Easy Pizza with Lemon & Goat Cheese

Okay, so I have a new favorite lunch.  I don't have this very often, but being that I live in a tiny, beautiful, cotton-farming, Mexican-food-loving town, sometimes I want something different, out of the ordinary, and even a little gourmet.  Okay...I want something a LOT gourmet, but I'll settle for a little.  

We don't even have a decent sandwich shop here, for crying out loud!  (...I know.  Don't you feel bad for me?!  It's a rough life but somehow I manage.)  

Speaking of gourmet, right?!  I mean...boxed pizza.  But hey - don't knock it 'till you try it.  Trust me.

3 pieces of this stuff (1/3 of the pizza) is 360 calories, so 1 1/2 pieces is only 180 calories!!  Not bad for a low-cal lunch option.  You can slice the pieces yourself, of course, so just be careful and make sure you have people over to share with.....otherwise you'll do what I do and wonder where on EARTH the whole thing went.  oy.  

All you need is some shredded greens, the healthier the better.  (And "iceburg lettuce" doesn't count.  It's lame.  You'll need something that involves baby spinach and arugula.)  Parmesean cheese, crumbled goat cheese, and some lemon to squeeze.  That's it! Oh, and get a pizza or two.  I like this particular brand, but get your favorite thin crust variety.

And about goat cheese......it's SO GOOD!!!!!!  If you haven't joined the goat cheese camp, you should at least give it a try.  If you genuinely despise it, well, I won't judge, but seriously.....   This would be a great way to ease on in to the goat cheese camp without fully commiting.  You could sprinkle a little bite with some crumbled goat cheese and see if you really want to live the rest of your life without it.  But I am leaning towards the idea that you will like it.  Just open your mind, open your pallette, and let the flavors work for you!  

Let the pizza cool off a bit and then just pile it all on there and squeeze that lemon on top!  

I like to start with the goat cheese because it gets all melty on top of the hot pizza and creates a little barrier so the greens don't wilt as quickly.  They will wilt if you add them too quickly to the hot pizza.

Enjoy!  

Have a happy day!!!  

(and let me know if you try and like this! )

-Abby

Cooking 101 - White Corn Tortilla Soup

BETTER than eating out.  WHAT??!!

Soup season is upon us, however this soup has no season - it's a year-round gourmet delicacy.

I LOVE ordering soup at my favorite restaurants, sampling various flavors and combinations, but THIS soup is better than most restaurant options - and you can make it at home!!  {air punch}

 And I'm not joking - this soup can rival *almost* anything.  Plus, it's super hearty so you don't need anything else besides a cheesey quesadilla.  It's a one-pot wonder.  And it's EASY!  

It kind of looks tomatoey, but it's not - don't be fooled.  That would be foolish.  

It's got this deep, rich flavor that comes from the corn tortillas, roasted chilies, and all of those veggies.

Like I said, the best way to eat it is paired with a good 'ol cheese quesadilla.  Buttered on one side, good cheddar cheese on the inside, cooked to a slight crisp on a seasoned cast iron griddle.  Perfection.

These little guys are the secret ingredient to most of my soups. (and pasta sauce)  Hatch green chilies.  

I get them on the side of the road here in my hometown, where they're roasted in this huge roaster.  They sit and sweat in a plastic bag and after FOUR excruciating HOURS of peeling the skin off chilies….

I have over 2 dozen baggies of chilies to put in the freezer.  We put these in everything and NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING can come close to the deep, rich flavor that these roasted Hatch chilies have.  (I get 'medium' because I'm not a fan of my mouth going numb, but they still have a lot of kick to them.)

This was my lunch….and I felt like I was eating at a gourmet restaurant.  It's easy, delicious, and if you make a double-batch (might as well, right?), you will have dinner in the freezer for those busy days.

WHITE CORN TORTILLA SOUP

Super easy - just a few steps and the work is done.

3 T. olive oil
1 ½ 7-inch white corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 ½ T. minced garlic
½ of a medium onion, minced
2-3 roasted Hatch green chilies, diced (or two 4-oz. cans)
1 ½ T. minced jalapeno pepper (optional - I don't use these)
1 lb. white corn kernels, thawed or frozen - they both work
1 ½ lbs. chopped, ripe red tomatoes or 28 oz. diced tomatoes
⅓ c. tomato paste
2 ½ t. ground cumin
 1 T. salt
⅛ tsp. ground pepper
½ t. chili powder
1 ½ c. water
1 qt. chicken stock (or 4 c. water and 4 tsp. chicken base)
⅓ c. heavy cream

Garnish:  crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro

Cheese Quesadillas:
Good flour tortillas, cheese, butter, and a griddle

Over medium high heat, fry tortilla squares in olive oil until they become crisp and turn a golden yellow.  Add garlic, onion, jalapeno, and green chilies; cook 1-2 minutes until onion becomes translucent.  Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving the other half of the corn to be added at the end.  Bring the soup to a low, even boil; cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until all veggies are cooked and tender.  Remove soup from heat.  Using an imersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  (You can also use a blender and work in batches).  Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn, bring to a boil, careful to avoid scorching.  Add heavy cream and use chicken base and/or salt to season.

Garnish and serve.

**Note:  If you're super busy and don't have time to babysit this soup, let it simmer on your lowest heat setting or put it all in the crockpot after you sautee your tortilla and veggies.  When you're ready to eat, just puree it and add the remaining corn and heavy cream.

Enjoy!!  Have a happy day!!

Cooking 101 - Italian Country Soup

…or my version of Zuppa Toscana

Call me a nerd, but I love food and I love learning about the originations of the classic dishes we eat today.  (seriously, though, what is nerdy about food?!  It's anything but nerdy…I guess I'm not a nerd after all...)  Some fun facts I found:

Soup comes from the word "sop", in which you soak a piece of bread in broth or thick stew.  (sounds squishy)

The existence of soup dates back to about 20,000 B.C.  (truly an ancient food)

The earliest restaurant, meaning "restorning", {I love that.} started out in the 1600's as street vendors in France sold inexpensive, highly concentrated soup that served as a remedy for exhaustion.

Cool, huh?!  Soup has been, and always will be, one of mankind's finest comfort foods.

This particular soup must have been close to what might have been a staple for Italian, and even many other European countries.  These ingredients were/are basic staples in an Italian home.  This dish is basic, versatile, adaptable, and so very good!  It's easy to see how this could be considered a "restorative" meal.

Italian Country Soup

2 qts. (8 c.) chicken or vegetable broth

1 lb. Italian sausage (or any ground sausage works fine)

1 large 26 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 onion, fine diced

3 garlic cloves, fine minced

6 c. diced red potatoes (I dice them smallish for my kids)

½ c. white wine  (can be omitted)

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 t. Italian seasoning

½ t. fresh ground black pepper

1 large, or 2 small zucchinis, diced

1-2 c. shredded & chopped kale, spinach, or both

½ c. heavy cream or half & half

1 T. olive oil

In a large stockpot, or your crockpot, add broth and tomatoes, and cook on low.

In a skillet, add olive oil and heat to medium.  Add onion and garlic, cook until beginning to soften.  Add ground sausage and cook until barely enough pink is left.  Add white wine and allow to simmer about 1 minute. Pour into stockpot.  

Add potatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt; cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour.  

Then, add the zucchini, cover and cook another 15 minutes.  You don't want the zucchini to be mushy, yet not crunchy, either.  Then, add the chopped kale or spinach (or both).  Cover and let the greens wilt for a few minutes.  Add heavy cream or half & half; season with salt & pepper.

Serve with your favorite rustic crusty bread, Parmesean cheese, and enjoy this ancient, restorative, delicious meal!  

I  always make my BFF Kadie's No-Fail French Bread to go with all of our soups - it's seriously delicious!! {I love you, Kadie…xoxoxo}  And it doesn't hurt that I make a double-batch & freeze it for later, take it over to a neighbor, or make Strawberry Stuffed French Toast. {GASP!} (and I promise to re-photograph those French toast pictures…OY!…sorry you had to see that...)

 It's really a win-win when you make this bread.

 You just can't go wrong here!

Have a Happy Day!

--Abby

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Cooking 101 - Old World Chicken Cacciatore

Knock-your-breath-out-good.  

{prob'ly gives you bad breath, too, what with all the onion and garlic in it...so maybe you should hold your breath in.}

I have this old, rustic Italian cookbook that I got on a clearance rack somewhere and it inspired me.  There's something so grounding and wholesome about good, rustic Italian food.  This dish, however, is pretty universal - it's a chicken stew simmered in vegetables, which most countries have their own version of.  This version, though, it's my twist on the dish and it's now one of my family's ultimate favorite comfort food dishes!  The flavors were deep and rich, and the chicken just fell off the bone.  

OLD WORLD CHICKEN CACCIATORE

{cacciatore means 'hunter' in Italian, so this is often referred to as a 'hunter's stew'}

You'll need:

olive oil

5-6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin off

5-6 chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin off (I didn't take the skin off of the drums...too much work)

1 c. flour, seasoned with salt & pepper, spread onto a pie plate

1 1/2 c. chopped, thick pancetta (I used a lean, smoked turkey bacon - about 6-7 slices, but regular bacon would work fine, too.  Just drain off the fat after you cook it)

3 x 14 oz. cans diced tomato

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, fine minced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. dry white wine (it cooks off...don't get fussy with me now)

1 T. chicken base (or 3 chicken bullion cubes--but chicken base is better)

1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. dried oregano - or one sprig fresh

1 tsp. ground rosemary - or one sprig fresh

In a large dutch oven pot or stock pot, heat about 2 T. olive oil and sautee onion, garlic, and celery until the onion turns golden brown and a little translucent.  Add the chopped pancetta or bacon and cook for about 6 minutes or until the pancetta/bacon starts turning a golden brown color.  Spoon out onto a plate and set aside.

In the same pot, heat another 2 T olive oil.  Coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, brown on all sides, working in batches, using more olive oil as you need it.  Set the chicken aside on a large plate.  Then add the white wine and deglaze the pan. {those browned bits add a great flavor to the dish}  When all of the liquid is mostly evaporated, add the tomatoes, water, chicken base, brown sugar, oregano, and rosemary - stir to combine and bring to a simmer.  Add everything else back into the pot - the chicken, as well as the onion mixture.  Simmer on low heat for about 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is tender - almost falling off the bone.  (I cooked mine for an hour on a low simmer)

When you're ready to serve, add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate.  Season with salt or chicken base - sometimes if I'm missing some flavor, I'll add a little scoop of chicken base, which seems to be just the trick. 

Serve this with some pasta or a crusty loaf of bread.  

Cooking 101 - Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

{ohhhhhhhhhh} This soup is so good.  Like..."mmmm..." out loud good.  I'm a tomato lover, so that helps, too - and when you use fresh tomatoes like this, you can only imagine how flavorful this tastes.  It's the ultimate gray/winter/blah weather soup because it's warm, bright, and has rich, deep flavors.

I have this awesome cookbook by Ina Garten and the original recipe is found here, among so many others that I LOVE.  However, after cooking, tweaking, and adjusting it to my taste, I found the perfect balance.  I'm giddy to have found a recipe for the perfect tomato soup!

...and this makes your house smell ahhhhh-mazing.

ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP

adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

serves about 8 adult portions

You'll need:

3 lbs. ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 c. + 2 T. olive oil

1/2 T. salt

1 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

2 c. chopped yellow onion (2 medium onions)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. butter

1/8 t. red pepper flakes (a shake or two)

1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes with juice - (I didn't use plum, I just had diced and they worked fine)

4 c. fresh basil leaves, packed (lots, and lots of basil!)

1 t. fresh thyme leaves

1 qt. chicken stock or 4 c. water and 3.5 tsp. chicken base or 3 chicken bullion cubes

1 c. half & half or 1/2 c. heavy cream - optional but heavenly

Toppings:

grated asiago or parmesean cheese

sour cream

fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Using an immersion blender, or a regular blender,  blend the soup until it is smooth but still chunky.  Add the half & half or cream; adjust salt and seasonings.  If it's lacking some flavor or salt, add a small tsp. of chicken base, stir it in, and then adjust.  Sometimes chicken base can make all the difference, rather than adding salt.  The chicken base adds depth and flavor, as well.


Serve with your toppings and some amazing grilled crusty bread!  OR a grilled sandwich of any kind!  I LOVE to dip a grilled sandwich in this soup!

Cooking 101 - Slow Simmered Beef in Rich Tomato Sauce

So many things to love in Michigan....so many things....but one of our family favorites is the Pegasus Taverna in Downtown Detroit.

It's called "Greektown" in that area, and this is our FAVORITE place to go!  Not only is the food amazing, but it has been our family tradition to go down there during the Christmas/New Year season and live it up Greek style with flaming cheese and all.  OOOOOPAH!  ...and the food....the food....oh, the food....makes me drool all over myself...

Often, I get a craving for some amazing Pegasus food.  We have many favorites there, but the dishes I continue to gravitate towards have been the slow simmered meats in deep, rich tomato sauce and they serve it with the most amazing potatoes I've ever tasted.  At first, the potatoes look bland, boring, and boiled - like big chunks of white, boring potato - until you take a bite and they have this incredibly tangy flavor.

SO...rather than have our traditional Sunday Roast & Potatoes Dinner, I decided to mix it up a little - Greek style {yahh!} - and although my family wasn't outwardly moaning and swaying with eyes closed like I was, I think they liked it okay.  OOOOOPAH!

Slow Simmered Beef in Rich Tomato Sauce

with Seasoned Mashed Potatoes (yum....)

For the Meat:

**you could also use lamb for this dish - just cut the sauce in half because lamb comes in much smaller portions**

Medium-Large Chuck Roast, fat trimmed as much as possible 

Flour, Salt, Pepper

Oil

Heat up a large pan, very hot, with about 1-2 tsp. oil.  Coat the meat generously with salt, pepper, and flour.  Sear on both sides and place it in your crock pot.

For the Sauce:

1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes

2 carrots, peeled, chopped into pieces

1 medium/large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped (or that minced kind you can buy)

2-3 tsp. fresh thyme

1/4-1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1-2 tsp. dried rosemary, ground - or 1/2-1 tsp. fresh, ground

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 heaping scoop chicken (or beef) base (link found HERE if you don't know what it is or where to get it)

Combine everything into a food processor (or blender) and puree until carrots are small, tiny chunks.  Dump over the top of the meat.  

Cook in your crock pot on low heat for about 8-12 hours.  When it's done cooking, shred the meat in the sauce.  (I put mine in at 10 p.m. Saturday night, lowered the heat to 'warm' at 12:30 p.m., and ate at 2:30 p.m.  It was tender and delicious.)  

For the Potatoes: (I fed a large group, cut this recipe in half if you need)

Fill a stockpot with salted water - add:

8-10 large red potatoes, diced (you could probably use any kind you want - I just had red on hand)

a heaping teaspoon or two of chicken base (or a couple of bullion cubes)

about 1/4-1/2 c. vinegar

1 can evaporated milk

1 stick butter

salt

Boil until potatoes are fork tender, drain, dump into a large bowl.  Add butter, salt, and a little bit of canned milk to the potatoes, mash them up (I use a hand mixer) and add more salt if you need.  These potatoes are supposed to be a little big tangy - it adds to the whole flavor.

To serve: heap a large scoop of potatoes onto your plate, top with meat mixture, serve with your favorite crusty bread & fresh veggies!  ...and escape to a quaint little Greek restaurant...so delishy.

OOOOOPAH!

Dinner Tonight-Summer Salad

My dinner tonight.  hhhhheaven.

I just started throwing in random stuff that I had in my fridge:
3 varieties of chopped lettuce
grilled chicken
tomatoes
chopped pecans
chickpeas
asiago cheese shreds
hard boiled egg (don't gross out---it's delish)
dried Michigan cherries
...am I missing something?...
oh, yeah, sliced carrots.
dressing was one tiny scoop of {good} blue cheese dressing & a couple'a squirts of tangy Caesar vinaigrette.  {gasp!!!} Delish.

I flipping LOVE SUMMER!!!

Cooking 101 - Linguine with Chicken Sausage & Cannellini Beans

Um.....DELISH.

I'm not eating pasta right now---but I caved after I created this delicious dinner last night.  (I only had a smidge, though--just enough to say I had some and had to stop myself!)  I did dish myself up some without the pasta, though, and it is still amazing without it.

Cannellini beans are so versatile and they're full of good things for you.  Well, check this site out---you can see for yourself how great these little beans are.  (they have twice the amount of iron as beef!)

LINGUINE WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE & CANNELLINI BEANS:

For the sauce: (start 1 hour before)

1/2 large onion, or one small onion, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 c. water

salt 

1/4 c. heavy cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add basil leaves, water and tomatoes, saute for about 45 minutes until everything is soft and thick.  Add heavy cream and stir until combined.  Add salt to taste.

For Sausage mixture:

1 pkg. of 4 Chicken Sausages (mine were chicken, onion, asiago, and pepper), sliced into rounds

1 Tbsp. butter

1 14-oz. can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

salt

Heat a large saute pan, add chicken sausage and brown for a few minutes.  Add cannellini beans, butter, and a little salt; stir and saute until everything turns golden brown and is heated through.  Set aside in a bowl.

**NOTE: you could also add thin sliced peppers to this mixture

For Pasta:

Well, you pretty much know what to do, right?  Cook it and drain it.  The noodles should be soft but not too soft.

To assemble: 

Dish some pasta in a bowl; add sauce; add sausage mixture; top with grated Parmesean or Asiago cheese and serve with some yummy Italian crusty bread.  mmmmm.....

Cooking 101 - Sausage, Kale & Potato Soup

If you need a hearty winter comfort soup, THIS IS IT!!!

This. Is. SO. Good.  Especially with BFF Kadie's bread. 

When I want something good to eat, I go check out Kadie's blog - she's always got exactly what I want on there.  That's where I found this soup and I absolutely had to try it.

I did mine a little differently - but the general idea is the same.  This soup reminds me of Zuppa Toscana at the Olive Garden, but I actually think this one is better.   {squeal!}  I doubled my recipe because I wanted a big pot, so here's my version:

SAUSAGE, KALE & POTATO SOUP

2 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 -1/2 t. crushed red-pepper flakes (depends on how spicy you like it)

5-7 large potatoes cut into small, 1/2 inch chunks (I used red potatoes)

1/4 c. fresh chopped Italian parsley

6 c. chicken broth (6 c. water + 3 Tbs. chicken base) 

1 bunch kale, stemmed and shredded (about 3-4 c. shredded)

1.5 - 2 lbs. Italian sausage, casings removed

1/3 c. heavy cream (optional, but wonderful!)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant.   Add the potatoes, parsley and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown sausage until it's no longer pink.  Set aside.

In a blender, or with an imersion blender, puree half the soup. Return to the pot and add kale and sausage. Simmer until the kale is wilted about 10-15 minutes.  Add heavy cream.  You don't have to use all of it if  you don't want. Salt & pepper as needed

Makes about 8-10 generous servings.

Cooking 101 - Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I'm taking a brief break from snuggling with my little baby marshmallow to share with you the EASIEST thing EVER!!! This is the best summertime dinner to eat out on the back porch. Top it with some yummy cole slaw on some really good bread and you'll be SO proud of yourself!!!

Who doesn't love a good pulled pork sandwich?! (Okay, a lot of people, but they're crazy, alright?)

So this is all you have to do:

1.) Get a pork shoulder, about 7 pounds, with a layer of fat on top. I get a huge, honkin' one at Sam's Club so that I have some to put in the freezer. Tip: When you are looking for your pork shoulder, you won't see the fat layer because they package it facing down, but it's there. (how pretty would that be to package a hunk of meat with a big, white fatty surface?! Not pretty...) If there is a bone in your meat, that's okay. Your meat is just going to fall off of it anyway.

2.) Generously rub salt & fresh ground pepper all over your pork shoulder. Score the fatty surface into diamonds.

3.) Place the meat fat-side-up in a large dutch oven or roaster. Roast at 450 degrees without the lid for about 45 minutes.

4.) After 45 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees, cover the meat with foil or a lid, and roast for about 4 more hours.

After you take it out of the oven, cut off that fatty layer on top and discard it. The meat should just fall apart! It's so beautiful!

5.) With a fork, stir your pork with your favorite BBQ sauce and make it as thick as you want it.

WHAT?! That's IT?!! You just roast it?! Yes. And it's heavenly.

To make some cole slaw: (this would be ideal to throw it all into a food processor)

Shred 1/2 head of cabbage and some carrots, and add some cole slaw dressing. I use that good stuff in a jar in the refrigerated salad section.

Then just assemble your sandwich! Get some really good bread, or make your own, and enjoy!!! I used Kadie's French Bread recipe, added a touch of whole wheat flour, and just made little rolls instead of a huge loaf. It's SO good - you have to try it!!!

Here's my little marshmallow - I could just eat her instead!

Cooking 101 - Asian Chicken Peanut Lettuce Wraps

Everybody needs at least one Asian dish in their arsenal and this one is NO FAIL! My sister-in-law (the adorable Kristine) came over the night I made these and she woofed it down without taking a breath! Atta girl, Kristine - that's what this family is all about.

AND....can I just tell you the best part about this recipe?! It's SO loaded with veggies and my kids had no idea! AWESOME! It's got a little spicy kick to it, so don't be alarmed - but if your kiddies aren't used to spicy food, they might not touch this. My kids did fine, but you never know.

So...once again this is a recipe I tweaked so I'm going completely by memory. Either way - it's kind of hard to mess this up!

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.

Cooking 101 - Country Chicken Noodle Soup

For heaven's sake - it's dreary, rainy, and dark outside and ALL THREE of my kiddies are sick, sick, sick. Come on, here! It's the middle of June for crying out loud! Naturally, it was definitely a day to make some serious comfort food - homemade chicken noodle soup. {I happened to have cooked a chicken a few days ago with high hopes to make some amazing chicken salad so I already had broth AND cooked chicken on hand --- I know, GENIUS.}

And remember that heavenly stuff from Bob Evans that I crave when I get the sickies? This soup is just as good, if not better - and you can make it as thick or as soupy as you want.

COUNTRY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Soup:
4 c. broth (or water with 4 t. chicken base or 4 bullion cubes)
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery
1 onion, finely chopped
cooked, chopped chicken - about 2+ cups
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk

Noodles:
1 2/3 c. flour
2 eggs
dash of salt

(If you were to cook your chicken the day before or a few days before, saving the meat and broth, this process goes much quicker.)

Bring the broth to a boil, add onion, celery, and carrots; boil on low for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, make noodles.

Homemade Noodles:
In a bowl, add flour, eggs, 2 1/2 egg shells of water, and a dash of salt. With a fork, mix everything together without over mixing. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth, careful not to over mix, which makes the noodles hard and rubbery.

Working in small pieces, roll out dough very thin, slice with a knife, and either lay them on a cookie rack or wait until you're ready to add them to the soup. They're kind of hard to manage, but they don't need to be perfect - just throw 'em in the pot!

THEN:
Add cream of chicken soup, canned milk, chicken, and noodles. Cook for another 20 minutes until noodles are cooked and everything is heated through. If it's too thick for you, add more broth.

Enjoy with a hot, buttermilk biscuit!

Cooking 101 - Italian Sausage & Lentil Soup

It's been a while since I posted, so here's a little sumthin' yummy for ya. Even though it's summer, you can still have soup - paired with a delishy cold-cut sandwich full of avocado, sprouts, fresh veggies, and such, you've got an AMAZING dinner! Eat it outside and you'll almost feel like you're in Tuscany! {gasp!!!} (unless you have junky stinky neighbors)

I found this recipe on the Sisters' Cafe site {love it} and, of course, I tweaked it just a little.







Italian Sausage & Lentil Soup

1 pound green lentils, rinsed

7 cups chicken broth (I use water and chicken base)

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

8 oz spinach, chopped

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, combine the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for approximately 30 minutes. **The way I usually do broth is I'll add the water to the pot, and then use that "Better than Bullion" chicken base (from any grocery store), and follow the directions on amounts. It makes a great broth.

In the meantime: In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, but not browned.

Add the sauteed vegetables, spinach, tomatoes (with juice), and parsley to the lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add more broth as needed.

Using the same skillet from the vegetables, brown the sausage until it's no longer pink. Add to the soup. Simmer everything for about 20 minutes on low heat, until all veggies are tender and the flavors blend to the point of ecstasy.

Season with the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle in bowls, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Eat it and see if you can keep your eyes from rolling back into your head...

Grocery List

Here's a fun grocery list I use that I wanted to share with all of you. I've been terrible at keeping ingredients on hand lately because I haven't been making a menu of any kind. I'm so lazy and even though it's a pain, I have discovered that planning a teensy bit ahead helps me stay calmer throughout the week because I'm not FREAKING OUT when there's nothing in the fridge to throw together for dinner. Even if you don't keep the assigned meals on the assigned days, at least you'll have all of your ingredients for that week.

I'm clueless when it comes to internet documents - but I think that if you click on this picture, it'll take you to Photobucket and you can hit the "download" tab. When you print it out, make sure you choose the "landscape" (wide) option. I've inquired with a computer genius on how to do this the right way - so maybe I'll have a better download later.

Cooking 101 - Summer Fresh & Easy

It's time to make dinner and I DON'T want to do it. If only I hadn't been so hasty in firing our chef....(and the maid...and the nanny....)

So here's something quick'n'easy for days like today. This dinner SERIOUSLY takes 15 minutes to make - and 30 minutes to cook. And it's pretty healthy, too.

Go get you some of this Weber BBQ rub - it's SO good. Pull some frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer, thaw for a few minutes in the microwave, and rub them down with this stuff, and maybe a little salt. Toss them on the grill on med-low heat for about 20-30 minutes, turning once, and in the meantime...




...You'll prepare your roasted veggies. Preheat the oven to 450-475 degrees. Cut up some potatoes, carrots, and onion (I used leeks), toss with some salt (sea salt is the best), pepper, dried thyme, and a generous helping of olive oil. Get your hands in there and toss those things. Roast until they turn golden brown all over and are fork tender, stirring at least once or twice.

If you use leeks, don't add them until half-way through. They're very thin and will burn easily. Onions should be fine, though.

And THEN...if you're lucky like me and have a smoothie maker, you can whip up a delishy, healthy smoothie to go with your fab dinner. (I need to do a smoothie post because they're my fave.)

Dinner is done and, once again, you come across as a goddess. Now, I'm just warning you...you're gonna be sitting there, while your chicken and veggies are cooking, and go, "What the?! That's it? Shouldn't I be working up a sweat or stressing?" but no, baby, dinner is taken care of and you can hide in the bathroom for a sec with that Anthropologie catalog that came in the mail and hope against all hope you win the lottery so you can afford the $800 dress you LOVE in there! (...and the $90 shoes and the $400 handbag...)

Cooking 101 - Hand Pie for Dinner

Okay, so to sidetrack for a sec - I know I've been A.W.O.L. lately but who can blame me?! We've had gorgeous weather and all I've wanted to do is go outside......and play TRACK BALL. Kadie and I are going to start up a "Hot-Moms-Track-Ball-League" and so far there's only two - it's just us - um, so we're looking for more.

Anyway...back to dinner. Gimme a hand...a hand pie. {haha!} You know, sometimes I don't know how I come up with this stuff.... These are also called Empanadas by our Latin friends, but I call them hand pies because people hear me say "Empanada" and go, "what?", so - it's pretty much a language barrier thing.

{Anyway...} So these are FAST, easy, and everybody loves them - even the little picky eaters. If you've got leftovers of anything, make a filling with it and bake it in a hand pie. You just can't go wrong with melted cheese and sour cream, ladies. Got some leftover turkey dinner? Throw it all in a hand pie! Stroganoff? Tuna Noodle Casserole? You got it...hand pie. (um...I hope by now that you know I'm totally kidding about the tuna noodle stuff - that's just gross.)

Now I'm mostly doing this for my sake because you know how you'll make something really yummy and and then go, "how did I make that???" later? So here's my filling that I used the other night, as well as a recipe for a Mexian style filling, because I'm going to have to come back to this site again when I can't remember what I did last time. OH - and you can freeze these and whip out a quick dinner when you're not in the mood to feed people.

DOUGH:
4 1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 c. boiling water

Stir with a fork to incorporate, then use hands for the rest and knead the dough for a few minutes. Roll into 8-10 balls, cover and set aside.

Abby's Random Chicken Filling:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp. chopped onion
2-3 Tbsp. chopped green chili
1/4 c. - 1/2 c. Salsa
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Red curry powder (I know, weird, but it was SO good)
3 c. chopped, grilled chicken
Mexican rice - 1 box of Mexican rice and only use about half of it. (I only added this because I had some left over from a previous dinner - and it made the filling taste great)
Shredded Cheese

In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil and toss in the garlic, onion, green chili, salsa, and cumin. Brown until onion and garlic are soft. Add everything else and saute for a few minutes until everything is heated through and well incorporated.

TO MAKE THE PIES:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees; spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Roll out a little dough ball until it is about 6-8 inches round. You don't want your dough to be too thin so try to keep it just a little thicker than a pie crust.

Spoon about 1/4 c. of the mixture onto half of your dough, add some shredded cheese on top, fold over dough and pinch edges closed while pushing the edges towards the middle to create some thickness. Crimp the dough shut with a fork, poke a few slits in the top for vent, and transfer to the cookie sheet. Repeat until dough and/or mixture is gone. Freeze any leftover filling to use later.

Bake hand pies for about 10-12 minutes or until they're golden brown. Serve warm with your fave garnishes like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guac, sour cream, salsa, etc.


Abby's Random Mexican Filling:

Looking at my recipe, it became obvious to me that I don't measure anything, so just add reasonable amounts of whatever is listed. When in doubt just use about 1/2 tsp each.

2 lbs. Ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, finely diced
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Nutmeg (just a dash)
Cilantro - chopped fresh or 1/2 t. dried
1 Tbsp. Tomato paste
2 small cans chopped green chilies
Diced tomatoes (optional)

Brown ground beef, drain; add seasonings and simmer about 5-10 minutes until cooked through.