Basil Goat Cheese Sliders

I love hamburgers, I seriously think I always will. I have never met a hamburger I didn't like....Well, I guess that is not true since some of the fast food joints have some pretty nasty burgers.....anyway......Sliders seem to be the big deal these days, which totally cracks me up because I remember being a kid and eating Burger Bundles from Burger King, I think you could get 6 little burgers all together or 3.......HA! This recipe is probably one of my favs simple yet different burger.....I LOVE Goat Cheese.....we use it a lot in wraps, pasta, stuff in burgers or chicken, and on crackers......I am sure there are more condiments and toppings you could have on this but I try to keep my sliders as simple as I can....these can be served on small dinner rolls or mini buns too........I just love chewy, dense, and sturdy bread which is why I use ciabatta......I am not a big fan of my bun falling apart......as usual the meat mixture can be adjusted to your tastes....

Makes: 6-8 mini burgers depending on your size

1lb Hamburger

1-2 T Fresh Basil, chopped

1 T Sweet Onions, minced

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1-2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Garlic Salt, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Ciabatta Bread/Rolls, Cut to the size of your burger (We toast our on the grill)

Goat Cheese, sliced

Toppings:

Basil Mayo

Arugula

Campari Tomatoes (or Romas), sliced

Preheat your BBQ Grill. Gently mix hamburger, basil, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, Garlic Salt, Salt & Pepper. Form into mini patties, gently pressing in the middle so your patties will stay more flat. Grill to your desired tastes, in the last 2-3 min of cooking add on a slice of goat cheese to warm it up. Serve on ciabatta rolls with Basil Mayo, Arugula & Tomatoes....

Super Simple Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We love to try new recipes and as with most of the recipes I make I always make changes to improve on what is there.....This was the first time I have made lettuce wraps and I know it will not be the last....This recipe is a great base recipe that I know I will be evolving on as I continue to experiment, I am thinking some rice wine vinegar would be a good addition and maybe some sesame oil or chili oil and possibly some garlic.....But we liked this as it too.....So wrap it up and enjoy!

Serves: 4-5

1/2 C Hoisin sauce

1/4 C Crunchy or Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 C Miracle Whip or Mayo

1-2 Squirts Sriracha Sauce

¼ t Red Pepper Flakes

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1T Vegetable oil

Salt & Pepper

1 bunch Green Onions, finely chopped

1 head Boston Bibb lettuce, washed, dried & separated

Carrot sticks, very thinly sliced

Celery sticks, very thinly sliced

Cucumber, seeded & very thinly sliced

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Set aside. Heat oil over medium high heat and add in turkey. Season with salt & pepper and brown until cook through, stir in onions and saute for 1 min. Reduce to medium and stir in sauce continue cooking for 5 minutes, stir frequently. Fill lettuce with meat and veggies. Enjoy!

Simple Shrimp & Corn Chowder

Shawn LOVES shrimp as do our girls so we eat it a bunch in our house. This recipe Shawn and I have been eating for years and has become a household favorite. It is super simple but yet so tasty and takes no time at all to prepare and cook.....I am sure there a plenty things to add to jazz it up but we like it just the way it is....if you can find fresh sweet corn in season, cut it away from the cob and use that, it makes it that much better....I like to serve most of my soups with crusty or toasted bread......I am so not a cracker in my soup girl.....I like dip yummy bread!

Serves 4-5

3-4 Green Onions, thinly sliced
2 C Frz Sweet Corn (White or Yellow)

1 lb Shrimp, peeled & de veined

3 T Butter

4 C Chicken Stock (1 32oz carton)

1/2 C Heavy Cream

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in green onions and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Pour in the chicken stock and then add the corn. Stir and season with salt & pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 min. Pour in the cream, stir well and then add the shrimp. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, very gently until the shrimp turn pink and begin to curl, which is usually about 5 min depending on the size of shrimp. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot!

Poor Man's Mac & Cheese Bake

So my brother actually taught me this recipe while I was in college.....eventhough we LOVE Homemade Macaroni Cheese this recipe has become a pantry staple at our house.....Especially now that we have kids.....its super easy and tastes pretty good too.....Its versatile so feel free to create.....I suppose you could add some cheese on top or mix in a veggie......endless possibilities I tell you....

Serves 4-5

2 Boxes Mac n Cheese, prepared (the way you like, I use 2 T butter & 1/4 C Milk per box)

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 lb Ground Beef

Onion Powder, to taste

Garlic Salt, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mac n cheese to your liking. Meanwhile season and brown ground beef, with Onion Powder, Garlic Salt and Salt/Pepper. Drain the fat. Combine prepared Mac n Cheese, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Ground Beef. Mix Well. Pour into a casserole dish and bake in oven for 25-30 min, or until hot throughout. Enjoy!

Grilled Marinated London Broil

This is a great marinade for a cheaper cut of meat. I mainly use it on Top Round for London Broil but also have used it on Tri-Tip Roasts, Flank Steak, Top Sirloin.....I suppose you could use it on any good marinating cut of meat......This is definitely one marinade that I always have everything for......Enjoy experimenting....I have a lot of 1-2's in my recipe cause I do not always measure exact for my marinades.....

5-6 Garlic Cloves, smashed & minced w/1 tsp salt

1/3 C Dry Red Wine

1/3 C Balsamic Vinegar

1-2 T Soy Sauce

1-2 tsp Honey

1/4 tsp Pepper

2 lbs of Top-Round Roast or other cut of Beef such as Tri-Tip Roast (Pic shown above).

Combine all ingredients and pour over meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight. Grill to desired doneness, we like our beef Medium Rare.......and Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Marinated Shrimp

So my husband loves shrimp.....His favorite way to have it is Grilled and we use many different marinades.....Probably a favorite it Cilantro Lime Marinated Shrimp but we created this one with items from our pantry.....It turned out really good and we really enjoyed it. The girls even liked it.....and they can be picky eaters, but I must admit it was their first time having shrimp.....glad we will be able to eat it more often......Think grilled shrimp cocktail......

Serves: 6

4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Chili Sauce or Tomato sauce
2-3 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 T Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Skewers (if using bamboo be sure to soak for 20 min or more)

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, basil, cayenne pepper. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Colorful Chicken Pasta Salad

I love cold salads on hot summer days for dinner. This is an adaptation from Shawn's Moms Chicken Salad. I have changed the noodles from Soba or Chinese to Whole Grain. Partly because I can not find the Chinese noodles I normally use (Not a big Chinese selection down here in TX) and partly because its a good recipe to use whole grain noodles. Shawn even likes this salad as do the kids.....but the kids prefer it with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce instead of the Sesame dressing which is fine with me since I always have Teriyaki in the fridge (good way to get my kids to eat rice and such).......Anyway you can use your favorite marinated chicken, but I would recommend Gordon's Marinade, which I have on a separate post or a Teriyaki Marinade. I like to serve this salad with the dressing on the side, it makes for easy keep if there are leftovers plus it also allows a person to put as much or as little as they want.

Serves 6-8

4-5 Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts, sliced

1 lb Barilla Plus or Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti Noodles

1/2 Head of Cabbage, chopped

2 Bell Peppers (Red, Orange or Yellow), quartered & sliced

1 English Cucumber, quartered & sliced

1-2 Cans Mandarin Oranges (we use 2 cause the girls LOVE them)

Grape Tomatoes, whole

4 Green Onions, chopped

Toasted Sesame Seeds or Almonds, Garnish (optional)

Dressing-(this is the doubled recipe, you can 1/2 it)

4 oz Apple Juice

8 oz Rice Wine Vinegar

4 T Sesame Oil (can reduce and add a splash of chili oil if you want some heat)
4 T Soy Sauce

2 tsp Sugar

To make the dressing mix all ingredients in a container and shake vigorously until sugar is well mixed. Cook Pasta according to package and rinse under cold water. Let Drain. Layer salad in a large Pasta Serving Bowl, start with cabbage then layer the noodles on top, then top with veggies and chicken...Basically make it pretty (although my pic above is not my best work, oh well) Like I said before I like to serve the dressing on the side (we also do green onions on the side since Shawn does not like them)....avoids putting too much on or not enough, yadah, yadah.....

Faux Refried Beans

I can be a simple girl. Sometimes I just want a bean and cheese burrito. Probably one of my favorite simple meals....I use to make them a lot in college, you know can of refried beans, some cheese, onions and hot sauce all wrapped up in a tortilla.....Well, I decided it was high time I try to make refried beans, but once I got looking there was just too much fat in some of the recipes and some just didn't sound good.....so I decided to try something different......These are awesome probably some of the best beans I have tasted.....I had found a similar recipe but it didn't look like it have enough flavor, so I added some other ingredients and stepped it up to something my kids, husband and I would like.....Who knew I would rely on the Crock Pot so much.....its just so easy....I am not sure if I will be buying canned refried beans anymore......I may just have to make these again, some homemade guacamole and homemade salsa to serve with chips for Cinco de Mayo......So good and so easy.....and I even think my mom would like these as they are not spicy! Feel free to spice up if you like!

Serves 12

3 C Dry Pinto Beans, Rinsed

1 Lg Sweet Onion, finely chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped

5-6 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2-3 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

2-3 tsp Salt

1 1/2-2 tsp Black Pepper

9 C Water (Plus extra if they dry out, mine did not)

Throw all ingredients into a Crock Pot (slow cooker) and cook on High for about 8 hours. Stirring occasionally and re seasoning if necessary. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency, I think I added back about 3/4-1 cup of the bean cooking liquid.....You can make them as dry or as wet as you would like.....Serve w/ chips or in a burrito, or as a side dish.....If you plan on keeping them in a crock pot on low after mashing, I recommend keeping some of the cooking liquid in case the dry out a little bit.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love vinegar.....Yes I do....I suppose I would be more of a North Carolina BBQ Girl (vinegar & pork) then a Texas BBQ, I know, I know I live in Texas, but I do love a good brisket......This recipe is one of my favorites for Pulled Pork Sandwiches....and the BBQ Sauce is a mustard-vinegar base one....I love it....The sauce can always be adjusted to specific likes and tastes.....You can roast a Pork Shoulder in the oven on 300 degrees for 6 hours or until if falls apart, instead of the crock pot, but I say throw it in the crock pot and forget about it.....I have also included a coleslaw recipe below to go with.....I like a little bit on my sandwich with some pickles and extra BBQ sauce.....Messy, Messy, Messy.....keep those moist towelettes or baby wipes handy!

Serves 12 or so

Rub:

3 T Paprika

1 T Garlic Powder

1 T Brown Sugar

1 T Dry Mustard

3 T Kosher or Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

4-6 lbs of Boneless Pork (Carnita Meat) or Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast (Boston Butt)

Mix rub together in a small bowl. Rub spice blend all over the pork pieces or roast. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Vinegar BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 C Cider Vinegar

3/4 C Spicy Brown Mustard

1/4 C Yellow Mustard

1/2-3/4 C Ketchup (to taste)

1/3 C Brown Sugar, Packed

2-3 Cloves Garlic, smashed/chopped

1 tsp Kosher Salt

3/4-1 tsp Cayenne (Red Pepper)

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

12 Hamburger Buns, toasted or not

Cole Slaw (see below)
Pickle slices

Spray the inside of a crock pot with cooking spray, throw in the pork and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until meat is tender and shreds when you fork it. Skim off some of the fat and then shred with a fork. Add in 1/2-1 cup of BBQ Sauce and heat on low for 15-20 minutes.

During the last half hour/hour of the pork cooking make the BBQ sauce. Combine cider vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper into a medium sauce pan. Simmer gently, while stirring for 10 or so minutes, until all the brown sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and let sit until you are ready.

To serve spoon pork on bottom half of bun, top with little more BBQ Sauce, pickles, and some slaw. Very messy but ohhh soooo good!

Cole Slaw:

1 Head of Cabbage, shredded

2 Carrots, shredded or grated

1/2 Red Onion or Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/4-1 1/2 C Mayonnaise

1/4 C Dijon Mustard

1-2 T Cider Vinegar

1 Lemon, Juiced

Pinch Sugar

2-3 Dashes of Hot Sauce

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Combine cabbage, carrots, onion, green onions, and jalapeno in a large bowl. In small bowl stir together mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss gently. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs

We don't eat a lot of chicken legs around here, but I will buy them on sale when I find a good deal and always easy to make for a crowd. This is probably my favorite ways to eat them marinated and grilled. This marinade could be used on any piece of chicken and I use it enough that I do not measure so that is what I have estimated some of the amounts below. Such a simple summertime dish that we usually serve with lemony couscous or any summer salad. The kids love these too, you know always fun to eat with your hands......

Serves 4

1 C Fresh Orange Juice

2 T Fresh Lemon Juice

4 tsp Soy Sauce

1 T Dry Sherry

1 1/2-2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 1/2-2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2-2 tsp Basil Oil or Olive Oil (Garlic Oil would work too)

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Dark Sesame Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Hot Sauce

8 Chicken Drumstick, skinned (or not)

Combine all the ingredients but the chicken in a large zip lock bag. Mix up and then add in the chicken, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare Grill.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving the marinade. Place the reserved marinade in a small sauce pan cook over medium heat for 3-5 min. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 30 min or until chicken is done, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Greek Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Well I do not know about you but when I am at Costco I usually tend to pick up a pack of Pork Tenderloins. Then I get them home and think, Huh, what the heck am I going to do with these.....I have a few good pork tenderloin recipes.....Some with mustard, some roasted, etc....but I was looking for something different with citrus and came upon a recipe similar recipe to the one below, it needed a little bit of improvement.....The whole family loved this one.....Serve over a bed of your favorite Couscous recipe w/some Feta, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Red or Green Onions and Grape Tomatoes and Ta-Da a nice Greek Themed Dinner......Ahh, One of the many tastes of Summer!

Serves 4-5

1 C Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 C Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2-3/4 cup Olive Oil (I also used a bit of Lemon Oil/Lime Oil cause I had it)
6-8 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tsp Salt
4 T Dried Oregano (I think fresh would be better but I didn't have any)
2 (1-1.5 pound) Pork Tenderloins

Salt & Pepper, to season while grilling

Mix lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and oregano in a bowl. Taste marinate, if you think it is too tart you can always add in more olive oil. Place tenderloins in a large plastic bag or bowl w/lid and pour marinate over the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grate, and discard marinade. Season tenderloins with Salt and Pepper. Grill tenderloins for 15 to 25 minutes, turning a few times, or grill until desired doneness. (the trick is to get it done while not overcooking!)

Serve sliced up on a bed of Couscous surrounded by lots of Greek veggies and topped with Feta Cheese.

Yucatecan Citrus Grilled Pork

I suppose we will never get off of this Mexican Tex-Mex train we are on down here in SA. This recipe originated from the Yucatan and represents a simple side of Mexican cooking....I say make up a batch of Jerry's Famous Margaritas or crack open a good Mexican beer to enjoy while you are getting the charcoal ready....This dish is easy, good, and fresh.......Enjoy!

Serves 4-5

1 Med Sweet Onion, cut in thick slices for grilling
1 1/2 pound thin cut Pork Chops
1/4 C Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
3 C Cabbage, sliced thin
1/3 C Cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tomatoes, sliced
1-2 Avocados, sliced
Salt & Pepper
1 Lime, sliced for garnish
Hot sauce, to serve on side
Fresh Salsa, to serve on side
Warm Tortillas, to serve on the side

Stir Orange and Lime Juice together. Pour 1/4 C of the juice over the pork and let marinate for 15-20 min. Meanwhile, start charcoal grill. While coals are getting ready, prepare the rest of ingredients. Toss Cabbage and Cilantro with 1/4 C of the Lime/Orange juice, season with salt and pepper. Spread out onto a large serving platter. Decorate with slices of Tomato and Avocado, season those with a little salt/pepper too, set aside (or in the fridge). Once grill is ready, season and grill onion rings until roasted about 6-8 min. Remove, chop and toss with the remaining 1/4 cup of juice, set aside. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper and grill 3 min per side, or until done. Lay meat on the platter of cabbage and top with grilled onions. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and hot sauce....

Chicken Gorditas Tex-Mex Style

Ok, my love affair with Mexican and Tex Mex has caused me to love to eat and make Gorditas....My favorite place to get them is down in Historic Market Square from one of the street vendors.....Pretty hard to pass up a $3.00 meal!.....Goes perfectly with the beer you can drink while shopping there.....they keep it simple downtown, meat or beans, cheese, lettuce and Guacamole.....and of course hot sauce on the side......Well it inspired me to surf through some of my Mexican Cookbooks to find a traditional gordita recipe.....The filling I made up on my own and still may need some tweaking.....but for a first run at it.....it turned out pretty good....I am posting it so I won't forget what I did.....We have had these twice now and I just love them.....the corn taste is so good....I Love "Little Fat Ones".....

Chicken Filling: Makes enough for a few meals

2 lbs of Boneless Chicken Meat (I used a combo of Thighs and Breasts)

1 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes w/Zesty Jalapenos

1 Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Jalapeno, Finely Chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Juice of 1 Lime

1-2 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Chicken is ready when it easily shreds and falls apart. Once ready shred meat in crock pot. It will be juicy, so use tongs to serve in gorditas, tacos, enchiladas or burritos.

GORDITAS: Makes 10 small/med pockets

1 3/4 C Masa Harina (Instant Corn Masa Flour)

1 C + 2 T Warm Water

1/3 C All Purpose Flour

1 scant teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

Garnishes

Cheese

Cilantro, chopped

Lettuce/Cabbage, mixed or your favorite

Guacamole

Hot Sauce or Salsa

Lime Wedges

Making the Dough

Mix masa with the warm water. Knead the masa to make it soft cookie dough consistency, adding more water if needed. (I usually add 1-2 tablespoons more) Knead in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into 10 portions and roll into balls. Cover with plastic to keep moist and to keep from drying out.

Heat a non stick oil rubbed griddle or pan over medium heat.

The next step is flattening out. If you have a tortilla press (I do not) it works best because it gives the most even disks, be sure to line with plastic on both sides. Gently Press a ball of dough to 4 inch diameter and it should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you do not have a tortilla press here is another easy way to do it. Place a piece of plastic (plastic wrap or plastic cut from a plastic storage bad) on the counter. Wrap a flat bottom dinner plate with plastic, place 1 ball of dough on the plastic wrap and place wrapped dinner plate on top of dough ball. Gently and evenly press ball flat to about 4 inch diameter and 1/4 inch thick. My dinner plates actually have a 1/4 inch lip and 5 inch diameter on the bottom so it works perfectly. Place flattened gordita on griddle and cook for 1 1/2 min and then flip and cook another 1 1/2 min. The gordita will be lightly browned but still uncooked. Remove to a plate and continue pressing and griddle cooking the remaining gorditas. Finished product should look like this:

Finishing the Gorditas

In a deep heavy skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 inch oil over medium to medium high heat until oil is hot enough to make the edge of a gordita sizzle sharply (about 350 degrees). One by one fry gorditas turning them after 15 seconds nicely crisp but not hard. The total fry time should not be longer then 45 seconds. When they are ready most will have puffed up a little like pita bread. Drain on paper towels.

Once they are all fried use a small knife to cut a slit in the edge of each one about halfway around its circumference, making a pocket. Fill with about 1/4 cup of chicken and garnish with your favorites.

Sausage, Potato and Roasted Pepper Soup

I have really been trying to eat more soup.......its hard to make in our house with a picky husband that doesn't like a ton of really good veggies.....but we make it work by cutting them really small....anyway this soup was one that Nana and I made in Pullman......and it turned out great.....I added a bit more stock in this one to make more and it turned out just as good.....Its pretty freaking good soup.....and best with warm ciabatta bread slices or any good crusty bread.......to dip in it.....

Makes 8 servings

1 lb Hot Sausage (Jimmy Dean)

3 T Butter
1 T Olive Oil
1 Small Sweet Onion, diced
1/2-3/4 C Carrots, diced
1/2-3/4 C Celery, diced
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 T Flour

4 C Veggie Broth

4 C Chicken Broth

5 Med Red Potatoes

1 1/2 C Half & Half

1 6oz-8oz jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained & chopped

2 tsp Fresh Thyme
2 C Arugula, chopped

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Crusty Bread, optional

Fry Sausage in a stock pot over medium heat. Once browned and cooked through, drain in strainer. Wipe out some of the grease in the pan and return to heat. Over medium heat melt butter and then add in olive oil. Saute onions, carrots and celery for about 5-6 min until the onion is lightly browned season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, and continue to cook 1 min. Mix in the flour. Wisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Add back the sausage to the pot and add in the potatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 min or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the half & half, roasted peppers, arugula and thyme. Reseason with salt and pepper. Continue cooking on low until heated through about 5-8 min. Serve with crusty bread.

Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am always trying to come up with new, simple and fresh soups for a quick meal night. This one is really easy and what makes it fresh are all the garnishes....I love just fresh ingredients....this soup is a good way to use up some leftover roasted chicken or if you don't have any chicken, I didn't....you can always roast or poach some seasoned chicken breasts, shred and add....this soup was a hit last night......

Makes: 4 Servings

2 T Olive Oil (I used a little bit of Garlic Oil & Lime Oil, cause I had them)
1 1/2-2 Sweet Onions, finely diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 Serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 14.5 oz can of Petite diced Mexican Tomatoes (Green Chiles, Jalapenos, Cilantro, Lime)
1 1/2-2 C Shredded Chicken
1 Quart Chicken Stock or Broth
Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil, for pan frying
8 Corn Tortillas, cut into strips about 1/8-1/4 in thick

Garnishes:
1/4 head of Cabbage, shredded
1-2 Avocados, diced
Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Cilantro, chopped
Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
Green Onions, chopped
Tapatio Hot Sauce
1 Lime, cut into wedges for squirting into soup
Tortilla Strips (ones you just made or if you dont feel like making you can use store bought)

Place a stock pot over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add in the onions, garlic, jalapenos and serrano chili, cook until softened about 10 min. Add in can of tomatoes and cook for another 5-10 min. Add in chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add in chicken stock, check seasoning and then simmer for 20 min.

Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of canola oil over medium high heat. When oil begins to smoke add some of the tortilla strips and fry in batches until they are crisp on all sides. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.

To Serve....If you like cabbage, I recommend putting it first in the bottom of the bowl. Then ladle soup and top with your favorite garnishes, fresh lime juice and hot sauce....

Naples Style Lasagna

I grew up with this basic recipe and over the years of making it I have found this version to be my favorite....I am a crazy cook and I like all my red sauces to taste different.....my spaghetti sauce can not taste like my marinara and my lasagna sauce can not taste like my spaghetti sauce.....on so on....The sauce for this is really simple and that's probably why I like it.....quick and easy....I also like using a combo of cottage cheese and ricotta...you could use one or the other.......its also best to make a day ahead and let set up in the fridge too....I only do that when I have time....can also freeze to eat at a later date too.....anyway this is becoming one of Mikiah's favorite dishes....she loves it.....Enjoy!

Makes: 9x13

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 Med Onion, finely chopped

1-1 1/2 C Mushrooms, quartered

Salt & Pepper

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2-3/4 C Dry Red Wine

1 10.75 oz can of Tomato Puree

1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes, Italian Style or Plain

1 Bay Leaf

1-2 tsp dried Basil

1/2-1 tsp of Italian Seasonings

1/2 box or 10 Lasagna Noodles

3 beaten eggs

1 1/2 C Ricotta

1 1/2 C Cottage Cheese

3/4 C Grated Parmesan

1/4 C Italian Parsley, chopped

8oz-16oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced use as much or as little as you want (I buy a two pack of fresh Mozzarella at Costco and use one of them, but I have seen them in grocery stores and you can use regular mozzarella too, we just prefer fresh)

Cook Noodles in salted boiling water for 8 min and drain well.

For Sauce:

In a pot add beef, sausage, onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook until meat is browned. Drain off fat, return to heat and add in the garlic cook for 1-2 min. Add in the wine and stir. Then add in crushed tomatoes/puree, bay leaf, basil, and Italian seasoning. Re season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thick stirring occasionally, I usually let it simmer for 40 min or so. Discard bay leaf.

For Filling:

Combine beaten eggs, ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan and fresh parsley.

Arrange 1/2 the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a greased (I just spray with non stick spray) 13x9x2. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 of the meat sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with noodles, then the rest of ricotta mixture and the rest of the meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for about 45min to 1 hour until hot and bubbly. Uncover and add the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for another 15 min or until lasagna is hot through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 min before serving. Serve with bread and extra Parm cheese if you like....

Chicken and Balsamic Cream Sauce

So when I create I never quite know what something will taste like....its pretty much a crap shoot....last night I made this dish and I must say it turned out pretty good.....I definitely have some fine tuning to do to make it even better but I think it is worth posting for all you to try, edit and create.......that is if you like balsamic vinegar.....you can leave out the goat cheese if you don't like it, but I tell you that combined with the sauce was my favorite part and could never leave it out....but I LOVE goat cheese.....crap I love most cheese.....its definitely one of my guilty pleasures....besides chocolate.....So edit away and enjoy this twist on a old time chicken and noodles....or rice....

Makes 6 servings

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt & Pepper

1-2 T Olive Oil

2-3 Shallots, finely chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2 T Flour

2-3 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp Thyme (I used fresh cause I had it)

2 C Chicken Stock

1-1 1/2 C Half & Half

1/4 C Italian Parsley, finely chopped

1 lb Orzo, cooked according to package (You could use rice too)

1-2 Bunches of Broccoli, steamed

Plain Goat Cheese, topping

Splash Balsamic Vinegar, topping (optional)

In a large skillet heat olive oil over med high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper add to heated pan. Cook chicken 5-6 min per side and then remove and cover with foil. Turn down the heat to med, and add Shallots, Garlic and Thyme. Cook for 2-3 min. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 2 min. Whisk in the Chicken Stock, Balsamic Vinegar and Half and Half. Turn up the heat a little bit and simmer for 3-4 min or until thickened. Slice up the chicken and add it back to the pan, then add in the Parsley. Heat for 1-2 more min until hot.

To serve: Place some orzo in a bowl, top with Chicken Cream Sauce, Goat Cheese and a splash of Balsamic vinegar along side some steamed broccoli. Enjoy....

Italian Pesto Pasta

So this is one of those meals that I usually have everything for and it is easy to whip together....We love it with sliced Italian Sausage links, but I will use whatever I have from cooked Chicken to Flavored Smoked Sausage to Salami......This is probably one of Mikiah's favorite meals....whenever I ask her what she wants for dinner she usually replies with "Pesto Pasta"......You can use any semi soft or soft cheese that you like.....I just so happened to have some Farmers Cheese which worked great.....Havarti also works great as well as those flavored spreadable cheeses....add more veggies if you like.....Peppers would be a good add in.........Oh and I love Trader Joe's pesto....which is a major bummer about living in San Antonio....No Trader Joe's down here.....Totally miss that store.....

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pkg Italian Sausage Links (Sweet or Hot)

2 C Cream

1/4-1/3 C Prepared Pesto

3 oz Cream Cheese

8 0z (1 C) Farmers Cheese (or any other Semi Soft/Soft Cheese)

Pepper, to taste

2-3 C Fresh Broccoli, cut into florets

1 Lg Can Medium Olives (you can slice, I don't so Shawn can pick them out)

1 lb Pasta (we use Mini Penne or Bow Tie, easier for the twins to eat)

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese or Parm Cheese Blend, garnish on top

Fry up the sausage links until done all the way through. Remove from heat and slice.

Boil a pot of water. Add in a some salt and then the noodles. Cook according to package, except in the last 2-4 min (depending on how done you want your broccoli) add in the broccoli to the pot. Drain and dump back into the stock pot and then add the olives on top.

While noodles are cooking. Start the sauce. Pour the cream into a sauce pan or deep skillet. Heat over med low/med heat for 5-8 min until hot through. Stir in pesto and heat another 1-3 min to bring back to hot. Stir in cream cheese once combined add in the semi soft cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Then add the sausage to the pan and season with pepper, keep over med low/med heat and bring sauce to back to hot and slightly thickened around 5 min or so. Pour sauce over the noodles/broccoli/olives and stir to combine, serve out of the pot or dump into a pasta bowl.....Top with Parmesan Cheese and Enjoy.....

Party Flank Sandwiches

We love sandwiches in this house....from Panini's, to toasted cheese, to oven baked....you name them we eat them...here is a twist on a steak sandwich........you can cook it all up and put it in 1 giant loaf of Rustic Bread and slice or you can buy demi loafs and serve the sandwich individually....I usually make 1 big loaf but since I was at Costco I actually picked up some rustic bread that were individual size which it the picture you will see.........I just love crusty rustic bread sandwiches.....

Makes: 1 Large Sandwich or 4-5 Individual Ones

1.5 lbs Flank Steak

Favorite Steak Seasoning

1-2 T Olive Oil (I use garlic flavored)

1 Large Sweet Onion, thinly slices

Salt & Pepper

1 Bell Pepper, thinly sliced (Red, Orange, or Yellow....what ever looks the freshest)

3-4 cloves garlic

1 T Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Hot Sauce

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 T Flour

1 C Beef Stock or broth

1 Lg Loaf Rustic Crusty Bread (or small individual loafs)

10-12 Slices Provolone Cheese

Prepare bread: Slice bread in 1/2 lengthwise, scoop out some of the middle on the top side or both if you like. Toast loaf at 375 degrees for 5-7 min. Set aside.

Season Steak with steak seasoning and Grill for 5-6 min per side for med-rare, cook longer if you want it cooked more. Pull off and let rest.

While steak is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan over med heat add onions, salt & pepper. Cook for 7 min add in garlic, peppers, mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Cook for another 4-5 min, add in flour stir and cook for 1 min. Add Beef stock and simmer until nice and thick. After Steak has rested slice and add to pepper/onion mixture and stir well.

Layer cheese on both sides of the bread and scoop meat mixture on to the cheese and close sandwich. Cook in oven @ 375 until cheese melts about 5-7 min. Slice into wedges & serve....

Warm Winter Soup

I love trying new recipes.....and I have been wanting to do a blended soup, that way Shawn will eat it....My lovely picky eater husband (Love Ya Babe).......I have been wanting some sort of squash or pumpkin soup and this recipe fit the bill for me....it was very good and very tasty with very few ingredients....feel free to spice it up if you like.....the great part is it is a fairly light recipe since you use potatoes and half and half to thicken it up instead of heavy cream....Serve with bread toasts covered in your favorite cheese.....we had Swiss Cheese Toasts and they were so good dipped in this warm comforting soup....

Makes: 8 Cups of Soup

2 T Butter

5 C Butternut Squash, peeled & chopped in 1/2 in cubes (about 2 small ones/1.5 lbs)

2 C Russet Potatoes, peeled & chopped in 1/2 in cubes (about 2-3 small potatoes)

1 tsp Salt (I use Kosher)

1/2-1 tsp Ground Pepper

2 C Leeks, chopped (about 2 medium ones)

4 C Chicken Stock or Broth

1 C Half & Half

3-4 T Fresh Chives, chopped for garnish

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add squash, potato, salt & pepper and cook 3-4 minutes. Add in leek and and cook 1-2 more minutes. Stir in broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Then place 1/2 the soup mixture into a blender (remove center of blender lid to let steam out) place lid on blender and cover the center hole with a clean towel to avoid splatters. Blend soup until smooth, pour into a bowl or large measuring cup, repeat with second half of mixture and then return all soup back to stock pot. Stir in half & half. Cover and keep warm over very low heat. Serve with chives, black pepper and Cheese Toasted Baguette slices....