Fajita Marinade

I found this fajita marinade on allrecipes.com and I am reposting here because it is sooooooo awesome!!!! Fajita marinade

White bean chili

My good friend Sarah sent me this recipe recently for a great white bean chili which she made from the following recipe and served with Juanita's tortilla chips, these are very crispy, crunchy, and fried! They are like the tortilla chips served at good Mexican restaurants while you wait for the food...the kind you fill up on cause they are light and crispy and yummy and the salsa is sooooo gooooood :) Anyways, this white bean chicken chili is WAY YUMMY!

Turkey and Quinoa meatloaf

This recipe came to me via my SIL and I subsequently found it on AllRecipes.com so I linked the post title to their site. LINKY :)
Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf ( I used ground beef)
Ingredients

* 1/4 cup quinoa
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 large clove garlic, chopped
* 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Dinosaur Cookies

Dinosaur Cookies
*I had a hard time finding a recipe for these because my husband's family made runny, not measured, not cooked very well variations and my family never made them. I don't know what they are really called...

1/2 C butter
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
2 C sugar
1/2 C milk
3 C oats
1/2 C peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Bring butter, cocoa, sugar, milk to a boil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, don't burn. Add rest and drop on foil.

Eggnog

EGGNOG - light
This is an egg (cooked) eggnog which I like better because the pudding ones don't seem as good later. It was adapted from a cooking light recipe

3 1/2 C milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rum extract

Combine both milks, flour and nutmeg in a saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Put the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk 1 C of the boiling mixture into the egg yolks gradually. Add egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla and rum extract. Cool in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Carefull because this can form a skin on the top while cooling.

You can add more or less nutmeg and rum extract. I usually just do it by taste. You can use fat free sweetened condensed milk and lowfat milk and still tastes good.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Aunt Barbara’s Sweet and Sour Pork Serve 5 to 7

2 lbs uncooked pork to dredge pork 4 T. cornstarch

2 cups water

4 T. soy sauce

Combine for sweet and sour sauce

4 T. cornstarch (add last)

1 cup water

1/3 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar)*

¼ cup soy sauce

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup green pepper (shredded) (can omit)

¾ cup carrots (roll cut) (Oblique cut some, like triangle)

¾ cup onions (shredded)

¾ cup chunk pineapple

2 T. oil for stir-frying

Oil for deep fat frying (390 degrees)

Preparation

Cut uncooked pork into 2” X 2” pieces. Put into heavy sauce pan with 2 cups cold water, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Take from pan and let cool.

Drain pineapple. Shred green pepper and onion. Roll cut carrots.

Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and water in sauce pan. Cook over low heat until thickened.

Heat pan. Add oil. Add carrots: stir-fry 1 minute, remove to sweet and sour sauce. Heat oil to 390 degrees for deep fat frying.

Dredge cool pork in mixture of 4 T. cornstarch and 4 T. soy sauce. (leave 10-15 minutes improves flavor, add all pork at once, stir) Deep fry until pork is a deep rich brown. Then add to sweet and sour sauce. Heat all ingredients through, do not boil. Serve at once.

(Put rice on big platter then pour sweet and sour over)

*For milder sweet and sour sauce, substitute juice from chunks of pineapple

(Boil and deep fry meat in morning. Do cutting also. Then before serving make sauce, add fried meat, onion. Then stir fry carrots and green pepper.)

Taco Seasoning

This is to make seasoning without MSG.
Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper

Lasagna Soup

This is another great recipe from my good friend Jenn Hawkes. I just invited her to the blog so hopefully she will put more of her scrumptious stuff on here for us.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian Sausage (I use Italian turkey sausage)
2 C onions, chopped
1 C carrots, diced
2 C mushrooms, sliced (or diced)
2 T garlic, minced
4 C chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes (I use diced cause my hubbie won't eat stewed tomatoes)
1 10 3/4 oz. can tomato sauce
1 C penne pasta or pasta or your choice ( I actually use 2 C. of pasta to make it go further)
2 C fresh spinach, chopped
1 C provolone or mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 t. thinly sliced fresh basil


Brown sausage, then add onions and carrots and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer until cooked about 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.
Place in bowls and top with some Parmesan, mozzarella, and basil.

A great slow-cooker carnitas recipe!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! CAN YOU SAY "TO DIE FOR" ? Go on over here to try out this fabulous recipe!

Slow cooker Carnitas

Chicken and Corn chili

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 lb. chicken
2 C. chicken broth
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno
1 3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with jalapenos (rotel)
1 1/2 C frozen corn
2 cans white cannelini beans
2 Tbs. cornmeal

Put onion, chicken, broth, pepper, jalapeno, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 salt into crockpot. Cook on high for four hours. Shred chicken and add remaining ingredients. Heat thoroughly.

Jenn's Spaghetti Sauce

3 lbs. ground beef
2 lg onions
2 cloves garlic
28 oz. diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
3.5 tsp. Italian seasoning
1.5 tsp. chili powder
12 oz. tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. salt
24 oz. tomato sauce
3 bay leaves
1/2 C. apple juice
dash of Worcestershire sauce

Saute onions in olive oil, add beef and cook through. add the remaining ingredients.

Portguese Chourico and Kale soup

We seriously LOVE this soup! This is a Rachael Ray version of this soup but it is so easy and YUMMY! I thought I would post it here for everyone to use. Since we can't find chourico here I use turkey Italian sausage and it comes out just fine! And I actually change it to half beef broth, half chicken broth.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 medium white waxy potatoes, like yukon golds, peeled and diced
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
* 1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
* Coarse salt and pepper
* 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed
* 1 can diced tomatoes
* 1 pound diced chourico, casing removed
* 1 quart chicken broth
* Warm, crusty bread

Directions

Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, bay leaves, and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, chourico, and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

Serve soup with hunks of crusty bread and butter.

Asian Chicken Peanut Wraps

This is from Abby welker's craft/food/life fun site here: Abby Welker

If you are at all crafty you should take a peek at her site, she's hilarious and her blog is a great read! Thanks Abby!

Anyway, just in case you would like to just see the recipe here, I copied it over so I could try it sometime:

ASIAN CHICKEN PEANUT LETTUCE WRAPS
(If you're feeding more than 4 adults, you might want to double the recipe)

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 large carrot
8 whole mushrooms
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T. oil
1 -2 tsp. sesame seed oil (no substitutions!)
1 head butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated
cooked rice

For sauce: (I got all of this stuff at Wal-Mart, girls - not hard)
1/2 bottle Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce
1/3 c. Asian Toasted Sesame dressing
3-4 dashes soy sauce
1 tsp. dried ginger (or 1/4 tsp. fresh minced ginger)
1 T. rice vinegar
handful of (shelled) sunflower seeds (optional)


Bring chicken breasts to a boil in water with a pinch of salt; cover. Boil for 10 minutes; remove from water and chop finely into pieces about the size of peas.

Meanwhile, finely dice the onion, mushroom, and bell pepper to the same size as the chicken pieces. (My kids DON'T eat mushrooms and they had NO idea this dish had any mushrooms at all!)

Finely grate the carrot; set aside in a separate bowl.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add onions, mushrooms, pepper. Cook 2 minutes to soften. Add chicken and minced garlic. Saute for a couple more minutes. Then add all of the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until liquid is reduced and there is almost no liquid left in the pan and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in grated carrot and if you like nuts, I sprinkled sunflower seeds in mine and it was SO good!

**Note: If your mixture is missing something or doesn't taste quite right, you can always add one of two things: a little bit of butter helps neutralize foods, or a small pinch of brown sugar helps neutralize some of the sour ingredients in this recipe.

Serve with a plate of lettuce leaves and your cooked rice - or get creative and cook up some Asian noodles. I used green-leaf lettuce and they weren't strong enough - you'd have to double up on those or use a firmer lettuce leaf.

Recipes from other sites

Sometimes I post things I haven't tried from other sites or from emails I get because they look/sound really good to me and I am deleting emails and don't want to lose the recipe. Other times it's because I tried to find a recipe off a site that was linked somewhere else and the recipe is gone. So this way, I know where I can find the recipe again! Feel free to use the site to do the same!

Cranberry-Mustard Pork Loin

Cranberry-Mustard Pork Loin Recipe from Taste of Home
* 8 Servings
* Prep: 15 min. Cook: 4 hours

Ingredients

* 1 boneless whole pork loin roast (2 pounds)
* 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

* Place roast in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the cranberry sauce, mustard, brown sugar and lemon juice; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
* Remove roast and keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a 2-cup measuring cup; add enough water to measure 2 cups. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with pork. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3 ounces cooked pork equals 255 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 22 g protein.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Beef Vegetable Soup From Taste of Home

It goes well with a fruit salad and bread.

9 ServingsPrep: 10 min. Cook: 4 hours
Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 cups spicy hot V8 juice
* 2 cups coleslaw mix
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes
* 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
* 1 package (9 ounces) frozen cut green beans
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

* In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over
* medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt.
* slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on
* high for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 9 servings.
*

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 169 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 578 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable.
Click here to find out more!

French Toast Puffs

These are from my friend Jenny

French Toast Puffs

Cream:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs

Sift into a separate bowl:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour out 1 cup milk in a pourable container.
Alternatively add the flour mix and the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well each time.
Spoon into greased muffin tin up to 2/3 full - they'll puff up huge.
Bake at 350º for 20 - 25 minutes. Check at 15, and when the toothpick comes out clean, you're set.
Immediately take out of the pan. Melt about a stick of butter (margarine is ok) in a bowl, and add into another bowl 1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip the tops of the muffins in butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Cups
*or as I like to call it...how to clog an artery in one bite (they are super good)

2 sticks margarine or butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar (or 1 pound)
1 inner seal package of graham crackers, crushed
1 can peanut butter, or 2 cups (best with creamy)
1 - 1 1/2 packages milk chocolate chips, or large chocolate bars that equals approximately 14 oz.

Mix the butter, powdered sugar, graham crackers and pb very well.
Spread on a cookie sheet, I use a 15x11 pan
Melt the chocolate and pour over the mixture, spreading it until it covers it evenly. Freeze for best results but chilling is fine.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds large tomatoes, such as beefsteak, cut in half crosswise
* 1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, peeled and cut in half crosswise
* 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
* 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided into 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
* 1/4 cup tomato juice
* 1 teaspoon tomato paste
* 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
* 1 dash brown sugar (optional)
* 1/2 cup whole-kernel corn, fresh from 1 ear, or frozen and thawed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Toss tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the vegetables are soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
3. Peel and seed the tomatoes. Trim off the onion ends. Peel the garlic. Place the vegetables in a food processor or blender with 1 cup broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Pulse to desired thickness and texture.
4. Transfer the vegetable puree to a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, tomato juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, basil, and brown sugar (if using). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Ladle into six soup bowls; garnish with corn and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Tortilla soup

This is a recipe from my neighbor who made it for us last Sunday and it was WONDERFUL!!!

1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 cans condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
sliced avacado
shredded cheese (I used cheddar, they recommend monterey jack cheese)
chopped green onions (optional)
sour cream

In medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sautee onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, lime juice, broth and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans,cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 1 hour.
Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avacado slices, cheese, chopped green onion and sour cream.