Guest Blogger: Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

dash dried leaf thyme

3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 package frozen peas (10 oz.), about 1 1/2 cups

1 2-1/2 to 3 lb. whole fryer

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup noodles (we used egg noodles)

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, except noodles, in order given. Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH 4 to 6 hours. One hour before serving, remove chicken and cool slightly. Remove meat from bones and return meat to slow cooker. Add noodles. Turn to HIGH. Cover and cook 1 hour.

*D: Just to be clear here, did you read the title of this recipe? Crock. Pot. Chicken. Noodle. Soup. Sounds good, huh?


You have no idea.


This recipe...let me just say that we've had leftovers for 3 days now and I wish they weren't almost gone. The chicken comes out moist and tender. The whole soup has a strong savory flavor that makes you wish you were a slow eater. Luckily I am. Often when you cook something with carrots and celery together, the flavors fight for the spotlight. Not in this recipe. And with all that parsley, it turns out to be a beautiful dish. Sounds strange, but it's so true.


This is technically a guest blogger recipe because I didn't make it. I was sick a few days ago and my husband whipped this up for me. He said he followed the recipe except for two things. We did not add peas (ew). And instead of adding one cup of egg noodles, he added about two and a half or three. The good thing is there was a lot more meal to go around - which is probably why we have had it for 3 days so far. The down side is the noodles soaked up all the moisture, making this more like chicken noodle stew than soup.


So, if you want to add more noodles, go for it. Just add a little more moisture - maybe a cup of water per extra cup of noodles?


Try this. You will love it, I promise. Especially on chilly winter days or when you're not feeling fantastic.

Pair it with some corn bread or homemade wheat bread and boy howdy, you've got heaven on your table.

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Abby's Party Salsa

Abby's Party Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 2 cups fresh)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
8 oz (1/2 bottle) of Zesty Italian Dressing
2 avocados, diced

Mix, chill, and  serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy! (That's not a suggestion, it's a premonition.)

*D: I recently had a baby. Truth be told, I had two babies, but my little Eli was stillborn. There were many complications with my pregnancy and I was put on bed rest for 3 months. The result? I missed my own baby shower! Luckily I have amazing friends who rescheduled the whole thing for 2 months later, a few weeks after Abigail was born.

One of the things served at my baby shower was this AMAZING salsa/dip. I stood by the bowl and ate as much as I could, and I even pilfered the leftovers without asking. I called my friend the next day and demanded the recipe. When she gave it to me, I made a batch that night. This stuff is so good.

I didn't know what to call it, but dubbed in Abby's Party Salsa in honor of my baby girl. If you share the recipe, do you mind keeping the name? That'd be awesome. Thanks. (And chances are you will want to share the recipe.)

I am not a big fan of black-eyed peas, so I don't like to put the whole can in. They add a good flavor base to the salsa, but if you get too much in there, it tastes a bit grainy and muddy (to me). Be careful of flavored diced tomatoes. I have a bunch of cans of diced tomatoes in my food storage, but not a single can is plain old tomatoes. They're all Italian seasoned or with sweet onion or with celery and jalapeno. They've all been good, but I think the plain has been the best.

The recipe makes a lot, which is good because I eat a lot of it. It's fairly healthy, so I feel pretty good about it when I eat it.

This might be fun to throw in some chunked chicken and couple with white rice in a tortilla for a new twist on burritos.Would that make it a twisted burrito...?  Pin It

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

AKA Jam Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter
Raisin Filling, Apple-cinnamon Filling, Apricot-Coconut Filling, 10 oz (1 1/4 cup) preserves

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Cut in margarine or butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x3 inch baking pan. Spread with desired filling. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.

Bake at 350* for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 25.

Raisin Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 water, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add 1 cup raisins. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

Apple-Cinnamon Filling: Peel, core and chop 2 medium apples (about 10 oz). In a medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 TBSP sugar, 2 TBSP water, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and a dash ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or till apples are very tender.

Apricot-Coconut Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup snipped dried apricots and 2/4 cup water. Bring apricot mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 TBSP all-purpose flour. Stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or til very thick. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut.

*D: If you skip making a filling and just use your favorite jam, this is about the easiest recipe in the world.

A few modifications: I greased the bottom of my pan! I also reserved about 3/4 of a cup of topping, and it worked out great.

About 2 years ago I made like a million half pints of plum jam, and I still have about 50 jars (not joking) left in my basement. This was a great way to use those! So I've had this recipe with strawberry jam and plum jam, both ways are delicious. I'm considering making a peach version as well.

Seriously, this is really easy and very delicious. It's not to heavy, so I don't feel guilty going back for seconds. :) Pin It

Six-can Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 - 15 oz can of corn, drained
2  - 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
1 - 10 oz can of chunk chicken (or 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 - 14 oz can black beans
1 - 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or whatever you have)

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Cook on medium heat until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Cook's Note: This recipe requires an oath of secrecy from the cook. Get rid of all the cans and then don't tell a soul. Your family and guests will think you've been cooking all day to create such a perfectly delicious homemade soup.

*D: This is about the easiest recipe I've ever come across. Every single one of the ingredients I keep in my food storage! It was fast, fresh and delicious. Very, very good. Mmmmm.

One thing I particularly loved about this soup was that the "canned chicken" flavor was absent. A lot of recipes seem to accentuate the fact that your chicken comes from a can. In this soup, all chicken is created equal.

We used a can of diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Sounds yummy, right? Well...it was, but we couldn't really taste the lime and cilantro part. So I'm not sure it really matters what flavor tomatoes you use.

We did not put cheese on top. There is only one soup I will put cheese on, and this is not it. But that might be your thing, so go for it. When serving chips with soup, you can just alternate bites between chips and soup, or you can skip the spoon and use your chip. Either way, it's yummy.

Try this out and tell me what you think. Pin It

Amish Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup cooking oil
4 scant cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Cream all wet ingredients. Addy dry ingredients. Add flour until it doesn't stick to the bowl. Chill. Roll into balls, dip in sugar and softly press with fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. They will be very light, as if they are not done.

*D: Disclaimer: I have NO idea why these are called Amish Cookies. They might as well be called Almond cookies. Don't ask me, I just write the recipes as they come.

I made these last night and Tyler loves them. They have the consistency of a snickerdoodle, but the light cherry type flavor of almonds.

I got this recipe from a fellow volunteer in Ecuador, so this recipe is exactly how she gave it to me. I followed it, but I have a few notes. If you cream all the wet ingredients you get clumps of butter that don't cream in because the eggs and such are too slippery. What I will probably do in the future is cream the granulated sugar and butter, then add the rest of the wet ingredients, and then the dry. I added the flour last, but I don't think it's really all that necessary. I didn't add any more or less flour. Just the 4 cups, regardless of how it reacted to the edge of the bowl.

I used the cooking oil, but if someone wants to be brave and use applesauce and tell me how it is, I'd be interested to know.

I baked them for 10 minutes and pulled them out even though they didn't look done. I think 11 minutes is better, though.

Don't use too much dough. These are better smaller. They do plump a lot in the oven. Pin It

Guest Blogger: Chili Pasta Skillet

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 -- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of corn
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
1 -- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 to 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
A couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet, cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat.

Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, uncooked macaroni, green chiles, chili powder, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle mixture with cheese.

*D: My sister-in-law sent this recipe to me. Her son is a picky eater and will always eat this dish! Pin It

Apple Cake

4 cups finely diced apples
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups nuts
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 TBSP flour
2 cups water
1 cup butter
 2 tsp vanilla

Mix apples and sugar together. Let stand until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs and beat well. Stir dry ingredients together. Stir in to apple mixture. Add nuts and vanilla. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Mix topping together and spread over top of apple mixture. Bat at 375 for 40 - 45 minutes or until done.

*D: This is a fairly easy recipe, but it takes a while to make, for some reason. Probably because you have to chop apples. It took me 5 small apples to get 4 cups. It would probably take 3 or 4 store-bought apples.

The cake mixture is very thick, and the topping is very runny. It's like pouring soup over a cake. This makes it hard to tell when the cake is done cooking, because the apples caramelize, and it almost turns out to be a custardy spice cobbler. It'd say when the top is cooked and crunchy the cake is done.

Put a cookie sheet UNDER the cake because it will boil over the edges.

Very delicious! Especially when warm. Serve with ice cream if you want, or just the cake. Either way it's delicious. Pin It

Spaghetti Sauce (canning recipe)

9 quarts “mashed” tomatoes (36 cups)
4 green peppers
1 ½ TB oregano
1/3 cup salt
4 chopped onions
2 TB pepper
2 large cloves garlic
8 TBSP can sweet basil 
1 29 oz can tomato puree
2 cups brown sugar
3 TB Italian seasoning
2 TB chili powder

This makes about 19 pints. To prepare your tomatoes: blanch them, core them, skin them and then put them in a blender or food processor. Blend to your desired consistency (we like our spaghetti sauce with no chunks). Then pour into measuring container to measure out the 9 quarts. Use about half cup of tomatoes to puree the garlic. Since we don’t like real chunky spaghetti sauce, we also put the green peppers and onions in the blender. Cook all ingredients in a huge pot for about half an hour, longer if you want thicker sauce. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.

Pressure cook for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts at 13 pounds.

*D: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can try to divide this recipe into freezer containers. I'd estimate it will last about 6 months in the freezer. Maybe a little longer. Do not try to water bath this recipe. Your food will not be shelf stable and you can get very sick.

The best part about making this recipe is that your house will smell like yummy spaghetti sauce for the rest of the day! Yum yum. Pin It

Onion Pasta

1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
5 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions


1.In a large skillet place oil, butter and onions and cook until golden brown.
2.Add basil, pepper, water and bouillon and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
3.Add onion mixture to cooked pasta, sprinkle with cheese, toss and serve.

*D: Ok, folks. I got this recipe by typing "pasta" into the search engine of allrecipes.com. I came up with no less than 3,140 recipes. I chose this one at random and it turned out to be a keeper - which is a good thing since the title is a little bit of a turn off.


Let me start off by saying, yes, you read that right. Five, count 'em, five, onions. Now, I giggled a little. Chuckled a bit, then promptly crossed off the 5 and wrote in a 1. Was it enough? Oddly...no. I would say maybe 2. I cut the oil in half and left the butter amount, and after I sauteed the onions, they became sweet. You'd almost expect to feel like you're biting into an onion when eating this pasta, but the flavor was unexpectedly light and (again) sweet. I used penne, but I would recommend penne, rotini, bow tie, ziti... any pasta besides long and skinny (like spaghetti or angel hair). I don't think those would be as good. But try it out and let me know if you'd like. And if you need ideas or have no clue what rotini is, click here.


So, cut the oil in half, make it two onions, add a little garlic and Bob's you're uncle. This was fast and delicious. Oh! And I forgot to sprinkle with cheese. That may have made a difference, but at least you know I ate it without the cheese and still enjoyed it. Pin It

Spanish Rice

1 1/2 cups rice (raw)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 of a medium onion
2 TBSP oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add he fresh garlic and onion. Saute for 1 - 2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 4 minutes until rice becomes golden brown color.

Add broth and tomato sauce (slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!). Add in the parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.

*D: So in my family they make Spanish rice, and it's a little different from this...but I have yet to get the recipe. So I had to make due with a recipe I did have, and I think it's quite tasty. Make sure you use the called for amount of broth and tomato sauce. If not, you will have crunchy rice. Here's a tip: 1 can of broth is not enough! I made this a few weeks ago and didn't realize I was only adding 1 1/2 cups of broth instead of two. The rice was too crunchy to enjoy. Don't make that mistake. Second time around I soaked my rice for about 10 minutes, but if you follow the recipe, you shouldn't have to do that either.


Variations: you can add chopped cooked chicken to make it a little more substantial. I've read of people who had a small can of chilies or instead of regular tomato sauce they had a spiced tomato sauce with chilies.


You can use this recipe (as it is) as a side dish or as a filling in burritos. The possibilities are endless! OK, not endless, but there are a lot of them. Pin It

Garlic Balsamic Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

If roasting in the oven, heat oven to 425. If grilling, prepare grill to medium heat. Wash asparagus and then remove the bottom couple of inches of each stalk. Just snap off the woody ends. It may seem wasteful, but you won't eat it, anyway--it's too tough and is one of the big reasons why lot of people don't like asparagus.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, and garlic. Drizzle over asparagus and toss to coat.

If roasting, place in a single layer on a broiling pan. If grilling, reduce heat to low, lightly oil grill, and place asparagus perpendicular to the grate of the grill. Drizzle any remaining oil/vinegar mix over the asparagus.


If using oven, roast for 10 minutes, turning once. If using grill, grill for 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and still slightly crisp, turning very frequently.
Serve immediately.

*D: Asparagus?! That's what I thought when I was faced with the dilemma of cooking this veggie. I don't love asparagus, but I remembered a time last year when my mom made me try bacon-wrapped asparagus while we were in Disneyland. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. But let's be honest for a moment...probably any vegetable wrapped in bacon and grilled to a crisp is going to be delicious. But I liked it then, so I thought I'd give it a try. And besides, don't you think of asparagus as kind of "high class?" I mean, it's not like you get served asparagus every day.


This recipe was delightfully easy and totally delicious! We did the oven method and it turned out great. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I probably didn't let them cook long enough, and the flavor was still very strong, perhaps a teensy bit bitter, but very robust.


The recipe calls for a pound of asparagus, I don't know how much I had vs how much I used. I just knew Tyler and I were not going to eat a pound of asparagus, so I used about 15 stalks. There did seem to be a little excess sauce, but too much dressing is never a bad thing. I probably could have done 5 more without breaking a sweat. Any more than that and I think you might need to double the sauce recipe.


Next time you want to impress company, try some asparagus and let me know how it goes. ;)


Enjoy! (I know I did.)


I found this recipe here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/garlic-basalmic-asparagus.html Pin It

Honey-Garlic Shrimp/Chicken Stir Fry

4 - 6 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
1 garlic clove, minced OR 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBSP oil
4 cups veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, pea pods...etc)
1 lb shrimp (51 - 60) or chicken (diced and cooked)

Mix soy sauce, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for 10 seconds to mix honey easier. Heat oil in fry pan; when hot, add veggies. Cook approximately 2 - 5 minutes until tender-crisp. If cooked too long they will be mushy after next steps are done. Add shrimp/chicken and sauce and cook until warmed through. Note: if you like sauce, you may want to double the sauce next time. Very good flavor!

*D: I use chicken because it's cheaper, frozen veggies because it's winter (for now) and they are already chopped. When I use frozen veggies I usually use a mix and then just add regular carrots or whatever else I have. You just have to make sure your veggies don't turn mushy from being heated too long. This is an easy delicious recipe! Pin It

Apricot Chicken

1 cup Russian Dressing1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup Apricot jam
4 chicken breast halves

Mix first three ingredients together in baking dish. Cut raw chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken and stir together. Bake covered at 350* for 30 minutes and then bake for another 30 minutes uncovered. Be sure chicken is completely cooked. Serve over rice.

*This is an absolute favorite of mine, and Tyler kind of enjoys it. I've heard it called Sticky Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, The Best Chicken Ever, Apricot Chicken...I guess it's a versatile meal.

A couple of things: Russian dressing isn't really all that popular, and can therefore be kind of pricey. You can use Catalina dressing and it will still be delicious. Also, you can use either peach or apricot jam in your recipe. And don't forget that if you don't have an envelope of onion soup mix you can make it instead. (Click on the ingredient above.)

This particular recipe says to chop the chicken into small pieces and serve over rice, which is what I usually do. My sister-in-law cooks the breasts whole and just pours dressing over the rice. Another recipe I've seen has you chop the chicken into smaller bits, but everything is done on the stove top. Here is that basic recipe:

Brown chicken in a pan in hot oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until chicken is tender and sauce thickens. Serve over cooked rice.

I prefer the oven method because I just mix, put it in the oven and walk away.

Possible side dishes (besides rice): green salad, sliced peaches, green beans. Potatoes are not recommended unless you forgo the rice (too much starch). Pin It

Rosemary Red Potatoes

1 3/4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, oil, rosemary, garlic and garlic salt; toss to coat. Transfer to a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.

*D: I have tried this recipe with russets and Yukon golds and it works great. Feel free to use whatever kind of potato you have. It might be easier to put all the ingredients into a bag to toss, but I usually use a bowl.


This is one of our favorite potato recipes! It's easy and delicious! Pin It

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup soup, beef, bread crumbs, onion and egg. Shape firmly into 6 oval patties of even thickness.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, , in hot oil, cook half of the patties until browned on both sides. Remove; set aside. Repeat with remaining patties. Pour off fat.

In same skillet, combine remaining soup and mushrooms. Heat to boiling. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover, cook 20 minutes or until patties are no longer pink, turning patties occasionally.

*D: I don't use the mushrooms because I don't like mushrooms. I also add a bit of garlic in the beef.


Possible side dishes: fried potatoes and green beans, corn and rolls, steamed carrots and salad. Pin It

Onion Soup Mix

4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
Cut a 6-inch square of heavy duty foil. Place all ingredients in center of foil. Fold foil to make an airtight package. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months.

*D:  Have you ever come across a recipe that called for an onion soup mix and you had to move on because you didn't have one? Tat happens to me all the time! In fact, one of my new favortie recipes calls for an onion soup mix, and I don't keep those on hand because they're pretty pricey if you don't buy them on sale. This is an awesome recipe that works perfectly. I have used it on a few occasions already. If you don't have granule bouillon you can use 2 cubes. I don't make it before hand, I just incorporate the ingredients into my recipe. Seasoned pepper is a little pricey, so if you don't have it, just use regular pepper and add some garlic. Pin It

Spicy Chicken and Rice Bake

2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast, thighs, and drumsticks)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP cooking oil
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice (white rice)
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
Paprika

Skin chicken; set aside.

In a large saucepan cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until vegetables are tender. Stir in black beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, uncooked rice, chili powder, red pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to boiling. Transfer rice mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange chicken pieces on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle chicken with paprika

Bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender.

*D - I use bell pepper instead of sweet. It tastes the same to me. I am not a chunky onion fan. I like the flavor, but I'd rather not bite into one, so I chop my onion very small. Also, I made this without tomato juice, because I didn't have any, and just added a little water to make sure there was enough moisture for the rice. It tasted great. If you want to add the tomato juice, but don't have any, just use watered down tomato soup.


If you don't have frozen corn, use canned. I'm sure it's just fine.


Bottom line: this dish takes a little extra work, but it is so worth it! It's delicious flavor is great for leftovers. And if you run out of chicken and still have rice, try eating the rice on tortilla chips...SO good! Not to mention extremely healthy. Pin It

Black Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1 dash black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves (if you use ground oregano, use 1/4 t)
1 bay leaf

Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese

Add olive oil to a large stock pot on med-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Remove from heat. Find that bay leaf and pull it out. Don't forget or it will be very bay-ish. Yes, that's a word.

Place all the soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the middle. Place a paper towel over the hole though to avoid getting black bean soup burns all over your face. That would be an embarrassing story to tell.

Puree soup until completely smooth.* I leave it in for several minutes. Return to pan and make sure it's heated through completely. Squeeze in the juice from one big lime.

*Several people in the comment section noted that they wanted a chunkier soup so they only pureed half of it. That works too!

Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, tortilla chips, etc. Serve with extra lime wedges.

*D: I don't do anything differently. I make this recipe exactly as it's posted. Be sure to remove the center cup of your blender lid. The reason you do this is because your soup is so hot, and once you start blending it, the hot air will expand. If you cap the lid, the hot air will have nowhere to go and will force it's way out, showering you, your counter, and everything else within a five foot radius with black beans. Trust me on this: it's not fun.


We ALWAYS eat this with tortilla chips. It's a MUST.


When you put in the beans, you have two options: drain them for a thicker soup, leave them undrained for a runnier soup. I prefer it thicker (the ONE soup I'll admit is better thicker), but if you like runny soup, then don't drain your beans.


This is definitely a family favorite! It's easy and fun and delicious. I made this for my family when I was visiting this fall: I used chicken instead of beef broth, and we had no bay leaf. It was nasty. Don't omit any ingredients and it'll be great! Pin It

Rosemary Chicken w/ White Beans

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 c sliced fresh carrots
½ c sliced celery
1 1/2 c italian dressing
2 t dried rosemary
½ t salt
1 t pepper

Place the beans, carrots and celery in 5 qt slow cooker; top with chicken. Combine the salad dressing, rosemary, salt and pepper; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken juices run clear.

*D: I didn't have any white beans, but I live in Idaho. So I used the Idahoan substitute of potatoes and it was AWESOME!!! To be honest I was shaking in my boots because Tyler's parents came over for dinner and I'd never made this before. But it was seriously amazing. It did my heart good to see my FIL "licking" the plate clean. (He used a fork, but I watched him spoon up every morsel and DROP off that plate!)


Tyler says I may have used too much rosemary. I didn't tell him that I thought the chicken looked bland, so I sprinkled it with rosemary after everything was in the crock pot. Don't do that.


So, for the potatoes, I used maybe a cup and a half, possibly two cups. We chopped them into smaller pieces because we wanted them to cook at the same rate the beans would have.


The flavor was amazing, it took me maybe 10 minutes to put together, and I did cook it for 4 hours. That was possibly too long because the chicken was a little dry. I basted periodically, and I don't know if it helped but it made me feel better. I cut the chicken into halves rather than whole breasts, and that may have been part of the problem as to why it was so dry.


I got this from my SIL's sister's blog, and it was posted as a freezer meal. So you can make this and then freeze it. I don't know anything about reheating, but I imagine you could either microwave it or put it back in the crock pot. Pin It

Tuna Salad

2 small or 1 large can(s) whit albacore tuna
head lettuce, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
Frozen petite peas, rinsed with hot water
Red onion, chopped
Chinese noodles
Mayonnaise
Seasoning salt
Pepper

Toss the first 5 ingredients. Mix mayonnaise, seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Mix dressing with salad ingredients. Add Chinese noodles. Serve immediately.

You may notice something is missing. What could it possibly be?...How about measurements? Yeah, how about 'em? This time, it's not my fault. I got this recipe Wednesday night at an Enrichment meeting. We taste tested it and I just about died it was so good. I'm not kidding. Good enough that the very next day I made it for dinner and ate it all. Ok not all by myself, Tyler helped.


Here's what I used:
1/2 head lettuce.
1 can of regular tuna - completely and utterly drained
1 tomato
0 peas - I laugh (and gag) at the thought of putting peas in my salad
1/4 red onion, diced (this was too much for me. I'll cut it down even more in the future.)
1/2 can (about 5 oz) of Chinese noodles
about 8 heaping TBSP of mayo
a lot of seasoning salt and pepper


Toss, serve with French bread and enjoy.


This was a perfect main dish for Tyler and I. We both had two helpings. But if you're feeding a larger family, you may want to double my quantities. I did not use albacore tuna, I just used a regular (small) can of tuna. It was a little more fishy, but overall it was still delicious!! I think you could substitute a can of chicken or ham and it'd still be awesome.


Mmmm! Pin It