Southwestern Chicken Soup

I tried this crock pot soup tonight so we'd have something hot and ready for dinner when we came in from passing out trick-or-treat candy from the bed of our '51 Chevy!  It was FANTASTIC.

The recipe comes from a Taste of Home cookbook from 2008 called Heartwarming Soups.  I served it with cornbread based on the recipe for Mini Corn Muffins I posted awhile ago.

This soup is zesty, without being spicy.  We loved it, and I will definitely be making it again!

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 1/4 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
1 pkg frozen corn, thawed (16 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp cumin (skipped this since I don't like it)
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Saute chicken in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned.  Transfer to slow cooker with slotted spoon.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low.

Pie Shooters

What an adorable dessert!  And the best part?  You can create endless combinations!  What a great presentation for guests.

I bought a miniature dessert set at TJ Maxx (it even came with miniature spoons!), but you could make these in any small glass.  They were just the right amount of dessert after a rich, delicious dinner.

Pie shooters appeared on the cover of the October/November issue of Simple & Delicious.  I made the Carmel Apple Pie.  There were no measurements for the recipe -- just wing it!  Alternate the layers however you want.  I made sure I coated the apples in the pudding to seal out the air, because I made them ahead of time for a dinner party.

You'll notice the ones with ice cream say "freeze until set."  I really wouldn't want to freeze my little glasses!  It might be better to just serve those immediately.  Making them with pudding is a lot less hassle. 

Carmel Apple Pie

crushed Nutter Butter cookies
finely chopped apples
caramel topping
pudding (they suggested white chocolate but I used vanilla)
top with whipped topping

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

crushed gingersnap cookies
softened French vanilla ice cream
canned pumpkin pie filling
maple syrup
top with whipped topping, pumpkin pie spice, and toffee bits
(freeze until set)

Triple Chocolate French Silk Pie

crushed chocolate chip cookies
chocolate pudding
chopped white chocolate
chopped pecans
hot fudge
top with whipped topping

Butter Pecan Apple Pie

crushed shortbread cookies
chopped apple pie filling (not sure what that is!)
softened butter pecan ice cream
butterscotch topping
top with whipped topping, cinnamon, and a pecan
(freeze until set)

Black Forest Pie

crushed Oreo cookies
softened rocky road ice cream
hot fudge
whipped topping
cherry pie filling
top with whipped topping and shaved chocolate
(freeze until set)

Banana Cream Pie

crushed Nilla wafers
chopped bananas
vanilla pudding
whipped topping
top with toasted coconut flakes and a cherry

Pumpkin-Onion-Spiced Soup (courtesy of my student, Molly)

Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1 tsp ground ginger (I didn't have this, so I substituted cloves...and did about 2 tsp)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1. In a blender, puree pumpkin with 3/4 cup broth. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Whisk in half and half. Add ginger, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook, still stirring, for 4 minutes, or until mixture starts to thicken.
4. Add pumpkin puree and remaining broth. Cook until hot. Taste, adding extra spice if desired.
5. Top with garnish (parsley?) and serve.
Enjoy on these chilly fall nights! :)

Pumpkin Delight

This recipe is so easy and so good, I serve it at Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie!  It has been passed around my family so much, I'm not sure where it originally came from.

Pumpkin Delight

1 yellow cake mix
1 30 oz can of pumpkin pie mix (NOT plain pumpkin)
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter (melt in measuring cup for easy pouring)
1 cup chopped pecans (or any nut you prefer)

Mix pumpkin and eggs, pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Top with dry cake mix.  Pour butter evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Kellie’s Mom’s Sour Cream Cookies

I haven't made cut out cookies in ages (no room in the old place for rolling and cutting), and I've never made a sour cream cookie before, so I was intrigued by the recipe I found on Kellie Martin's blog. The cookies came out delicious and are definitely being added to the cookie collection. And yes, the frosting might look more peach than orange - my food colorings were the pastel ones. And no, I didn't have any other decorations to put on them... besides, I only wanted to spend so long on decorating - I wanted to try them!

3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream

- Combine flour, soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

- In the bowl of a mixer mix the butter, sugar, and egg on a medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth.

- On low speed add sour cream and vanilla to butter mixture.

- Add half of the flour mixture and mix for about 1 minute. Turn off mixer and add the rest of the flour stirring with a wooden spoon.

- Roll dough out to ¼ inch thick. Use cute Christmas cookie cutters!

- Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (do not allow the cookies to brown).

Autumn Harvest Cobbler

One word:  FANTASTIC!

Make this.  You won't be sorry.  The secret to its tastiness is the lemon zest on the biscuits. 

The recipe comes from the October/November issue of Simple & Delicous.

Autumn Harvest Cobbler

1/2 cup sugar (I added about 1/4 cup more)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I always use less nutmeg in a recipe)
2 cups cold water, divided
6 large tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup golden raisins (I used regular)
1 cup dried apricots, halved (I skipped this)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Topping:

2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp coarse sugar (I used regular)
2 tsp grated lemon peel
whipped cream

Bring sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and 1 3/4 cups water to boil in a large pan.  Stir in apples, raisins, apricots, and lemon juice.  Return to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring ocassionally.

Stir cornstartch and remaining water until smooth.  Stir into pan.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Blend biscuit mix and milk in a bowl until just combined.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto hot apple mixture.  Sprinkle with sugar and lemon zest.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.  Serve warm with whipped cream.

Chicken Supreme

We have been making this recipe for years!  It is delicious and simple, but tastes fancy and complicated.  My only complaint is the crock pot timing -- it's only 3-4 hours, which means you can't make it while you're at work all day.

The recipe comes from Pillsbury's Slow Cooker Recipes, January 2002.

Chicken Supreme

2 slices bacon
6 boneless chicken breast halves
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp dry sherry, if desired (I've made it both ways and honestly I can't tell the difference!)
3 oz sliced Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp chopped chives

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add chicken to bacon drippings and brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to slow cooker.  Top with mushrooms and soup.  Cook 3-4 hours on low.

Top mixture with cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives.  Cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted..

Beef and Black Bean Chili

This chili recipe is VERY different!  It has cinnamon, honey, and lime juice in it, which creates a very unique taste from your traditional chili recipe.

I'm going to post the recipe exactly as written.  But I am going to tweak it next time I make it.  I would back off on the cinnamon a bit, perhaps by half.  I would also cut the beef in half, add another can of black beans and a can of diced tomatoes.  I might also increase the chili powder.  I don't like cumin, so I skipped that.

The recipe comes from the October 2011 issue of Relish.

Beef and Black Bean Chili

3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 tsp coarse salt
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 28 ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained (I used plain because I couldn't find fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, only fire-roasted diced tomatoes and I didn't want to bother with the food processor)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp honey
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add beef and brown, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt, set aside.

Drain liquid from pan and add the remaining oil.  Add onion and saute until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes,  Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon.  Cook 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, water, beef, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 hour, stirring ocassionally.

Add beans and lime juice and cook 5 minutes.  Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, or shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Burgundy Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

This is my traditional "Thanksgiving Eve" dish.  It's our last chance to eat red meat before the onslaught of turkey leftovers! 

It's also an easy thing to prepare the night before, so when we get home from work dinner is waiting for us and Chris's parents, who come for Thanksgiving every year.  There are some things for Thanksgiving we prepare the night before, so this stew frees up a lot of time.

The unique part of this recipe is the dumplings.  It makes this thick beef stew even hardier.  Traditionally dumplings are served with chicken dishes.

The other great thing about this recipe is it cooks for 8-10 hours, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner when you're at work all day.

It comes from the Betty Crocker cookbook Slow Cooker Meals, February 2000.

Burgundy Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

Stew

2 lbs beef boneless bottom or top round, cut in 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into slices (4 cups)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup red wine or beef broth (I've made it both ways with good results)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 and 1/8 cup water (I added water from the original recipe)
4 1/2 Tbsp flour (I added flour from the original recipe)

Herb Dumplings

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/2 cup milk

Mix all ingredients for stew except water and flour in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Mix water and flour together (I put them in an air tight container and SHAKE!).  Gradually stir into beef mixture.

Prepare herb dumplings.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot beef mixture.  Cover and increase temperature to HIGH for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of dumplings come out clean.

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Herb Sauce

I cut this recipe out of the coupons from a French's ad.  It was quick, easy, and delicious!  (I'll take a photo next time -- my camera battery was dead for weeks and I never remembered to charge it until I was ready to take a picture of my dinner!  And by then, it was too late.)

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Herb Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
6 Tbsp dijon mustard (a little less would be fine too)
1/3 cup cream cheese spread, softened
1 Tbsp minced herbs (parsley, basil or chives -- I used all three)
1 Tbsp oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended.  Set aside.

Cook chicken in hot oil in nonstick skillet until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Stir in mustard sauce and garlic.  Simmer over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and flavors are blended.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms and Crab Cakes

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab Cakes

When my sister was here in September, I knew we would LOVE to make these crab-stuffed mushrooms!  They were exactly the kind of thing we like.  And this recipe was fabulous!

Chris isn't a mushroom fan, but he loves crab cakes.  As soon as I tasted the filling, I knew it would make the perfect crab cake.  So I used the rest of the crabmeat from the mushrooms to make crab cakes.  After pressing them into cakes, I coated them in breacrumbs and brushed them with olive oil.  I baked them for about 30 minutes or so at 350, turning them half way through.  They were my first attempt at homemade crab cakes, and they were the best I've ever had!

We didn't make the horseradish sauce that goes with this.  I couldn't find plain horseradish at the grocery store, so I bought horseradish sauce from Heinz.  It was delicious.

This recipe comes from the blog Neo-Homesteading.  Check it out for some more yummy recipes.  I originally found this recipe posted on Pinterest.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

6 medium sized portobello mushrooms about 2" in diameter
4-6 button mushrooms (I skipped these)
extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

8 ounces crab meat

2-3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 egg
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons mayo
1/2-1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs)
(I skip the salt) 1/2 teaspoon salt
*fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl combine crab meat, pepper, chives, egg, mustard, mayo, old bay. Stir to mix and add panko, do not add too much you just want enough for the mixture to bind together. 

Remove stems from the mushrooms, using a spoon hollow out the centers and then toss mushrooms with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Using about 1-2 tablespoons of filling stuff crab filling into the mushrooms. Place on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is golden. You don't want to over cook the mushrooms or they will be too moist and the filling will become soggy.

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

2-3 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon horseradish (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce 

Stir to combine. For a fuller fat version you can use more mayo or substitute the mayo in this recipe for horseradish cream. 



Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Stew

I've been hunting for a recipe similar to a dish I had at a friend's years ago. I found this Knorr one and although I can't even recall what my friend's tasted like now, I think this came out pretty tasty. The boyfriend put it together as I had to dash off to work unexpectedly. He thought maybe adding some corn would be nice another time.

PREP TIME: 15 Minute(s)

COOK TIME: 4 Hour(s)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups water 3 medium carrots, chopped 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 medium onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 cup dried lentils 3 Knorr® Vegetarian Vegetable Bouillon Cube, crumbled 1/2 tsp. curry powder or ground cumin (optional)

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook covered on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 4 to 6 hours. Serve, if desired, with sour cream, yogurt and/or chopped fresh cilantro.

Not-sagna Pasta Toss

From Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals. I've been meaning to make this for nearly a year now. And I finally did. Not exactly like lasagna in that in could've had more cheese (mmm, cheese!), but otherwise, it did have the flavor, and even though I'm not as speedy as other cooks, it really did come together in about a half hour.

Easier than lasagna, because it's not, this pasta, meat sauce and ricotta toss-up is just as hearty and comforting as the layered Italian fave, but it's ready in a fraction of the time and with much less effort.

Ingredients

• 1 pound curly short cut pasta (recommended: campanelle by Barilla, fusilli or cavatappi
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, eyeball it in your palm
• Black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm
• 1 teaspoon, several drops, Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the starchy cooking water to help form sauce before draining.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat and break it up into small bits as it caramelizes. Once meat has good color to it, 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt, pepper, allspice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 5 minutes, deglaze the meat and onions with red wine, cook off a minute, then combine about 1/2 cup of stock into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.
Place ricotta cheese in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add a ladleful of boiling, starchy pasta water to the ricotta and stir to combine. Add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan to the ricotta and mix it in.
Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with cheeses. Add half the thick meat sauce to the pasta bowl and combine. Tear or shred the basil and add to the meat and pasta, toss again. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve bowlfuls of Not-sagna with extra sauce on top and more grated Parmesan to pass at the table.