Tortilla Meatball Soup

When I got my Cooking Light magazine, I knew I was going to cook this dish... I just had to wait for cooler weather.  The soup is very flavorful and reminds me of the tortilla soup I routinely eat at a restaurant in East Texas.

Everyone who knows me knows that I don't do spicy... at all.  My mouth just can't tolerate the heat from any type of pepper.  The only peppers I will eat are  mild chile peppers and bell peppers!  But I wanted to make this recipe as written so I bought my jalapeno and chipotle peppers.  I must say that the chipotle peppers smelled deliciously in that smoky sauce.  They smelled so good that I already plan to try them in some beans or some other Mexican dish!  Mind you I scraped the peppers... the jalapenos and chipotles... where there wasn't a seed or membrane left, and the soup was not spicy (hot) in the least.  However, I was asking myself why I was cooking with peppers instead of just leaving them out of the dish.  I was also wondering what I was going to eat if it was too spicy for me.

One thing I will say about this tasty dish is that it is time consuming.  Do whatever you can early, such as mixing the meatballs early in the day and storing them in the fridge until ready to cook.  The peppers can also be prepared early in the day.  It definitely wouldn't hurt to have an extra set of hands on deck to help out.

The recipe did not call for tomatoes but I decided to add them for flavor.

lol  I just realized the recipe calls for 2 cups of potatoes!  I didn't have the recipe with me when I shopped for ingredients.  I had hastily scribbled down the ingredients before leaving home and bought two pounds of potatoes... even carefully weighing them at the store not to have too many!  So the recipe was hearty and more like stew than soup... thick and chunky, and this is how I will continue to cook it.

My notes:
I plan to make this soup again.  Next time, I plan to boil a chicken and use the chicken broth.
I used 2 cups of frozen corn kernels and placed them around the peppers as directed.
I baked the meatballs.  I suggest mixing them early in the day, and even preparing the peppers beforehand.

Ingredients:

• 2 jalapeño peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 ears corn on the cob (used 2 c frozen kernels)
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced (and seeds removed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes (used two pounds potatoes:-) )
• 1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) carrot slices
• 3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.
3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).
5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. (I baked the meatballs) 
Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, tomatoes and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

Tortilla Meatball Soup

Vegetarian Chili

With our first real 'cold snap' of the season, I decided on chili.  When I first mentioned veggie chili to my extended meat-eating family, it caused an uproar- you can't have chili without meat!  I've made this dish many times since then and enjoyed it every time.  My husband was eating it last night and thought it would even be good without meat before realizing that it didn't have meat in it!

Ingredients:
1 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into med.-large chunks
1 package of carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces (used all but 2 carrots from bag)
1 zucchini squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 can HEB Mexican style tomatoes
1 can Hunts Fire roasted tomatoes
1-2 cans water, enough to cover veggies

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes and then add bell peppers, continuing to cook until onions are softened.

Add tomatoes, water and spices and bring to a boil; add potatoes and cook for a while before adding carrots. When carrots and potatoes are mostly done, add zucchini and cook until softened being careful not to cook them too long and they get 'mushy.'

Serve with rice.

This is a versatile recipe. Any vegetable can be added to replace the mentioned veggies.  Corn or beans (black, kidney, pinto, garbanzo) can be added with the veggies or make a bean chili with lots of protein to replace meat.
 

Baked Cabbage

Yum. This is one of those dishes that is very tasty and requires few ingredients. It will definitely be making the rounds in my house. We really enjoyed it. I’ve been wanting to cook this recipe for a long time but with our triple digit Texas summer, I didn’t want to heat up the house.
Next time, I may dice a couple pieces of cooked bacon and stir into the cabbage and potatoes for even more flavor. I think it would also be good to lightly brown some breakfast sausage and add it instead of the bacon.

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage
2 pats of butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
water
6 medium red potatoes, diced
paprika
red pepper, optional, did not use

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray roaster pan or deep casserole dish on sides and bottom. Cut cabbage into strips and place them into the pan or dish. Pour olive oil over cabbage (I didn’t measure but probably used 1/8 c or so).
Place diced potatoes on top of cabbage; put butter on top; salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bottom of the pan with water, no more than 1/4 up the side of the pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid (or foil) and continue to bake until water has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Bake to desired tenderness or until potatoes are done.
*I cooked it about an hour in total, just until the potatoes were soft and slightly browned.

Baked Cabbage

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

This is so tasty and easy to make.  It is my 'go to' dessert recipe when I'm having a craving for something sweet, like tonight:-)  And to top it off, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is a must.   

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• Vanilla ice cream, optional

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal; sprinkle over berries. Drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.
• Ramekins:  Bake for the same amount of time in 6 (8-oz.) ramekins on foil-lined baking sheet.

Easy Berry Cobbler

Grandma's Blender Ketchup

I love this recipe.  Just thinking about this recipe makes my mouth water.  My mom has made this recipe annually with the tons of tomatoes they have grown through the years.  Although it it called 'ketchup,' it doesn't have the consistency of store-bought ketchup- it's more like a barbeque sauce and my parents actually use it as a barbeque sauce. 

For a quick meal, I use the ketchup to make sloppy joes- brown ground meat and drain the fat; add a jar and heat.  Makes great sandwiches- fast and easy.

*I use my food processor instead of a blender.


BLENDER KETCHUP
8 lbs. of  ripe tomatoes, about 48 medium size 
2 sweet red peppers, medium size **
2 green bell peppers, medium size
4 onions, medium size
3 cups vinegar
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon red pepper, omit
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Quarter tomatoes; remove stem ends. Add peppers, seeded and cut into strips, and onions, peeled and quartered. Mix.
Put vegetables into food processor. Pulse off and on until vegetables are pureed and pour into a large pot. Repeat until all veggies are pureed.
Add remaining ingredients; stir to mix thoroughly. Bring to boil over medium heat; lower heat and simmer, uncovered until volume is reduced by half.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes at 212 degrees.

**I use 4 green peppers.

Crumb-Topped Pecan Cherry Cereal Bars

This is so good:-)  These bars can double as a breakfast bar or dinner dessert.  Easy to make with ingredients already in the pantry.  Go to Relish.com for a pic.

*The second time I made these, I had a jar of red raspberry preserves that I needed to use before expiring.  I do not recommend this- the bars tasted flat.  The tanginess of the cherries makes it a standout recipe.
1 c. flour
1 c. quick-cooking oats
1 c. puffed rice cereal * (used Rice Krispies)
1 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (10 oz.) jar cherry all-fruit spread (used 13 oz. cherry preserves)

* recipe calls for Puffed Brown Rice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan.
2. Combine flour, oats, puffed rice, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well-blended and creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until moistened and a crumbly dough forms. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the dough for the topping. Press remaining dough evenly into bottom of pan.
4. Spread fruit spread evenly over dough in pan. Sprinkle reserved dough mixture over top, leaving some areas uncovered. Gently press down to adhere topping to fruit layer. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden. Cool 15 minutes. Slice into 12 (2 1/4 x 3-inch) bars.

*Recipe says to use brown rice cereal but I used Rice Krispies.

Relish:  Crumb-Topped Pecan Cherry Cereal Bars

Shrimp Cakes with Chili-Lime Cream Sauce

I decided to try a new shrimp recipe and I'm so glad I found this... a delicious mix of flavors and really easy to prepare.  Parsley could be substituted for cilantro even though I couldn't detect the taste of cilantro in it.     

Ingredients:

• 16 uncooked large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined
• 1 large egg
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (did not use) 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons (or more) peanut oil

Preparation:

Coarsely chop shrimp in processor. Add egg, green onion, lemon juice, mustard, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend in using on/off turns. Add 1 cup panko and blend in using on/off turns. Form mixture into twelve 3-inch-diameter cakes. Roll cakes in remaining 1 cup panko; transfer to waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 10 minutes. (Can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry cakes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, adding more oil to skillet as needed, about 6 minutes.

Spoon 3 tablespoons Chili-Lime Cream Sauce onto each of 6 plates. Place 2 shrimp cakes on each and serve immediately.

I did not make the chili-lime cream sauce but I do plan to make it or some other sauce in the future.

*Several reviewers suggested not to process the shrimp but to dice them by hand so there would be chunks of shrimp in the cakes.  I withheld some shrimp and added them with the panko in order to have some chunks.  Next time I will add all the shrimp after mixing all the other ingredients.  Its really just personal preference.

Epicurious Shrimp-Cakes-with-Chili-Lime-Cream-Sauce

Grandma's Belated Birthday Present

I finally finished the lap quilt for my mother's birthday.  I'm so glad that she actually liked it:-) 



Banana Bread Cobbler

 

Yummy!  This dessert is outstanding!  My husband loves bananas and he couldn't get enough of this 'cobbler.'  I must say when saw the name of the recipe, I was curious and put it in my ever growing 'to try' stash.  I didn't have the correct pan size so it took it a little longer to cook. 

After reading the reviews, there are some things I plan to try next time... and there will be a next time.  lol  I like warm cobbler with vanilla ice cream melting on top.  However, this was rich enough that we didn't eat it with ice cream.

I'll try decreasing the sugar content by 1/4 - 1/3 cup for both the cobbler and streusel topping to make it healthier.  And, I plan to substitute natural applesauce for half of the butter to cut down on fat content.

For coconut lovers only... sprinkle 1-1 1/2 cups toasted coconut on top of the bananas; sprinkle with streusel topping and bake.  (I'll probably add the coconut straight out of the package.)

I don't think I'll ever do this step but just wanted to make note of it here.  After removing the cobbler from the oven, one reviewer pours a jar of caramel sauce over the top.

Ingredients:

• 1  cup  self-rising flour (1 c all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt)
• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  cup  milk
• 1/2  cup  butter, melted
• 4  medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
• Streusel Topping
• Vanilla ice cream, optional

Cobbler Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Top with banana slices, and sprinkle with Streusel Topping.

2. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream.

Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

• 3/4  cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  self-rising flour (1/2 c all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt)
• 1/2  cup  butter, softened
• 1  cup  uncooked regular oats
• 1/2  cup  chopped pecans

Preparation:
Stir together brown sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly, using a fork. Stir in oats and pecans.

Southern Living:  Banana Bread Cobbler

Breakfast Braid

Never been a breakfast person... eating and certainly not cooking:-)    As Lauren and Matt were coming by on Saturday, I had a supply of breakfast recipes I have been hoarding for quite some time and finally chose this recipe. 

I had gone to HEB a couple days before to get all the ingredients I would need, or so I thought.  As I was thinking about the recipe in anticipation of cooking it Saturday morning, I realized that I had bought pie crust instead of pizza dough!  After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was again prepared to get started.  As I gathered ingredients, I had to substitute bacon for the sausage that I had forgotten to mark off my list.  This versatile recipe would be great with sausage, bacon or ham.  It's very easy to assemble and makes an impressive addition to a buffet.

Ingredients

• 1  (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1/4  cup  chopped onion
• 4  ounces  bacon, diced
• 3  large eggs, lightly beaten (use 4 eggs next time)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  chopped seeded jalapeño peppers (did not use but may put on 1/2 next time for heat enthusiasts)
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.
3. Add onion and bacon; cook until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.
5. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

*I made the slits all the way up both sides.  I turned under the 'T' at both ends and then started braiding the dough.

Southern Living: Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack and Egg Breakfast Braid

Beef- Broccoli Stir Fry

 

I knew when I saw this dish in Cooking Light that I wanted to try it.  First, I had to dig out my wok that I haven't used in quite some time.  The dish was tasty and fast. I'll make this again and try it with chicken and add other vegetables.  It was a nice change.  Go to the link to look at the picture.  (we know my pics aren't too appetizing lol)

Ingredients 

• 2  tablespoons  dry sherry, divided (did not use)
• 2  tablespoons  lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  pound  boneless sirloin steak, cut diagonally across grain into thin slices
• 1/2  cup  lower-sodium beef broth
• 1  tablespoon  cornstarch
• 1  tablespoon  hoisin sauce
• 1  teaspoon  Sriracha (hot chile sauce) or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (did not use)
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  bottled ground fresh ginger (used slightly less than 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 4  cups  prechopped broccoli florets
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1/3  cup  sliced green onions
• Hot cooked rice

Preparation

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. While rice cooks, combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, and beef.  Stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, broth, cornstarch, hoisin and ground ginger.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture; sauté 3 minutes or until browned.  Remove beef from pan.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water; cook 1 minute.  Add onions; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add broth mixture and beef mixture; cook 2 minutes or until beef is thoroughly heated and sauce is slightly thick.  Serve beef mixture over rice.

Beef- Broccoli Stir Fry

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This recipe has been passed down from my Grandmother (Nanaw) to my Mom and finally to me.  Anytime there is a gathering, my Mom is sure to mix this cake up.  If I had a penney for every pound cake she has made.... 
I told Mom about BLOV.  Before she baked up the 'new cake,' she had already told several others to give it a try.  The updated cake passed the taste test with the family.

1 cup butter, softened
6 eggs, room temperature, beat whites separately
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. butter extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon soda
3 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.  Beat in extracts.  Add one egg at a time and beat after each addition and scraping bowl frequently.
Alternately add sour cream and combined soda and flour mixture on low to medium speed after each addition until just combined.
Beat whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir into cake batter.
Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick comes out clean.

*I like to use 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese instead of sour cream.

BLOV

While perusing recipes one night, I came across a post of a sour cream pound cake made from a cake mix.  Someone replied that when she attended culinary school they were taught to add BLOV for depth of flavor.  BLOV is 1/2 - 1 tsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. lemon, 1/2 tsp.orange, and 1 tsp. vanilla extracts.   Or even add fresh squeezed juices along with the butter and vanilla extracts. 

I made a Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe that had been passed to my from Nanaw W. (grandmother) and my Mom, and the added extracts added a lot of flavor to the cake.  The best I can describe the cake is that it had a fresh taste.  Delicious.  I think Sugar Cookies would be great adding these extracts.

BLOV

Cabbage au Gratin

My husband and I were pleasantly surprised by this scrumptious dish.  Very easy to make.
I greatly lowered the calorie and fat counts from the original recipe while retaining the flavor. 
(1/4 cup butter down to 1 1/2 T and from 1 cup cheese down to 1/4 cup)  I also used 1% milk and it worked great.

1 1/2 T butter
1 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup carrots, coarsely shredded
1/2 c green onions, sliced
1/4 bell pepper, coarsely shredded
2 T flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Cheddar Cheese  (used Monterey Jack)
3/4 cup crushed ritz crackers

Spray nonstick skillet with Pam; heat pan and add butter.  When butter is melted, add veggies; saute until softened. 
Add flour, stirring until smooth.  Add milk, cooking over medium-low heat until thickened.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into a greased casserole dish; top with cheese and cracker crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Cabbage Au Gratin

Valentine Brownies

When I first saw this recipe, I was intrigued by the preparation... beating the eggs and sugar for ten minutes to create a meringue-like topping.  These brownies have an intense chocolate flavor, which is great for us chocoholics.  The first day, the brownies have a cake-like texture, light and airy, but by the second day they have more of a typical brownie texture, moist and gooey.  If you have a favorite brownie recipe, stick with it as I don't think this recipe is so different in taste from most brownie recipes.  I would recommend cooking for the minimum time.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 c. butter, cut up
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
6 large eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 13" by 9" pan with foil; grease.
2. In 3-qt. saucepan, melt butter and chocolates on low, stirring.  Remove from heat.
3. In bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, and salt.  In large bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat eggs until blended. Gradually add sugars; beat 10 minutes or until tripled in volume.
4.  Fold in chocolates and vanilla, then flour mixture.  Pour into pan.  Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out almost clean.  Cool.  Makes 16.

Good Housekeeping: Valentine Brownies

Potato Soup (with crawfish and corn)

With all the cold weather this week, any kind of soup was just what one needed to warm up.  This is a great potato soup recipe and will be my 'go to' potato soup recipe from now on.  As much as I like shrimp, I did not care for the shrimp.  Next time, I plan to use frozen crawfish and corn per a chowder recipe in my stash that is very tasty.  Serve with cornbread.

*I cooked this using shrimp but have changed the recipe below by adding crawfish and corn.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (if adding crawfish, may need more)
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups milk, whole, reduced fat (2 percent) or low fat (1 percent)
2 bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk
1 cup half-and-half  (used fat free)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups salted water
1 pound package of frozen crawfish, thawed
2 cups frozen corn
Crumbled bacon bits, for garnish
Grated sharp Cheddar, for garnish
green onion tops, for garnish
sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:
In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion, garlic, celery and carrots until veggies are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, bay leaves and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes.  Add thawed crawfish and corn; simmer, stirring often until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper.

 Serve soup sprinkled with bacon bits, onion tops and grated cheese.

Paula Deen:  Potato Soup with Shrimp

Chicken Pot Pie

Ready to put the lid on



Great way to use leftover chicken



I got a recipe in an email for chicken pot pie and then went on a quest to find the best 'sounding' recipe that I could find and came across this recipe from Allrecipes.  And it is a WINNER.  I adjusted the recipe to our tastes.  I couldn't believe as it was written that it had 1/2 cup celery but no potatoes or corn!  I didn't want to take up 'valuable space' with celery when I could just add some celery seed for flavor. 

I stress to use a DEEP pie dish.  I kinda tucked the top crust under the bottom crust as there was no room to flute the edges.  Mine was filled to the brim and I was really afraid it would overcook so I put a pan under it. 

Halfway through cooking, I removed the pan to ensure the bottom crust would cook.  (did not bubble over)  It was very good and I plan to make it often.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (used leftover rotissiere chicken, didn't measure)

1 cup sliced carrots

2 small-medium potatoes, diced

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup butter (use 1/3 c next time)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 can chicken broth (14.5 ounces)

milk (broth and milk combined 3 1/4 cups liquid)

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a saucepan, combine broth, potatoes and carrots; simmer until tender, about ten minutes. Dip veggies into a bowl and add corn and cubed chicken, reserve broth to add to flour mixture. 

Allow pie crusts to sit on countertop.  Place one crust in bottom of deep pie pan.  Set aside. 

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stir some of the broth mixture into the veggies and chicken, gently stir together; pour into prepared pie dish.  Pour some of the hot liquid mixture onto top of pie, there may be some leftover.  Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie IX

Lasagna Soup

LOL  Photographer, I am not:-)  When I first looked at the pic after uploading it, I laughed outloud!  I've never photographed food before and had not thought about wiping down the sides of the white bowl after dipping the soup.  I did strategically place some lasagna noodles in the bowl before covering it up with the cheese.  Live and learn. Maybe next time I'll use a food editor's eyes to have a more appealing picture.

We enjoy this soup. I've made it with ground beef and sausage- both are good.  I was concerned using the sausage and the spices would make it too heavily spiced but it was fine. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground chuck (Italian sausage, casing removed)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese, optional
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme and next six ingredients.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheeses.

Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup