Tortilla Soup

I <3 Mexican food!!! I had this tortilla soup waiting in the freezer from a couple months ago. Still good : ) Every time I make tortilla soup, it's just a little different, but I love that about it. This recipe is very "free-hand" and it seems to work better if you taste it as you go and adjust accordingly.

 

Recipe:

Chicken Broth

V8 Tomato Juice (use a small can)

Lime Juice

Garlic Salt 

Salt

Cumin

Turmeric

Cilantro

Chili Powder

Red Cayenne Pepper

Frozen Mixed Veggies (find one with corn and beans)

Salsa

Diced Onion

Diced Tomato

-Heat liquid ingredients in stock pot. Add Spices and adjust to taste.

-Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

-Add vegetables, and cover for 15-20 min. on medium heat.

-Sometimes I add rice or chicken, and you will probably need to add extra water as a lot of it cooks off.

*Add Shredded cheese, green onions, and tortilla strips to the top of the soup and serve with sour cream

*To make tortilla strips, slice flour tortillas, spray with cooking spray, and toast at 350º for 10 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned

Orzo Pasta and Chicken

Pasta and chicken, could there be anything simpler? I just felt like eating a hearty Italian meal tonight, which started with the pasta : ) I kind of threw the rest of it together, and it turned out delicious.

 Recipe:

1/3 C Orzo Pasta

2 TB Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Garlic Salt

3 TB Parmesan Cheese

1 Chicken Breast, Cooked and Sliced

1 Medium Onion, Minced

1/2 C Chicken Broth

2 TB White Wine Vinegar

1/2 C Kale

1/2 C Broccoli Florets

1/2 Tomato, Diced

-Cook orzo until water is cooked off and the pasta is tender.
-Remove from heat and add olive oil, spices, and cheese. Set aside.
-Heat chicken broth in a frying pan, add onion, and saute.
-Add vinegar, vegetables, chicken, and cooked orzo.
-Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until excess water cooks off.

Steak and Mushrooms

Last week was my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with a steak dinner???? The steak marinade is something I learned from my Dad, and the portabella mushroom recipe is from my friend, Adam. All of this is much tastier on the grill, but if you don't have one like me, there are other ways to do it that still taste amazing.

Steak:

1-2 C Red Wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 C Italian Dressing
Lawrie's Seasoning Salt

-The night before serving, put steak in a glass container and cover with red wine and Italian dressing. Sprinkle seasoning salt (just a little) on top of steak.
-In the morning, flip steak in marinade.
-Cook the steak on a George Foreman Grill for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more Lawrie's seasoning salt.
-Sear steak for 30 seconds on each side in a high heat frying pan.

Portabella Mushrooms:

2 Large Portabella Caps
1/2 C Olive Oil
Minced Garlic (the refrigerated kind in a glass container)
Pepper
Paprika

-Rinse off mushrooms, and allow to dry.
-Combine seasonings, garlic, and olive oil, and brush on both sides of mushrooms.
-Stack a wire cooling wrack on top of a jelly roll pan and use this like a grill. Put mushrooms on top of wire rack. Continue coating with olive oil mixture every 5-10 minutes.
-Cook mushrooms at 350º for 20-30 min. or until mushrooms are cooked through and tender.

S'ghetti Night

Earlier today I smelled garlic bread, or maybe just straight up garlic, and ever since then, I've been craving spaghetti. . . I just had to make it when I got home. It's really not all that difficult to make homemade spaghetti sauce, you just use whatever you have on hand. My general recipe is a little different each time I make it, but always delicious : )

Spaghetti Sauce:

1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 C Beef Broth
1/2 lb Ground Beef

1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Small Can Tomato Paste
1 Small Can V8 Juice
2 Medium Tomatoes, Diced
3 TB Olive Oil
3 TB Red Wine Vinegar

Salt to Taste
Garlic to Taste
Oregano
Basil
Parsley

-Heat beef broth in a frying pan. Add onions and ground beef and cook at medium heat.
-Combine all ingredients from 2nd group of ingredients in a large saucepan and cook at medium heat covered.
-When meat is cooked through, add it to tomato mixture.
-Add spices and continue cooking on medium heat covered for 20 minutes.

Garlic Bread:

1 Loaf French Bread
1-2 TB Butter
Garlic
Paprika
Parsley

-Cut loaf in half long ways, then again sideways so there are 4 pieces.
-Spread butter on bread and cover with spices.
-Cook @ 350º for 10-15 minutes.

Breakfast Skillet

There's nothing like breakfast for dinner! This delicious skillet combines some classic staples like bacon and hash browns into one dish. Maybe not the healthiest meal ever, but definitely a comfort food : )

Recipe:

1 Medium Sized Onion, Chopped
2 Pieces Bacon, Diced
1-2 C Frozen Hashbrowns
Salt to Taste
1/4 C Cheddar, Shredded

-Cook bacon in a frying pan until bacon grease starts to accumulate.
-Add diced onions and cook ~1 minute.
-Add hashbrowns and salt, cook 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally until hashbrowns begin to brown.
-Add cheddar cheese and stir in until it begins to melt.
-Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream!

Note: Sometimes I add a couple eggs to the mixture, but this dish is amazing either way!

Bruschetta and Margherita Pizza

Two really simple but delicious recipes : )

Bruschetta:

1 Thin Italian Baguette
Olive Oil

2 Tomatoes, Diced
1 TB Olive Oil
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic
2 TB Basil

-Cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
-Cut Italian bred diagonally into thin pieces and lay flat on jelly roll pan. Brush olive oil on top of pieces.
-Bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes or until bread is slightly crispy.
-In a frying pan, heat oilve oil for 1 minute, then add tomatoes. Allow tomatoes to cook for ~5 minutes.
-Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 1 more minute.
-Spoon tomato mixture on top of bread pieces and serve warm!

Margherita Pizza:

1 Baguette, Cut in Half
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomatoes, Cut into Thin Slices
Basil

-Brush both baguette halves with olive oil.
-Cover with cheese and tomato slices.
-Sprinkle basil on top.
-Bake at 350º for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and toasty.