Monday, May 25, 2015

#1,506: Hamburger Soup

This healthy, yummy looking soup is going to be my lunch for the next few (last few!) days of work/school.  I made it because I had most of the ingredients on hand, it's healthy, it was simple to throw together and was paleo (once I omitted the potatoes).  Although this would be great with potatoes, it doesn't need it.  It kind of reminds me of a stuffed pepper soup this way, and as you can tell from the many posts from this blog, I am a stuffed pepper soup fan.  :) 

2-1/2 pounds Ground Chuck (I used ground turkey)
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can (14.5 Ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes (I used petite diced)
3 cups Beef Stock Or Beef Broth, Plus More As Needed
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced
4 whole Carrots, Peeled And Sliced On The Diagonal
5 whole Red Potatoes, Cut Into Chunks (I omitted)
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, More To Taste
2 teaspoons Dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (more To Taste)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the meat with the onion, celery, and garlic. Remove the pot from the heat and drain off as much fat as you can. (Discard the fat once it cools.)

Return the pot to the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer the soup for 15-20 more minutes, until potatoes are tender but not overly mushy.

Soup should be somewhat thick, but if you'd like it to be more "soupy," add 1 to 2 cups more broth OR hot water and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed.

#1,505: Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloin


I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of pork, but I've got to give this recipe some credit.  It was REALLY, REALLY good.  It was so easy to make and it was ridiculously moist.  I am not a very good griller because I burn a lot of my foods (on purpose!), and as you can see the photo on the right is a little well done.  I was afraid this was going to be tough, but it was definitely not.  I will definitely be making this again...especially if I have company coming over because it looks like I worked hard on it, but I really didn't.  


2-3 pound pork tenderloin
3-4 large sweet onions

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped cilantro


For the marinade: In a small pot heat the oil, garlic, and cumin. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes then stir in all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove marinade from the heat and stir in the cilantro after it cools. Pour marinade over pork either in a covered container or in a large Ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

For the pork: After at least 24 hours, remove the pork from marinade, reserving marinade for later use. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Sear the tenderloin on all sides and continue to grill over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes rotating meat when needed until cooked thoroughly. The cooking time will vary depending how thick your tenderloin is. You want it to be slightly firm not gushy when you touch it with the grilling tongs. You want it to be cooked but not dry. Let pork rest for a couple of minutes before slicing so that the juices can settle back in. Slice pork into 1/2 inch medallions.

For the onions: Slice the onions into thick slices and brush with a little bit of oil. Grill onions when the pork is almost done so that they finish at the same time. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until soft.

For the sauce: Take remaining marinade and bring once again to a boil in a small pot. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. I made this, but could not eat it, and ended up dumping it.  I have a real issue with trying to use a marinade as a sauce...I was so afraid I was going to give my family food poisoning!! 

To serve: Pour sauce over sliced pork with grilled onions on the side. 

#1, 504: Paleo Egg White Muffins

I really, really, really wanted to like this recipe.  If you love eggs, then maybe you will be a fan of this one, but I hated it.  I actually threw it all away, I couldn't even finish one.  I'm sure it's my preferences/tastes and not the recipe itself, but blech!  This was super simple to make though and would be a great way to use up leftover veggies you have in your fridge and is great for paleo/whole 30/protein meals.  

6 eggs (I used egg whites) 1 zucchini peeled and chopped
1/4 jar sun dried tomatoes
4 ounces cooked ground beef (I used cooked and crumbled bacon)
1/2 onion chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a pan sauté the onion and minced beef until the beef is cooked.  Remove from pan and combine with the remaining ingredients and whisk together.  Scoop the batter into a greased muffin tin.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Number of Servings: 12 muffins

#1,503: Oatmeal Yogurt Breakfast Blend

During our farm unit in Pre-k, one of my students' grandma came and did a presentation from the Dairy Council.  When she came, she gave me a small recipe booklet with different dairy related recipes in it.  This was one of the recipes, and since I had all of the ingredients on hand, I was super excited to try it.  Sadly none of my kids like this, but I sure did.  I love the texture of this, the tartness of the yogurt, and sweetness from the fruit.  Delish!

1/2 c old fashioned oats
3/4 c plain non-fat yogurt
1/2 c diced apple
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp sliced almonds (I omitted)
2 tsp brown sugar
dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and serve.  For best results, prepare the night before and let flavors meld in the refrigerator.

#1,502: Quick-Pickled Radishes

I really, really want to like radishes, and can tolerate them in small doses, but figured I would give this recipe a try to see if I like them more.  I'm super happy to report that I LOVED this recipe and will be making these again very, very soon.  They got pretty spicy the longer they marinated, so if you don't like a lot of heat/spice, I would cut back dramatically on these.  I was able to coerce 2 of the 3 kids to try these at dinner and although they did not like them, they still ate one small slice.  Love, love, loved this! PS...I'm 99% sure I found this recipe in the Rachel Ray magazine.  

12 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
4 whole cloves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 c distilled white vinegar
1/2 c water

Place thinly sliced radishes in a glass jar and set aside.  In a saucepan combine water, sugar, salt, cloves and red pepper, and bring to a boil.  Add vinegar.  Pour vinegar mixture over radishes and let stand 30 minutes; chill.

#1,501: Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

I had a very similar recipe pinned for 2 years on my pinterest boards when I came across this recipe in a recent magazine issue of Real Simple.  So I figured it was about time for this iced coffee lover to give this recipe a chance.  Although I do think this is a lot of work for this lazy cook, I have to admit, it was really good.  I enjoyed this more and more as the days went on.  However, you go through A LOT of coffee grounds with a recipe like this and it sure does take a while to get the liquid to drain through a coffee filter.

6 oz (1 1/2 heaping CUPS) medium to coarsely ground coffee
4 cups room temperature water
milk of choice (skim, whole, almond, etc).
ice

Combine coffee grounds and water in a glass container.  Let sit at room temperature for 12 hours.

Strain through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter. This should yield about 2 3/4 cups of coffee base, and can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make iced coffee, combine 1/2 cup of strained coffee with equal parts of water or milk.  Pour over ice.

#1,500: Mini Sausage Quiche

This recipe was so much easier to make (and tastier) than I thought it would be.  I made these to take to a friend and I hope she enjoyed them as much as I did.  The recipe claims you can get 48 mini muffins out of a tube of crescent rolls....that's a joke.  Try half of that!!  I got 12 large ones and 12 mini muffin tin sized ones.  I would definitely make this again though.  

1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (I used 1 lb bulk pork breakfast sausage)
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls (I used crescent sheets)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese (I used Italian blend)
1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika

In a large skillet, brown sausage and onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in chives.

On a lightly floured surface, unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Cut into 48 pieces. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. 

Fill each with about 2 teaspoons of sausage mixture. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheeses. Spoon 2 teaspoonfuls over sausage mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.


Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 4 dozen.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

#1,499: Paleo Tex-Mex Casserole


I LIKED this recipe (which has been on one of my pinterest boards for almost a year now!), but didn't love it and I THINK it's because of the coconut oil.  It was too sweet tasting, so I will omit the coconut oil next time or use olive oil instead.  I'm finding I don't love cooking with coconut oil as often as I thought I would.  I think I'm more of a savory girl than a sweet one...when it comes to meat dishes!  Personally, I probably will not make this recipe again, especially because there are SO many steps to this one.

1 – 1.5 pounds grass-fed ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 cups spinach
2-3 carrots, diced
1 parsnip, diced (I omitted)
1 zucchini, diced
2 cups diced bell peppers
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil, bacon grease or lard
⅓ cup taco seasoning
½ tsp sea salt
5 cups shredded sweet potatoes, about 3 (I used 1 sweet potato)
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground coriander
Optional garnish: fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, avocado and hot sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Chop, dice and mince all the veggies and garlic.
Melt half of your fat of choice in a very large skillet or heavy-bottomed pan and add in all the veggies.  Season with that ½ tsp of sea salt, toss together and cook these down until they are just about fork tender. Remove from the pan and set aside for later
.
In the same pan, add in the other half of your fat and get it up to temp.  Crumble in the ground beef, top with taco seasoning, mix and brown.

While the ground beef browns, peel enough sweet potatoes to get about 5 cups worth (about 3). Grate the sweet potatoes and set in a large mixing bowl.

Melt ½ cup of coconut oil and pour over the shredded sweet potatoes while warm, toss immediately! The coconut oil will start to solidify again as it cools, so work efficiently.
Once the coconut oil is mixed well, sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the onion powder, chili powder and ground coriander. Mix together.

Add the cooked vegetables and the diced tomatoes back into the pan with the beef, mix carefully to bring everything together and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer all of this veggie-meaty goodness to a large casserole dish (I filled a 9″ x 13″ pan). Top with the seasoned, shredded sweet potatoes, cover with foil and pop this in the oven.
Bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, then remove the foil and broil on low for 5 minutes — or until the sweet potatoes have browned and crisped up a bit.


To serve, top with fresh cilantro and sliced scallions with some avocado and hot sauce on the side!

#1,498: Choco-Avocado Fruit Dip

Only Allison and I were fans of this dip.  Too bad for the little kids because they were missing out on some good sneaky foods, that I normally can't get them to eat (but desperately tried to sneak past them).  But, on the bright side, it left more for Allison and I.  :)  I personally would definitely make this again...for myself! 

2 avocados
1 banana
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt


Throw all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, like a chocolate pudding.  Serve with fruit.

#1,497: Balsamic Marinated Chicken Breasts

I've intended to make this recipe several times and somehow it always got bumped from our menu, but I'm pretty sure this one is going to make it into our regular summer grilling recipe.  It was so simple to make, and we all really enjoyed the flavor (and moistness!) of this one.  The recipe says to bake in the oven but we are not oven-baked chicken fans.  The grill made it taste better...in our opinion!  

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts

In a large zip lock bag combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper and mix well.  Add the chicken breasts and seal, mixing to coat.  Place in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.


Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the chicken in a glass dish and bake for 25 minutes.


#1,496: S'more Muffins

My kids and I really, really loved these simple muffins!  I over-cooked them a bit so they were a tad dry, but the flavor in these are good.  I don't know if it necessarily tastes like a s'more, but the ingredients are similar!  They are kind of fun to make too with the addition of the marshmallow fluff/cream.  Messy and sticky, but different.  The recipe says it makes 6 large muffins, but I got about 22 mini muffins out of it instead.  Overall, I would make these again. 

3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons 2% milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
6 tablespoons marshmallow creme


In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the sour cream and milk. Combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda; beat into creamed until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Coat six muffin cups with cooking spray; fill one-fourth full with batter. Spoon 1 tablespoon marshmallow creme into each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter.


Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins.


#1,495: Farmhouse Barbecue Muffins

My friend Jenny turned me on to this recipe several years ago.  I made it once or twice before and then it got filed away in my cookbooks.  I was going through recipes as I cleaned out our kitchen before a garage sale and found it again.  I figured this would be a good time to make it again for my family, see if we still liked it, and then add it to this list of recipes.  Fortunately we all still really enjoyed these muffins.  This is such an easy, and kid-friendly recipe that you can made partially ahead of time.  Brian also said they reheated pretty well as leftovers in his lunch.  (Bonus!)  

1 tube (10 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (not Grands!)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten into 5-in. circles. Press each onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup; set aside.
In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and chili powder; add to beef and mix well.

Divide the meat mixture among biscuit-lined muffins cups, using about 1/4 cup for each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 10 servings.

#1,494: Stuffing Meatballs

For years now I've been making meatloaf stuffing muffins, in muffin tins.  Although the recipe is super simple and my family loves them, I absolutely hate cleaning out the muffin pans when I'm done.  The ingredients in this recipe are quite similar so I figured we would probably like this one...but I also thought that trying to make this on a cookie sheet would end in a big globby mess.  I was happily proved wrong!  Not only do these taste so similar to the meatloaf muffins, but they are 1000 times easier to clean up!  I will definitely be making these again and there is a super strong possibility that these will be replacing my meatloaf muffins.  :)

This recipe says to make these the size of a meatball and serve over noodles....YUCK!  These are way too dense to eat with spaghetti.  It also says to make them using 1/4 cup of meat mixture, but that is HUGE for a meatball.  Unless you are a giant.  So I made these as directed but ate with a side of veggies.  I personally would have enjoyed this dipped in a little spaghetti sauce, but my family and kids ate it dipped in ketchup.  Let's be honest, I ate these right off the pan.  It doesn't need a dipping sauce.  :)  It's also great cut-up and eaten with roasted veggies.   



2 lb. ground beef (I used 1 lb ground turkey)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) StoveTop Stuffing Mix for Chicken (I still used the entire box of stuffing)
1-1/4 cups water (I started with about ½ cup and added more until it was moist and mixed well but not overly wet)
2 eggs

Heat oven to 400ºF.  Line two large cookie sheets (I only needed 1) with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients just until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each. (I got about 20 out of it)

Place on prepared pans. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).


#1,493: Enchilada Casserole


As you can tell by my continual lack of posting recipes, I am really struggling this semester to find the time to make new recipes for my family!  :(  I hate that!!  BUT never fear, summer is just around the corner and time off from school is sooooo close (11 more days to be exact!  Wahoo!).  So then I will have SO much more time to do the things I love: 
  • Spend time with my kids
  • Crossing items off our bucketlist
  • Trying new (and often healthy) recipes!


I actually have made a few new recipes the last few weeks (not nearly as many as I'd like though), but just haven't had the time to upload them.  So since I'm at a standstill on my end-of-the-year slideshow for school for tonight, I figured this was the perfect time to update this and get these recipes posted. 

I guess I'll start with my most recent one...as I made this recipe tonight for dinner.  I had to modify it a little bit for my family and their picky needs, but it was pretty minor.  Overall my family really enjoyed this, especially Brian, Allison and I.  The other two are my pickier eaters so it wasn't a surprise that they weren't gaga over this.  (Don't let that dissuade you though). This was super simple and would be a great way to use up some extra taco meat.  

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (I used a little less than half a can)      
1 cup salsa
6 flour tortillas (10 inch) (I made this in an 8x8 pan and only used 3 shells)
2 cups fresh or frozen corn (I omitted)
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in enchilada sauce and salsa; set aside.

Place two tortillas, overlapping as necessary, in the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover with one-third of the meat mixture; top with 1 cup corn; sprinkle with 1-1/3 cups cheese. Repeat layers once, then top with remaining tortillas, meat and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

#1,492: Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart

Here is a second, last minute photo as the last piece of tart is about to get eaten!  Why can I not remember to take pictures sooner?!?!?!  This was a huge hit, but personally I would omit the berries from this recipe (I just don't like the texture of it in my jello).  I loved the fresh whipped cream on top though!!!  I doubled the amount of whipped cream and just spread it over the entire tart.  Delicious!

CRUST
2 cups crushed pretzels
3 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (not fat-free)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3-oz. packages strawberry gelatin
1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened sliced strawberries
1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened blueberries
3/4 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Preheat oven to 400ºF; mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place crushed pretzels in bowl of a food processor. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press pretzel mixture into baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Fold in yogurt and vanilla. Spread over cooled pretzel crust, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

In a large bowl, dissolve both packages of gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Stir in strawberries and blueberries and pour over cream cheese layer. Chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.


Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Cut tart into squares and serve with whipped cream.

#1,491: Cookie Dough Brownies

Mmmm...doesn't that look good?  I wish I had a better picture to post of this one, but I literally remembered that I needed to take a picture as I was about to eat the last piece.  This is all you get folks!  Sorry.  

This went over very well with my family, but especially with my kids.  I wasn't sure I was going to love this frosting because it has flour in it (gasp!), but it was good.  I did add more water to thin this out and make it more like a frosting (sort of).  I also was super lazy and omitted a lot of the brownie ingredient and used a box mix (gasp again!).  Yes I am lazy.  Still delicious though.  

Brownies:
I omitted the original recipe ingredients and made a box mix instead.  If you want the real ingredients/recipe click here.

Frosting :
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1¼ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
5 TB milk (I used probably close to double this if not more.  I just kept adding a little more milk at a time until it was still thick like frosting, but thinner and more to my liking). 
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
Make brownies in a 9x13 pan according to your mix/box directions.  Let cool completely.

FROSTING: Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir until fully combined. Stir in the milk and beat until fluffy. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Spread on cooled brownies. 

#1,490: Parmesan Crispix Party Mix

I'm sure I probably got this recipe from my mom a long time ago, but I just found it in one of my recipes boxes scribbled on a scratch piece of paper.  I figured that meant I should make it for a family party (my daughter's first communion) and have this on digital file for future reference.  :)  This was ridiculously easy to make and was a big hit at the party.  My five year old helped me make it...that's how simple it was!  Yep, I would definitely make this again. 

The only real change I made to this recipe was to double the dressing because I thought it was too dry originally.  I think that was a good call. 

7 cups Crispix cereal
2 c cheese crackers (such as cheese nips)
1 c pretzel sticks
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. 

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used a few shakes of crushed red pepper)


In a large bowl, combine the crispix, crackers, and pretzels.  Set aside.

In a small blender (or a mason jar with a lid), combine all of the dressing ingredients.  Shake/pulse/blend to combine. 

Pour over the cereal mixture and stir well.  (Or just put a lid on your bowl and shake it up really good).

Add the grated cheese and mix again.  Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.  You can make this up to a day in advance.  

#1,489: Pasta Fagioli Soup


This was a really easy soup to make and I made only a few addition/changes to the recipe. I also threw this all together in a crockpot (minus the noodles!!) and cooked it on high for about 3 hours.  Then I added the noodles that I pre-cooked and served.  So simple, healthy and delicious.

1 lb cooked ground turkey
2 tablespoons  olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14 1/2ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 14 1/2ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounce (about 2 cups) small pasta shells (I used ditalini pasta)
1 teaspoon  Italian seasoning
1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces and washed
2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon  tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon  pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add pasta and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat through.


Ladle into bowls; garnish with Parmesan.

#1,488: Peanut Butter Avalanche Bars

Here is a real simple, no bake updated version on rice krispie treats!  This does have peanut butter in it so if you have a nut allergy or don't like peanut butter you can forget this recipe.  It is pretty rich so one of these little bars was definitely enough for me.  I did really like it though and I would definitely make this again.  

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
1½ cups mini marshmallows
¼ cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish (I just added 1/2 cup or more to the batter/mixture and didn't add any extra on top). 

Line a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  

In microwave-safe bowl pour in white chips and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.

Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips and add the rice krispies.

(Mine was not super hot so I didn't have to let mine sit/cool.  It just has to be cool enough so that the chocolate chips don't melt when you add them in).  Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.

Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.


When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares and enjoy!

#1,487: Cream Cheese Mints

The recipe for these mints have been on one of my pinterest boards for THREE years!  I have honestly been a little afraid to make these because I thought they would be too difficult.  Well, I can tell your right now, not only was this easy to make, but they are GOOD and I will be making these again soon...and probably for a lot of our family gatherings!  SOOOOO simple (and you might even already have all of the ingredients on hand!).

  
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 drops peppermint oil
any color food coloring paste (optional) (I used several drops of the liquid food coloring)

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioner's sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color as desired with food coloring paste, or leave white.


(I did not do this step. I took about 1/5 of the mixture and rolled it into a log/snake shape.  Then I used a knife to cut into pieces about the size of a dime, but maybe about 1/2 inch thick.  I did not flatten with a fork...an unnecessary step!): Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar. 

Let dry for about 2 hours on waxed paper, then freeze or refrigerate. (Personally, these are best frozen!!)

#1,486: Spinach and Apple Salad

I really liked that this recipe was one that you could prep (most of it) ahead of time.  I made the dressing and stuck it in a mini blender and let it sit on the counter for a few hours before ready to serve.  Then I just gave it a quick pulse to re-mix and it was to ready to serve. The apple and onion I chopped a few hours in advance too and just kept in small mason jars to keep fresh.

Overall I really enjoyed this salad and I would definitely eat it and make it again.  Two thumbs up from me! It went over well with my family/guests as well! 

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
 1 medium apple, chopped
 1 small red onion, chopped
 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Feta)
 1/3 cup chopped walnuts


In a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, apple, onion, blue cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

#1,485: Sarasota Lemonade (or Pink Lemonade Moscato)

This went over fairly well but it is really sweet.  My sister and I both got a headache from it and we think it was from the sugar of the pink lemonade, especially since we didn't drink that much.  Would I drink this again?  Yes.  Would I rush to make it again?  No. 

2 bottles Moscato
3 cups Sprite (I probably used more like 1/2 of a 2 liter bottle...at least)
1 container of frozen pink lemonade concentrate

Fresh raspberries

In a pitcher combine all of the ingredients. (I used a water infuser pitcher so I put the raspberries in the center so they weren't floating around/in the drink).  Chill until ready to drink.  

    

#1,484: Strawberry-Banana Jello Salad (aka 5 Minute Jello Salad)

This is such an easy and quick recipe to throw together and is awfully pretty in color, but the texture scared away a lot of people with this recipe.  If you are a cottage cheese lover, you might really like this recipe.  I however really have to be in the mood for cottage cheese.  :) This is another recipe that the kids enjoyed more than the adults did...oh well. 

8 oz container of low fat Cool Whip4 oz box of Strawberry Jello
12 oz container of fat free Cottage Cheese
1/2 pound of Strawberries, sliced
1 Banana, sliced

Put the cool whip and jello in a large mixing bowl and whisk until they are well blended and most of the jello dissolves into the cool whip.   Next fold in the cottage cheese, strawberries and bananas.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

#1,483: Broken Glass Jello


This did not go over well with the adults, but the kids enjoyed it (I still have a ton leftover though!).  Because this was mostly a kid-friendly dish I probably won't make it again, but it was definitely easy and colorful. 

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O in different colors. 
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 

Directions: For each flavor, dissolve one 3 oz box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill overnight or until firm. After chilling the four flavors, cut them into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. 

Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight. It is a good idea to skim off the bubbles for a nicer finished product.

Monday, April 20, 2015

#1,482: Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake


First of all, this is not the finished photo and I cannot believe I'm actually posting a picture poor of a picture.  I took this photo "just in case" I forgot to take a finished product one...and I DID.  UGH!  This is supposed to be topped with cool whip and some crushed graham crackers.  It looks way better cut into too.  I don't know if I'll be making this again soon, so feel free to send me a picture of this if you make it!!  :) 

Back to the recipe though, this got great reviews at the family gathering I took it too.  I think this would be really good with other berries as well so if you aren't a fan of strawberries, I'd try something else in its place.  I think next time I'm going to try blueberries only because it'll be faster to add them since you don't have to cut them.  Raspberries would probably be really good too. 

This made a lot of cream filling/mixture and I actually didn't even use it all.  I probably threw away about 1/4 of it because I thought it was too much.  Still delicious though.  I made this later in the evening and served it about noon the next day.  I stopped at the point of the photo (everything minus the final layer of cool whip) and wrapped in saran wrap and stuck in the fridge until it was time to leave for the party.  Then I used a clean paper towel to soak up all of the liquid/water/juice that accumulated on the top from the strawberries.  About 2 hours before the party I topped it with the cool whip, added the crushed graham crackers and put it back in the fridge until time to serve.  It was really, really good!

2 pounds strawberries, sliced
2 sleeves graham crackers
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 packages (3.4 oz) instant cheesecake flavored pudding (I used french vanilla)
3 cups milk
12 oz carton Cool Whip, thawed and divided.

Click here to see the original recipe and for the rest of the instructions/directions.

#1,481: Watergate Salad


I cannot believe it's actually been 4 weeks since I last posted a recipe.  I am really slacking!  Has it really been that long since I tried something new with/for/on my family?!?!  Obviously you can tell it's a time of year that I'm either really busy or trying to keep our food budget low!  (ps...the answer is both).  I haven't been cooking as many elaborate meals lately and am relying on my low-cost, super fast meals like grilled kielbasa, breakfast for dinner, spaghetti, grilled chicken, etc....

This past weekend as I was prepping for our garage sale I came across some recipes I saved and decided to make this watergate salad because it looked super easy and I could throw together very quickly.  Yes, it was that easy and fast to make too!  My kids loved this...especially the marshmallows, so I added a bit more just for them.  :)  I'd make this again for sure.  

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg.(3.4 oz.) Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup Miniature Marshmallows (I probably used closer to 2+ cups)
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (I probably used more like 2 1/2 cups)

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl.  Stir in Cool Whip.  Refrigerate 1 hour.