain)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans (rinse and drain)
1 (14 ½ oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes (cut up)
Toppings:
tortilla strips (see below)
fresh cilantro
diced avocado
sour cream
cheese

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Heat oil in pan over medium heat and sautee onion and garlic.
-Add can of chicken and spices (cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper).
-Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
-Stir in broth, undrained corn, black beans and tomatoes.
(I like a little extra broth in my finished soup so I add some extra water, maybe 1/4-1/3 cup)
-Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 min.

While the soup simmers you can prepare the tortilla strips (or if you are pressed for time, just crush tortilla chips):
Using kitchen scissors (there is probably an actual name for them) cut tortillas into thin strips (I cut 3 at a time). Spread evenly in a lightly greased 9x13 dish.

Bake them in oven approx 4 minutes then stir them around and bake 3 more.

I often put them under the broiler for a couple minutes at the end to make them golden brown. Let them cool and harden, then serve on top of the soup with your other favorite toppings.

*tortilla strip photos from On My Menu

Autumn Sausage Casserole

I found a link to a blog of someone who used her slow cooker for one year. She had this recipe on there. We loved it. It's just what fall tastes like. I think it even looks like an autumn dish.

1 lb. sausage
1 large or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 cups already cooked long grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbl. parsley
1 tbl. brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)

Use a 4 quart crock pot. If using uncooked sausage, brown and drain before putting it into the crock pot. Put all the ingredients in the crock pot, stir well. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours or on high 3-4.

We thought it would be good with potatoes added to it.

Slow Cooker Zesty Barbeque Chicken

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 0z) barbeque sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix barbeque sauce, salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

We added a bit of corn starch to the sauce after it was cooked. It was a bit running for our taste. The sauce is really good on baked potatoes also.

Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)

1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

PLACE 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag; place, top-sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.

BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

I got this from Kraft. I used our toaster oven and just did four at a time. I only had really big chicken breasts so I cut them in half lengthwise and only had to use a total of 4 chicken breasts.

Farmer's Market Vegetarian Quesadillas

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

1/2 cup chopped yellow squash

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil cooking spray

6 (9 inch) whole wheat tortillas

1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

In a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.

Coat the same pan with cooking spray, and place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tortilla, and layer 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle another 1/8 cup of cheese on the vegetables, and top with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on both sides, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove quesadilla from pan, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve hot.

We used my griddle for the whole thing and used regular tortillas in stead of whole wheat, and they turned out great. I'm sure you could add other kinds of veggies and it would be just as good.

Steak with the broiler

Preheat the broiler. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, and place on a rack at least 2 to 3 inches below the heat source. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare, and about 7 minutes per side for medium, turning them once. About 1 minute before removing the steaks from the broiler, place a round or pat of butter on top of each steak and let melt.

Homemade Power Bars

I like to make these as a snack for that late afternoon slump when I'm tempted to eat chocolate or ice cream but should really have some protein.

Mix:
1 C peanut butter
1 C honey
1 C protein powder (I use soy)

Add 4 C of other stuff like:
quick oats
chocolate chips
flax seed
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
craisins
raisins
golden raisins
dried fruit
chopped nuts

(My favorite sweet/tart mix is at least 3/4 C oats, chocolate chips, craisins, flax seed, sunflower seeds, and chopped almonds)

Stir until combined. Add more honey if you need things to stick together better. You can then roll this out and cut it into bars and wrap it in saran wrap. Or, roll it into balls and place in cupcake liners. Keep them in the fridge if you want them to last longer than a couple days.

Puffy Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Serves 8

Filling
2.5 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. Canned works fine, but microwaving the chicken and putting it in the blender on a low speed a chunk at a time works great.
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup of chicken broth
2 bags of frozen vegetables, 1 lb each (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans), thawed
Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, whatever)

Crust
4 cups baking mix
1.5 cups milk
.5 cup shortening
Seasonings (it's fun to try different spice blends in different quadrants of the crust)

Put the filling straight into an ungreased 9x13 pan or casserole dish. Cut the crust ingredients together until lumpy and moist, then pour on top of the filling, doing as little actual spreading as possible, since messing with it could make what should be a thick, airy crust come out flat and hard.

Bake at 375F for 45 minutes.

Brownie Truffles

One box of brownie mix- the kind with the extra fudge/syrup packet
2 Tbsp of light corn syrup
1/4 c of water

Mix brownie mix, fudge/syrup packet, corn syrup, and water together to form a dough. Roll in to bite size balls and then in to any coating that you please such as nuts, sprinkles, sugar, etc. Store in the refrigerator (or in the freezer if it is longer than a week).

Sam and I had these at a wedding reception we went to last weekend. We really liked them and asked for the recipe. On our way home we brainstormed more ways to make these.

TOPPINGS
cocoa powder
cinnamon sugar
crushed candy canes
chopped candy
chopped chocolate chips
toffee bits
fruit drizzle
powdered sugar

ADD TO MIX
peanut butter
mint extract
almond extract and chopped cherries
mint extract

Curried Shrimp

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Shrimp, the more the better. Use big ones as the little salad shrimp get lost in the sauce. Precooked and frozen are fine. Thaw them out and dry them off before cooking.

½ cup White Flour (skip the flour or use corn starch for GFCF)

2 C uncooked Rice : 4 cups of water : 1 tsp salt

1 large Onion, diced

1 large Green pepper, coarsely chopped up

2-3 cans Tomato Soup

Curry Powder (Red Hot Chili Powder is optional: add this to the tomato soup if you want the curry to be spicy)

1-2 T Sugar

4-6 T Butter

Start the rice cooking first.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. I use one with a non-stick coating. Add onions and cook just until golden. Meanwhile, dredge the shrimp in flour and then LIGHTLY fry in the butter with the onions. Sprinkle the shrimp liberally with curry powder and lightly with sugar. Fry a bit more, turn over and sprinkle second side with the curry powder and sugar. Add the green peppers just before you add the cans of tomato soup so they are not overcooked. Add water as needed to keep the sauce saucy. Taste the sauce and add more curry and hot sauce if wanted. Cook only until the sauce is all hot and bubbling. Serve over the rice.
You can make this more of a curry by serving it with small dishes containing finely chopped fresh green pepper, raisins, coconut, chunk pineapple, etc.

Easy Oreo Truffles

These are so yummy. A lady at work made them last Christmas and I devoured most of them. She had a great idea and made them with mint Oreos too. I can't wait till Christmas!

Prep Time:
30 min

Total Time:
1 hr 30 min

Makes:
3-1/2 doz. or 42 servings, one truffle each

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

from Kraft

Chewy Granola Bars

2 1/2 c. Oats - quick rolled oats (use GF oatmeal)

1/2 c. Rice Krispies (use GF rice cereal)

1/4 c. coconut

1/2 c. M&M minis (these appear to be GF from what I've found online)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add all of the ingredients and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8×8 pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars. Let it set completely and then cut into bars. For thinner bars, press mix into a 9×13 pan. They seem to set a little better in the 9×13 pan.

from Make and Takes

Cajun Turkey and Cheese Wrap

1 La Tortilla Factory Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Wrap

1 oz Cajun Turkey Breast, sliced (can substitute any kind of turkey)

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges, Garlic and Herb (substitute with a different spread for GFCF)

Shredded lettuce (I use bagged salad, which also has carrots and other assorted healthy things in it)

5 Grape tomatoes, halved

Spread the Laughing Cow cheese over the entire tortilla. Arrange the sliced turkey down the center of the tortilla, leaving at least 1" at either end empty. Arrange the lettuce and tomatoes on the turkey. Fold the empty ends in, and roll the tortilla. Slice in half and serve.