Minestrone

Minestrone Soup is almost an addiction of mine lately. I just cannot get enough of the veggies and the goodness! I have a dear friend who has actually been making minestrone deliveries to me, but in the off time, I make my own. So here is my recipe for anyone else who feels like they need a "minestrone fix"!

You Will Need:

1 Large Vidalia Onion, diced

5 Russet Potatoes, Peeled and Cut 

2 Cups Chopped and Peeled Carrots

1 Pound Ground Sausage, browned

3-4 Slices Cooked Bacon

1 28oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

1 Zucchini, Peeled and Cut Up

4 Cups Chicken Stock (or broth)

1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained

1 Can Cannelini Beans, drained

Salt and Pepper

Oregano

1/2 Pound Rotini, Cooked and Drained (or whatever pasta you like)

- Pasta is added at end, so cook near the end.

2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Directions:

- Coat bottom of large stockpot with oil (very little). Turn stove to medium heat.

- As soon as you smell the oil, add the onions.

- Saute until clear.

- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir constantly to prevent sticking. Add some salt and pepper.

- After 2 minutes, add the chicken stock.

- Stir in both cans of beans and zucchini. Cover.

- Cook 5 minutes over medium-low heat.water 

- Uncover. Put heat on low.

- Drain tomatoes.

- Use your hands to squeeze the tomatoes and break them into pieces. Add into the soup.

**WARNING** The tomatoes may squirt. Keep them far from your eyes and make sure your clothes are covered!

- Add sausage, bacon, and oregano to taste. Also add more salt and pepper. Cook for about an hour over low heat so all of the flavors can "marry". Stir occasionally.

- Add pasta at the end.

Enjoy!! <3

serving tip: Minestrone is perfect with a crusty Italian or French bread, liberally buttered, to dip in it!

Overstuffed Breakfast Burritos

I don't know why we look at something as simple as a breakfast burrito and then decide to skip it and make something "easy" like waffles. I love waffles as much as the next person, but i find the burritos much easier. They are healthy, portable (if they're not too overstuffed!), delicious, and filling.

Here is my recipe for you. It's pretty versatile. This particular one has no meat, but these are awesome with bacon or sausage or ham as well! (Please don't mind all of my photos on paper plates. I was feeling very lazy this morning and didn't want more dishes!)

You Will Need:

1 Dozen Large Eggs
1 Package Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
1 16 oz. Jar of Salsa
8 Burrito Sized Flour Tortillas
1 Package Diced Potatoes with Onions
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

- Place tortillas on a paper plate. Cover with a paper towel. microwave for 30 seconds.
- Set aside.








- In a large skillet, cook the potatoes according to directions on package.

- While those are cooking, crack all of the eggs into a large (non-plastic) mixing bowl.
- Add half of the bag of cheese and about half of the salsa. Also add salt and pepper to taste.








- Place the tortillas onto separate plates and put a pinch of the cheese on each one.








- When everything is cooked, spoon some potatoes and then some eggs on one side of each tortilla.


- Fold in the sides and roll the burrito closed.

- Top with another pinch of the cheese. You can also spoon the rest of the salsa on top.

Enjoy! <3

Rattlesnake Pasta

This is definitely one of my favorite dinners as of late. It's spicy and flavorful and just delicious! As you can see in these pictures, I used Penne pasta here, but in all honesty, Rotini works so much better! It holds all of the flavors inside of it's swirls!

You Will Need:

1 1/2 Pounds Pasta

3 Tablespoons Butter

About 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella mixed with Shredded Cheddar

2 Good Sized Jalapenos

2 Large Plum Tomatoes

Garlic Salt

Oregano

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts

Adobo Seasoning

Hot Chili Powder

2 Limes

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

- Heat oven to 395 degrees.

- Remove skin from the chicken.

- Coat liberally in adobo and chili powder.

- Roll 1 lime to soften, then cut in half and pour the juice over the chicken. Coo the lime with the chicken.

- Put some salt and pepper on top, and put in oven.

- Bake for about 38 minutes.

- Allow to cool.

- Make the pasta. Drain it while it is still al dente.

- Stir the butter in.

- Chop the tomatoes and jalapenos, and add in.  

- Season with the remaining lime, the crushed red pepper, garlic salt, oregano, cheese, and salt and pepper.

-Enjoy! <3

Potato Soup

A dear friend made us potato soup about a year ago, and it was the first time I ever had it. It was delicious! I got the recipe from her, but then I somehow lost it before I ever got the chance to make it. :(  So I searched online, but I couldn't find a recipe that really sounded all that good to me. Being me, having a bug to make potato soup, I decided to make my own recipe. I am eating a bowl of it right now, and I can tell you... it is yummy! so here it is for all of you to enjoy as well!

You will need:

8 slices thick cut bacon

10 potatoes

1 large yellow onion

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1 Can Cream of chicken soup (cream of celery would probably be great too!)

1 Small Bunch Scallions

3 Cups Water

2 Bullion Cubes (the ones that make 2 cups each)

Salt and Pepper to taste

About 2 Ounces Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, broken into pieces

4 Ounces Salted Butter

Directions:

- Lightly spray the bottom of a dutch oven with cooking spray. (There's enough fat in this recipe!)
- Put all of the bacon in the pot and allow to totally brown on one side before flipping over and browning the other side.

- While the bacon is cooking, peel all of the potatoes and chop into large cubes. Also dice the onion (large bits).
- Remove the bacon from the pot, but NOT the grease!
- Add the onions to the bacon grease and saute until they are clear with nice brown edges.  (Please excuse the pics of my stained pot!!)
- Put the potato chunks in. Mix well for about a minute.
- Put in the heavy cream and cream of chicken soup. Mix well. Allow to cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Using kitchen shears, cut cooled bacon into the soup.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

- Cover and cook on low heat for about 40 minutes. (Make sure the potatoes are done by cutting through a thick one with a wooden spoon.)
- Enjoy! <3

Super Delicious And Simple Baguettes

Every problem has a solution. Well, my problem was that I wanted garlic bread and had no bread. I thought, at first, that I could use sandwich bread. I opened the microwave (my bread box) and...

The color of the bread matched a cute goth nail polish that I have. Green-ish, grey-ish, black-ish colors, though lovely on nails, are not so appealing on bread! That wasn't working for me. I no longer own a bread baking book. Every recipe I can find calls for bread machines or a ton of ingredients. I was bound and determined to make garlic bread, but first I needed bread. It had to be good. It had to be moist. It had to have only a few simple ingredients. And it had to be very simple. I am a homeschool mom. I have three children. I do not have time to slave over homemade bread for an entire day!So, I found a solution. I found several different recipes. I took parts that I liked from each, and then I simplified them. What came from it was a very simple recipe that has only 5 ingredients. Other than the time it spends rising, it took me only minutes to prepare. And it baked up in 28 minutes. It was a hit.

So here it is for you...

What you need for two baguettes:

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 cups hot water

1 teaspoon course sea salt

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (about 1 small packet)

1 heaping Tablespoon honey

Directions

- Put the honey and yeast in a small bowl.

- Pour the hot water over it.

- Let it sit for 5 minutes.

- In bowl of a mixer, whisk together flour and salt.

- Add the water mix to the flour.

- Mix on low, using dough hook, until combined.

- Turn mixer to 2 and mix for five minutes.

- Turn dough out onto counter.

- Knead the air out.

- Coat the mixing bowl with no stick spray.

- Put dough back in.

- Cover with a tea towel.

- Let sit and rise for an hour and a half.

- Heat oven to 400 degrees.

- Form dough into 2 equal parts.

- Shape into baguettes. 

- Using a paring knife, strike the top three times.

- Sprinkle with flour. (very little)

- Allow to rise for another 5 minutes. 

- Bake for 28 minutes on a pan sprayed with no stick spray in the center of the oven. (A pizza stone would probably work well also.)

- Try to allow the baguettes to cool completely before you dig in! 

- Enjoy!! <3

- Knead the air out.

- Coat the mixing bowl with no stick spray.

- Put dough back in.

- Cover with a tea towel.

- Let sit and rise for an hour and a half.

- Heat oven to 400 degrees.

- Form dough into 2 equal parts.

- Shape into baguettes. 

- Using a paring knife, strike the top three times.

- Sprinkle with flour. (very little)

- Allow to rise for another 5 minutes. 

- Bake for 28 minutes on a pan sprayed with no stick spray in the center of the oven. (A pizza stone would probably work well also.)

- Try to allow the baguettes to cool completely before you dig in! 

- Enjoy!! <3

Ginger Pork Fried Rice

Ginger Pork Fried Rice

Here is the second recipe in my homemade "Chinese Food" category. I made this on the same day as the egg rolls, so you will notice that the ingredients are very similar.

You Will Need:

6 Cups Prepared White Rice (or maybe brown. I don't use brown.)

10 Large Eggs

Soy Sauce

About 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger

Frozen Peas

About 1/4 Bag Organic Broccoli Slaw

3 Boneless Pork Loin Chops

Organic Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing

Powdered Ginger

Directions:

- Cook the rice, if you haven't already. (I use 3 cups of rice and 6 cups of water for about 6 cups.)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the pork on a baking sheet.
- Liberally pour the dressing over the pork.
- Shake the ginger powder on top (also liberally)
- Bake the pork for about 38 minutes.        
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Cut off the fat. Dice the pork into small cubes.

- Put the pork, broccoli slaw, and peas in a bowl or container and toss together.
- Spray a large pan or wok with cooking and baking spray.
- Add all 10 eggs, and whisk them with a fork.
- Add in a splash or two of soy sauce.
- Put all of the other ingredients.
- Grate in the fresh ginger.
- Turn the mixture until all of the rice is coated in the eggs.
- THEN turn the heat on and cook.
- Cook until all of the egg is cooked, turning every 45 seconds or so.
- Enjoy! <3

Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls

I used to live on Chinese food. I absolutely love it. Lately, I have been craving it but never seem to be able to go get any. So of course, I figured out how to make my own. So over the next few days, I will be sharing my recipes with you. This one is, without being vain, awesome! The children all agree that it tastes just like it was ordered from a Chinese restaurant.

You Will Need:

1 Package Egg Roll Wraps (There are about 21 wraps in 1 pack.)
About 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops
Organic Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing
Bag of Organic Broccoli Slaw
Soy Sauce
Fresh Ginger
Ginger Powder
Peanut Oil

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the pork on a baking sheet.
- Liberally pour the dressing over the pork.
- Shake the ginger powder on top (also liberally)
- Bake the pork for about 38 minutes.          
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Cut off the fat. Dice the pork into small cubes. Toss in a Ziplock bag with about 3/4 of the bag of broccoli slaw and some soy sauce.

- Lay the wraps out diagonally, and put a large pinch or two of the filling in the middle. (see picture)

- Fold the bottom of the wrap up then the sides in. Rub a little water on the wrap to make it stick. Then, roll it up until it is all sealed. Again, use a little water.
- Heat peanut oil in frying pan or deep fryer set to 390 degrees.
- Fry the egg rolls, making sure they are frying all the way around.
- When they are a lovely shade of brown, remove them and place on paper towels to drain the oil off.

- Allow to cool for a few minutes. (Even so, be careful after; They can be hot!)
- Enjoy! <3