Tomato Soup

Found this recipe online from the Pioneer Woman.  I tweaked it a bit to include some of my favorite things.

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium onion diced
• garlic cloves (to your liking/ taste… I use 2-3 large cloves)
• 6 T butter
• 2-14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
• 46 oz bottle V8 (low sodium is my preference)
• 6 T honey
• 3 chicken bullion cubes
• ground pepper
• salt
• 1.5 C half and half
• fresh chopped basil (your taste will determine amount you like)

Saute’ onion and minced garlic in 6 T butter (low to medium heat).  When softened and clear like appearance, add tomatoes, V8, honey, bullion cubes, ground pepper, salt and half and half.  Heat until warm.  If you like the chunks of tomatoes leave as is, if not you can puree with a blender.(careful if you chose to do this when it is warm as it can splatter and burn)  For added flavor you can also add chopped basil. Serve and enjoy.  It is quite delicious!

 

Corn Casserole

One of our family’s favorite side casserole recipes. This is copied from the Tremont, IL Sesquicentennial cookbook, p 134

1 Egg

1/4 lb butter melted (1 stick)

2 T Sugar

1 Can cream style corn

1 Can whole kernel corn, drained (or frozen corn)

1/2 C milk

1 Box Jiffy Corn muffin mix ( 8.5 oz size)

 

Mix all ingredients and add muffin mix.  Pour into slightly greased casserole ( 9 x 9).  Bake at 350 about 45 minutes.  (careful not to overbake)    Recipe can be doubled for a 9 x 13 pan, adjust cooking time and check after about an hour so that it doesn’t get overdone.

 

Chicken and Rice (Lebanese version)

1 roasting hen

Broth from Roasting Hen

1-1/2 lbs low fat ground sirloin browned

1-2 T butter

salt

1/4 C Cinnamon

2 Cups Long Cooking Rice

1/4 C Pine Nuts (optional)

Pepper (to taste)

Boil roasting hen with a hand full of salt (my aunt put a “fist full” into the water)… when I do this I put it in the crock pot the night before and cook on low heat.  If using the stove method, skim off “whitish stuff” from the top.  When cooked and somewhat cooler, pull meat off of bones.  It is a rare occasion when I get every bone out.  Brown the ground sirloin.  Put 1-2  T butter in same pan and place pine nuts in pan and brown. Be careful not to scorch.  In a stock pot, add:  6 C uncooked broth from cooked chicken (if you don’t have that much add water to make 6 Cups),  2 Cups long grain rice (uncooked), we like Uncle Ben Rice.  Add ground sirloin and pine nuts to rice/ broth mixture.  Add cinnamon, you may adjust to your particular tastes.  Add fist full of salt.  Cook covered about 45 minutes until rice is tender.  Add chicken (can add a few minutes before rice is complete so chicken has time to heat).  Enjoy!

 

No Bake Cookies (aka “Poop cookies”)

Yes… the name isn’t so appealing but they do taste good. My sister-in-law designated the name with our kids and it has stuck.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter/ margarine
1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla
2 C sugar

3 t cocoa
3 C oatmeal
1 C peanut butter

Boil the first 4 ingredients for one minute. Add additional 3 ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper. Eat when cool.

 

Stuffed Pepper Soup

This is a large recipe.  I make it and freeze it for another day or to give away if someone is sick or in need.  Enjoy, it is delicious!

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef (cooked and scrambled)

12 C cooked rice (follow directions, I use long grain)

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

1 Large onion chopped into small pieces

3 peppers (whatever color you like, we like red, yellow, orange), chopped finely

5 cloves chopped garlic

3-16-oz cans crushed/ diced tomatoes

1-16 oz can tomato sauce

1-8 oz can tomato sauce

3 boxes beef broth

dash paprika

1 t each salt/ pepper

dash red pepper flakes

Prepare ground beef.  Place rice/ water/ butter (as in package directions) along with the drained ground beef. Cook until rice is done.  While rice is cooking, chop onion and peppers.  Place olive oil and butter in stock pot.  Saute onions,peppers & chopped garlic until the onions are transparent.  Warning… it smells intoxicating!!  When this is done, add tomatoes, sauce, broth and seasonings. Add rice and hamburger mixture.  Heat and eat…. OR, put some away in freezer bags for another day, or to give away!  This recipe made 10 quart sized freezer bags of soup.  Instead of adding rice/ meat mixture, we put one cup into each bag, then added 3 C of the soup mixture.  (Label your baggies first!).  Stuffed Pepper Soup:  Heat and eat.  Such a nice treat on a cold winter’s day.

 

Little Cheddar Meatloaves

2 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar
1 C oats
1 C chopped Onion
2 t salt

Sauce: 1 1/2 C catsup
1 C brown sugar
1 T mustard

Add meat ingredients together. Shape into 16 loaves into 2-9 x 13 pans, or I put 4 loaves into a square aluminum pan (makes 4 pans), Combine sauce, spoon over loaves. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I like to make a large portion and freeze meals. I do the same as the instructions, but I take the uncooked meatloaves / sauce and place them into an aluminum pan. I write the baking instructions/ name of the dish on the aluminum foil. Items can be baked from frozen state (takes longer) or taken out of freezer the night before and cooked in the thawed state. We’ve made this many times and it is always a big hit in our home.

 

Party Potatoes

This recipe is enough to make an entire roaster full of party potatoes. We make it and then divide it into smaller containers and freeze for side dishes.

1 Box of potato flakes (Sam’s size BIG)
24 C water
8 C milk
2 sticks butter
6 eight ounce cream cheese
3 C sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt… if looking for a bit healthier option)
3 C French Onion Dip
2 t garlic powder
Cheddar cheese for garnish.

In a LARGE pot Boil water, add butter and cream cheese. Add milk and turn to medium high. When nearly boiling remove from heat add flakes, sour cream, dip and garlic powder. Mix well. This is a delicious side dish. I always also sprinkle cheddar cheese on the top.

For freezing: I divide the potatoes into containers that will suit a family meal. I use square aluminum pans and then cover with aluminum foil. I write directions on the aluminum foil prior to putting it on the pan. Thaw, bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until completely warmed. If frozen this will take longer to cook.

 

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Garlic

1 whole garlic bulb baked

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 Cups uncooked quinoa, (rinsed and drained)

3 Tablespoons dry white wine (or as much as you like)

3 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 C baby spinach leaves

1 C chopped tomato (or 1 container of grape tomatoes, cut in half)

1 Tablespoon shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Prep:  Preheat oven to 350, remove papery outer skin from garlic bulb, leaving individual skins on cloves.  Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off of the top of the bulb, exposing individual cloves.  Wrap the bulb in foil and drizzle with a little olive oil.  (I place it in a muffin tin) and bake for 1 hour.  Cool 10 minutes.  Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp.  Discard skins.  Use entire bulb in the recipe.  

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped leeks and red pepper to pan; cook 1 minute (simmer until leeks are soft).  Add quinoa to pan,  cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat; stir in garlic pulp (I smash it like a paste and then mix it in).  Cool quinoa for about 10-15 minutes, add spinach (I roll leaves together and slice thinly), tomato, parmesan cheese, and salt.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for a refreshing cool salad.  I also like to use this rather than rice.  Delicious!

 

Asian Beef with snow peas

I got a recipe from a magazine and sort of embellished a bit here and there. I’ll post my version because that is all I have tested! This was delicious, everyone at my house said it was definitely something worth making again! It was QUICK and easy, two of my favorite things in a meal, then it was delicious to top it all off!

Need: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, corn starch, vegetable oil, minched fresh ginger root, minced garlic, beef round steak, cut into thin strips, snow peas

6 Tablespoon soy sauce
4 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar (garlic infused)
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
4 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1.5 lb beef round steak, cut into thin strips
12 oz snow peas

In a small bowl: combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set aside

Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes. Make sure oil is warm before you add the meat. Stir fry ginger, garlic and pepper flakes for about 1 minute. Add steak and stir-fry for 3 minutes until evenly browned. Add the snow peas, stir-fry for an additional 4 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer until sauce thickens. Serve over rice or quinoa or noodles. We like the quinoa, (see Quinoa recipe… I make it ahead of time).

 

Grandma’s Cheese Soup

As the name says I got this recipe from my Grandma. I absolutely love this soup and it is the perfect fit for a cold winter night. Here in Illinois tonight we are having a blizzard and it is cold and windy. This is a perfect way to end an evening during a blizzard!

10 oz Birdseye frozen mixed vegetables
2 lb Velveeta Cheese
2 Cans Cream of chicken soup
8 C water
3 chicken bullion cubes
1 C chopped celery
1 C chopped onion
2 C frozen hash browns (or chunks of raw potato, just cook a bit first)

Boil water. Add bullion cubes (this is where you add the raw potato). Reduce heat to simmer. Add celery, onions, vegetables and simmer 20 minutes. Add frozen hash browns, and cream of chicken soup. Cut Velveeta into small blocks and add. Melt cheese and serve.