Taco Soup

This recipe is super easy and really good.

 

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 onion, chopped with your vidalia chopper (go get one if you don't have one!)

1 qt tomatoes - If you have fresh tomatoes, toss them in a blender, skins on and all. If not, you can use 1 qt tomato juice and 2 c. tomato sauce. (I used fresh tomatoes from my parents garden and probably used closer to a quart and a half of blended tomatoes. We like leftovers around here so I wanted to make it go far. The soup was still really thick and chunky. I could have done even more tomatoes.)

1 package taco seasoning

1 can red kidney beans
2 cups frozen corn
(I added a little garlic salt just for fun)

Add all ingredients into a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, and chips.

Cheese Garlic Bread {Pizza Dough}

This one here is a total keeper ladies. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew I HAD to try it out. I am a total lover of pizza but even more...BREAD STICKS! Yum! You will NOT be disappointed in this one. The Pizza Dough recipe was great too. Only one thing, if you have a big bosch, I would maybe try to double this recipe, there just wasn't enough dough to mix well enough. I had to take it out and transfer it to my smaller bosch.

Basic Pizza Dough:
Yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough

Ingredients:
1 C. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 Tbs. honey {or sugar, but go for the honey if you have it}
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
3 C. bread flour {give or take 1/2 c. depending on heat, humidity, and altitude}

Directions:
In mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubble form and mixture starts to foam. Add salt, oil, and half of the flour and mix.

Once flour has been incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch ti it doesn't stick to your hands.

Once you reach this state, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away. Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes. Once done mixing, the dough should be smooth and easy to work with and the bowl should be clean.

Lightly grease the bowl and the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap (or a clean towel) and let it rise 1-2 hours. Done!

We made our own version of Margarita Pizzas on the grill. Fabulous! I love the Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce, Mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan because I love it so much, chicken pieces and some basil straight out of my beloved garden. Yummers. Oh yes, and we cook it on the grill which is so much better than the oven!

So, I used half the the dough to make two smaller pizzas and the other half to make some Cheesy Garlic Bread...keep reading.

Cheese Garlic Bread Sticks
Yield: 1-12 inch pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough (above)
2 Tbs. softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (use the real stuff)
1/4 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
{salt and pepper, if desired}

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. Mix butter and garlic in small bowl and set aside. Roll dough out into 12 inch circle. Spread butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot with marinara.

{Recipe from www.laurenslatest.com}

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

A few things to mention before I get into telling you how great these fajitas are. First, I don't know who started this lame trend but I read it in some article the other day that New Mexico and another State (can't remember the other one, but remind me to never consider moving there) primarily use Swamp Coolers as a means to cool their houses. BARF! Did you know a Swamp Cooler basically only cools your house 15 degrees? Yeah, do the math...it's been 95 degrees out there, which means, I still sweat inside my house too. With that being said, I am on an oven strike. I have not used my oven in almost two months and refuse to use it until October when it starts to cool down a bit. It is getting really hard to do you know. How many dinners can YOU make without an oven? I am not even making bread!!! ARGH!

This had lead me to the Internet and lots of attempted creativity. We were given a bbq a few weeks ago, which has allowed me to branch out in my non-oven cooking...or rather, allow GARY to do some cooking! The other night we made grilled pizza, something I am most likely going to be making again tonight as well. :) I'll have to post that one soon too. But last night, we had the missionaries and another member in the ward over for dinner and I attempted a new recipe (I like the missionaries to be my guinea pigs for new recipes) on the grill.

The other thing I ought to mention is this: I don't know where it started but without my permission, there has been some sort of 'reputation' started among the missionaries who serve in our ward. Every time a new one comes to dinner for the first time, he says something like this "Oh, Sister Fears, I've been looking forward to coming to your house for dinner, I've heard so many wonderful things about your cooking" - HUH?! Seriously? I guess it doesn't take much to please a 19 year old boy who is on his own to cook for himself right? But, its like this talk they have behind my back and so now I feel all this pressure every time they are coming over to make sure they get a yummy meal and that it meets their expectations for a good dinner! It is causing stress people! And without an oven?!?!

Anyhow, I decided to try fajitas out on the grill yesterday and boy did they turn out! I will NEVER be making fajitas on the stove again. Honestly! Now, quick...go start thawing some chicken and try this out, you'll LOVE it!

Here is what you need:

1 Onion (I used a red onion) sliced and then cut into 1-inch strips
1 Red Pepper sliced into 1-inch strips
1 Yellow Pepper sliced into 1-inch strips
1 Tbs. McCormick Grill Mates BARBECUE Seasoning (and more to season fajitas if desired)
Olive Oil
Italian Dressing to marinade chicken in - Our FAVORITE is Ken's LITE Northern Italian with Basil and Romano. YUM!
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thirds lengthwise
Flour Tortillas (Of course, the Costco kind you cook on the stove)

Toppings: Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes, Salsa, Avocados, Shredded Cheese, etc.

So, the night before or morning of, take your chicken strips (breasts sliced into thirds) and drop them in a zip lock back with enough Italian dressing to cover and marinade well. Let it sit in the fridge all day. Every time you open the fridge, just see that chicken and let your mouth water for the delicious meal you are going to make a few hours from then! :)

When the time comes to start dinner, preheat the grill on to HIGH for 10 minutes. Clean grill with wire brush. Using a soft cloth, coat grill grate litely with vegetable oil. Toss your peppers and onion slices with 1 Tbs. BBQ seasoning and 2 Tbs. olive oil. Pour into a disposable 9x13 inch foil pan. Cover pan tightly with foil, seal well. Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Place pan on grill; close lid.

Cook 10 minutes, shaking pan occaisionally. Remove from grill and set aside. Return grill heat to HIGH.

Lay chicken pieces on grill for about 2 minutes or until it has started to change color about 1/4 the way up from bottom. Turn over, and sear another 1-3 minutes. Turn chicken back over again. Reduce heat to MEDIUM and cook 12-15 minutes until internal temp. reaches 165 degrees. When chicken is getting close, put veggies back on the grill just to get them warm again.
Remove chicken from grill and chop into thin bite sized pieces. Remove veggies from grill and stir chicken into veggies.

Eat up!

Might I mention that last night was the first time in my entire life that I actually grilled dinner? Gary has always done it and he ended up having to work late and wouldn't be home in time. If I wasn't having company for dinner, I would have just waited. After a small panic attack, I decided to try my own hand at this and hope it didn't get ruined. I have to say, it all turned out quite nicely! :)

Oh, and if you have any other grilling recipes that are to die for, send them on my way. I will most definitely be using them in the next two and a half months!

Stuffed Breadsticks

A few weeks ago we went out to Magleby's Fresh for lunch here in Provo. My husband got the stuffed breadstick...and about passed out. It was delicious. I of course went in search of a comparable recipe on line and found this beauty. They are really really yummy and a fun alternative to pizza with the same ingredients. You could also shape these into larger personal-sized breadsticks if you wanted to be just like Magleby's. We opted for the smaller puff versions (more kid-friendly).

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 recipe pizza dough
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12″ by 8″. Cut it into squares about 2" by 2", or however big you want your puffs to be.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. (Note that you’re not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it’s for dipping after) Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I’ve used both and there’s not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping!

{as found on Our Best Bites.com}

Chicken Teriyaki

2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons mirin
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan. Stir together mirin and cornstarch in a small bowl, then stir the mirin into the saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce forms a syrupy glaze.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until nicely browned.

Put chicken on serving platter or bowl and cover with teriyaki sauce. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables.

{Modified slightly from America's Test Kitchen:2006}

Cream Cheese Chicken Potato Soup

Just made this soup tonight and it was fabulous!!! With easy, normal ingredients. My kind of meal! I thought I'd just put a link to the blog in case any of you want to check out any of her other recipes. They're mostly desserts.

Stovetop Chicken Fajitas

2 tsp canola oil

2 red bell peppers,stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin

1 red onion, halved and sliced thin

salt and pepper

4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, pounded if necessary

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped, medium

3 scallions, sliced thin

8 whole-wheat flour tortillas, warmed

1. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup of the cilantro, Worcestershire, garlic, and chipotles in the skillet. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. When the liquid is simmering, flip the chicken over, cover and continue to cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it into bite-sized pieces when cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

4. Off the heat, stir in the mustard, tomato, scallions, remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, and shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the pepper-onion mixture and warm tortillas.

From America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

Another America's Test Kitchen recipe. I make this to go with the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets and they went together fabulously. Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves 4

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional. I used half the amount)
Table Salt
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
1/4 C. minced fresh parsley leaves (optional. I actually sprinkled dry parsley on at the very end)
Ground Black Pepper

1. While preparing/cooking noodles according to directions on box, heat oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.
2. When draining pasta, reserve 1/4 C. cooking liquid, drain pasta and return to pot. Add garlic mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, and optional parsley; toss well to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

In honor of Valentines day, allow me to share with you the menu tonight. Not sure if you've figured out that Jess and I are pretty much in love with America's Test Kitchen...but uh, we are. And my entire meal consisted of their recipes, including dessert. It was fabulous...so, enjoy! And next time you're standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and you see a magazine called "Cook's Illustrated" - it will be the best $8.00 you ever spent! :)
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets
Serves 4 (can easily be halved to serve two or doubled to serve 8...can I come?)


-2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, breasts trimmed of excess fat and halved horizontally (see note)
-Table Salt & Black Pepper
-1/4 C. plus 1 Tbs. flour
-1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated (I used the powder stuff you get at the grocery store, or you could grate some fresh stuff on a mircoplane rasp grater. Either way, it needs to be very small)
-3 large egg whites
-2 Tbs. minced fresh chives (optional. I did not use this tonight)
-2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded (buy a block and grate it like you would cheese on the largest holes of the grater. )
-4 teaspoons olive oil
-1 lemon, cut into wedges

Note: chicken breasts are easier to slice into cutlets if you freeze them for 15-20 minutes until firm but not fully frozen. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef's knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 200 degrees.
2. Set a oven safe cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together 1/4 c. flour with 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese in a pie plate. In medium bowl, whisk egg whites and chives (if using) together until slightly foamy. Pour into a pie plate. In third pie plate, combine shredded Parmesan and remaining Tbs. of flour.
3. Using tongs and working with one cutlet at a time, coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Transfer chicken to egg-white mixture; coat evenly and let excess run off. Coat chicken with shredded Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so that cheese adheres. Place on wire rack. Continue with the rest of chicken cutlets.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place 2 cutlets in skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cheese is pale golden brown, about 3 minutes (I actually cooked 4 minutes on each side). Carefully flip cutlets and continue to cook until cheese is pale golden brown on second side and meat is no longer pink in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and return to medium heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoon oil and cook remaining 2 cutlets. Serving immediately with lemon wedges.


I served this with Spagheti with Garlic and Olive Oil. - I'll post this quick fix too.
For Dessert we had the recipe that Jessica posted today. Fallen Chocolate Cake. Oh heavenly.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I have been cooking...lots actually. I just forget to take pictures (and partly on purpose because I can't take nice pictures like Jessica) and then figure why post a recipe for something yummy without a picture? No one will even be tempted to make it because, let's be honest...we all love pictures of good food, right? Well, sorry to say. No picture here. But Ryan (brother) was visiting us for a few days and I made this recipe and he said to me "This is really good. Is this on the food blog?" - Uh, he KNOWS about the food blog? Yeah, because his wife is the one that mostly posts on this blog. So, I decided to post it on the food blog. Just for him...and for his wife, if she ever wants to make them. Make them...they were yummy. And it's a little bit of New Mexico right in your home! :)

Filling:
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skinned, and chopped...or about 3-ish cups chopped chicken
2-4 oz. cans of diced green chiles
1-8 oz. package of softened cream cheese, cut up into cubes
1 can black beans
1 cup corn (I use costco corn and just run tap water over it to thaw it out a little bit)

Sauce:
2 T. Butter
1/2 C. chopped onion*
2 Tbs. Flour
1/3 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-10 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 C. sour cream

8 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (I've used mozzarella but it just wasn't quite the same)
Flour Tortillas (I use the Costco ones....love them!)
Fresh Cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combing cream cheese, and green chiles. Mix together well. Add the chicken, black beans, and corn. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins turning translucent, this will take about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions as you stir. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until it begins to bubble and has thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 C. of the green sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish. (Or, if you have a smaller family, like me. Use a 8x8 pan and a tin 8x8 pan and freeze one of them for another quick dinner in the future. This freezes well!) Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 C. of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple Tbs. for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 C. cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full.

Pour the green/white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.


*Go buy a Vidalia Chopper right now if you don't already have one. Jess, do you like yours? I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine. Honestly, if there was a fire in my house, it would be the second thing I'd grab second only to my child! :) I buy a big bag of onions at Costco and chop about half of them up right away and freeze them (about one onion per freezer bag) and it makes it SO nice when I'm cooking something with onion, which I do often. I just pull out an already chopped, frozen bag of onion. If I know I'm going to use it early enough, sometimes I'll pull it out and let it thaw, but it really doesn't matter.

I adapted this recipe from my kitchen cafe

Ricotta and Spinach Calzones

I have been too intimidated to try this recipe. But now that I'm living with my mom for awhile she showed me the ropes. It was surprisingly easy and very very delicious. We added sausage to some calzones and that was delicious.

DOUGH

4 cups flour

1 T yeast

1/2 T salt

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Add yeast to warm water. Let it begin to foam. in food processor fitted with plastic blade mix flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Pulse until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic. Put dough aside to rise in a covered bowl for 1 hour. Cut dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a ball, and then cover to keep warm for up to 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 500 F.

FILLING

2 cups ricotta

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded

1 cup grated parmesan

1 egg yolk - or whole egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 T olive oil plus 2 T for brushing calzones for baking

1 yellow or red pepper cut into small chunks

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

4 cups chopped frozen spinach or 1 pound fresh, washed/dried baby spinach

SAUCE

1 T olive oil

28 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree

2 medium crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and the sauce. For filling, mix the cheeses, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the oil, then add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, spinach, and dried red pepper flakes. Cook until the spinach is just beginning to dry. Set aside cheese mixture and vegetable mixture.

For sauce, heat oil in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant - don't let it brown. Carefully add tomatoes. This will spatter if you add the tomatoes too fast, so guard your clothes and stove. Add oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. continue to cook very slowly to thicken a bit while you finish the calzones.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Roll the balls of dough into 9 inch circles. Keep each of the circles separated from each other with plastic wrap or parchment paper. To form each calzone, cover half a circle with 1/6 of cheese mixture, leaving a 1 inch edge. Cover the cheese with 1/6 of the vegetable mixture. Fold the dough over the filling, this time leaving a 1/2 inch edge, sealing the top dough to the bottom. Form each remaining calzone the same way. Cut a few air vents in the top of each calzone, brush with olive oil, and bake for 12 minutes.

Serve with the tomato sauce either hot from the oven or after cooling for 30-60 minutes.

Grilled Pizzas

During the summer I hate turning the oven on. So for dinners, my favorites include anything cooked on the grill. This pizza was perfect, fast, and really, really yummy. this recipe suggest tomatoes, sausage and fresh basil but I just did personal size pizzas and let each person make theirs as they wanted. They were a huge hit.

Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used half white and half wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Topping
1 lb red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (or only red if your grocery store doesn't carry yellow)
1/2 lb turkey sausage, cooked and thinly sliced
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella (I used half fresh mozzarella and half grated)
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Or, really, whatever toppings you want.

Directions:
Mix flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Gradually add 1/2 cup warm (110°) water until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into 4 portions. Using hands, roll dough into balls, coat with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise 30 to 45 minutes. When ready to cook, place each ball of dough on a piece of wax paper and flatten into a 4-inch circle. Coat grill with cooking spray and heat on high. Gently lift dough onto grill and cook until dough puffs and underside stiffens (about 30 seconds); flip and reduce heat to low. Mix topping ingredients, then divide among crusts; cover grill. Grill until cheese melts, 5 to 6 minutes more. Slice and serve.