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.

Capt-n-Crunch Chicken w/ Creole Mustard Sauce

I just love this recipe.....it is definitely one of my favorite not so great for you snacks...basically because it is fried. I suppose you could bake it but its so quick to fry up. Anyway if anyone has eaten or use to eat at Planet Hollywood (most seemed to be closed these days) this recipe is very similar to their Captain Crunch appetizer.....I first made this for the Twins 2nd birthday and it has been a hit every since.....both girls love it....one of our family favorites for Snack Saturday's......

9/22/08: Ok, so I am updating this, I just took chicken tenders, breaded them and cooked them in the oven @ 425 degrees for 12-13 min, or until done. They turned out great, the only change from the recipe below is I added a little bit of salt to the flour breading. I will tell you they are not as crispy but still really good. I will probably use this way in the future as we are trying to cut down on the frying.....Plus the girls really like the strips...I think Kiara ate 3-4 tenders....I have included a pic of the baked ones...

Serves: 6

4 C Captain Crunch Cereal

3 C Corn Flakes

1 Egg

1 C Milk

1 C Flour

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Pepper (Lil Salt if baking in oven)

6 Chicken Breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Coarsely grind or crush the two cereals together and set aside. Beat the egg with milk and set aside. Stir together flour, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Dip cut up chicken pieces into the seasoned flour. Coat well and the shake off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture, coating well and then dip into the cereal mixture coating well. Heat oil in a large heavy pan (or deep fryer) to 325 degrees. Drop coated chicken pieces into the oil and cook until golden brown and fully cooked, 3-5 min depending on size. Drain on paper towels (I season with a little salt) and serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creole Mustard Sauce :

1 C Mayonnaise

1/4 C Natural Stone Ground Mustard (Whole Mustard)

1 T Yellow Mustard or Spicy Brown Mustard

1 T Horseradish

1/2 tsp Cider Vinegar

1 Dash Worcestershire

1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Water

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (can use less if you want)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 T Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 T Crushed Garlic Packed in oil (or you can mince fresh with a dab of oil and salt)

1 tsp Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp Celery, finely chopped

1 tsp Onion, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. I like to chill mustard sauce about 2 hours before serving.

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....

Best Bran Muffins

I am not a muffin eater I usually prefer croissants, breads, brownies, and sconces......but there are two muffin recipes that I absolutely love, these bran muffins and blueberry corn muffins (recipe to be posted at later date).....These bran muffins are the best.....the are so good and moist......not too sweet....and just all around are yummy......this recipe makes about 2 dozen....it is an easy recipe to double.....which is nice since you can leave the batter in the fridge for a few weeks and bake as many as needed at a time.....

Makes: About 2 dozen

1 C Boiling Water

2 C Kellogg's All Bran

1 C General Mills Fiber One Bran

2 C Buttermilk

1/2 C Shortening

1 1/2 C Sugar

2 Eggs

2 1/2 C Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix the two cereals in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Stir in the buttermilk and set aside. In a large bowl cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add cooled cereal to the sugar mixture and stir. Stir in flour, soda and salt until dampened. Do not over stir. Bake as many as desired @ 375 Degrees for 15 min. Spread with butter if you desire and Enjoy!

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....