Fantastic Food

 So soup is one of my favorite family meals.  Whole meal in one pot? Yes please!  We eat it year-round because it's easy and hearty and delicious.  Even during the peak of summer heat you can bet I'll be cooking soup at least once a week (sooo thankful for AC!).  This particular soup recipe I have cooked a few times, and while I've tried it with a variety of different ingredients, I think I hit on the perfect  combination this last time.  Everyone was raving about it (except my husband, who happens to be trying an all-meat diet currently and had to pass on the soup for a giant steak; yes, he's crazy), and after I finished I was looking forward to eating more of it the next day for lunch (and it did not disappoint the second time either).  Ya'll should give it a try for sure... Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 13 oz. package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 3 medium...

I'm always on the lookout for a great, new, pork loin recipe, especially one that has ingredients I already own.  I get tired of chicken & turkey now and then, and pork loin, these days, can be just as healthy for you because of how lean it is.  Only problem is, I only know a few pork recipes, and only one of them is P90X approved.  So I found this one on cooking light, and it is AMAZING!!  check it out... INGREDIENTS: 1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice 3 tablespoons   canola oil, divided 1 tablespoon   chopped peeled fresh ginger 3  garlic cloves, minced 6 ounces   pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips   1/2 cup   shelled edamame (green soybeans) 1/2 cup   preshredded carrot 3/4 cup   diagonally cut green onions  (can substitute regular onion) 1/2 cup   (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper, each cut in half   2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 cup ...

Ingredients 3/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons dark rum -( I use a tsp of almond extract) 3/4 cup white basmati rice ( this is the rice I used, but try substituting with any white rice and see what you think) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 5 cups half-and-half, divided- (It is very rich. I use the Fat free half and half, but it is plenty good with half milk half cream) 1/2 cup sugar 1 extra-large egg, beaten 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Directions Combine the rice and salt with 1 1/2 cups water in a medium heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stir once, and simmer, covered, on the lowest heat for 8 to 9 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. (If your stove is very hot, pull the pan halfway off the burner.) Stir in 4 cups of half-and-half and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the rice is very soft. Stir often, particularly toward the end. Slowly stir in the beaten egg and continue to cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, add the rem...

1 lb. ground beef 1 3/4 cup water 2/3 cup ketchup 1 T. mustard Salt & Pepper 2 cups minute rice Shredded cheddar cheese Brown hamburger.  Pour water, ketchup, mustard, & salt/pepper in with hamburger, and bring to a boil.  Add minute rice and stir.  Sprinkle cheese over mixture, then let simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.  Serve with your favorite vegetable on the side!

Courtesy of Paula Deen, with minor alterations. Ingredients: 1 Tbs. oil 1/2 pound pasta, vermicelli or spaghetti (I always use spaghetti) 1 cup long grain rice 1 small onion, chopped 1 Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley leaves, or 1 tsp. dried parsley 2 cans chicken or beef broth Salt and pepper to taste Begin by placing the oil in a pot (not yet heated) and breaking the dried noodles into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces.  Turn on the heat and stir the noodles in the oil until they begin to brown slightly.  Add the rice, onion, parsley, salt & pepper to taste, and broth.  Stir mixture together, cover tightly, and cook as you would regular rice, approx. 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve alongside chicken or beef main course.

A friend of mine made this for us when we came over for dinner, and I loved it and asked for the recipe.  Then I mentioned making it to a couple of other friends, and they asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd just post it for everyone.  Here ya go: 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 cup mayonnaise 1 to 2 T. lemon juice 1 T. yellow curry (or to taste) 4 chicken breasts 2 cups broccoli florets Shredded cheddar cheese, to taste Salt and pepper to taste Cooked rice (served on the side) Directions: Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry in a bowl.  The lemon juice makes it tangy, so add more if you want it more tangy.  Same with the curry, if you like it less strong, do less, or more if you want more.  These are the measurements I like.  Also, if you would like the sauce a little runnier, add chicken broth until you reach the consistency desired.  Place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish with broccoli florets, then pour soup mixture over ch...

Recipe courtesy of "Fast-Fix Meals", with a few alterations by me. 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 to 6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 3 to 4 green bell peppers, sliced 2 red bell peppers, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 to 2 T. chili powder 1/2 t. ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste 1 16oz. can diced tomatoes, DO NOT DRAIN 1 16oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked brown rice 10 8-inch flour tortillas 1/3 cup chopped cilantro Directions: If you don't have cooked rice already on hand, start that cooking first. Pour enough oil in a large skillet just to coat bottom; heat over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook just until no longer pink; add peppers, onion and seasonings.  Stir-fry until chicken is golden and vegetables are tender.  Add tomatoes with juice and black beans (check flavor here to see if more salt/pepper is needed).  Cook until liquid is evaporated; add rice and cilantro and stir together.  Place heap...

I haven't had this for a while, but I made it for a friend the other day and remembered how delicious it is.  It's a recipe my Mom made for us growing up; to me it's a wonderfully homey, feel-good meal.  Here is what you'll need: 1 2lb. bag broccoli cuts 1lb. regular ground sausage 1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 1/2 cups white rice 1. Cook rice on stove or in rice cooker according to package directions. 2.  Brown sausage. 3.  Cook broccoli according to package directions, and then drain all but about an 1/8 cup water. 4.  Combine broccoli, sausage, and soup together in the pot you cooked the broccoli in, and heat through on stove. 5.  Serve on or beside fluffed rice. You can serve this with baked potatoes instead of rice as well.   I've also put it with pasta and topped the mixture w/ cheese and baked it for 15 minutes.  It's a very versatile concoction, try something at let me know how it goes!