October, 1st posting

Here are some new recipes to try. There are 3 soups, one casserole, and a really easy muffin recipe.

Minestrone Soup with Beef & Portabella Mushrooms
Slow Cooker Beef Minestrone

Butternut Squash - Potato Soup

VERY Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Chicken & Spinach Tortilla Bake

The 1st two soups are both minestrone. One has ground beef (the one w/ portabella mushrooms) and the other uses stew beef and can be made in the crock pot. The 3rd soup is butternut squash/potato soup. My kids have loved all 3, although one did pick out all the mushrooms in that soup.

The muffins only have 3 ingredients, are healthy (contain pumpkin) and have been kid-approved too.


The casserole is Mexican. Very tasty although Allison said it was spicy (but ate it all anyway).



Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Tortilla Bake

Ingredients:



1 Tbl olive oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

1 1/2 cups green salsa

3/4 cup part skim ricotta

4 large flour tortillas, cut into wedges

1/2 red onion very thinly sliced

3 cups baby spinach (about 4 oz)

2 cups shredded mexican cheese blend (or monterry jack)



Directions:



1. Preheat oven to 450

2. In large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high. Season chicken with salt & pepper, add to pan and cook about 5 minutes a side (or until cooked). Let cool, then shred chicken (you can also just use a rotisserie chicken & skip this step)

3. Whisk together salsa & ricotta (it looks gross, but will taste good). Season with salt & pepper.

4. Grease a 9" square baking dish (I used a bigger one and it still didn't all fit... so use what ever dish you have). Layer 1/3 of salsa mixture, tortillas, chicken, onion, spinach, & cheese. Repeat 2 more times. Finish with a layer of tortilla & cheese.

5. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

VERY Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:



1 Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup chocolate chips or nut of your choice (or nothing at all)



Directions:



Mix cake mix & pumpkin together. It will be THICK.



Stir in chips or nuts if you are using them.



Fill muffin tins lined w/ paper about 2/3 full.



Bake 20 minutes at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean.



Cool on rack.

Minestrone Soup with Beef & Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, halved and thickly sliced
1/2 ground beef
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup tiny pasta, such as ditalini



Directions:
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 8 minutes.



2. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.



3. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl.



4. Add the beef to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until browned, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper.



5. Add the vegetable mixture, chicken broth and tomatoes.


6. Stir in the pasta and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.



7. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the pasta is tender, 10 to 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper.



The recipe said to serve w/ sour cream - but this didn't sound too good to us.... feel free to add it if you think it sounds right!

Butternut Squash - Potato Soup

This is Allison & Christine's most requested soup.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) **
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

** Wegmans sells the squash cubed and peeled... I use about 1 1/2 containers from there



DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute.



2. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.



3. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half.

Slow Cooker Beef Minestrone

INGREDIENTS: (see notes at bottom)

1 1/2 lbs Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Flour, Salt & Pepper

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 leek, thinly sliced*

1 onion, diced*

3 carrots, diced*

1 celery stalk, diced*

1 green zuchini, diced*

1 russet potato, peeled & diced*

1 carton (32 oz) Beef Stock/Broth use low-sodium if you can

1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-Style Diced Tomatoes

1 24 oz jar Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup dry Ditalini Soup Pasta

1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg (6 oz) Baby Spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dust beef with flour seasoned w/ salt & pepper; pat off excess.

2. Heat oil in large pan on MEDIUM-HIGH until oil faintly smokes. Add beef; sear 10 min until all sides are brown.

3. Transfer beef to slow cooker; don't discard pan drippings.

4. Add vegetables to pan with beef drippings; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 3 min; add to slow cooker.

5. Add stock, tomatoes, and sauce to slow cooker. Cover, cook 4 1/2 -6 hours on HIGH or 8-10 hours on LOW.

6. Add dry pasta and beans 30 minutes before end of cooking on HIGH (45 minutes before end of cooking on LOW). ***

7. Add spinach to slow cooker; stir to blend well. Allow spinach to lightly wilt, about 2 min

* Wegman sells a 16oz pkg called "Cleaned & Cut Minestrone Soup Vegetables" that you can use in place of all the starred ingredients. I used my own, because the packages looked bad the day I was there.

*** I cooked the pasta earlier in the day and then just added it to each bowl of soup so the pasta wouldn't get too overdone. This worked well.

Hoisin Glazed Beef Kabobs

I doubled this glaze recipe and used more meat -- again we eat alot!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1 pound beef tenderloin filets, cut into 16 cubes

veggies for kabobs- I used sweet onion, mushrooms, red pepper all cut in chunks - use whatever you like

Directions:

1. Preheat grill

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

3. Thread 4 beef cubes, and veggies onto skewers.

4. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Grilled Brown Sugar Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup apple juice
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
6 boneless pork chops

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an outdoor grill.

2. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, apple juice, oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt , and pepper. Bring to boil. Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl, and whisk into brown sugar mixture. Stir until thick (it took awhile)

3. Brush grate lightly with oil before placing pork chops on the grill. Cook for 15 minutes, turning once (or until done).

4. Brush with sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with remaining sauce.

Beef and Bean Burrito Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef sirloin
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup leftover white or brown rice, cold
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (about 1/2 palmful)
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander (about 1/2 palmful)
Guacamole
Tomato Slices and/or Salsa
Rolls

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the beef, beans, rice, grill seasoning, chili powder, cumin and coriander
(buy all the seasonings, it's a great flavor)
Form into 4-6 patties (the recipe said 4, I made 6, they were HUGE as 4)
Grill until cooked.

Serve burgers on crusty buns with guacamole, salsa, whatever you like

Black Bean & Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, diced OR 1 (1-lb.) package mild ground pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained OR 4 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with zesty green chiles, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-oz.) package shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix

if making CHICKEN version, 1/2 cup chopped FRESH cilantro

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Brown chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 7 minutes or until cooked.

2. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in beans, tomatoes, salt & cilantro

4. Pour chicken mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese.

5. Stir together buttermilk and cornmeal mix, and spoon over cheese; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

6. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.

Bean and Sausage Cornbread Casserole: Substitute 1 lb. mild ground pork sausage , for chicken, and 4 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained, for black beans.

Sausage Mac and Cheese

Yield
4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups) - I doubled this recipe when I made it - we eat alot. It was too much, but I don't think it would have been enough as written

Ingredients:

4 ounces chicken and sun-dried tomato sausage, chopped
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
5 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

1 bag baby spinach

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.

2. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium.

4. Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly. Stir in pasta. Stir in spinach. Serve immediately.

September Update

I know I haven't posted much for you lately. I have been making lots of things that are already posted. I have 5 new recipes for you to try. I DID NOT make these all in one week - - too many things with beans! Your kids would kill you if you tried this all at once.

My kids LOVED the sausage mac and cheese. It uses chicken sausage and came from Cooking Light magazine, so it's not as unhealthy as it sounds. Also, a note about the Black Bean and Chicken Cornbread casserole - if you don't like black beans - don't make it. It uses ALOT of beans. Christine loved it, Allison hated it.

So, here's the new list:

• Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese
• Black Bean and Chicken Cornbread Casserole (also can be made as Bean and Sausage Casserole)
• Beef and Bean Burrito Burgers
• Grilled Brown Sugar Pork Chops
• Hoisin Glazed Beef Kabobs

Summer Update #3

OK you are in luck, I have actually done some cooking over the last few weeks. Here are a few new recipes for you to try. I have a few more waiting on the sidelines to try over the next few weeks, but I figured I would test them out before passing them on.

You will now find recipes for:

1. Homemade Rice-A-Roni
2. Marsala Chicken & Mushroom Casserole
3. Asian BBQ Chicken Thighs & Broccoli Slaw
4. Macaroni & Goat Cheese

Macaroni & Goat Cheese

My kids were scared of this at first because of the goat cheese, but they tasted it and LOVED it!

Ingredients:
3/4 pound macaroni pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
One 9-ounce bag spinach
Salt and pepper
6 ounces goat cheese, broken into chunks
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and return pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach and the reserved pasta water and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir vegetable mixture into the pasta along with the goat cheese. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

Asian BBQ Chicken & Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2-1/4 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1 bag (12 ounces) broccoli slaw
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons black pepper

Directions
1. Heat gas grill to medium-high

2. In a small saucepan, stir together ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove 3 tablespoons sauce from pot and set aside.

3. Lightly coat grill with nonstick cooking spray or oil. Place chicken thighs on grill bottom-side up and baste with sauce. Close grill cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and flip thighs, basting generously with sauce. Continue brushing with sauce every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160° on an instant-read thermometer.

4. While chicken is cooking, stir together reserved sauce, broccoli slaw, vinegar and salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.