Taco Soup

This is probably one of the easiest soup recipes I know.

Ingredients
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can olives
1/2 lb. ground beef
(Beans and other ingredients could be added too)

Seasoning:
1 T. Chili powder
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

1. Brown hamburger and drain.
2. In a 2 quart sauce pan combine corn, tomatoes, olives INCLUDING the liquid from the can
3. Add hamburger to sauce pan
4. Combine seasoning in a small bowl and add to pan. (I usually just add about 2 Tablespoons)

We eat them with pan fried tortillas or quesadillas.

Pizza Pockets

My mom made these for us a lot when we were little. She even made *special* pizza pockets on Halloween. I included one of them for the upcoming holiday!

Pizza Pockets
a.k.a. Calzone...but we're from Utah, so we have to use a title that describes the food ;)

Crust

3/4 c. warm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Dani's Pizza Sauce
Desired Pizza Toppings

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes. Add in sugar, salt, vegetable oil, then stir in flour. Knead until elastic.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll out each to about 1/8 in. thickness.

3. Spoon Dani's Pizza Sauce over half the dough circle, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge. Add desired toppings.

4. Fold dry side of dough over and pinch the open edges together using a fork.5. Cut a small slit in the top of the dough for ventilation.

6. Brush dough with a lightly beaten egg.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Mummy Pizza Pockets...

Spoon sauce and add toppings in the middle of the dough circle.

Use a pizza cutter to cut slits in the dough all the way around, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Leave a large triangle-like shape at the top for the head, and two medium triangle shapes at the bottom for feet.Alternating sides, fold strips of dough over to create a mummy look, leaving the head and feet for last. Roll up the dough at the top and bottom to make mini dough balls that look like head and feet. Don't be sad if your toppings ooze out during baking. It's bound to happen a little bit.

Up for a Challenge?

Nobody HAS to do this, but it might be a fun thing to try on the weekend.

Use these ingredients to make something...it can be a recipe you made up, or a recipe you already have. 1. You don't have to use all of these ingredients, 2. You can add ANY spices you want, and 3. You can't add more than ONE new ingredient to the list. Your recipe can be a single main dish or a 3-course meal. Give it a shot, then post your recipe. Maybe it will be fun?!?!


Required Ingredients:


Rice (NOT from a box)
Chicken
Cheese (any kind)
Spinach
Squash
Zucchini
Bay Leaves
Chicken Broth
Tomatoes
White Beans
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sour Cream

There you go...what will you come up with?

Focaccia Bread

This is one of my favorite recipes! It was the first bread recipe I attempted, and it is by far the easiest bread recipe I've ever used. Trust me, it is almost impossible to mess this one up. The directions are wordy, but don't let that stop you!

Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water (105 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (same temp)

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt

1. Start by making a "sponge," which is the starter for the bread: In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of the flour, the 1/2 cup warm water, and the yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand overnight (or 8 hours) at room temperature to ferment.

2. Gradually stir in the 1 cup warm water, the 2 teaspoons salt, and just enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).

3. Turn dough out onto a greased baking sheet. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dough to cover it; let rest 30 minutes...this will help form a stiffness to the dough. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shape dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by pulling and pressing with your fingertips. (Try not to stretch dough too roughly or it will deflate; you want to keep air bubbles intact.)

4. Make 1/2-inch-deep indentations every 2 inches in dough. Brush dough with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden, checking after 8 minutes and popping any large air bubbles with a sharp knife. Remove focaccia from sheet with large spatulas. Cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

We LOVE ripping it apart and dipping it in olive oil and vinegar. You can also use it for sandwiches.

Lasagna

Lasagna
(makes enough for an 8X8 casserole dish...double for a 9X13)

4 Lasagna Noodles
1 lb. Hamburger
2 c. Tomato based sauce (my husband LOVES Dani's Pizza Sauce; my grandma uses 1 can tomato soup with 6 oz. tomato sauce)
1 egg
1 package Beefy Onion Soup Mix (optional)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. each of Cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown hamburger, drain. Sprinkle with Beefy Onion Soup mix. Heat to piping hot.
3. Beat the egg. Add a large spoonful of hot sauce to egg, then add back into sauce. Cover and heat to boiling. (The sauce will turn orange-ish).
4. Cook lasagna noodles as directed; drain.
5. In an 8X8 casserole dish layer noodles (you'll have to cut them to fit...use the scraps from two noodles to make a third whole noodle), sauce, sour cream, cheeses. Then repeat omitting the sour cream the second time.
6. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cheeses are bubbly.

**If you want to throw this straight into the freezer DON'T cook the noodles AT ALL!

Calling ALL Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

I am a big fan of chocolate chip cookies, but I only have a few recipes. What do you say? Will you post YOUR favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? It doesn't have to be too traditional...it just needs some kind of chocolate in it.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 and 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. coarse salt

1/4 t. baking soda

7 T. unsalted butter, room temp.

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg, room temp.

1 t. vanilla

3 T. sour cream

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. milk-chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer until pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with sour cream, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Cover, and FREEZE for 10 minutes.

2. Drop dough onto baking sheets (a 1 and 1/2 in. ice cream scoop gives the recommended size). Bake until centers are set and cookies are pale golden brown, about 12 minutes.

3 Meals from one Roast

At our house we have a hard time eating an entire roast between the two of us. And we both have a hard time having "left-overs." So this is what I like to do with our roasts. We don't necessarily eat the beef day after day... sometimes we even freeze the left over beef for a later date.

Day 1

Roast Beef

3-4 lb. Pot Roast (I really like Chuck Roasts and Rump Roasts)
2 packets Au Jus gravy mix
1 T. vegetable oil

1. Prepare 1 packet Au Jus gravy mix according to directions on packet.
2. Quickly brown all sides of the roast with vegetable oil in a heated skillet. This is essential for a juicy roast.
3. Place roast in crock pot (or deep casserole dish if you're using the oven) and pour Au Jus over the roast. Cook on Low heat (about 200 degrees in the oven) for 6-8 hours or until roast is tender.

Serve with streamed carrots and mashed potatoes. Shred the left-over roast, store in the fridge with the 2nd mixed packet of Au Jus gravy.

Day 2

Cafe-Rio-Wanna-Be Tacos

1/2 of the left-over shredded roast
4-6 flour tortillas
1/2 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Melted butter
Salt
Taco Condiments

1. Using a frying pan, lightly butter both sides of a tortilla. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Brown tortillas until they are a light golden brown. Continue with all tortillas, placing warmed tortillas on a plate.
2. Warm beef in the microwave.
3. Sprinkle warmed tortillas with cheese. Layer with your favorite taco condiments.

Store left-over beef in the fridge or freezer.

Day 3

Beef Enchiladas

Left-over beef
8-10 tortillas
1 can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
1-2 c. mix of Monterrey Jack, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses
1 box Spanish or Mexican rice
1 10 oz. can beans (optional)

1. Warm beef in the microwave. Then warm tortillas.
2. On each tortilla layer beef, rice, cheese, and beans. Roll to form enchilada or burrito shape.
3. Place rolled tortillas in an 8X8 or 9X13 casserole dish, depending on how much you are making. Pour green sauce over the tortillas and follow with more cheese.
4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Left-Overs

Do any of you find that you have a lot of left-overs when you make certain dishes? Right now I'm working on a posting that starts with one meal and turns into two others when the food is used as left-overs.

Does anyone else do this? If so, could you post the recipes you use?

Grilled Plum Kabobs

This recipe also works with any ripe stone fruit, like peaches or apricots, or mix all three.

Kabobs
(Makes 8 skewers)

8 ripe plums, quartered and pitted
2 T. grape seed oil or vegetable oil
2 pints vanilla ice cream
Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

1. Preheat grill to medium. Arrange 4 plum quarters on each of 8 skewers. Brush cut side of fruit with oil, and place fruit, cut sides down, over indirect heat (the coolest part of the grill).
2. Grill until fruit just begins to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, and brush tops with oil. Grill until pit cavity fills with juices and fruit is soft, about 5 minutes, depending on ripeness of fruit and heat of grill. Serve with bowls of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce
(Makes about 2 cups)

2 c. sugar
1 c. heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped to loosen (or about 1 1/2 t. extract)
2 T. unsalted butter
2 t. lemon juice

1. Put sugar and 1/2 c. water into a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling pan carefully (but not stirring), until mixture is dark amber, about 12 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in cream. Add vanilla seeds and bean, lemon juice, and butter. Stir to combine. Remove bean; discard. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week; bring sauce to room temp, or warm over low heat, before using.

Blueberry-Mint Lemonade

Blueberry-Mint Lemonade
(Makes 1 pitcher)

1 pint blueberries, plus more for garnish
3/4 c. plus 2 T. fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
1 & 1/2 c. Mint Syrup (recipe below)
Mint Sprigs

1. Place blueberries and lemon juice in a food processor (or good blender), and puree completely. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard pulp.
2. Transfer juice to a large pitcher. Add mint syrup and 2 cups cold water; stir to combine. Fill the pitcher with ice. Garnish with blueberries, lemon slices, and mint sprigs.

Mint Syrup
(Makes about 3 cups)

1 c. sugar
2 bunches mint, cut into 2-inch lengths

Bring sugar, mint, and 2 & 3/4 c. water to a boil in a small, tall saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let stand 30 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard mint. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use (up to 2 months).

My Time Saver

I know this idea has been shared with the world in a lot of different ways, but this is my favorite! I've been sort of doing it for the last 3 years, and it saves me a lot of time...making and freezing a whole bunch of meals in just one day.

http://www.30MealsinOneDay.com

This lady is a pretty good friend of our family, and she is AMAZING. Her cookbooks aren't just full of recipes. They also include step by step instructions on how you can actually cook 30 meals in one Saturday. The books include shopping lists, tips and tricks, and recipe variations. Just think of how much easier dinner time could get!

I just found out that she has come out with a new software that includes all of the recipes....PLUS there are really cool features that allow you to search recipes by entering ingredients from your cupboards and fridge into the search engine.

Anyway, there's so much more to say, but just go to the website. It's such a good idea for busy ladies like all of us. If anything go to the site for a bunch of free recipes.

Savory Sweet Roast

This was so good. We ate it so quickly that I forgot to get a good picture! I think this might also make a good marinade for steak.

Savory Sweet Roast

3-4 lb. roast (I like chuck and rump roasts for this recipe)
1 onion, chopped
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 c. Water
1/4 c. sugar (although Honey works just as well)
1/4 c. Vinegar
2 t. salt
1 tsp. mustard
1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1. Brown meat in oil on both sides in saucepan. Put in slow cooker.
2. Blend together remaining ingredients. Pour over meat.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 12-6 hours (or on High for 5-6 hours)

I like to throw freshly cut carrots and potatoes in with this roast also.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

Kristen...if you have a lot of brown bananas trying using one of them for this recipe! I had this recipe on my blog, but it's worth posting here too.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
(Makes about 4 dozen)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use Hershey Bars)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (or try shredded coconut if you'd like!)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

2. Drop dough onto baking sheets using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Grandma's Bread Sticks

These might be the best bread sticks ever! The left-overs freeze really well in zip lock bags. Thaw by setting them out at room temp. for a few hours.

Grandma's Bread sticks

Serves 8

1 T. yeast
1 and 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)...you can use margarine, but I DON'T recommend it.

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 and 1/2 c. warm water (about 5 minutes).
2. Mix all ingredients together, slowly adding flour last; knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise 10 minutes.
3. Melt 1 stick butter and pour into jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet).
4. Roll out dough into a rectangle, about the same size as the pan. Cut into 1 x 4 inch strips, using a pizza cutter. Roll each piece in melted butter and place in the jelly roll pan.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and/or garlic salt. Let rise 15-20 minutes

Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Quick and Easy Spaghetti Sauce

This is a good "recipe," if you can call it that, for when you need to make dinner quick. It's also good for feeding the masses. AND it freezes well! I like to use Ziploc's Gallon and Quart sized freezer bags because thawing/defrosting is easy, but old Prego jars also work.

Serves 4
1 lb. hamburger
2/3-1 jar Prego ("Flavored with Meat") Sauce
1 pkg. Lipton Beefy-Onion Soup Mix
Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Brown and drain hamburger. (Brown slowly over medium heat).
2. Sprinkle onion soup mix over hamburger (DON'T omit the soup mix if you don't like onions. Pour mix over meat using a strainer or sifter to remove onion pieces).
3. Add Prego and salt/pepper to your liking.

Serve with Spaghetti noodles, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and "Grandma's Bread sticks"

BBQ Chicken and Potato Wedges

Here's an easy summer BBQ menu. A lot of you probably already know this recipe, since it is a Utah classic.

7-Up Chicken

You'll need:

Chicken Breasts

Vegetable Oil

Soy Sauce

7-Up (or your carbonated beverage of choice)

This is a funny recipe because you don't really measure ingredients. But that does however make it easier to increase or decrease the amount you want to make.

1. Defrost chicken. Place in a glass baking dish. Pour about 2 T. Vegetable oil and 1/2 c. soy sauce into dish (for a 9x13 casserole dish). Fill dish with 7-Up so that the chicken is covered. Marinate 3-15 hours in the fridge.

2. Cook chicken on grill (or broiler pan) until golden brown and juices run clear. Serve with potato wedges.

Over the years my family has made this chicken using Coke and Cherry 7-Up. Any kind of pop will work...but NEVER use Diet Sodas!!! It's the sugar that makes the chicken taste so good.

Grilled Potato Wedges

You'll need:

6 large baking potatoes

Tabasco sauce (we used "Louisiana Hot Sauce")

1 stick Butter

1. Cut potatoes into eighths...like you would an apple.

2. Melt butter and mix with desired amount of Tabasco sauce. We used a little more than 1/8 cup. Brush potato wedges with butter mixture. Grill (or broil) until brown and crispy.

For a lower fat/cal option, use Pam "Butter Flavor" spray to coat the wedges and season with red pepper or other hot spices.

Hump Day Chicken Enchilada Casserole

(Pictures coming later tonight)
You can make this as easy or as hard as you want to. The hard way? Thaw, cook, and shred your own chicken; grate your own cheese; etc. The easy way? Buy the ready to eat bags of Tyson chicken (found next to the tuna fresh packs, about 8 oz. each); buy a pre-shredded bag of cheddar cheese.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. Large tortillas
2 bags of ready to eat Tyson Chicken
8 oz. cheddar cheese
Favorite enchilada extras: green onions, enchilada sauce, olives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl mix the cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups and the 1/2 c. milk. I like to use a whisk to do this. This was a lot easier for me to eat when I was pregnant if I poured to soups through a strainer first (to remove the mushroom and chicken chunks).

2. In a 9 X 13 casserole dish place a layer of tortilla strips (rip them by hand) on the bottom, followed by a layer of the soup mixture, chicken, and cheddar cheese. Repeat layering until 4 layers high or to desired height.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Eating Abroad...Cornish Pasties

Yesterday was my brother's mission "farewell" and we celebrated by having a big family dinner. He's leaving to serve in Brazil so it seemed fit for us to have grilled meat kabobs, grilled pineapple, rice with pico salsa, and other foreign foods. That's when I thought it might be fun for everyone to post a recipe from somewhere abroad. I think most of us are living with someone who has lived out of the state or country, and food is so unique in every area of the world.

I wanted to post a recipe that Evan picked up when he was in England. Cornish Pasties are pretty much like "Hot Pockets" only they are more of a dinner meal and less of a stomach ache. There can be a lot of variation with them...add different vegetables, use chicken instead of beef, etc. And again, I wish I had a good picture of them.

Cornish Pasties

Filling:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large potato, grated
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped

Pastry:
1 egg
1 T. vinegar
Cold Water
6 c. flour
1/4 t. baking powder
3 t. salt
2 c. shortening

1. Combine all filling ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to prepare pastry.
2. In a 2 cup measure, mix egg yolk and vinegar (set egg white aside); fill with water to 1 1/2 cups. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl; cut in shortening until well mixed. Add water mixture. Knead lightly until smooth.
3. Roll pastry on lightly floured surface to 1/8 in. thickness; cut into 6 inch rounds (I usually just grab a handful of dough from the bowl and flatten it into a circular shape).
4. Place a heaping spoon of meat mixture on the bottom half of each round. Moisten edge with water and fold over, sealing edges. Place seam side up on baking sheet. Using a knife, cut 3 small slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape...like you would do with the top of a pie crust.
5. Brush with egg white and bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with brown gravy, chili, or tomato soup for dipping.

In England you can turn dinner into lunch by serving food with a chunk of cheddar cheese and a large pickle on the side.

Contributors

I am so off my rocker. I just realized that nobody really knows anyone else who is contributing. When everyone gets a quick minute, why don't you introduce yourself. Hmm, maybe I should do mine right now.

I'm Skipper, although that's not actually my name. I've been married for 2 1/2 years to a really cute boy from Gunnison, Utah. In January we had our first baby, Spencer. We're homeless, jobless, and broke, but don't worry, we're working on it. I'm a really lazy cook, but I want to get better. If I had a specialty it would probably be...Lasagna, a classic. But I also REALLY love making unique pizzas. I have a lot of questions about really dumb things. I guess I'm the type of person who wants to know everything I possibly can about something before I jump in and try it myself. So try not to laugh too much at my ignorance because it will be hysterical at times.

I'm excited to learn a lot and share a lot with all of you.

Hump Day Dinner

Last night I realized that I really don't look forward to Wednesday very often. I thought it might be kind of fun for us to post Hump Day Dinners every Wednesday morning. Of course, nobody is obligated to make the dinner when it's posted, and I don't know about all of you, but by Wednesday night I get a little stumped about what to serve for dinner. I thought I'd give it a try this week...

Easy Navajo Tacos

(Makes 4 pieces of fry bread)

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. warm water
Vegetable oil
1 lb. meat (chicken, ground beef, steak, etc.)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
Taco toppings: tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc.
1. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk.Add water slowly while mixing the dough with your hands. When the dough is sticky enough to roll into a smooth ball it is just right.If it seems too sticky add a little flour, if it seems too tough add a little water.

2. Roll dough into four round pieces. Take one piece of dough at a time and slowly flatten it, keeping the round shape. Gently place in a frying pan of warm oil. (YES, I'm including pictures on how to fry something in oil because until a little while ago I had no idea what it meant to put something into "melted oil." You know you have the temperature of the oil just right when little bubbles surround the dough).Turn after 2-3 minutes so it is browned lightly on both sides.Place cooked fry bread on a plate covered in paper towels. Separate each piece with a paper towel in between. (The great thing about the fry bread is that it stays warm for a long time...giving you a chance to finish gathering toppings and cooking meat).

3. In a separate pan prepare meat (cut chicken or steak into pieces first). Cook through (about 5-10 minutes). Add taco seasoning as directed on package.

4. Serve fry bread topped with seasoned meat and your choice of toppings.

Sorry there's no picture of the finished product because 1) my dishes are hideous, and 2) the only topping we had in our cupboards and fridge was cheese...it didn't look as good as it tasted.

What do you think? Would this be a fun thing to do each Wednesday? Does anyone want to volunteer to make next week's meal???