Taco Soup

Easy and yummy for "quick dinner" nights. This recipe makes a lot, so 1/2 it unless you like leftovers for lunches. I like the leftover option, personally. :) And FYI, it reheats very well.

Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz. each) mild chili beans, undrained

1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.25 oz.) corn, undrained (I used corn that my mom froze from the summer - yum)

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix

1-1/2 cups water

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown meat with onions in large saucepan; drain.

Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; stir, breaking up tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with the cheese. It was also yummy served with tortilla chips on the side to dip and scoop, and sour cream would be good, too.

I got this from the Kraft Foods magazine, and the picture is from their website. You can actually just click on the picture to get the recipe from the website, but I put it here, too ... um, obviously. :)

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

This turned out more of a thick soup the first time I made it, but it was so good and super easy! Just the way I like it and the girls ate it too!

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

2 TBS. olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1 med. carrot, peeled and diced
5 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. dried basil (more if fresh)
1-3 bay leaves
1/2 c. canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
8-9 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese or meat filled)
2-3 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot or large saucepan. Add the onion, zucchini, and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the stock, basil, bay leaves, tomatoes, and salt to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the tortellini and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook it for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes longer. Gently stir in the parsley and pepper during the last minute or so.

Makes about 5 servings

Chicken Tacos

I found this recipe on the blog twomomsinthekitchen.blogspot.com and was surprised that I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made it that night and it was so good and super easy!

(Even Kajsa ate it and she claims that she doesn't like chicken! Shhhh...don't tell her!)

(Picture courtesy of twomomsinthekitchen.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained
2-3 frozen chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
cumin
chili powder

Directions:
-Place corn in bottom of crock pot, then beans, and chicken
-Sprinkle chicken with cumin and chili powder
-Add salsa
-Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until chicken is done and shreds easily
-Remove chicken from crock pot, shred, return to crock pot and mix well with other ingredients
-Serve on tortillas

Chicken Lunch Wraps

1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
salt
pepper
1/4 c. firmly packed crumbed Roquefort or Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/3 c. dried cherries or craisins
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1/2 c. firmly packed chopped arugula or spinach
2 (10 or 11") flour tortillas (spinach flavored are good with this)
1/4(ish) c. fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350*. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until they are shiny and aromatic. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cook the chicken in heated olive oil in a skillet, and add salt and pepper to taste. (about 1/2 tsp of each.) Cook until chicken is cooked through. Let cool. Mix together the cheese, dressing, cherries/craisins, and celery. Add the chicken. Toss the arugula/spinach, cilantro and walnuts into the chicken mixture. Divide among the tortillas and wrap.

Quick Chicken Enchiladas

12 tortillas
3 c. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilies, drained (I use salsa)
1 tbsp. dried cilantro
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1 c. jack cheese, grated
2 c. enchilada sauce
2 c. lettuce, shredded

Combine chicken, chilies, cilantro, cumin, allspice and half of the cheese. Toss gently. Distribute equally among the tortillas. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in a large baking dish. Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce over them and bake in a 400* oven for 10 min. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake 5 min. more. Top with shredded lettuce and serve with the remaining sauce for those that want more.

Perfect Pizza Dough

(my sister's recipe, yum!)

1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 (1/4-oz) packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 c. flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt

Place 1/4 cup of warm water in small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle yeast onto the surface of the water. Let yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir into water. Let yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. pour yeast mixture into large bowl and stir in remaining water, oil, flour, and salt. With wooden spoon, mix until the dough forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Coat inside of large glass bowl with oil. Press dough into bottom of bowl and flip it over so oiled side is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Pat dough out on greased pizza pan. Put on toppings and bake at 425*F for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Puffs

I actually made these this week, so we've got pictures! :) This is an easy dish that gives off a gourmet look. Great with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy and green salad.

3-4 (1 lb) chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls (the kind that's "50% bigger", it's easier to use)
6 oz. softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp butter
seasonings - lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt
bread crumbs (I prefer Italian seasoned, just to add that extra flavor)


Mix butter and cream cheese. Add shredded chicken. Use seasonings in filling to taste.

Separate the crescents into triangle. Drop filling on triangles, roll up into rolls.

Roll in bread crumbs. (The crescents are sticky enough to get a good covering, however you can rub a little water or olive oil on prior to rolling in bread crumbs)

Bake at 350*F for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

The best frosting for sugar cookies I've ever made...

4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 3-5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

You'll be able to stack your cookies after awhile without them sticking to each other.

Sugar Cookies

This is Jennie's recipe that I made - yum!

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sour
1 egg
1 tsp soda
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cup flour

Roll on well-floured board. Bake 425*F for 5-7 minutes - do not let brown.

Impossible Chicken Pot Pie

Melanie, here is your long-lost college recipe. :)

2 c. cut up cooked chicken
1 1/2 c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained
1/4 c. chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 1/3 c. milk
4 eggs
3/4 c. Bisquick
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350*, grease pie plate (10x1 1/2). Mix chicken, peas and carrots, mushrooms, and onion in pie plate. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth (15 seconds in blender on high or 1 min. with hand beater.) Pour into pie plate over chicken and vegetables. Bake 45-60 min. until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (Add or subtract veggies to suit your own taste.)

Makes 6-8 servings.

Trail mix

This has to be my latest snacking passion. If I eat it about 30 minutes before dinner, I'm actually not as hungry for dinner. It's the right treat to capture all those taste buds - salty, sweet, and of course, chocolate! (And sometimes I add a small package of M&M's because my kids pick them out and eat them. Can't leave them unequal, now can we?!?) Or sometimes it's my mid-morning snack followed by a big glass of water. Gives me quick energy to keep on chasing those little ones! :)

Trail mix - (anything goes):

Peanuts

Cashew

M&M's

raisins

almonds

(or Costco's big bag is easiest for me!)

Crispy Peanut Butter Squares

I got this one from Jennie - the easiest and yummiest treat to ease my sweet-tooth cravings!

Bring to a boil:
1 c. Karo syrup
1 c. sugar

Remove from heat.

Add to melt:
1 c. peanut butter

Pour over:
5 c. Rice Krispies or Special K

Pour & press to flatten on cookie sheet.

Frost with 1 small package chocolate chips - spread over warm krispies to melt.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

2 quarts popped popcorn (or 1 microwave bag unsalted, un-buttered popped popcorn)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/8 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Pop the popcorn and put it in brown paper bag (or keep it in the bag if it's the microwave kind). In a microwavable bowl, mix the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes (I'd put something underneath just in case it boils over). Stir. Heat for another 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir in the baking soda. Pour syrup over the popcorn in the bag. Roll down the top once or twice and shake shake shake, covering all the popcorn. Stick the bag in the microwave and cook for 45 seconds. Flip over, and cook for another 45 seconds. Dump the bag onto wax paper until cool. Yum yum! (and don't forget to floss - popcorn almost inevitably gets stuck in my teeth. :)

Candied Yams

The picture and the recipe are from allrecipes.com, my favorite recipe site ever! So I can't really take credit except they were yummy! :)

1 (29 ounce) can yams/sweet potatoes...what's the difference anyway???
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar (I did lessen this a little because I loaded up on more marshmellows)
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sweet potatoes in a medium baking dish. Distribute butter pieces evenly over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Layer with miniature marshmallows. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and marshmallows have melted.

Divinity

2 2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. coarsely chopped nuts

1. Cook sugar, corn syrup and water in 2-qt saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 260* on candy thermometer.

2. Beat egg whites in med. bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on med. speed. (Use a stand mixer -- this will burn out your hand mixer and takes a while.) Add vanilla. Beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. Fold in nuts.

3. Drop mixture from buttered spoon onto waxed paper. Let stand uncovered at room temp at least 12 hours, turning candies over once, until they feel firm. Store in airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen candies