Black Bean Soup

I'm on a soup-kick lately.  Probably because I'm so ready for fall.  If you have been to Panera and had their Black Bean soup --- you're gonna be so happy because this tastes JUST LIKE THEIRS!  It is amazingly good and amazingly easy.  All the kids and McFatty loved it and have requested it again.

INGREDIENTS:  
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 {15 oz} cans black beans {do NOT drain}
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the first six ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin, and cook for 5 more minutes. Puree soup slightly in a blender, then return to pot. Add the rest of the beans.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Add the lemon and the cornstarch mixture to the soup, and cook until thickened.

You.Are.Welcome.

Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli

Come on, slackers.  I can't be the only one making yummy meals lately ;)

Here's another one from the Mel's Kitchen blog that we thought was a winner.  Again, a little time intensive but really good.  We had our two neighbor girls eat dinner with us and had enough leftover to give a little to their mom later and two servings for leftovers (Kelli wasn't with us, so it was just Brad and I, Will, and our two neighbor friends ages 12 and 14).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cubed (about 3 small-medium sized)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from your 2 lemons)

12 ounces penne pasta

2-3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large 12-inch skilled over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until browned and cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a plate but try and keep as much liquid/oil in the skillet.

2. Keep the skillet on medium heat (add more oil if you need to, I didn't...).  Add the garlic and basil and stir constantly for 30 seconds.  Add the water, broth, lemon juice, and pasta.  Stir to combine.

3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is tender.  There will be a bit of liquid left, no worries.

4. Add the broccoli and lemon zest.  Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender.  While the broccoli is cooking, whisk together the milk and cornstarch.

5. Uncover the skilled and stir in the milk mixture along with the Parmesan cheese and chicken.  Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened a little bit (about 1-2 minutes).

6. Season with additional salt and pepper and serve.

Enjoy.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

I've accepted the fact that, besides the basics of Mac and Cheese and quesadillas, Brad does not have any desire to spend much time in the kitchen.  So, when I was planning meals for this last week, Chicken Parmesan sounded amazing and I decided to find a recipe I would try on Mother's Day.  I found this one and was a bit skeptical at first but afterwards had NO regrets.  We ate thru this like we hadn't had a meal in days, it was so delicious.  *portion control -- it fed Brad, Kelli, and I very well, Will ate about 1/3 of a chicken breast, and had enough leftover for Brad and Kelli to take to work for lunch the next day* 

And, compliments to this website and chef.  So good.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make 6 thin chicken cutlets

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons canola oil (I ended up using more because the first pieces of chicken I cooked in it soaked it all up.  I just kept adding it as I needed, probably using 1-2 more tablespoons)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese (where do you guys find shredded provolone?  I had to get a chunk from the deli and shred it myself...just wondering if anyone has seen it...)

hot spaghetti noodles for serving 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Set aside for later.

2. In a large 12-inch skillet (I used one with a tall lip), heat the canola oil over medium heat until hot.  Thoroughly dry the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour on both sides.  Place 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time in the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3 minutes until a nice golden crust has formed on the chicken.  Remove the chicken to a plate and continue with the remaining pieces, removing them all to a plate when they're browned (don't worry, they'll be cooked further in the next step).

3. Wipe the skillet of excess oil and pour the sauce contents from step 1 into the skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and gently nestle the pieces of chicken into the sauce, fitting all 6 pieces in the skillet.  The chicken should be mostly covered with the sauce.  Cover the skillet and simmer the sauce and chicken on medium or medium-low for 15 minutes.

4. Uncover the skillet, sprinkle the mozzarella, provolone, and remaining Parmesan cheese over the chicken and sauce.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

5. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles, if desired.

We had roasted asparagus and garlic bread with it and it was a perfect Sunday meal.  Just a heads up, I thought this would take about 20-30 minutes to make and it was closer to 45.

Skillet Baked Spaghetti

Who doesn't love a 1-pot meal!?  This one makes A TON!!  This will be plenty for bigger families and isn't too hard or long to make (she said it was a 30 minute meal for her...me, probably closer to 45 minutes).  Again, from Mel's Kitchen website, here's the link.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

2 cloves minced garlic

pinch of red pepper flaks

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

12 ounces spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces (she included a note saying to put the spaghetti in a gallon size bag, close the bag, and then break the spaghetti against the side of the counter in 2-inch increments to reduce mess, it worked really well!)

3 cans (15 ounces each) crushed tomatoes (hope you guys have that size at your store, mine only had 28 oz cans)

3 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces softened light cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Just an FYI -- I used a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, if you have something with a larger lip on the side, I would definitely recommend using that one.  My skillet was filled to the brim and I had to be really careful when I stirred once everything was in it...

1. In a large 12-inch skillet (that you're ok putting in the oven for about 3 minutes), cook the ground beef or turkey with the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium to medium-high heat, until the meat is cooked through (5-6 minutes).  Drain excess grease.

2. Stir in the oregano, basil, thyme, spaghetti, crushed tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper (the skillet will be full!).

3. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, covered, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking and help break up the noodles, for 12-14 minutes, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  It's ok if it still looks quite liquidy (mine did!) but it will keep thickening while it broils and rests.  While the pasta cooks, preheat the broiler.

4. Stir in the cubed cream cheese until it melts and is combined with the pasta.  Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the top and broil for 2-3 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

5. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it sit for 5 or so minutes before serving.

Again, this makes a lot!  We had leftovers for more than 2 meals if we needed to (and that was for 3 adults and 1 toddler).

French Bread Pizza

I'm all about quick and easy but delicious meals.  Found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen website and is another keeper.  Go here for her link.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic powder, for sprinkling (oops, forgot this one...still tasted good)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 cups pizza sauce (I'll include her homemade recipe, super easy and really good)

Pizza toppings of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice the French bread in half the long way (like a hot dog bun, but don't keep them attached).  Lightly press the bread with the palms of your hands until the bread is compressed to half of what it was.

3. Drizzle the olive oil on both halves, about 1/2 tablespoon for each half, and brush lightly onto the dough.  Sprinkle with just a touch of garlic powder.

4. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese across each loaf (1/4 cup for each side).  Place the loaves on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes until the cheese just barely starts to turn golden.  Don't let it burn!

5. Spread pizza sauce on top of the cheese-crusted loaves and top with pizza toppings of your choice.  We used about a cup of mozzarella cheese on each loaf.

6. Bake the pizzas for 8-10 minutes.

7. Cut with a serrated knife and serve immediately.

Here's her pizza sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

pinch of crushed red pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

Great for an easy Friday night meal :)

  

Hawaiian Haystacks

I've re-fallen in love with the Mel's Kitchen website and found a few recipes I wanted to share.  Brad had never had Hawaiian haystacks before and they sounded good.  The recipe is pretty easy too :)  I got it here.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and chicken.  Saute until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked thru (about 5-6 minutes).  Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring, until fragrant.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat for one minute.  Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth.  Cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat (this took me forever, I think I stood there stirring for about 10 minutes...just FYI).  Add the salt and pepper.  Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened (she says 5-8 minutes, I let mine simmer closer to 10-12).
Serve chicken sauce over rice with toppings.  We used tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, pineapple, and chow mein noodles.

Again, another recipe that even Will liked.  Brad kept complimenting me the whole meal and was really excited to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Portion control, just FYI, this served Brad, Kelli, and I with good size servings, Will with a little serving and had leftovers for 1 good serving or 2 decent servings.  Bigger families might want to double it or do another half (to make 1.5 servings).

Caprese Calzones

Ohmiyum.  These exceeded expectations.  And were super fast to make! [I ended piano lessons late and Brad had to get to mutual and we still had time to sit down and eat.]  Just for portion control...one recipe of these were enough for Brad and I to both have 1.5 and Will had .5 leaving .5 left over, so bigger families might want to double/triple the recipe.  You can go to the link here.

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough

2 roma tomatoes, halved and sliced [we only used 1 and it was perfect but we aren't huge tomato people to start with]

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed [I used shredded mozzarella and it was still amazing]

fresh basil, chopped

pizza sauce/marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough onto a non-stick or lightly floured surface and cut it into 4 equal squares.  Layer each square with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.  Fold in the 2 long sides of each square, pinching at the seams and the edges to seal the calzones.  Place the calzones seam-side down onto a cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown [mine never turned golden brown...probably cooked them for 11 minutes and they were totally cooked though].  Also, when they were done, I took a stick of butter and rubbed the tops of the calzones a little bit to add a buttery flavor.

Serve with hot dipping sauce.

You're going to love me when you make them!  So easy.  So yummy [Will ate it!]. Quick prep and clean up for those crazy nights.

Cafe Rio Chicken

Hooray for Pinterest! Not sure if this recipe tastes like the real deal or not, but we still like it.

2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 small bottle of zesty Italian dressing
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 package ranch dressing mix, whisked into 1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High 5-6 hours or on Low 8 hours.
Shred with forks and serve in salads, burritos, tacos, etc. We usually serve with shredded lettuce, rice, black beans, corn, avocados, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. Oh, and fresh tortillas, of course!

You can double or triple this to make extras for freezing.

Cauliflower Tortillas

When I first saw this recipe it sounded so awful, but strangely intriguing....I just had to give it a try. We liked it! Dad liked it A LOT, and Kris finished every bite in record time. 

Would you believe that lump of 'dough' is cauliflower, and nothing more?

 

Ready for the heat. They were runnier than I expected, but baked up just fine

 Baked tortillas - a little eggy, and so yummy!

 The Happy Taste Testers

Ingredients:

3/4 head cauliflower
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut the cauliflower into same-sized pieces and pulse in a food processor until it is finely ground, about the same size as a grain of couscous. This should make about 2 cups of riced cauliflower.

3. Put the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave again for another 2 minutes. Let cool until you can handle the cauliflower without burning yourself. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cauliflower using a cheesecloth or kitchen towel. I poured it into a clean dish towel, the kind I use to roll out pastry, placed in a colander. I was amazed at how much water I was able to squeeze out. 

4. In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower, eggs, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Use your hands to shape 6 small tortilla-sized circles on the parchment paper. 

5. Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip each tortilla, and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until completely set. 

We served with the usual accompaniments - yum! The downside is that they are quite small and would require multiple batches to make enough for a family. But they were fun to make, so it may be a fun meal to prepare with kids.