Recipe Box

cannellini bean soup

2010-04-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

2 cans cannellini beans (any white bean will work)
1 large can of diced tomatoes (or 2-3 medium-sized fresh tomatoes diced)
1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
dried or fresh chopped parsley (1 tbsp)
dried or fresh chopped basil (1 tsp)
salt & pepper
1 large can of chicken or vegetable broth (I use chicken)
1 cup water
celery (chopped)
carrots (julienne or chopped)
peas (fresh or frozen)

The amount of vegetables that you would like to use is up to you. I like mine to have a lot of vegetables. Also you can use other vegetables (corn, cauliflower, etc.). However, I would not recommend potatoes which would make the soup too thick and starchy.

saute the garlic and onion in a pan with olive oil until golden brown. Add the 1 cup of water to the saute mixture. Place the rest of the ingredients into a stock pot on medium high heat. Add the sautéed mixture. Let simmer until the carrots are tender. Serve with fresh bread and a salad. Yum!

This makes several servings…enough to feed the 5 of us with plenty of left overs for another night.

BBQ Beef Sandwich

2007-08-08T14:10:00.001-05:00

I was going to make sloppy joes last night, but then found out that I didn't buy the sloppy joe sauce...so this is what I did instead:

1 loaf of French bread
1 lb ground beef (we use ground turkey)
2 cheese slices
1 bottle of BBQ sauce

brown the ground beef (or turkey) drain and rinse
put meat back in skillet and pour 3/4 bottle of BBQ sauce (more or less depending on taste)
cut French loaf in half lengthwise (like you are making one big sub sandwich)
scoop out the bottom bread slice until it looks like a boat or a canoe
add the meat to the hollowed bread
cut the cheese slices into halves and put on top of the meat
place the top of the bread on top
put in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees

remove from oven when the cheese is melted and the bread is a little browned around the edges.

Serve with salad, fries, corn - whatever you like.

I love those dinners that I happen upon by chance...thankfully the family loved it too.

kitchen tip

2007-05-18T11:47:00.000-05:00

When you make soup and want to have noodles in it, boil the noodles separately. Then add them to each individual serving. This prevents the noodles from being overcooked, and if there is left over soup, don't put the noodles in. This way they won't become water logged and unappetizing when you want to reheat your soup. Just boil new noodles!

Taco-Tato

2007-05-16T12:09:00.001-05:00

1 baking potato
Shredded cheese
Tostito corn chips
Salsa
Salt & Pepper
Sour cream

Bake or microwave the potato until cooked through (cuts easily with a knife).
Cut potato in half lengthwise.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Put shredded cheese inside the potato – microwave for 30 seconds to melt the cheese
Top with Salsa and sour cream to taste

Makes one quick, easy, and delicious lunch.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

2007-04-03T08:04:00.000-05:00

Great for a "light" dessert after a big Mexican dinner, or just for snacking!

What you will need:

2 packages of large flour tortilla shells
2 cups sugar
4 tbs cinnamon
canola or vegetable oil
large frying pan or wok
paper towel lined plate

Directions:

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, set aside.
Cut the flour tortillas into quarters or eighths depending on what size chip you would like.
Heat the oil in the pan at medium/high heat*
Using tongs, put 2 or 3 tortilla pieces into the oil. Fry on one side until the tortilla starts to bubble, then turn over and fry until the edges start to golden.
remove from the oil and place on the paper towel lined plate. As the chips cool, sprinkle both sides with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Makes as many as you want.

* you will need to adjust the heat up and down to prevent burning.

Gooey Cherry Bars

2005-12-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

INGREDIENTS:
•2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
•1/3 cup white sugar
•3/4 cup butter, softened
•2 eggs, lightly beaten
•1 cup brown sugar
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and juice reserved
•1/2 cup chopped walnuts
•2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
•2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, white sugar and 3/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, until light brown.
4. In a food processor, combine eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and baking powder and process until smooth. Pour in cherries and walnuts and pulse until just chopped and incorporated, but not pulverized. Pour over crust.
5. Bake 25 minutes, until center is set.
6. To frost, cream together confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons cherry juice until fluffy. Frost cooled dessert and cut into bars.

Monkey-Cake

2005-12-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

1 box of yellow or butter pecan cake mix
2 bananas
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 container chocolate sprinkles
1-2 containers chocolate frosting
2 eight-inch round cake pans

Set oven, and prepare cake pans as per box instructions.
Prepare cake batter as per box instructions.

Before adding batter to cake pans:
slice 1 banana into thin pieces. Add to cake batter, stirring in slowly.
fold chocolate chips and walnuts into cake batter.

Bake as per box instructions until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost one of the cakes with a layer of peanut butter.

Place the unfrosted cake on top and frost the entire cake with chocolate frosting. (I use 1.5 containers of frosting for extra thick layers of gooey goodness)

Slice the second banana and arrange in a smiley face on top of the cake.

Lastly, sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.

Becky's (oh my gosh) Mashed Potatoes

2005-11-26T20:23:00.000-05:00

8 large potatoes, peeled and washed
1 stick of butter
1 package of cream cheese
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 eight oz container of sour cream
1 packet of ranch dressing mix [dry]

Cut potatoes in half, place in water, boil until tender.
Remove potatoes from water and place in a large bowl.
Beat potatoes and remaining ingredients together until desired consistency. Place in a crock pot on low [or "keep warm" setting] until ready to serve.

This dish can be made hours in advance.

Butternut Squash

2005-11-26T20:18:00.000-05:00

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2 medium to large butternut squash
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp nutmeg

Slice butternut squash lengthwise. scoop out seeds and stringy meat and discard. Spray open side with butter flavored cooking spray. Place face down in ungreased baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes [or until soft].

Melt butter and mix with brown sugar.

Remove squash from oven when done turn squash over, poke holes in meat of the squash with a fork and then pour butter mixture over top.

Bake for 5-10 more minutes until done.

Remove and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve warm.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

2005-11-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

6 large sweet potatoes boiled to almost done, peeled, and cut into thick slices
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup crushed pineapple
mini stay puffed marshmallows [optional]

Layer sweet potato slices into casserole dish
Melt butter and mix with brown sugar
Pour butter and brown sugar mixture over sweet potatoes
Layer crushed pineapple on top of sweetpotatoes
Add a layer of marshmallows on top [more or less to taste]

Bake in oven for 40 minutes

No Mushroom Green Bean Casserole

2005-11-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 cans French cut green beans
2 cans cream of onion soup [me hates mushrooms]
1 can French's onions
12 strips of bacon
1 small onion

cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Crumble and set aside
Drain bacon fat from skillet, leaving 1-2 tbsps. Chop and saute onion in bacon fat until browned.

Mix green beans, cream of onion soup, and browned onions and put 1/2 of mixture in a 10 x 8 glass baking dish. Layer half of the crumbled bacon on to the green bean mixture. Pour the rest of the green bean mixture on top of the layer of crumbled bacon.

Bake in the oven for 1/2 hour.
Remove from over, sprinkle the rest of the crumbled bacon on top, and then a layer of French's onions.
Bake in the over for an additonal 10 minutes.

Yummy Cranberry Sauce

2005-11-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

2 boxes cranberry jell-o
1 can cranberry sauce with whole cranberries
1 can diced pineapple
1 small bag of walnuts

Prepare jell-o as per directions on the package.
Drain pineapples and set aside
After jell-o is completely chilled, add cranberry sauce, pineapples and walnuts, mix well with jell-o. (jell-o will be chopped up)

Add whipped topping (if desired) and serve.

Chili & Cornbread

2005-11-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

I've been angsting over a kick-butt chili recipe, and though the spices are pre-packaged, I think that I found 'the one'.

2 lbs ground beef
2 14 oz cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1tbsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 package Old El Paso chili seasoning [or your own favorite chili mix]
1/2 tsp anise seed
1 tsp ground corriander
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup worstechire sauce
1 28 oz can red kidney beans
6 strips of bacon

Brown the ground beef adding the worstechire sauce, minced garlic, and chopped onions. Drain [do not rinse] and then put in a crock pot.

Chop and fry the bacon until crispy, set aside.

Add the rest of the ingredients [do not drain the juices in the cans] to the crock pot and mix well.

Put on low heat for 4 hours or high heat for 2 hours.

Serve hot with sour cream, cheese, and sprinkle a heavy layer of bacon pieces on top.

This recipe is best prepared two days in avance, chilled in the refrigerator and then reheated before serving.

Crazy-Good Cornbread

2 packages Jiffy cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup shredded colby/jack cheese
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Spray 9 x 13 baking pan with butter oil

Mix all ingredients well, pour in baking pan, bake for 20 minutes or until edges turn golden.

Cut and serve warm with butter.

Pulled Pork

2005-11-02T13:17:00.000-05:00

Slow cooker
3-4lb pork loin
1 1/2 cups water
2 bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce [we used whatever was in the frige]
1/4 cup worsteshire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Sesame seed hamburger rolls

Mix water, salt, pepper, garlic, and 1 bottle of BBQ sauce in a bowl. Put the pork loin in the slow cooker, pour mixture over pork loin.
Cook on High for 4-5 hours.

Remove pork loin from the slow cooker when time is up [save some of the juices] Pull pork apart with forks into small pieces.

Serve warm on sesame rolls with extra BBQ sauce to taste. Store in refrigerator with some of the saved juices.

Makes 5-8 servings.

This has received the best reviews from Caleb and the kids. So I expect that everyone who likes pulled pork will like this as well.

Tortellini & Chicken Salad

2005-10-25T17:05:00.000-05:00

I absconded with this concept from Smorgasbord Sunday and have decided to make it my own.

1 package frozen cheese tortellini
2 chicken breasts
1 package [or 2 heads] fresh broccoli
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 REAL bacon bits

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Cut chicken into small pieces [smaller than chicken strips]. Fry or grill until done.

Boil tortellini as directed on package. Drain and rinse under cold water, put into a large bowl; add chicken, raisins sunflower seeds, and bacon pieces.

Add dressing mixture and mix thoroughly.

Put in refrigerator. Serve cold.

This recipe is also very good without the chicken and is perfect for a creative side dish any time of year.