Borscht

This is the recipe I made for book club, which I loved!  I found it on a blog called Natasha's Kitchen.  I think she might live out west near some of you.  This is the soup we discussed that is very deep red because of the beets - looks like a crime scene!

I didn't add the dill because I didn't have any, and sometimes I am iffy on dill.  I made it again this weekend because I was sick.  It is packed with vegetables and very hydrating, also delicious.  Great soup!

Ingredients:

• 3 medium beets, peeled and grated (use gloves to avoid staining your hands)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 8 cups chicken broth + 2 cups water
• 3 medium yukon potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 celery ribs, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp ketchup or 3 Tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 can white cannelini beans
• 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, or to taste
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 3 Tbsp chopped dill

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the beets.  Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Add grates beets and saute 10 minutes, stirrling occasionally until beets are softened.
2. While beets saute, peel and chop potatoes and carrots.  Finely dice celery, onion, and red pepper.
3. Add 8 cups broth and 2 cups water.  Add potatoes, carrots, and bay leaves to pot.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
4. While potatoes and carrots are boiling, heat a large skilled over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Add chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper.  Saute, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden, 7-8 minutes.  Add 4 Tb ketchup and stir fry for 30 seconds, then transfer to pot with beets and potatoes.
5. Add 1 can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed, 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 3 Tbsp chopped dill.  Simmer at least 2-3 minutes, or until ready to serve.  Serve with sour cream.

Sopas... a lesson from our friend Betsa

Yesterday, my friend Betsa was kind enough to come to my house and give me a lesson on how to make what her family calls "sopas". She's taught me before, but I needed a second lesson with pictures and more notes so I can feel confident making them myself. Today, I am writing it all down with the pictures so I can go back and look once we move to Idaho. I thought this would be a good place to get it all down. (Be warned, I am not a great photo taker, and make no claim that my pictures will be loverly. They are to help me remember.)

1st Step: Boil Chicken

3 chicken breasts

half onion (just cut in two and throw it in pot, either white or yellow is great)

3 cloves garlic

half bunch cilantro (just throw in in pot)

1 tsp salt

bring to a boil, add a little chicken broth, shred when cooked through

2nd Step: Create Chicken and Tomato Mixture

6 tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

1 onion, sliced lengthwise

4 cloves garlic, chopped

soften in oil, when soft add chicken and a small amount of chicken broth (you don't want it juicy)

cook until thickened, add salt at this time if you'd like more

3rd Step: Make Tortillas (These aren't really tortillas, I don't know their name.)

In bowl, mix 1/4 a bag of Masa, 1 cup flour

Add water until reaching workable consistency.

Using dough equal to about the size of a lemon, place between two sheets of plastic and flatten with a plate.

Cook in pan (no oil) until browned on both sides.

Inside paper towell, pinch edges of cooked pastry to form edge, also pinch inside to make small "mountains".

Fry in oil, if desired.

4th Step: Red Salsa 

4 whole tomatoes

2 or more whole peppers

blacken in skillet pan

when blackened, blend with 3 garlic cloves, small slices of onion, 1 tsp salt, small amount of water

or 4th Step: Tomatillo Sauce

5 whole tomatillos

2 whole peppers

boil in skins

when softened, remove skin of tomatillos, blend with 3 garlic cloves, onion, 1 tsp salt

5th Step: Black Beans

A few sliced onions

2-3 cans black beans

brown onions in oil (A really pathetic picture for this step.)

add black beans 

squish them with a cup

boil and cook until thickened

6th Step: Extras

Grate fresh Mexican cheese.

Place sour cream in ziplock and cut tip, allowing you to pipe sour cream onto sopas.

Slice lettuce lengthwise.

And when all that's done you get these scrumptious soaps!!!

Lightened up Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Lightened Up Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

YIELD: SERVES 4-6

The ingredient list looks a bit long for this recipe but don't be intimidated - most of the ingredients are for the seasoning mixture which takes seconds to mix together.

This pasta is best served right away since it loses a bit of it's creaminess if left to sit for a while. Also, you could use a full pound of fettuccine noodles if you want it to serve a few more people but it won't be quite as saucy/creamy.

INGREDIENTS

Seasoning Mixture:
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you want to up the heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Chicken and Pasta:
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips
• 2 bell peppers, any color (I prefer red and orange), sliced into thin strips
• 1 yellow onion, cut into thin half moon slices
• 12 ounces fettuccine noodles
Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together all the seasoning spices in a small bowl and toss all but 1 teaspoon of the mixture with the chicken pieces, reserving the 1 teaspoon for later..
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions.
3. While the noodles are boiling, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer and cook until golden on each side and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside, leaving as much liquid in the pan as possible.
4. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the peppers and onions. Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture over the top and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are softened. Scrape the veggies on top of the chicken.
5. Return the skillet to the heat and make the sauce by adding the butter and garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds or so until the garlic is fragrant. Add the cream cheese in large pieces and whisk or stir until smooth and thick.
6. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, broth and cornstarch until well combined.
7. Gradually pour this mixture into the skillet, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste (I'd suggest about 1/4 teaspoon each and work up from there as needed).
8. Add the chicken, peppers and onions and stir to coat with sauce. Remove from the heat.
9. Once the noodles are finished cooking, drain and return to the pot. Pour the sauce mixture over the top and toss to coat the noodles with sauce. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onions, if desired.

Butternut Squash Soup

You can cook it as the recipe directs, or roast the squash in the oven, and add it during the simmer process. Personally, I think peeling a squash and cutting it is a pain.


Ingredients:

1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. cream cheese

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Directions

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash and cut into 1 inch pieces. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, and then add squash, jalapeno pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Return to the heat, add the cream, cream cheese and cayenne pepper and adjust the seasonings. 

Chicken Stock

Thank you Simply Recipes for the recipe

Chef Z inspired me to make my own chicken stock.  I used this recipe and was not disappointed.  It was so flavorful!

How to Make Chicken Stock

• Yield: About 2 quarts of stock.

METHOD

Method 1. Leftover Chicken Bones

• Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
• Celery
• Onions
• Carrot
• Parsley
• Salt
• Pepper

1 Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.

2 Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occassionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.

3 Remove the bones and strain the stock.

4 If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.

Crock Pot Rosemary Roast Chicken

And yes, this is actually a picture of one of the times that I myself made this! Oh so proud. :)

SO, I recently learned how to roast a whole chicken in the crock pot, and I am now addicted. It is one of my absolute favorite meals to cook for company, because it can be really cheap, is so dang easy and is so beautiful! You can prepare the chicken the night before, you then stick it in the crock pot during the day, put it on warm if it is done a little early, then not really worry about it until just before the company arrives! The less stress I can get away with before company, the better.

One thing that contributes to this being just about the simplest thing every is my beloved crock pot. I found a well rated 6 quart oval programmable crock pot on sale for $35, and I have been oh-so-happy with that purchase! You need a large oval crock pot like this so that there is room for the chicken and a little room for the air to circulate around it. And with the one I have, it even has a temperature probe you can stick into your meat, and then the crock pot will turn to "warm" once it has reached the desired temperature. AMAZING.

Anyway, wanted to add this to the blog in case anyone else wants to try it, or even just so that I can have an online copy easily accessible. I know it looks long, but that's because I add a few variations/notes. Here it goes.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (recipe calls for 3.5 lb, I just did a 5 lb one today)
salt and pepper
8 rosemary sprigs
12 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
vegetables, like carrot, celery, or onion (optional. if you have some extras lying around)

Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry, inside and out. Reserve the giblets. Salt and pepper the cavity of the chicken generously. place 6 (or more) garlic cloves, lemon slices, and 3-4 sprigs rosemary in the cavity. Truss the legs together. (I looked up how to do this on YouTube, and it really is pretty easy).

Mince 6 cloves of garlic and mash into a paste with some kosher salt. Finely mince 4 sprigs rosemary and combine with the garlic paste. (You can also just combine all of this in a small food processor. I also sometimes add some pepper and thyme). Combine the rosemary garlic paste with the olive oil in a gallon zip-lock bag. Place the chicken in the bag, and massage the rosemary/garlic/olive oil into the chicken. Refrigerate overnight.

If you have veggies lying around (like carrots, celery or onions), put enough in the bottom of the crock pot that it will sort of lift the chicken off the bottom, so it won't stew in its own juices. These veggies will also add a little flavor to the stock, in case you want to make a gravy or something with it. Put the giblets in the bottom of the crock pot as well, as they will add a richer flavor to the juices. If you don't have veggies to lift the chicken a little, just make a few little balls of aluminum foil and put them in the bottom, and they will do the same trick of lifting the chicken. Place the chicken on top, and cook for about 1/2 hour per pound on high, or about 1 hour per pound on low. (It took about 5.5 hours on low for my 5 lb chicken).

Once it is done, keep on warm in crock pot until just about ready to serve. If you want to have a nice crisp browned roasted outer layer rather than the sort of translucent, soft moist skin from the slow cooker (yes please!), turn your oven to 500. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan (I use my cast iron pan as shown in the picture), then roast for 8-10 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Wait a few minutes, then serve your delicious, crisp on the outside/moist on the inside, beautiful roast chicken!

ALSO, the juices really do make an incredible stock or gravy. If you want to have the gravy as a side, just skim what fat you can get off the top, strain it well, then heat it on the stove and use a little cornstarch to thicken it. Mmm!!

Oven Fried Chicken

3/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced parsley
chicken pieces
2 cups dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper

Melt butter with garlic in it. Combine bread crumbs, pepper, cheese and parsley. Dip chicken pieces in butter, then in crumb mixture. Lay in a shallow baking pan on a rack until parially frozen. Place in labeled freezer bag. When ready to prepare, place again in shallow baking pan. Do not overlap. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Mom's Pizza Dough

2 cups warm water

1 tbsp. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
5-6 cups flour

Put 2 cups warm water (as warm as comes from tap), sugar, salt and 2 1/2 cups flour in mixing bowl. Mix well. Add yeast. Mix well. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead for 8 minutes. Roll onto a pan which has been sprayed iwth Pam and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with sauce and toppings of choice. Bake at 350 to 375 for approximately 20 minutes.

By the way, I (Jessica) have made this beforehand and stuck it in a ziplock bag in the fridge, then used it a few days later and it worked beautifully.

Also, this was actually a French Bread recipe, so if you want to make that instead of pizza dough, then let it raise once until double in bulk, punch it down, shape it for your French bread, and let it raise again until double in bulk before baking. Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup for Bekah when she was sick, and both of our families love it! Here's the recipe, as requested! Also, it freezes well, so you can make a lot and freeze leftovers.

2 tsp. butter
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small potato, diced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (see below)
4 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 ounces egg noodles
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
parsley

Melt the butter in a large pot.  Saute the celery, carrot and onion for 2 minutes. Add potato, thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Add the noodles and chicken and cook on low for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Ok, so for my notes: I don't have poultry seasoning, and so add my own spices as an alternative. The spices are what makes it so good. I found a recipe for poultry seasoning, and never actually make it but just add some of each of the spices that are included to taste. I also sometimes have added a little more bouillon or broth depending on how the batch is looking and tasting as well. Here is the recipe I sort of follow to replace the poultry seasoning, which makes the soup so tasty:

Poultry seasoning:
2 tsp. ground sage
1 1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. ground marjoram
3/4 tsp. ground rosemary (I LOVE the rosemary!)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. finely ground black pepper

Tortellini Soup

I know I'm lazy at posting here, but that's because I'm lazy at typing.  A friend asked me for this recipe and so I thought I'd copy it here too....

Tortellini Soup

easy, 30 minutes prep and cook combined

heat 2 T olive oil

add 6 cloves chopped garlic (I put about 3 T of pre-chopped, refrigerated garlic)

add 48 oz chicken broth and some red pepper flakes

when boiling add tortellini (packaged in pasta aisle... I prefer the spinach and cheese for this recipe)

cook for half the tortellini cook time

add 14-28 oz crushed tomatoes (the recipe calls for 14, I always do about 26)

cook for remainder of tortellini cook time

add some fresh spinach leaves, cook for a minute or so

Broccoli Pasta

This is from my friend Ashley who is great at cheap and easy meals....

1 head of broccoli
1 box of pasta
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil

1.  bring broccoli to boil
2.  add pasta to water and broccoli
3.  when pasta is finished,drain
4.  add parmesan cheese and olive oil

Everyone in my family gobbled it up, and it was soooo easy.

Spicy Grilled Eggplant

Jake and I like to try new veggies and I haven't cooked eggplant in a LOOOONG time, because of how well it went last time! ;) This recipe was great! It came from Kalyn's Kitchen. She always has awesome veggie ideas.

Spicy Grilled Eggplant with Red Pepper and Parsley

(Makes 2 servings, recipe can be doubled or tripled. Adapted from a recipe in Williams-Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook.)


1 medium globe eggplant or 2-3 long Asian eggplants
1-2 tsp. salt, to remove water from eggplant (not needed for Asian eggplant)
1-2 T olive oil, to brush eggplant for grilling
1 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped mint
(You can use 2 T of either mint or parsley if you don't have both.)

spicy sauce:
2 T olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. garlic puree (from a jar) or finely minced fresh garlic (or less if you don't love garlic)
1 tsp. Aleppo Pepper (or less, to taste. Use whatever kind of red pepper flakes you have.)
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)

Remove stem end and wash eggplant, but do not peel. Cut eggplant into slices 1/2 -3/4 inch thick, being careful to make all slices the same thickness. (Cut Asian eggplant on the diagonal to get bigger slices.) Put eggplant in colander in single layer and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 20 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle other side with salt and let drain 20 minutes more. (If you're using Asian eggplant, they don't need to be salted.)

While eggplant drains, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic puree, Aleppo Pepper, and Spike.

Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for 3-4 seconds at that heat.) Remove eggplant from colander and put each piece between two papers towels and press with your hand to squeeze out water. Wipe eggplant dry and brush both sides with olive oil.

Place eggplant on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side, rotating after a few minutes on each side if you want to get nice grill marks. Watch them carefully because they go from nicely browned to overly dark quite quickly.

When eggplant is done, remove from grill and place in large plastic bowl. Pour in spicy sauce, and gently stir eggplant to coat with sauce. Let sit 10-15 minutes so eggplant can absorb sauce flavors. Chop mint and parsley while eggplant is resting in sauce.

To serve, assemble eggplant on serving plate and sprinkle with mint and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

I found this recipe on a crock pot website and decided to try it as we had some salsa we needed to use up.  This was super easy, and we loved it!  What's great as well is that you could easily do many variations of this (adding ingredients you like, not using those you don't have) and it would still be tasty.  For example, I thought about how you could make an easy crock pot chicken tortilla soup with this just by adding some chicken broth and keeping the sour cream and cheese out.  Enjoy!

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 8 chicken tenders)
1 cup salsa (what salsa you use can have a big impact on your meal. I love and used Jack's Special from Costco. Fresh and yummy cilantro flavor!)
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning (1 tbsp.)
1/2 cup light or fat free sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Pour the salsa, corn, beans, and taco seasoning over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or on high heat 3-4 hours (with tenders, check a little earlier just to make sure they're not cooking faster than the chicken breasts would).  Remove the chicken and shred.  Stir sour cream and cheese into sauce in slow cooker, then put chicken back in.  Serve with tortillas, rice, or tortilla chips.

p.s. I'm attaching "healthy" as with the no-fat sour cream and light on the cheese, it is. :)  But can be less healthy depending on how you make it.

Grilled Pork Chops Recipe with Soy Sauce, Cumin, Lime, and Oregano

This is another great pork recipe for grilling, also from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Grilled Pork Chops with Soy Sauce, Cumin, Lime, and Oregano
(Makes 4 thick pork chops, can easily be doubled. Recipe created by Kalyn.)

4 boneless pork loin chops (1 inch thick)

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (I used Mexican Oregano)
pinch of Chipotle chile powder (or use a dash of hot sauce)
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or use 1-2 tsp. grated fresh onion)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or use 1-2 tsp. freshly minced garlic)
(I rarely use onion powder or garlic powder, but a marinade like this is one place where I think they work well)

Trim all visible fat from pork chops, and pound with meat mallet (or anything heavy) until pork chops are about 3/4 inch thick. Combine marinade ingredients. Put pork chops in a heavy ziploc bag or plastic dish with a lid, then pour marinade over. Let pork chops marinate 4-6 hours in the refrigerator. (They can be marinated all day while you're at work too.)

When you're ready to cook, take pork chops out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. Whether you're cooking on an outdoor grill or using a stove-top grill pan, spray with non-stick spray or olive oil, then preheat the grill or pan to medium-high before you start to cook. (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds at that heat.) To get criss-cross grill marks, lay the meat at an angle for 2-3 minutes, then rotate 45 degrees after you have the first set of marks.

Grilling time can vary greatly depending on the temperature of the grill, temperature of the meat, and even air temperature when grilling outdoors. I cooked the pork chops in this photo not quite 5 minutes per side. I highly recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer to tell when they're done, but if you don't have one, the pork chops should feel firm to the touch (not hard). Remember that grilled meats continue to cook for a few minutes when you take them off the grill, and don't overcook.

Grilled Ginger-Soy Pork Chops

This is a great pork chop recipe from Kalyn's kitchen. I love that website. I find a lot of awesome, healthy recipes there.

(4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn) 4-6 boneless pork chops

Marinade:
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned rice vinegar, it contains sugar)
1 tsp. dried chili pepper flakes
2 tsp. ginger puree (or grated ginger)
2 tsp. garlic puree (or minced garlic)
1 tsp. dried mustard

Trim all fat from pork chops and pound to slightly over 1/4 inch thick. (If you're using the very thick pork chops you might want to cut them in half crosswise.) Mix marinade ingredients. Put pork chops in zip-loc bag and pour marinade over. Marinate 6-8 hours or longer.

To cook, preheat grill to medium hot. To get those nice grill marks, rotate the pork chops after about 4 minutes on the first side. (I usually lift one up and check for the marks before I rotate them.) Cook about 8 minutes per side; total cooking time will depend on the temperature of your grill and the thickness of the pork chops. Pork chops should feel firm to the touch but not hard when they're done. Serve hot.

If you have a rotisserie, this recipe would be fantastic to marinate a pork roast overnight and then cook it on the rotisserie.

Honey Baked Chicken

I have made this over and over again. It is a recipe that I can make without any previous planning, as I almost always have the ingredients on hand. We love it. Serve over rice.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders (or 2 chicken breast halves, cut into strips or pieces, however you fancy)
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup spicy brown mustard
1/8 cup dijon mustard
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
a dash cayenne pepper

Directions;

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan. Combine all remaining ingredients and pour mixture over the chicken. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip chicken pieces over and finish cooking uncovered. (usually about 5-10 minutes)

Moroccan Tagine

I loved Shelley's butternut squash risotto, and was looking for another butternut squash recipe. We really liked this with couscous. Courtesy of allrecipes.com. You can omit the chicken for a vegetarian dish.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 tbs. olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves- cut into chunks
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 0z) vegetable broth
1 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 dash cayenne pepper
couscous

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken, onion and garlic until browned.
2. Mix the squash, garbanzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice into the skillet. Season with salt, coriander and cayenne pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue cooking 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
4. Serve over couscous

Minestrone Soup

Thanks for all your crock pot recipes. Here is one of my favorites. It's stock full of veggies and makes me feel healthy when I'm eating it.


Minestrone Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage, browned
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6-oz. can tomato paste
8-oz. can tomato sauce
14 ½-oz. can chicken, beef or veg. broth
24 oz. can pinto beans, undrained
10 oz. pkg. frozen green beans (or 1 can, drained)
2-3 cups chopped cabbage
1 medium zucchini sliced
8 cups water
2 Tbsp. parsley
2 Tbsp. Italian spice
1 tsp. salt or more
½ tsp. pepper
¾ cup dry acini di pepe (small round pasta)- I omit
Grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1. Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic in oil until tender.
2. Combine all ingredients except pasta and cheese in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low, adding pasta 1 hour before cooking is completed.
Top individual servings with cheese.

MAKES 8-10 servings

Pork Pineapple Tacos

Got this one from Cookinglight a couple of years ago, and can't stop making it. We always throw the tortillas on a frying pan with some cheese sprinkled on top until the tortilla is soft, but crispy and the cheese melty.

Cookinglight suggests putting some refried beans on as well, but we never have. Just the pork/pineapple mix, cilantro/onion mix and the herdez.

Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle chile pepper powder (such as McCormick)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, undrained
flour tortillas
3/4 cups salsa verde (Herdez)

Preparation:
Combine onion, cilantro and salsa verde

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle powder, chili powder, salt and pork in a medium bowl. Add pork mixture to pan; saute 4 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add pineapple to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in pork mixture; cook 1 minute or until pork is done.

Warm tortillas. Spoon about 2/3 cup pork mixture down center of each tortilla. Top each serving with 4 tablespoons onion/salsa mixture; roll up.

Maryland Playgroup Dip, aka: Black Bean and Feta Dip

This is the recipe for an awesome dip that we always had at the B-mo playgroup get togethers. It makes me happy and reminds me of some incredible women. As often happens, I brought the recipe with me when we moved and now it is sort of a signature Shelley dip, even though it isn't really mine!

Black Bean & Feta Dip

Ingredients

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C sugar

1 C feta cheese, crumbled

1 can whole kernel, sweet yellow corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 - 1/2 diced sweet onion

Diced red pepper

Frito scoops

Directions

Combine first eight ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with Frito scoops.

By the way, you really do need to let the dip sit before serving it!