Fantastic Food

 I did it again.  I opened a big can of pumpkin.  Of course I didn't use it all--I never do unless I'm making pumpkin pie (does anyone  ever use it all?).  I made pumpkin pancakes, then pumpkin spice syrup, then pumpkin coffee cake (drool).  And then I had about 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree left....  It's like it never ends!  And I didn't want anymore sweet pumpkin foods.  So I brainstormed.  I remembered a couple of years ago when I was trying to lose baby weight that I made some sweet potatoes with black beans, green chiles, and lots of cumin.  Well, pumpkin is pretty silimar to sweet potato flavor, so I decided to whip up some quesadillas.  I didn't have black beans on hand, so I pulled out a can of small white beans instead.  A little tillamook cheddar added in there, and it was just delicious! A great use for that leftover, less-than-a-cup pumpkin puree.   Ingredients: Corn Tortillas (12 ish) 4 oz. Diced green c...

 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...

We went to my in-law's home a year ago or so (no I don't hate them, they just live a 10 hour drive from me!) and my MIL made sausage pot pie.  I'd only ever had chicken pot pie, which, most of the time, I thought was just "okay".  The sausage pot pie was yummy.  My kids thought it was a gift sent from God from His own table.  My son loved it so much he requested it for his birthday dinner (a good 10 months from then).  And then every month he would bring it up again that he still wanted that for his birthday.  Well the pie was  really good, so I asked my MIL for the recipe.  I'll give you the bad news first:  It had canned EVERYTHING, the worst being a can of mushroom soup.  And store-bought pie crusts. First of all, store-bought crust tastes like cardboard.  It just does, so no thank you.  Also, I sorta have a thing against cooking with canned soups.  I'm not 100% sure why, but I think it is a "must cook from scratch" ...

"Hmmm, two pasta recipes in a row?" you say.  You must say that because you haven't been following every post and don't already know from the previous post that I accidentally-on-purpose bought too much tortellini at the store.  While Carbonara is most often made with long, slender pasta like spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, etc.....well, I had to do something  with that tortellini!  I therefore give you use #2 for cheese tortellini you need to use up--Carbonara. Now don't get too wigged out by the fact that the sauce in this recipe is made from eggs that will  appear to not be cooked.  We don't judge based on looks around here, so I'll thank you to conform to that while using this recipe.  The eggs are tempered , which essentially means that they are not raw, but sorta look that way still.  I promise it is delicious.  But if you need the reassurance, mentally, that you aren't eating raw eggs, I give you my solemn assurance.  Now you ma...

You know that time when you went to Costco and....  Need I say more?  Don't you always buy something you didn't intend to buy when you go there?  Those darn samples, they get me every time!  So there was this time I went to that accursed place that I both love and hate, and I ended up buying a huge package of fresh cheese tortellini.  The package was so big they had to split it into two packages.  Oh America...  Anyway, I had to come up with a great idea for this pasta, because of course I bought it impulsively with no plan whatsoever besides, "this is good.  must eat again."  (Sometimes when I eat delicious food, it takes over brain function and I sound a little bit like a caveman...)  Everyone knows that when you need a good idea, you go to the World of Good Ideas Only (aka Pinterest), where anything you try will always turn out (I realize it's hard to sense sarcasm through text, but I'm counting on your common sense to know when I'm ...

I just went looking for a good clam chowder recipe because I was craving it, and I found this one that was really easy and yummy.  I added 2 ribs of chopped celery in at the same time as the onion, but that was the only change from the original recipe.  It was a big hit with the family! Recipe from damndelicious.net INGREDIENTS: 4 slices bacon, diced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, diced 2 ribs celery, chopped* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 cup vegetable stock 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved 1 bay leaf 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup half and half Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves *Optional DIRECTIONS: Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon ex...

This is a tasty, quick, easy, and super healthy meal.  It can be the main dish, or it can be a filler for pita bread or a topping for salad greens. INGREDIENTS: 1 15 oz. can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained 1 6 oz. can tuna, drained 1 scallion, or 1/4 cup red onion diced 6 or 7 grape tomatoes, chopped 2 tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. capers 1-2 clove garlic, minced 1 tbs. fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: 1) In medium bowl, shred drained tuna. 2) To the tuna, add the beans, scallion/onion, tomatoes, capers, garlic & basil. 3) Whisk together olive oil and vinegar until well-mixed.  Add to tuna mixture. 4) Salt and pepper to taste Serve room temperature or chilled.

Total time: 20 minutes INGREDIENTS: 3 medium carrots, sliced 2 celery ribs, chopped 1/2 large onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2-3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 3 cloves minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 bay leaf salt to taste INSTRUCTIONS: In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bell pepper in butter until tender.  Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaf.                                 Yield:  7 servings.

I got to try this recipe at a relief society activity, and it was delicious.  I am putting it on here so I know where to find it when I decide to make it :)   Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Large onion, chopped 5 stalks celery, chopped 5 medium carrots, peeled & sliced 6 sweet peppers, seeded & chopped 1 zucchini, quartered & sliced 2 yellow zucchini, quartered and sliced 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced pinch of salt 32 oz. broth (chicken or vegetable) 2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes 2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed 2 Tbs ground cumin 1 1/2 Tbs chili powder 1 tsp hot sauce 1 tsp fresh lime juice Salt & pepper to taste Garlic salt to taste Parsley to taste Directions:  Saute onion, celery, peppers, carrots, and squash until softened, then add broth, beans, spices, and quinoa.  simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked through.  

INGREDIENTS:   3 Tbs. Olive Oil 1 cup minced yellow or white onion 1/2 c. chopped zucchini 1/2 c. frozen or fresh cut green beans 1/4 c. minced celery (about 1/2 stalk) 4 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves) 4 c. vegetable broth (can use chicken) 2 15oz. cans red kidney beans (drained & rinsed) 2 15oz. cans small white beans (drained & rinsed) 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes 1/2 c. julienned or shredded carrot 2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1 1/2 tsp. salt (or more to taste) 1/2 tsp. black pepper (or to taste) 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. dried thyme 2 bay leaves 3 c. hot water 1 to 1 1/2 c. cubed butternut squash** 4 c. baby spinach 1/2 cup small seashell pasta* (or other small pasta) DIRECTIONS: 1) Prep all veggies. 2)Heat olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot.  Saute onion, zucchini, green beans, celery, and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. ...

FRENCH ONION SOUP 4 Tbs. butter 5-6 yellow onions (4-5 if the onions are really big) 1/2 tsp. sugar 1 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tsp. fresh) 6 1/2 cups beef broth 1 small baguette olive oil salt & pepper 8 oz. swiss cheese (sliced or grated), or gruyere if you want stronger flavor 1. Slice onions into half moons.  Melt butter in a large stock pot or a very large skillet over LOW heat.  Add onions and sugar to skillet and try to stir onions enough to coat with butter (pan will be very full of onions, but they will shrink down more than half so don't panic).  Keep heat on low, and don't cover with a lid.  Stir onions every 20 minutes or so.  It will take 2 to 3 hours for the onions to cook down and carmelize.  It is critical to leave the heat low and to take your time.  Don't rush this! **(If you want to make your own baguettes, now is the time! I used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/homemade-french-baguettes.h...

Recipe by Our Best Bites 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup) 2 (15oz) cans white beans (great northern or white or cannellini) 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed (about 3-4 normal sized chicken breasts) 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 (3.5oz) can green chilies 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. coriander 1/2 tsp. salt pepper to taste 1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth 1 lime juiced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Mexican cheeses, avocado, tortilla chips, lime wedges, tomatoes. 1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes, until translucent. 2.  While the onions are cooking, drain the beans and rinse with cold water; set aside.  Sprinkle the chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot.  Add the garlic.  Cook for 4-5 minutes or until there's no more visible pink on the chicken. 3.  Add green...

I say "Chili" because it's not really that chili-ish except for a couple of ingredients.  It's more of a soup that has some chili powder in it.  I kind of mixed two "chili" recipes together to get this, and as it was cooking I thought, no one is going to like this.  It looked weird, but I think that's because I was thinking of it as a chili, and whoever heard of a chili with carrots and celery in them? Or even chicken?  Not me--that's not how I do chili; beef, sausage, beans and lots of chili powder and spice is how I do chili.  Despite the misgivings, this soup turned out to be a real winner.  I was very pleasantly surprised by it's awesomeness, so much so that I made it for a family in need two days later and made sure to make enough for us to eat too.  The kids absolutely loved it.  Naomi took it to school for lunch one day and when I asked her if it was okay for lunch or if it was too cold (they don't get microwaves in their classrooms--a...

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 ...

Chicken Pot Pie IX Rated: Submitted By: Robbie Rice Photo By: tahoegirl Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes Servings: 8 "A delicious chicken pie made from scratch with carrots, peas and celery. A delicious and heartwarming meal." INGREDIENTS: 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup sliced celery 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 2/3 cup milk 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.) 2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside. 3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer...