1 cup lentils
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup carrots (chopped)
1 cup celery (chopped)
1 cup onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups broth
2 1/2 cups water
1 14 1/4 ounces can Italian style diced tomatoes
Sort through lentils, remove debris and shriveled beans, then rinse. Add lentils to crock pot, along with barley, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs and bay leaf. Pour in broth, water, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low heat for 12 to 14 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Discard bay leaf just before serving.Lentils aren't like dried beans. They don't require soaking and cook pretty quickly when you do it right. Also, don't add any additional salt to the soup while it is cooking, and don't add lentils to already boiling water as either one can make lentils tough.
Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version or beef broth is you don't care if it is vegetarian or not.
**** Four stars for overall taste
**** Four stars for ease of assembly
**** Four stars for "my kids" friendly
This does take some chopping to assemble so I didn't give it 5 stars although in my book it was really easy to do. I used beef broth because I didn't have any vegetarian vegetable broth. My whole family was leary of this recipe and it actually was pretty good. No problems with the kids eating it and the DH and I thought it tasted pretty good. Lentils are some of the best things you can eat! They are super good for you. We will put this in our recipe box and eat it again.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Bean and Tortilla Bake
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 c chopped green onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 160z can black, pinto or kidney beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
12 soft corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese and 1/3 of the bean mixture, repeat 2 more times. Top with cheese. Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.
**** 4 stars for overall taste. I would have given it 5 stars if it had meat in it!
***** 5 stars for Ease of assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
This was a pretty good recipe! I used pinto beans because I do not like black beans. I thought this was pretty good. If you added ground beef it would totally rock but that defeats the purpose of a vegetarian meal now doesn't it? We had none left over of this- of course my MIL was here to have dinner and she thought it was wonderful that we were having a meatless meal. The kids ate it just fine and when asked if they liked it they said yes with enthusiasm. I liked it and thought that I would try it with other beans too!
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 c chopped green onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 160z can black, pinto or kidney beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
12 soft corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese and 1/3 of the bean mixture, repeat 2 more times. Top with cheese. Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.
**** 4 stars for overall taste. I would have given it 5 stars if it had meat in it!
***** 5 stars for Ease of assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
This was a pretty good recipe! I used pinto beans because I do not like black beans. I thought this was pretty good. If you added ground beef it would totally rock but that defeats the purpose of a vegetarian meal now doesn't it? We had none left over of this- of course my MIL was here to have dinner and she thought it was wonderful that we were having a meatless meal. The kids ate it just fine and when asked if they liked it they said yes with enthusiasm. I liked it and thought that I would try it with other beans too!
Easy Cabbage and Noodles
2 12oz bags pre-shredded coleslaw mix
1 16oz bag extra wide egg noodles
1/2 pkg bacon, sliced in small chunks
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cook egg noodles according to the package directions, drain.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy but not burned. Pour coleslaw mix, onion and garlic in and cook until tender. Mix in salt and pepper. Gently stir in cooked and drained noodles. Toss to mix. Serve.
**** 4 stars for Overall taste
***** 5 stars for Ease of assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kids" friendly
This actually was pretty yummy. We all were wary of it but it tasted pretty good. I only did one bag of slaw mix and half the egg noodles and it was the perfect amount for our family. We had no left overs. The kids ate it with absolutely no complaints but they didn't want more either. My hubby ate a lot of it and really liked it. We didn't feel weighted down and sleepy like we ate too much when we were done but we did feel really hungry when we got up this morning. We liked it and it will probably be served occasionally. To make it more of a vegetarian meal, do not use the bacon and use 1/2 cup butter to fry the veggies instead.
1 16oz bag extra wide egg noodles
1/2 pkg bacon, sliced in small chunks
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cook egg noodles according to the package directions, drain.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy but not burned. Pour coleslaw mix, onion and garlic in and cook until tender. Mix in salt and pepper. Gently stir in cooked and drained noodles. Toss to mix. Serve.
**** 4 stars for Overall taste
***** 5 stars for Ease of assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kids" friendly
This actually was pretty yummy. We all were wary of it but it tasted pretty good. I only did one bag of slaw mix and half the egg noodles and it was the perfect amount for our family. We had no left overs. The kids ate it with absolutely no complaints but they didn't want more either. My hubby ate a lot of it and really liked it. We didn't feel weighted down and sleepy like we ate too much when we were done but we did feel really hungry when we got up this morning. We liked it and it will probably be served occasionally. To make it more of a vegetarian meal, do not use the bacon and use 1/2 cup butter to fry the veggies instead.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Vegetarian Tacos
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can pinto beans
5 tbsp chunky salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
8-12 corn taco shells
Toppings
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded iceberg lettuce
salsa
hot sauce
tomatoes, chopped
black olives
sour cream
In a large fry pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, red or green pepper, jalapeño and garlic until softened. Add garbanzo beans, pinto beans, spices and salsa. Stir until heated through.
Prepare corn tortilla by warming on a grill that has been brushed lightly with oil.
Top with your favorite toppings.
**When preparing the jalapeño, wear a pair of latex gloves and DO NOT touch your skin, face or eyes. Throw the gloves away and wash your cutting board and knife right away. Wash your hands before moving on to anything else. If you touch your eyes or skin you will not be having a good time!
***** 5 stars for taste...These actually were really good-surprised all of us how good they were.
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly. There is some chopping but not bad..comes together pretty quickly
**** 4 stars for "my kids" friendly. My kids ate it really well and didn't complain at all.
We were all leary about having meatless tacos but as I was putting together things in the pan, the smell was heavenly. I did only use half a jalapeno since I was serving it to kids. This will be added to our regular dinner rotation. We really liked them.
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can pinto beans
5 tbsp chunky salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
8-12 corn taco shells
Toppings
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded iceberg lettuce
salsa
hot sauce
tomatoes, chopped
black olives
sour cream
In a large fry pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, red or green pepper, jalapeño and garlic until softened. Add garbanzo beans, pinto beans, spices and salsa. Stir until heated through.
Prepare corn tortilla by warming on a grill that has been brushed lightly with oil.
Top with your favorite toppings.
**When preparing the jalapeño, wear a pair of latex gloves and DO NOT touch your skin, face or eyes. Throw the gloves away and wash your cutting board and knife right away. Wash your hands before moving on to anything else. If you touch your eyes or skin you will not be having a good time!
***** 5 stars for taste...These actually were really good-surprised all of us how good they were.
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly. There is some chopping but not bad..comes together pretty quickly
**** 4 stars for "my kids" friendly. My kids ate it really well and didn't complain at all.
We were all leary about having meatless tacos but as I was putting together things in the pan, the smell was heavenly. I did only use half a jalapeno since I was serving it to kids. This will be added to our regular dinner rotation. We really liked them.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Coconut Chicken with Pina Colada
4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
1 14.0z can coconut milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine lime juice, pepper sauce, and coconut milk in large plastic bag. Add chicken to the bag and seal. Marinate in fridge 1 1/2 hours or longer, turning bag occasionally.
Combine bread crumbs, coconut, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge chicken one piece at a time in bread crumb mixture. Discard remaining marinade. Place chicken on a sprayed baking sheet. Coat the top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Pina Colada Sauce
3 oz crushed pineapple
3 oz light sour cream
4 oz pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
Mix together and use to dip chicken in.
**** 4 star for overall yumminess
**** 4 stars for assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
This was pretty good. Different in that I would have never put these ingredients together on my own. The chicken was really really moist and it was kind of a fun dinner item. We had fresh steamed broc and cauliflower. I think it would be really yummy with grilled sweet potatoes!
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
1 14.0z can coconut milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine lime juice, pepper sauce, and coconut milk in large plastic bag. Add chicken to the bag and seal. Marinate in fridge 1 1/2 hours or longer, turning bag occasionally.
Combine bread crumbs, coconut, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge chicken one piece at a time in bread crumb mixture. Discard remaining marinade. Place chicken on a sprayed baking sheet. Coat the top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Pina Colada Sauce
3 oz crushed pineapple
3 oz light sour cream
4 oz pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
Mix together and use to dip chicken in.
**** 4 star for overall yumminess
**** 4 stars for assembly
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
This was pretty good. Different in that I would have never put these ingredients together on my own. The chicken was really really moist and it was kind of a fun dinner item. We had fresh steamed broc and cauliflower. I think it would be really yummy with grilled sweet potatoes!
Vanilla Cream Puffs
Puff
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter - no substitutes please
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Filling
1 1/2 c cold milk
1 (5 1/8 oz) pkg. instant french vanilla pudding
3/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups whipped whipping cream or cool whip
In a saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until it forms a ball. Remove from heat, let stand five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop by 1/4 c. at least 3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Let cool.
In a bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and extract on low speed or by hand for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Fill cooled puffs with filling. Put a dollop of whipped cream on the top.
***** 5 stars for Yumminess
**** 4 stars for effort
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
These were way yummy and the perfect ending to our family Valentine's dinner. They do take a little extra effort but they are worth it. The filling squishes out so I recommend eating them over a plate. My daughter made the cream puff part and I made the filling.
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter - no substitutes please
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Filling
1 1/2 c cold milk
1 (5 1/8 oz) pkg. instant french vanilla pudding
3/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups whipped whipping cream or cool whip
In a saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until it forms a ball. Remove from heat, let stand five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop by 1/4 c. at least 3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Let cool.
In a bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and extract on low speed or by hand for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Fill cooled puffs with filling. Put a dollop of whipped cream on the top.
***** 5 stars for Yumminess
**** 4 stars for effort
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
These were way yummy and the perfect ending to our family Valentine's dinner. They do take a little extra effort but they are worth it. The filling squishes out so I recommend eating them over a plate. My daughter made the cream puff part and I made the filling.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Super D Duper Snickerdoodles
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For rolling:
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F,
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla.
Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon.
Roll balls of dough in mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard.
Remove immediately but gently from baking sheets.
***** 5 stars for the overall taste
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
Some people never make these kinds of cookies because they have to be made into balls and then rolled in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. I don't think that they are extra hard, myself. This is by far the best snickerdoodle recipe I have ever tried. If you like snickerdoodle's and don't mind a little extra effort..give this one a try!
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For rolling:
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F,
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla.
Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon.
Roll balls of dough in mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard.
Remove immediately but gently from baking sheets.
***** 5 stars for the overall taste
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
Some people never make these kinds of cookies because they have to be made into balls and then rolled in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. I don't think that they are extra hard, myself. This is by far the best snickerdoodle recipe I have ever tried. If you like snickerdoodle's and don't mind a little extra effort..give this one a try!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Parmesan Sage Pork Chops
3/4 cup breadcrumbs ( I used Progresso Italian)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp sage
3 large eggs, whisked
1/4 c flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
6 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 c butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix in a pie plate: bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and sage.
In another pie plate or using a dinner plate, put flour and season with salt and pepper.
First coat the chop in flour, then dip in egg, then in bread crumb mixture.
Melt oil and butter in large skillet. After dredging the chops, fry them until golden.
Gently transfer them to a baking dish and bake until the meat thermometer says 150 degree or approximately 20 minutes.
*You can use an oven safe skillet and not have to transfer them to the baking dish.
*Throw away all left over flour, bread crumb and egg.*If cooking them with the scalloped potato recipe then cook them for about 30-35 minutes since the potatoes bake at a lower temperature.
***** 5 stars for taste...they were very yummy
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly..it does make quite a few dishes
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
Man these were good. It does make a decent amount of dishes to do with three dishes involved in the dredging process and I don't put my fry pans in the oven so I transferred to a baking dish. These were really good though and I thought that they were totally worth the work. My kids liked them...they just liked the scalloped potatoes more! This was a fantastic meal!
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp sage
3 large eggs, whisked
1/4 c flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
6 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 c butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix in a pie plate: bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and sage.
In another pie plate or using a dinner plate, put flour and season with salt and pepper.
First coat the chop in flour, then dip in egg, then in bread crumb mixture.
Melt oil and butter in large skillet. After dredging the chops, fry them until golden.
Gently transfer them to a baking dish and bake until the meat thermometer says 150 degree or approximately 20 minutes.
*You can use an oven safe skillet and not have to transfer them to the baking dish.
*Throw away all left over flour, bread crumb and egg.*If cooking them with the scalloped potato recipe then cook them for about 30-35 minutes since the potatoes bake at a lower temperature.
***** 5 stars for taste...they were very yummy
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly..it does make quite a few dishes
**** 4 stars for "my kid" friendly
Man these were good. It does make a decent amount of dishes to do with three dishes involved in the dredging process and I don't put my fry pans in the oven so I transferred to a baking dish. These were really good though and I thought that they were totally worth the work. My kids liked them...they just liked the scalloped potatoes more! This was a fantastic meal!
Scalloped Potatoes
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar for the top
If desired
*paprika
*crumbled bacon
In a small saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour. Let sit for a minute. Add all of the cold milk, stirring with a whisk. Season with the salt and cayenne. Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Reduce heat and stir in 1 c. grated cheese.
Place half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased one quart casserole dish. Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes. Repeat with second layer of potatoes and then cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. grated cheese. If desired top with crumbled bacon and or paprika for color.
Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.
***** 5 stars for overall taste - they were SO yummy
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
Oh my goodness these were wonderful! The sauce was SO creamy and with the crumbled bacon on top....mmm mmm good! I served these with the Parmesan Sage Pork Chops and dinner was divine! Of course, it is in no way low fat or low carb but man was it yummy and family and company did not complain! I will not be using any other scalloped potatoe recipe beside this one!
Just to have even thickness on the potatoes, I used my food processor. It makes it so that all the potatoes cook evenly.
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar for the top
If desired
*paprika
*crumbled bacon
In a small saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour. Let sit for a minute. Add all of the cold milk, stirring with a whisk. Season with the salt and cayenne. Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Reduce heat and stir in 1 c. grated cheese.
Place half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased one quart casserole dish. Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes. Repeat with second layer of potatoes and then cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. grated cheese. If desired top with crumbled bacon and or paprika for color.
Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.
***** 5 stars for overall taste - they were SO yummy
**** 4 stars for ease of assembly
***** 5 stars for "my kid" friendly
Oh my goodness these were wonderful! The sauce was SO creamy and with the crumbled bacon on top....mmm mmm good! I served these with the Parmesan Sage Pork Chops and dinner was divine! Of course, it is in no way low fat or low carb but man was it yummy and family and company did not complain! I will not be using any other scalloped potatoe recipe beside this one!
Just to have even thickness on the potatoes, I used my food processor. It makes it so that all the potatoes cook evenly.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Pinto Beans and Rice in a Crock Pot
1 1lb bag dried pinto beans
1/3 c picante sauce
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 c cooked white rice
Rinse beans in a colander. Put in crock pot. Cover with water, plus about 2 inches over the top of the beans. Add all ingredients except rice. Cook on high in crock pot about 3 hours til tender. Add water if necessary. You may also cook on low for 12 hours or overnight. Add rice and cook until rice is warm. Serve with cornbread.
**** Four stars for overall taste. It was not bad but not outstanding
***** Five stars for how easy it is.
***1/2 Three and a half stars for my kid friendly. They ate all I put in their bowl.
This was not bad at all...but can't say it was an instant hit with me. This was our first attempt at a totally meatless meal and I think it went over just fine. My SIL and her boys were over for dinner. My kids and her older son ate their portions with absolutley no fuss but they didn't want seconds either. My SIL and DH at seconds and thirds, respectively. I will probably make it again. Not bad for a meatless meal.
1/3 c picante sauce
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 c cooked white rice
Rinse beans in a colander. Put in crock pot. Cover with water, plus about 2 inches over the top of the beans. Add all ingredients except rice. Cook on high in crock pot about 3 hours til tender. Add water if necessary. You may also cook on low for 12 hours or overnight. Add rice and cook until rice is warm. Serve with cornbread.
**** Four stars for overall taste. It was not bad but not outstanding
***** Five stars for how easy it is.
***1/2 Three and a half stars for my kid friendly. They ate all I put in their bowl.
This was not bad at all...but can't say it was an instant hit with me. This was our first attempt at a totally meatless meal and I think it went over just fine. My SIL and her boys were over for dinner. My kids and her older son ate their portions with absolutley no fuss but they didn't want seconds either. My SIL and DH at seconds and thirds, respectively. I will probably make it again. Not bad for a meatless meal.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Cowboy Steak
2 1/4 lbs. stew meat
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 in thick
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can green beans, drained
2 cans stewed chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato soup undiluted
2 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
Place the stew meat in the bottom of a 5 qt or larger crock pot. Stir in seasoning salt and pepper. When meat is coated with seasonings, spread evenly. Layer the onion, then the potatoes, carrots, celery and then green beans on top.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the tomatoes, soup and tapioca. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover the pot and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low 9-10 hours on low-until vegetables are tender. Stir once during the last hour of cooking. Serve with cornbread or rolls.
***** 5 stars for Overall taste
*** 1/2 3 stars for Ease of cooking....there is lots of cutting and peeling
**** My kid friendly - my kids like it but they have grown up eating veggies!
This is an awesome tasting ...dare I say...stew. It has always been a hit when I have made it for family or company. It is a good hearty comfort food kind of thing that is perfect for winter days especially. One of my family's favorites and it appears a lot of the meal rotation in the winter months.
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 in thick
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can green beans, drained
2 cans stewed chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato soup undiluted
2 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
Place the stew meat in the bottom of a 5 qt or larger crock pot. Stir in seasoning salt and pepper. When meat is coated with seasonings, spread evenly. Layer the onion, then the potatoes, carrots, celery and then green beans on top.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the tomatoes, soup and tapioca. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover the pot and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low 9-10 hours on low-until vegetables are tender. Stir once during the last hour of cooking. Serve with cornbread or rolls.
***** 5 stars for Overall taste
*** 1/2 3 stars for Ease of cooking....there is lots of cutting and peeling
**** My kid friendly - my kids like it but they have grown up eating veggies!
This is an awesome tasting ...dare I say...stew. It has always been a hit when I have made it for family or company. It is a good hearty comfort food kind of thing that is perfect for winter days especially. One of my family's favorites and it appears a lot of the meal rotation in the winter months.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Chocolate Mallow Fondue
2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a microwave or heavy saucepan, heat the ingredients just until melted. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Can be thinned with milk as needed.
What to dip in your fondue? Pineapple chunks, banana chunks, apple slices, marshmallows, cubes of angel food or pound cake are just a few suggestions.
***** 5 stars Overall taste
***** 5 stars Ease of assembly
***** 5 stars Kids love it! I do put a pile of it on a plate instead of letting them dip as they tend
to lose things in the fondue pot!
This is an awesome recipe! I have never had anyone complain about this recipe! Plan ahead cuz you will be surpised how much stuff you will go through and how much stuff you can dip in this amount of fondue!
Last weekend I made this for a dinner party and we went through 4 bananas, a large pound cake, 4-5 apples, half a bag of marshmallows and we dipped some ritz crackers in too! I still threw some away! I did have to thin it twice as I assembled it just before dinner. Always a great party hit!
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a microwave or heavy saucepan, heat the ingredients just until melted. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Can be thinned with milk as needed.
What to dip in your fondue? Pineapple chunks, banana chunks, apple slices, marshmallows, cubes of angel food or pound cake are just a few suggestions.
***** 5 stars Overall taste
***** 5 stars Ease of assembly
***** 5 stars Kids love it! I do put a pile of it on a plate instead of letting them dip as they tend
to lose things in the fondue pot!
This is an awesome recipe! I have never had anyone complain about this recipe! Plan ahead cuz you will be surpised how much stuff you will go through and how much stuff you can dip in this amount of fondue!
Last weekend I made this for a dinner party and we went through 4 bananas, a large pound cake, 4-5 apples, half a bag of marshmallows and we dipped some ritz crackers in too! I still threw some away! I did have to thin it twice as I assembled it just before dinner. Always a great party hit!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Taco Lasagna
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 pkgs taco seasoning mix
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c water
18 corn tortillas
1 24. oz jar salsa
1 c. sliced green onion
1 16 oz. container of sour cream ( I used light)
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Place ground beef in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain. Season with taco seasoning, garlic and water. Simmer 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Place 6 tortillas into the dish spread out to cover the bottom. One at each corner and two in the middle. Spread 1/3 of the salsa on top of the tortillas. SPread 1/2 of the meat mixture evenly over the salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the green onions. Drop 1/2 of the sour cream randomly around on the onions and gently spread. Top with 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup of the Jack cheese. Repeat, tortillas then salsa, then meat, then green onion, then sour cream, then 1/2 cup of each cheese. Top with 6 more tortillas, spread remaining salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes until all cheeses are melted. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
****Four stars for taste - it was yummy!
****Ease of preparation- some might give it 3 because of all the steps.
**** My kid friendly - they ate it pretty good!
This has wonderful flavor. I thought that two packets of taco seasoning was a little much but my entire family disagreed. You can adjust how spicy it is by using different salsas and if you want to you could add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1 tbsp of chili powder but I already had medium salsa that was pretty hot. To make it milder, using less taco seasoning and mild sauce. The only complaint that my kids had was that I used a chunky salsa and they don't like to actually see the chunks of tomato. Had I blended the salsa before assembly so their were no chunks they would have had no complaints. We served this with sweet yellow corn (frozen variety) on the side. It does fill a 9x13 pan so if you wanted to have a 9x9 instead you could cut the recipe in half.
2 pkgs taco seasoning mix
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c water
18 corn tortillas
1 24. oz jar salsa
1 c. sliced green onion
1 16 oz. container of sour cream ( I used light)
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Place ground beef in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain. Season with taco seasoning, garlic and water. Simmer 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Place 6 tortillas into the dish spread out to cover the bottom. One at each corner and two in the middle. Spread 1/3 of the salsa on top of the tortillas. SPread 1/2 of the meat mixture evenly over the salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the green onions. Drop 1/2 of the sour cream randomly around on the onions and gently spread. Top with 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup of the Jack cheese. Repeat, tortillas then salsa, then meat, then green onion, then sour cream, then 1/2 cup of each cheese. Top with 6 more tortillas, spread remaining salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes until all cheeses are melted. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
****Four stars for taste - it was yummy!
****Ease of preparation- some might give it 3 because of all the steps.
**** My kid friendly - they ate it pretty good!
This has wonderful flavor. I thought that two packets of taco seasoning was a little much but my entire family disagreed. You can adjust how spicy it is by using different salsas and if you want to you could add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1 tbsp of chili powder but I already had medium salsa that was pretty hot. To make it milder, using less taco seasoning and mild sauce. The only complaint that my kids had was that I used a chunky salsa and they don't like to actually see the chunks of tomato. Had I blended the salsa before assembly so their were no chunks they would have had no complaints. We served this with sweet yellow corn (frozen variety) on the side. It does fill a 9x13 pan so if you wanted to have a 9x9 instead you could cut the recipe in half.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Chicken Dinner in the Crock Pot
6 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
4 medium carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2-4 tablespoons mashed potato flakes (optional)
Place potatoes and carrots in crock pot and top with chicken.
Combine the soups and garlic salt and pour over chicken.
Cover an cook on low for 6 hours.
To thicken gravy, stir potato flakes into the gravy and cook 30 minutes longer.
*** Three stars for taste
**** Four stars for how easy it was.
**** Four stars for "my kid" friendly.
This was so so. The kids ate it great but I wouldn't say that it is full of flavor. Hubby and I found it to be a little on the bland side and the chicken was kind of dry. I did put in frozen chicken breasts so it is possible that if I had started with thawed breasts that it would have been better.
4 medium carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2-4 tablespoons mashed potato flakes (optional)
Place potatoes and carrots in crock pot and top with chicken.
Combine the soups and garlic salt and pour over chicken.
Cover an cook on low for 6 hours.
To thicken gravy, stir potato flakes into the gravy and cook 30 minutes longer.
*** Three stars for taste
**** Four stars for how easy it was.
**** Four stars for "my kid" friendly.
This was so so. The kids ate it great but I wouldn't say that it is full of flavor. Hubby and I found it to be a little on the bland side and the chicken was kind of dry. I did put in frozen chicken breasts so it is possible that if I had started with thawed breasts that it would have been better.
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