Cauliflower Soup

Hey All,

Asher ate this up!  He loved it so much- he kept holding his bowl up and asking for more :).  I added a few more things to it but it was pretty good. Comes from Taste of Home magazine.

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 medium carrot- shredded (I just had the pre-shredded bag already)
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp vegetable or chicken bouillon granules ( I used 2 beef bouillon cubes)

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (I did 1/4)
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 tsp hot sauce
(I also added Parmesan cheese(1/4 cup or so) and mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 a cup)- I was looking for a way to thicken it some but I love cheese too :) )

- In a large saucepan combine cauliflower, carrot, celery, water and bouillon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain)

- In another large saucepan melt butter.  Then stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth; gradually add the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Add hot sauce if desired.  Stir into cauliflower mixture.

Hope you like this one! Serve with some bread and enjoy! Happy cooking!

Crockpot Taco Bowls

As requested by some people at work- here is the taco bowl recipe- again from Budget Bytes. We did this without the chicken and it was yummy. When serving we put brown rice on the bottom of our bowls and topped it with sour cream and cheddar cheese. It kind of tasted like chili. Really hearty and satisfying for those fall days :). Happy cooking!

Click here for the original post and pictures.


Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 8 hrs. Total: 8 hrs. 10 min.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs.	chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar	salsa
1 (15 oz.) can	black beans, drained
1/2 lb. (8 oz.)	frozen corn
1 Tbsp	chili powder
1/2 Tbsp	cumin
1/2 Tbsp	minced garlic
1/2 tsp	dried oregano
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp	salt
to taste	cracked pepper
2 cups	dry rice
8 oz.	shredded cheddar
1/2 bunch	cilantro (optional)

STEP 1: Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

STEP 3: Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

STEP 4: After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Ok so this one I did on my own. I was inspired by the sweet potato enchiladas with the combination of black beans and corn so here you go.

Ingredients

1 small onion
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp butter
1 (15oz) can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 and 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen and cooked it ahead of time)
about 8-10 cherry tomatoes- sliced (though you could probably use any kind of tomato)
a few sprigs of cilantro
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp to start- garlic powder
1/2 tsp to start- paprika
Tortillas
Butter

Directions
1) Start a medium saucepan with the lime juice, onion, and butter. Cook until the onions start to turn translucent. Warm a separate skillet for the tortillas.
2) Add the black beans and corn to the lime/onion mixture.
3) Then add garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper (these ingredients are all to taste, which is why I wrote to start, taste often and update these ingredients).
4) Once these items have warmed add the tomatoes and cilantro. And let simmer for a minute or two.
5) Add any final seasonings- to taste.
6) Butter one side of the tortilla (so it will get crispy in the skillet).
7) Fill tortillas with mixture and top with cheddar cheese. Put in skillet- warm each side until crispy and serve with sour cream and salsa - if you like.

I hope you enjoy these. I found them very filling and tasty!

Happy cooking!

Quick Curried Chick Peas

This was really good too- but the chick peas took a long time to cook. I covered the pot at the end and that helped some. I also made some homemade naan with this which I will post next. Great Indian flavors yum yum! again budgetbytes.blogspot.com. Click here for the pictures. Enjoy!

Total Recipe cost: $3.16
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.53
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 20 min. Total: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.22
1 med	yellow onion	$0.37
2 cloves	garlic	$0.14
2 (15 oz.) cans	chick peas, drained	$1.32
1 (20 oz.) can	tomato sauce	$0.52
1 cup	water	$0.00
1 Tbsp	curry powder	$0.15
1/2 bunch	fresh cilantro	$0.44
TOTAL		$3.16

STEP 1: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook the onion and garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened (3-5 minutes).

STEP 2: Drain the canned chick peas and add to the pot. Also add the tomato sauce, water and curry powder. Stir the pot until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat.

STEP 3: While the chick peas are simmering, rinse the cilantro and pull the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pot. Give everything a stir and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency (about 20 minutes total). Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/ strikes again! Check these out- amazing! Especially for all my vegetarian friends out there- so so good! I need to find a new website but these are so good! Click here for the pictures. The only change we made was adding cayenne pepper for some kick! But man were they yummy!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Total Recipe cost: $3.83
Servings Per Recipe: 4 enchiladas
Cost per serving: $0.96 per enchilada
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 cups	Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad	$1.52
4	fajita size flour tortillas	$0.32
one 10 oz. can	enchilada sauce	$1.00
1 cup	shredded cheddar	$0.99
TOTAL		$3.83

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish lightly with non-stick spray. Using a fork, slightly mash the Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad.

STEP 2: Lay out your tortillas and divide the mashed up sweet potato mixture evenly between all four (about 1/2 cup each). Sprinkle a little bit (about 2 Tbsp) of shredded cheddar in each tortilla as well. Gently fold the sides of the tortillas in toward the center, one side over the other, until they look like fat cigars.

STEP 3: Pour a little bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Place the rolled enchiladas in the baking dish, seam side down. Top the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese.

STEP 4: Bake the enchiladas at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

broccoli shells n' cheese

This was really yummy. I did add a lot of hot sauce and some more parmesan to make sure it had flavor. I kept tasting until I liked it. But check this one out! Yum! And Asher loved it! :)

I took this one directly so click here to get the play by play with pictures.

broccoli shells n' cheese

$6.05 recipe / $1.01 serving

I got a request from Nelson (a BB reader) last week to make some homemade mac n' cheese and what a fantastic idea it was. I really need some mac n' cheese in my life right about now.

Of course, there is the issue of guilt surrounding eating large quantities of cheese so I added some good ol' broccoli to rationalize it all. ha. right. If you don't want broccoli, just leave it out, make everything else as directed and you'll have a good classic mac n' cheese.

Making a cheese sauce can be a little bit intimidating at first but give it a shot. Once you get the hang of it, it's super easy. The thickening action of the roux is kinda like magic, very mysterious but you gotta learn to trust it. It will thicken.

I like to use medium to sharp cheddar for my mac and cheese because I feel like cheese sauce needs that extra punch of flavor. I also ended up adding a little parmesan (another strong cheese) because after tasting the sauce I wanted it evencheesier! I despise a bland macaroni and cheese.

Then there is the hot sauce. I add just a little to add flavor but not really any heat. The hot sauce is completely optional. Many people add dry mustard which has a similar effect on the flavor. It just gives it a little zing. In the end, the cheese sauce is all about tasting and adjusting. And really, who's complaining about repeatedly tasting cheese sauce? No one.





Total Recipe cost: $6.05
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $1.01
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
8 oz.	pasta	$0.55
1 lg. crown	broccoli	$1.69
1/2 med	onion	$0.18
3 Tbsp	butter	$0.12
3 Tbsp	all-purpose flour	$0.03
2.5 cups	milk	$0.65
8 oz. (2 cups)	sharp cheddar, shredded	$2.49
1/4 cup	grated parmesan	$0.24
1 tsp	hot sauce (optional)	$0.05
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$6.05

STEP 1: Get a large pot of salted water on to boil. Rinse the broccoli well and cut it into small florets.

STEP 2: The pasta and broccoli will be cooked in the same pot to save on dishes and time. When the water comes to a full boil, add the pasta. Set a timer for 8 minutes then add the broccoli. Cook the pasta and broccoli for two minutes more and then pour everything into a colander to drain. Set them aside until ready to add to the cheese sauce.

STEP 3: While the pasta and broccoli are doing their thing, you can begin the cheese sauce. Finely dice the onion and cook with butter over medium heat until softened (about 2-3 minutes).

STEP 4: Add the flour to the butter and onion. The flour and butter will form a paste like mixture (roux). Using a whisk, stir and cook the roux for 1-2 minutes more taking care not to let it scorch. This slightly cooks the flour preventing the cheese sauce from having an overly flour or paste like flavor.

STEP 5: Add the milk and whisk well to dissolve all of the flour clumps. Add freshly cracked black pepper at this point. Bring the mixture up to a simmer (you may need to raise the heat just slightly). When the sauce reaches a simmer, it will begin to thicken. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it's time to add the cheese.

STEP 6: Turn the burner off and whisk in the shredded cheese (and parmesan if using) until it is fully melted in. Give the cheese sauce a taste and add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

STEP 7: Once you have the cheese sauce seasoned to your liking, stir in the cooked and drained pasta and broccoli. Serve hot and gooey!

Have fun all :)

Chicken Fajita Tostadas

Alright so I hate that I have no time to try new recipes :) Here is one I tried today that was so so good. For all you vegetarians out there- perhaps this with a few more veggies - I think it would be just as good without the chicken.

I did add some seasoning to this recipe. But thanks to http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-fajita-tostadas for this one! So good!

Serves 4

* 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
* 2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
* 1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
* 1 cup prepared fresh salsa
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I cooked it with lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper)
* 4 corn tortillas (6-inch)(all I had was flour and they worked fine too!)
* 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. On foil, combine onions, bell peppers, corn, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add chicken, stir to combine, and continue to roast until warmed through, 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken and vegetable mixture to a serving bowl, discarding foil (reserve sheet).
3. Arrange tortillas on sheet. Dividing evenly, brush with remaining tablespoon oil; top with cheese. Bake until edges are golden and cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.

This was so good. I might also add some cilantro next time and sour cream. I used the fire roasted salsa for an extra kick! Hopefully it won't take me too long to write again! Happy Cooking!

Lettuce Wrap

Ok- new favorite thing- golden raisins, just sayin - so so good! Here is something we threw together because, lets face it, we did not want to go shopping :)

1 bag of wild and brown rice (steamables with carrots and broccoli)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Almonds
Golden raisins
Flour/corn tortilla/(or dare I say it) lettuce

If you are feeling extra healthy wrap said food in the lettuce and maybe garnish with a little sour cream. Healthy, yummy, simple, and light! Asher enjoyed most (no almonds for him) as well!

Happy Cooking!

Goat Cheese Enchiladas with red mole sauce

Alright all- this was awesome! Thanks to http://www.toomanychefs.net/archives/001041.php for this recipe! We bought the mole sauce because in case you didn't know Mole is sooo hard to make. So we went to our local grocery store and bought some :) but it turned out really good! I used the almonds instead of the pine nuts and jack cheese. But the corn with the raisins with the almonds...heaven. So so good! If you try this let me know what you think!

Goat Cheese Enchiladas with Corn and Red Mole

1/4 cup golden raisins (Sultanas, in Brit-speak)
1/4 cup pine nuts (the first time, I substituted almond slivers which worked well too)
2 Tbs corn or olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic (well, two large cloves in my case)
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups grated Jack or Muenster cheese (I used Fromage des Pyrenées)
2 cups soft goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas
Red Chile Mole (recipe below or use a preparation)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Cover the raisins with warm water and set aside. Brown the pine nuts in a medium dry skillet, then remove. Add the 2 Tbs oil to the same skillet and cook the onion with the garlic over medium heat to soften, about three minutes, then add teh corn and cook for one minute more. Drain the raisins and put in a bowl with the pine nuts, onion/corn mixture, 1 cup of the Jack cheese, the goat cheese and the cilantro. Mix everything well together and taste for salt and pepper.

Fry the tortillas briefly in olive oil, drain them and fill them with the above mixture. Roll them and place them seam side down in a baking dish. Make the mole. (To this point, you can make them well in advance and refrigerate, covered.) When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F (about 190 c). Pour mole sauce over the enchiladas, sprinkle with the rest of the Jack cheese and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with the rème fraîche spooned over the top.

Red Chile Mole Sauce
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons each anise seeds, cumin and dried Mexican oregano (omitted the anise and used normal oregano)
2 /12 Tbs vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove, pressed)
1/3 cup ground mild red chile
1 oz Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped
salt
1 tsp sherry vinegar

Toast the seeds and oregano in a dry skillet, then remove to a plate as soon as they smell fragrant. Grind in a mortar. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently for about for minutes, or until onion is brown on the edgets, then add garlic and ground spices and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat, let the pan cool for a minute, then stir the ground chile into the onions along with 1 1/2 cups water. REturn to the stove and bring to a boil, stirring slowly but constantly so that the chile doesn't burn. It will thicken as it cooks, so plan to add another 1/4 cup water to thin it out a little. (Mine didn't...) Add the chocolate and stiru until it's melted. Simmer for ten minutes, then stir in the vinegar to bring all the flavors together. Taste or salt.


Have fun and enjoy!