Tag Archives: onion

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Dec

In the past, I’ve used this Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe. I really liked it, but felt it was a little lacking. So, I looked around at a few recipes, and added in black beans and corn, then used diced tomatoes and green chiles in place of the enchilada sauce. If you want a little more kick to your soup, add in a diced jalapeno with the onion and garlic.

It turned out so good! I topped each bowl with shredded Mexican blend cheese and tortilla chip strips. You could also put sour cream, fresh cilantro, and/or a lime wedge.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What you need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or, I just use chicken from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to save on time)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup masa harina (This is corn flour. You can use corn meal, but it will may have a grittier texture)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.75-oz can whole corn kernels, drained
1 10-oz can Ro-Tel (or 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 small can diced green chiles)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

How to make it:

In large pot over medium heat, cook chicken in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove, shred, and set aside.  (This step is skipped if you already have cooked chicken)

Cook onion and garlic together in remaining oil until onions are translucent.

In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. This step is important, if you just put the masa harina right in the pot, it won’t blend in as well, making it gritty.  Pour into pot along with the remaining 4 cups chicken broth, black beans, corn, Ro-Tel, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30-40 minutes, until thickened.

Tags: , , , , ,

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

12 Oct

I recently acquired a zucchini and a yellow squash at a Kiwanis Club meeting. I have made plenty of different meals with zucchini and yellow squash, but wanted to try something new. So, I used what I had on hand, and came up with this combination. Even my little one liked it, and she’s been rather picky lately! It also took little time to put all together, which was nice with the busy nights we tend to have lately.

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

What you need:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup cooked rice (I made it in my rice steamer)

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Next, stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, tomato paste and beef broth. Add sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until squash has softened. Stir in cooked rice and serve.

Tags: , , , , ,

Katie’s Chili

4 Oct

Katie has been asking me to make chili for the longest time, but I kept putting it off. It’s still warm here in AZ, and hot meals just don’t always sound appealing. But, I have never made it before, so it was time. I know there are a ton of different ways to make it, all based on personal preference. So, we found 5 different versions in the cookbooks that we have, and came up with a combination of our own. It was really, really good! Now, I won’t wait so long the next time she asks.

Katie's Chili

Katie’s Chili

What you need:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 10-oz can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of one lime
Salt and ground black pepper

How to make it:

In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add garlic, onion, green pepper, celery, carrot, and jalapeno, and continue to cook until vegetables have softened. Next, add kidney beans (undrained), diced tomatoes (undrained), tomatoes and green chiles (undrained), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir well, adding more beef broth or water if it seems too thick. Next, stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, lime juice, and salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

10 Aug

I have been wanting to make sloppy joes for a while, and really wanted to try using lentils instead of ground beef. Of course, my family was a little hesitant to try it with lentils, so when I found this recipe that uses lentils along with ground beef, I figured it would be a good start to try with them. We all thought it turned out really well, and next time I may try it with all lentils just to save on some cost. If I do, I will update this recipe with the all lentil version.

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils
Original recipe here

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 small carrot, finely chopped
1 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1/4 cup ketchup and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the lentils, oregano and broth. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the lentils are tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 35 to 40 minutes (add up to 1 cup water or broth if necessary). Season with salt and pepper.

Add the beef to a large non-stick skillet, break it up, and cook, until it begins to brown. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 3/4 cup ketchup and stir until combined. Add the lentil mixture and, if needed, up to 1 cup water or broth. Cook until the lentils are soft and the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Tags: , , , ,

Cabbage, Kielbasa, and Pierogies

10 May

Yesterday, I got my Zaycon order of kielbasa. It was a 10 pound box, most of which I will grill with the hot dogs I also got. However, I caught part of a clip on TV of someone preparing kielbasa and pierogies. So, I did a little searching and found that combo also with cabbage and carrots. So, I got a bag of frozen pierogies to give it a try. It turned out really good, filling and flavorful. Plus, it was pretty easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes.

Cabbage, Kielbasa, and Pierogies

Cabbage, Kielbasa, and Pierogies

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, cut in thin rounds or matchsticks
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 pound kielbasa, cut into thin slices
1 pound frozen pierogies
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper to taste, and cover skillet. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until cabbage is soft.

Slice kielbasa into 1/8 inch thick slices. Add to skillet. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until kielbasa is cooked.

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet or pot, prepare pierogies according to the directions on the package.

Add pierogies to the cabbage and kielbasa. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

Tags: , , , ,

Chicken, Spinach, and Wild Rice Soup

6 May

A few months back, my younger daughter insisted we get a soup cookbook at the grocery store checkout. I’m sure you’ve all seen them, and sometimes I will flip through one while we wait if something looks appealing. Well, for whatever reason, we HAD to get this one, and since cooking is something I enjoy with both my girls and want to teach them as much as I can, I agreed. It actually has a nice variety of soups, and this was one we’ve had marked for a while to try. Tonight we finally had a chance to try it, and it was perfect. It was actually pretty easy to put together, even with my changes, and the longest part was cooking the wild rice. It worked out nice that I could put the rice in my rice/vegetable steamer while we went to a swim lesson. Then, it was a matter of putting together the rest of the ingredients, which took about 30 minutes.

Chicken, Spinach, and Wild Rice Soup

 

Chicken, Spinach, and Wild Rice Soup

What you need:

6 tablespoons butter
1 /2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 clove minced garlic
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 cups milk or half and half, divided
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

How to make it:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and garlic, and cook until all are soft. Mix in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth and 1 cup of the milk. Cook for 5-10 minutes to allow to thicken.

Next, add in remaining chicken broth, rice, thyme, sage, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in spinach, chicken, and remaining milk. Cook, while stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes, or until all ingredients heated through.

Tags: , , , , ,

Meatballs in Creamy Dill Sauce

25 Jan

This dish was inspired by the other part of Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals.  His dish was Swedish Meatballs with Celeriac and Spinach Rice.  I liked that he used dill, since I had some fresh dill on hand.  I looked at some other recipes online, and created a blend of a few different meatball recipes.  This was really, really good.  Everyone liked it, and there really wasn’t much leftover.

Below, I have the recipe for the meatballs and sauce.  I served it over rice with spinach, but mashed potatoes or egg noodles would work well with this too.  For the rice, I cooked the rice in my steamer, then put in a large bowl when it was done.  I quickly added chopped spinach to it while still very hot, mixing well.  That way, I got a vegetable in!

Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

 

Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

What you need:

2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoon fresh dill
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 quart beef stock
1/2 cup cream, half and half, or milk
1/4 cup fresh dill

How to make it:

In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes.  Mix in onion, 2 tablespoons dill, ground beef, eggs, and salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Roll ground beef into 1″ balls.  Add to the heated skillet and brown each meatball on every side, in batches if necessary.  When browned, remove to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium low and melt butter in the skillet.  Mix in flour.  Cook, stirring often, until you have a brown roux.  Whisk in beef stock, then cream and 1/4 cup fresh dill.  Add meatballs into the sauce.  Cover and turn heat down to low.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs have cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 F.

Tags: , , , ,

Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

25 Jan

This meal was inspired by an episode of Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals on TV one Saturday morning.  While it’s a little disappointing that cartoons don’t dominate weekend basic cable TV anymore, my kids and I love that there are a couple of cooking shows on to watch since we don’t have full cable TV and the Food Network.  He did the chicken over a pesto pasta with green beans, but I had gotten a lot of cherry tomatoes from Market on the Move, so I decided to make the chicken with green beans and cherry tomatoes.  The rice I cooked separately as a side, but the chicken, green beans, and cherry tomatoes are all cooked  in 1 skillet on the stove top.  This did take more than the 15 minute version from the TV show, but not much more.  We all really enjoyed it, and will be making it again!

Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

 

Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin or cut in half through the thickness
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, stir and cook until soft and translucent.

Season chicken with fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Add chicken to the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side to brown both sides.

Stir in chicken broth, green beans, and cherry tomatoes.  Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, or until green beans are soft and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, if desired.

Tags: , , , , ,

Eggplant Lasagna

24 Jan

I’ve always wanted to try Eggplant Lasagna, but just hadn’t gotten to it.  After we got eggplant at a recent Market on the Move event, I decided it was time to try it.  Now, I have made Moussaka, so I know how to prepare the eggplant.  Then, I decided to take my favorite Lasagna recipe from Daily Cynema, use the meat sauce and cheese filling, subbing the roast eggplant in place of the noodles. We did a row of 4 slices of eggplant for each layer.  I didn’t get a real good picture showing how the eggplant looked, but you can almost see how in the 2 pictures here.

My older daughter enjoyed working on this with me, and we all enjoyed eating it!Layering the Eggplant Lasagna Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna

What you need:

2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 1/2″ slices, outer peel removed, if desired
Salt
Olive oil
1 pound ground beef**
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 large jar (45 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 egg
1 15 oz container ricotta or cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon oregano

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set on paper towels for 15-20 minutes to let them drain.  Pat tops with a paper towel.  Spray or brush each side of the eggplant slices with olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes, flip slices over and bake for another 10 minutes, until they are tender and slightly brown.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper, and continue to cook until soft.  Pour in all but 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg.  Mix in ricotta or cottage cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, 4 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan, and the oregano.

In a small bowl, mix the reserved 1 cup of spaghetti sauce with the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce into a 13 x 9 baking dish.  Put down 1 layer of the roasted eggplant.  Next, spread 1/2 of the cheese/spinach mixture over the eggplant.  Then, spread the next 1/3 of the meat sauce.  Lay down another layer of roasted eggplant.  Spread the other 1/2 of the cheese/spinach mixture over the eggplant, then the last 1/3 of the meat mixture.  Lay down the final layer of roasted eggplant.  Spread the sauce and cheese mixture over this final layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until bubbly.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve.

**Note: If you would like to make this meatless, use diced mushrooms or zucchini/yellow squash in place of the ground beef.

Tags: , , , , ,

Honey Orange Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

23 Jan

I’m not sure how, but I had a lot of sweet potatoes.  I think I forgotten I had some and just kept getting more.  Anyway, I have made chicken and roast potatoes many times, but just with russet or gold potatoes, not with sweet potatoes.  To somewhat match the sweetness of the potatoes, I decided to make a honey orange sauce to pour over the chicken.  I baked it all together in a pan with green beans, and was very happy with the result!

Honey Orange Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

Honey Orange Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound green beans
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup honey
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, orange juice, olive oil, and Italian seasoning blend.

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Add sweet potatoes, green beans, and onions to the pan.  Pour half of the sauce over sweet potatoes, green beans, and onion.  Toss to coat evenly.

Place chicken breasts on top.  Pour remaining sauce over chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until chicken reaches a temperature of 165 F.

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →

%d bloggers like this: