chicken tortilla soup

From 01/31/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

The other day when I happened to be in Giant Eagle, samples of this were being given out. It was very good-- I took one of the recipe sheets. It would have been too spicy for the kids, so I just did away with the hot peppers and only added half of the chili powder, and it wasn't spicy at all. I probably could have added a little more, but the kids liked it. And Iris discovered avocados, which I served with the soup, along with tortilla chips and salsa.

From 01/31/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Chicken tortilla soup

3 Thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C chopped green onions
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (we skipped this and replaced it with 1/2 a red bell pepper)
1 pablano pepper, diced (we skipped this too)
2 TBSP canola oil
1 stick of butter (we used a cup of Smart Balance)
1/2 C flour
1/2 C shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend
1/2 C fat free Greek yogurt
4 C chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (7 oz) can fire roasted diced green chiles (we skipped this)
1 C frozen corn
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder (I used only 1 tsp)
salt, to taste

Directions--

Heat oil in large pan and saute chicken, onions and peppers, seasoning with 1/2 the cumin and chili powder.
While chicken is cooking, melt butter in large stock pot over med. heat. whisk in flour, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk 1/4 C at a time, then the cheese, yogurt, and chicken broth, ensuring each ingredient is well incorporated before adding the next.
Stir in remaining ingredients including the cooked chicken, bring to simmer and serve.

potato kielbasa skillet

Even the kids, who usually reject all potatoes proclaimed that they liked this. I boiled the potatoes first because Mike likes his potatoes extra-soft.

potato kielbasa skillet

5 large potatoes, cut in bite sized chunks
1 lb kielbasa, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I skipped this)

1. In dutch oven, brown potatoes, kielbasa, onion and peppers in oil.
2. Add seasonings and broth.
   
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.
5. Uncover and put cheese on top.
6. Simmer until cheese is melted.
   

baked turkey taquitos

(image: Bree via the creative mama)

We had these tonight, and they were definitely worth a mention here- healthy, easy to prepare, easy for the kids to pick up and eat, tasty. Plus, we got to have "apple-cados"- one of Gail's favorites.

company muffins

These are always so good. simple. And they're filled with fruits and veggies-- not that we have a problem getting our kids to eat them-- they'd much prefer some cucumber or bell pepper slices to a slice of greasy pizza. We know, they're not normal. Iris had about half of one mashed up this morning (with the nuts and raisins removed). She kept opening wide her little beak. The other kids really love them too.

From 01/17/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Company Muffins
Recipe from Simply in Season

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran or rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine and stir well.

2 large apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
1 1/2 cups carrots (finely shredded)
1 cup walnuts (chopped) or flax seed meal
1/2 cup raisins

Add and stir to coat. Make well in center

2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

In a separate bowl mix together. Pour into flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 18-20 minutes.

From 01/17/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

homemade soft pretzels

From 01/12/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

See more of the process here.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

classic pumpkin pie

Made this for Thanksgiving and again tonight-- it was delicious both times.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust Pie.

2. For filling, in a medium bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs. Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir until combined.

3. Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling into pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

cranberry-pear-walnut cake

My mom and I made this yummy cake while the kids were napping yesterday. We subtituted pecans for walnuts, cut back a bit on the sugar and skipped the caramal sauce alltogether. It was a great combination of textures and flavors- tart and not too sweet- all rolled into one. You can find the recipe here.

butternut squash soup with thai gremolata

I love soups this time of year, and this recipe sounded tasty, so I gave it a whirl-- so good, and so easy. We had ours with bread topped with pecan pumpkin butter.

butternut squash soup with thai gremolata

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tsp. Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper) (I skipped this)
2 Tbsp. lime juice

1. In a 4 qt. slow cooker stir together squash, broth, coconut milk, onion, brown sugar, fish sauce, and Asian chili sauce.
2. Cover; cook on low for 4 to 5 hours (or on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours).
3. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend soup until completely smooth. Stir in lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top with Thai Gremolata. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Thai Gremolata:
In a bowl stir together 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, and 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lime peel. (i didn't have peanuts or limes, so i did without those, though peanuts would have been an excellent addition).

pumpkin sausage pasta

We first had this at the Wards' almost two years ago, I believe. It's from Simply in Season. And it fit the bill for a healthy and delicious fall produce meal. Pumpkin is one of my favorite cabinet staples this time of year. You can switch it out for winter squash too. We had salad with cranberries and almonds along with it.

From 10/24/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

1 lb chunky pasta-- cook, drain and set aside
1 lb sweet italian sausage- brown on med. high in a deep frying pan. remove meat and set aside. drain fat from fry pan and return to stove

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
add both to pan and cook until tender, about 3-5 min.

1 bay leaf
2 TBSP fresh sage (cut into very thin strips)
1 cup dry white wine or vegetable (or chicken) broth
add and cook until half of liquid evaporates (~2 minutes)

1 cup veg. or chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin or winter squash (cooked and pureed)
mix in. continue stirring until sauce starts to bubble. add sausage and reduce heat.

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
coarse salt and pepper to taste
stir in milk. add seasonings and simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken. remove bay leaf. pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss over low heat for 1 min.
garnish w/ freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese and fresh sage leaves (opt)

Applesauce Bread (for the Wilsons)

We hosted our friends, Matt & Erica Wilson a few weeks ago and served this as one of our go-to company breakfasts. I love this recipe because it works well with or without raisins or nuts and is basically made with all pantry staples. It's perfect if you're not sure guests' taste preferences. And there's nothing like the smell of cloves and cinnamonin the oven.

Next time we'll make an extra loaf for their newborn son Johnny to enjoy!

1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves (I usually at least double that amount)
1/2 tsp all spice
1 cup. raisins and/or walnuts

In large bowl, beat oil, sugar, egg, and applesauce. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Slowly add to applesauce mixture. Add raisins and stir just until combined. Pour into greased bread ban. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.