Minestrone

Last night we made a family favorite, Minestrone soup.  OJ loves this soup because it reminds him of serving his mission in northern California. Penny loves all the veggies, especially the squash ("kwash!).  I pretty much love any kind of soup.  It's just so comforting and warms me up from the inside out.  Cooking this one always makes me think of my Grandpa Pugh.  I spent hours making soups with him.  I think this one especially makes me think of him because it starts with pancetta (like bacon, but not smoked) and onion.  He used to make these delicious dutch oven potatoes with bacon, potatoes and onion.  Yum!

We found this recipe a couple months ago when OJ was thinking about his mission.  It's light and so flavorful, I only had to add a little pepper to season it.  It's so good, I hope you like it too!

Super Quick Minestrone

from Michael Chiarello  www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 pound pancetta, cubed
• 6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
• 1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
• 1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
• 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
• 2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add thepancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add theonions, celery, and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesanand olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.

Moore Smoothies

I love smoothies!  They are so easy to whip up in the morning and drink on the go.  Recently a co-worker gave me a tip that will make it even easier.  She puts all the ingredients for her smoothie into a zip-lock bag and stores it in the freezer.  In the morning she just pours it all in her blender w/ a cup of milk.  Why have I never thought of this before??  This is the recipe she uses:

In the freezer bag:
1/4 c oats  (I added a little more to keep me full longer)
pinch flax seed (optional)
1/2 c frozen fruit
1/2 banana
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 c yogurt
Blend with 1 cup milk

Another tip for the frozen fruit is one I learned from my mom.   She purees peaches when they're in season and freezes them in muffin cups.  She has freezer bags of these little discs for smoothies all year long.

This next smoothie is something that I was reluctant to try but once I did I was hooked!  It's a spinach smoothie that is full of goodness and tastes amazing.  Trust me, and just try it once ;)

Green Monster Spinach Smoothie

1 frozen, sliced banana
1 Tsp peanut butter
1/2 c Vanilla yogurt
1 c milk
4 c baby spinach

Banana Bread Muffins

This morning Penny and I woke up in the mood for baking.  My little monkey always likes banana muffins and we happened to have some ripe bananas on hand.  Perfect!  It seems like whenever I want to make this I've lost the recipe and have to call my mom.  By putting it on the website, at least I'll know where it is next time :)

Banana Bread

Cream together:

1c  butter

2c  sugar (I used Splenda)

6 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Then add:

3 1/2 c  flour

1 tsp  salt

2 tsp  baking soda

Bake at 350.  40 - 50 min for bread, 15 - 20 min for muffins

Baked Chicken Parmesean

I got this recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff.  I don't think the picture does it justice (I really need to find something on how to better photograph food).  It was so good,  I think it has to do with the breading being crushed croutons instead of just bread crumbs that makes it so flavorful.  For the sauce, I used Giada DeLaurentes' Veggie Marinara (our fav).  For the side I just sauteed some yellow squash with some Italian seasoning and just a little bit of butter.  I added the spinach as a bed.  Even Penny loved it, we will definitely be making this one again!

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Four Cheese and Garlic Croutons (or your favorite - we used Texas Toast Cheese and Garlic.  Very yummy)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 cup marinara sauce, heated
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*.  Spray baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.  Place croutons in Ziploc bad and crush (or in food processor) until crumbs form.
Dip chicken into egg.  Coat with crumbs.  Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Spray chicken with vegetable cooking spray.
Bake 20-30 minutes or until chicken is done.  Spoon pasta sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cheese.  (I put them back in the hot oven for a couple more minutes to let the cheese melt).

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo

This is another Pinterest experiment.  The original recipe came from a site called Iowa Girl Eats.  Her version had the orzo as a side dish to chicken.  I had some chicken already cooked so I decided to cube it and add it to the orzo for an easy one pot meal.  It was awesome!  If you like Mac n' Cheese (and really, who doesn't?) you'll love this for a fun swap out.  Plus, it has broccoli so that takes away all the calories from cheese right?  ...OK so maybe I fell asleep during nutrition, but it is easy and delicious!  We actually made a double batch so we have leftovers for work week lunches.

Ingredients:
         1 c   Orzo
   1 1/2 c   Broccoli florets, chopped
      1/4 c   Cheddar cheese, shredded
     2 Tbs   Parmesan cheese, grated
     1 Tbs   Butter
1/4-1/2 c   milk
          4     Chicken tenders, cooked (any leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken would be great too.)

Directions:
Add orzo to a large pot of salted boiling water. Half way through cooking add broccoli florets.  Cook until broccoli & orzo are tender.  Drain well  then return to the pot.  Add chicken, cheeses, butter, and 1/4 cup milk.  Stir well and add more milk if needed.

Corn Chowder

There's nothing like soup to warm you up on a cold snowy weekend.  I found this on Pinterest, for the original recipe click here.  It was a great use up for ham I made the other night.  The only thing I changed from the original recipe is that I used frozen diced potatoes instead of fresh.  That made this simple soup even easier.  We loved it and I hope you will too!

Corn Chowder

• 6-8 potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 Can cream corn
• 1 Can whole kernel corn
• 2 Cups chicken broth
• 8 Ounces diced ham
• 1 Cups diced onions
• 1/4 Cups butter
• 2 Cups half and half

1. 1. Step One:  Place potatoes, both cans of corn, chicken broth, ham, and onions into the slow cooker.

   2. Step Two:  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

   3. Step Three:  Mash the mixture to your desired consistency and then add the butter and half and half.

   4. Step Four:  Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high, and you are set!

Never too young to start

Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

This recipe was on Rachael Ray's Top 10 Downloaded Recipes for 2012 and I can see why.  They were a fun twist on a favorite. I never think about buying egg roll wrappers, but really the possibilities are endless.  It'll be fun to experiment with other things.

Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

by Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 pound ground chuck
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package egg roll wrappers
• All-natural cooking spray
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
• 
  
• For the provolone cheese sauce:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups provolone cheese, shredded

Shawna's Chimi's - Utah test drive

•  I set out to make Shawna's Chicken Chimi recipe tonight and realized that I bought regular taco seasoning instead of chicken taco seasoning.  I was just going to use it anyway until I remembered that I had my own blend in the cupboard!  
• I got this recipe from Bobby Flay and I love it!  We usually use it during the spring / summer when we make tacos on the grill.  It's very flavorful but mild enough even for Penny to enjoy.  The original recipe is below.  When I made my batch I didn't have ancho chili powder so I just used regular.  Whatever you have.

• Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast
• from Bobby Flay

• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)

The chimi's were a success!  Thanks for the recipe Shawna! Connie has agreed to post her enchilada sauce recipe so I can't wait to try that with it next time :)

Chicken Chimi's

 

 

We made these the other night becasue I was craving El Charro and trying to be frugal ;) They came out way better than I expected and were soo easy!

 

 

Chicken Chimi's

 
-3lbs cooked chicken ( I usually put chicken in the crockpot in the morning on low and add garlic    salt, pepper and about 1 cup of water and let it cook for about 6 hours or until it shreds easily with a fork. Rotisserie chicken would work too)
- 1 package McCormick's Chicken Taco Seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- Flour tortillas
- Vegtable oil if you want to fry the chimi's. Baking them will work too if you are going for a healthier version.
- Shredded cheese
- your favorite Enchilada Sauce (ours is Macayo's)

Shred the chicken and put into a pan with 2/3 cup water and the chicken taco seasoning. Let this simmer until the chicken is coated in the seasoning, you can add another pack of seasoning if you would like. (if you do add another 2/3 cup water)
Fill tortilla with enough chicken to roll into a burro (be careful to not overfill it)
Roll into an open-ended burro. You can secure the middle of the burro where the tortilla ends with a toothpick and bake at 350 until the tortilla has a nice golden brown color.
 *If you want to fry them fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy and drain on a paper towel lined plate.*

Top burros with warmed enchilada sauce or use Mom's homemade enchilada sauce! (I will let her post the instructions for that)  andadd cheese!

These are really good served with refried beans and spanish rice!

Louie's Cilantro Lime Tacos

 

These are a favorite at our house! We make them at least twice a month!

You will need:
Garlic Salt (We prefer Lawry's)
Morton's Season-All Reduced Sodium Seasoning Salt
1- 2 lbs beef for fajitas or stir fry meat
1- 2 lbs chicken breast for fajitas or stir fry
4 Limes cut into wedges
1 bunch Cilantro
4 jalepenos
1 medium white or yellow onion
2 dozen taco size flour tortillas
Cheese to top tacos

Cut the meat into bite size pieces, if I cant find the stir-fry I use fajita strips and they work great.
Brown the meat in two seperate pans and add garlic salt and seasoning salt to taste.
While the meat is cooking dice the onion, jalepeno and cilantro (I use my ninja chopper because it is fast and easy!) and put on a plate to use as toppings.
Cook meat on low until it is tender and the chicken is golden brown.
warm tortillas and get ready to eat!
Serve with spanish rice or fideos ;)
We usually each make our own plate and add the toppings we like and then squeeze the lime over our tacos. My favorite is a little of each topping (including the cheese that no one else likes!) with a lot of lime juice!

I hope this makes sense, let me know if I forgot to explain something!

Smoothies and Cinnamon Roll Waffles

I saw these waffles on Pinterest and had to try them out.  They turned out great!  You just take a can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and cook them in your waffle maker.  Easy and delicious!

The smoothie was "Penny approved" but she didn't want any part of the waffles for some reason.  She's a cute little weirdo.  OJ loved them though!

Smoothie

2 c frozen fruit blend

8 oz yogurt (I used vanilla)

2c Orange juice (you may need to add a little water too if it's too thick)

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

I usually add a banana too but this fruit blend already had them in it.

yields a 32oz smoothie.  Plenty to share.

Ham Fried Rice

I'm not feeling very well today so I went for one of the easiest dinners I know.  Fried Rice.  Once the rice is cooked it only takes about 10 min to throw together.

All you need is:

2 c Cooked Rice
1 bag frozen stir-fry veggies (we had 2 kinds and decided to do 1/2 bag of each)
Teriyaki sauce (low-sodium) to taste
Soy Sauce (low-sodium) to taste
Pepper to taste
Diced ham - as much as you like (which, if your Penny, is a lot!)
We rounded out the meal with PF Chang's General Chang's Chicken

Cook the veggies in a large non-stick skillet, lightly oiled, for 5-7 min until tender crisp.
Add ham and lightly brown.
Add rice, sauces and pepper to taste.
That's it, super easy.  Enjoy!

Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'?

Let's face it, we make some pretty yummy food. Nobody's going hungry at our houses!  We have spent hours on the phone trying to get ideas from each other...and consoling each other when things go wrong :)  I thought it might be fun for us to have a place to post all this fun!  I would love to be able to steal your ideas and pass on some of mine.  I also thought this might be a fun way to encourage each other to make cooking at home fun again so we're not tempted to eat out so often.  I don't know about you, but I need all the motivation I can get. So get cooking (and posing) ladies!