Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

I stumbled upon this blog a few months back, and have really enjoyed several of the recipes. I actually got her cookbook for Christmas too...which I'll blog about later...but yum-there are some GREAT recipes on her blog. I made this a few weeks ago when we had some friends over. It was really good...and warm...oh so warm. It's cold and rainy here today. I would love to be eating this soup tonight.

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup, from "A Year of Slow Cooking"

1 lb. chicken (I think I used about 2 lbs.)
1 c. dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. frozen corn
1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz) (I used homemade, instead of store bought)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 c. sour cream (you'll stir this in at the end)
shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips (all optional)


*I use dried black beans, so I soak them over night*. Drain and rinse the beans the next morning.Add the beans to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add both the broth and salsa. Add the corn and the cumin. Stir, but be careful not to stir the beans below. They need to stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heat. Cover and cook on HIGH for 9 hours. It takes awhile to get the black beans soft.

The blog says: If you'd like to thicken the broth, you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditional blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot. *However, I did not do this.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and broken up tortilla chips.

Brisket

I got this really easy recipe from my friend Lisa after eating it at her house. Oh my, was it good!! Especially if you like the flavor of smoked meat.

Brisket

1 Center Cut Brisket (about 3 lbs.)
1 Bottle Claude's Brisket Mix (Red Top)

Put Brisket in Crockpot. Pour Claude's on top. Fill bottle with water and shake to get all the spices loose. Pour on top. Cook on low all day (about 8-9 hours). Amazing!

I made it this week, and was reminded of how darn good it is. And my house smelled incredible too!

Breakfast for the Tribe

Oatmeal Banana Muffins fresh out of the oven

Sneaky little thing

Mission accomplished.

Mornings around here can be intense. There are 4 hungry kids that want food NOW. I'm sure we're not alone there. I'm a morning person...but not a -sit down and relax- kind of morning person. It's my productive time, where we accomplish chores, get dressed, and start school. So needless to say, I don't make a big breakfast for everyone. We eat breakfast quickly and move on...which means we eat simple things like frozen waffles, cereal, nutrigrain bars, etc. Well, those things add up...especially for 4 kids, 7 days a week. So about a year ago, I started thinking differently about how I run things around here. I wanted to be healthier, and more frugal. I decided that making things from scratch would not only be better for us, but would also stretch our dollar. I started making big batches of muffins to freeze and pull out in the mornings for the kids, along with a piece of fruit. I'll just take a day and make dozens and dozens and DOZENS of muffins...then put them in bags to freeze. It's super easy for our family, and the kids LOVE them. They are also great for eating on the go. On Sundays, our kids eat breakfast in the car on the way to church. So if you ever see us in the parking lot before church starts, you'll see me wiping down everyone, and dusting crumbs off of church clothes. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup of brown sugar (I use Sucanat)
7 TBS of Unsweetened Applesauce or Coconut Oil
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large)
1 cup regular oats
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 cups whole wheat pasty flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat well at medium speed. Combine banana, oats, and milk. Add that to the sugar mixture, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon-stir with a whisk. Add it to the sugar mixture-beat until moist. Spray your muffin pans w/ cooking spray and fill them about 2/3 of the way up. Bake them at 350 degrees for around 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
*I always add some Flaxseed Meal to my mixture for an extra boost. Makes 24 regular size muffins.

Meal Idea Monday

BBQ MEATBALLS

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup quick cooking oats
6 1/2 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring


Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. In a bowl, mix beef, egg, oats, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and 1/2 cup onion. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix ketchup, garlic, sugar, 1/4 cup onion, and liquid smoke. Pour evenly over the meatballs. Bake uncovered 1 hour in the preheated oven.

*This recipe is really popular...so you might already have it. I got it from my friend Stacey...when Evan was born, but then I started seeing it everywhere. It's really good. My kids love it too.

Meal Idea Monday Make-Up

Parsley Pesto Breadcrumb Pasta

Salt

1 pound spaghetti

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or grated

2 bunches flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 to 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus 3 tablespoons, divided

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Boil Spaghetti noodles according to package direction. Drain thoroughly.

Parsley pesto: Place the garlic and parsley leaves in the bowl of a food processor. Add some salt and pepper, and pulse until roughly chopped. With the machine running, pour in 1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO (just enough to make a thick, smooth paste). Turn the machine off and reserve.

Place a large skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring every now and then, until very lightly toasted. Add the breadcrumbs, stir to combine and toast until the breadcrumbs are golden and the pine nuts are a dark golden color, 2-3 minutes. Add the pesto to the skillet with the breadcrumbs and cook 2-3 minutes (just enough to cook out the raw garlic taste). Add the lemon zest and juice and season with some pepper. Add the drained spaghetti and parmesan cheese to the skillet and toss to combine.

*This is a Rachel Ray recipe. I'm usually not a huge fan of hers, but I came across this and decided to try it...and Mmmmm good.

Meal Idea Monday Make-Up

Shortcut Lasagna

1lb. ground beef
Chopped onion (I omit this, but add onion powder)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (28oz.)
1 bag of cheese ravioli (don't know the exact measurement)
2c. mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef, adding salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Drain grease. Pour in spaghetti sauce, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. In an 8x8 baking dish, spread enough sauce and beef to cover the bottom, and put a layer of ravioli down end to end. Spread a layer of sauce, and then cheese just like you would with lasagna. Keep layering with sauce on top. I think I usually get 3 layers in. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This is so good, and we always have leftovers. We had this last week, and the kids LOVE it.

Meal Idea Monday

Mexican Lasagna

1lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. dry taco mix seasoning
1 c. water
12 (6") corn tortillas
1 c. salsa
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1 (4oz.) can mild chilies, drained
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat; add seasoning and 1 cup water. Cook until thick. Spray a 9 X 13 pan. Place 6 tortillas on bottom of pan, overlapping them. Mix salsa and tomato sauce; set aside. Top tortillas with half the meat, corn, olives, and chilies. Pour half the salsa and sauce mixture over this and sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake 20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

I got this recipe out of a kid friendly cookbook, and it's a hit w/ the family...including the kids. I omit the olives though, and it still tastes great to us.

Meal Idea Monday

Honey-Glazed Chicken

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
3 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. oil
4 cups cut-up veggies-I use broccoli and carrots

Cut chicken into bite-size strips and set aside. For the sauce, combine honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and corn starch in a small bowl; set aside. Pour oil into a large wok and heat over medium-high heat. Add vegetables to the wok; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the wok. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring, or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir the sauce, add to the wok’s center, and cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return cooked veggies to the wok; combine veggies and chicken with the sauce, and stir until heated through. Serve over white rice or Asian noodles.

This is super yummy! Blake and I love stir fry, and so I'm always trying new recipes. Some don't work out, but this is a keeper.

Meal Idea Monday

The VERY best "Baked Chicken & Rice" you've ever had...for real

1 ¼ cup uncooked rice
3 cans of: cream of chicken
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup milk
¼ cup French dressing
1 package sliced almonds
parmesan cheese
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Spray a 13x9 pan. Mix all liquid ingredients together. Add rice to half of liquid ingredients and pour in bottom of pan. Lay chicken on top; pour remaining liquid over chicken. Sprinkle generously with almonds & parmesan cheese. Bake at 325° 1 ½ hours, covered with foil for 1 hour. Uncovered for 30 minutes.

This is so good, so easy...and the leftovers are AWESOME!

Meal Idea Monday

Oregano Chicken

1/4 c. butter melted
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large clove garlic, crushed
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Hot cooked rice

Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well. Place chicken in an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour butter mixture over chicken. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Serve it over the rice, with the juices if you'd like. Yummy!! This chicken is so tender and full of flavor!

Meal Idea Monday

Chicken Almond Stir-Fry

2 tbs. vegetable or sesame oil
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 (2.25 oz.) package sliced almonds
1 (16oz.) package frozen broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts
1 tbs. cornstarch
1 tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup pineapple juice
Hot Cooked Rice

Pour oil around top of preheated wok, coating sides, or in a large nonstick skillet. Heat briefly at medium-high heat. Add chicken and almonds; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add frozen vegetables; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once.
Combine cornstarch and next 4 ingredients; add to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Serve over rice.

This is super yummy...and my kids even love it! I marinade my chicken in a little soy sauce before cooking, to add some extra flavor. It's really easy too.

Meal Idea Monday

White Bean Chicken Chili


1 lb. dried Great Northern Beans
2 medium onions, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
3 (4.oz) cans chopped green chilies, undrained
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
6 cups chicken broth
5 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ C. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

-Sort and rinse beans; place in a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water; let soak overnight. Drain; set beans aside.
-Sauté onion in hot oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat until tender. Add green chilies and next 3 ingredients; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
-Add chicken, 1 c. cheese, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cilantro if desired.
-To serve, ladle chili into soup bowls. Top each with remaining cheese. Yields: 13 cups.

-For the chicken broth, I keep the broth from boiling the chicken. When boiling the chicken, I add minced garlic, a couple bay leaves and some chicken bouillon. The broth is excellent. I put the extra in a container in the freezer, for future chicken noodle soup. This recipe is from Southern Living...and it SOO good!

Meal Idea Monday

*This is one of Blake's favorite meals.

Chicken Divan

2 pkgs. (10oz. each) frozen broccoli spears, or one large bunch of fresh broccoli
1 can (10oz.) of condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ C. Sour Cream
1 TB Lemon juice
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
2 C. Cubed Cooked Chicken
1 TB Butter
1/3 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ C. Unseasoned Bread Crumbs


Cook broccoli according to package directions or until slightly tender; Cover bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish w/ broccoli. In Medium bowl, mix soup, sour cream, lemon juice, soy sauce, and garlic powder; Stir in chicken; pour over broccoli. Set aside. Melt butter in small pot; Stir in Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; Sprinkle over casserole; Cover w/ foil. Cook at 350˚ for
40-45 minutes.

*I serve this with a salad and bread

Meal Idea Monday

I'm gonna try something new here, and post a meal idea every Monday. I really enjoy meal planning, and cooking...and thought I would share some of our favorites on here.

Pork Chalupas

1 4lb. Pork Shoulder Roast

1 lb. dried pinto beans

3 (4oz.) cans diced green chile peppers

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried oregano

3 cloves chopped garlic

Place the roast inside your crock-pot. In a separate bowl, stir together the beans, 2 cans of the chile peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and garlic powder. Pour the whole mixture over the roast, and add enough water so that the roast is mostly covered. Cover, and cook on Low for 8-9 hours. Check after about 5 hours to make sure the beans have not absorbed all the liquid. Add more water if necessary 1 cup at a time. When the roast is fork tender, remove it from the crock-pot, and place it on a cutting board. Remove any bone and fat, and then shred with 2 forks. Return it to the crock-pot, and stir in remaining can of green chiles. Heat through, and serve with flour tortillas, or tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.

This is SO yummy, and it makes a lot!! I made this last week, and we froze enough for a couple of meals, and ate this for 3 days IN A ROW! That's how good it is. We were not tired of it at all!

I made it with a beef roast, b/c that's what was on sale. And it was delicous! We couldn't tell a big difference between the pork and the beef roast. Let me know if you try it.

Meal Idea

Box of pizza crusts

pizza just the way we like it

So in the snack bar of Sam's (probably Costco too) you can purchase a case of already made pizza crusts. They are $17.00 for 14 crusts. It comes out to be like $1.20/crust. They are frozen and have to stay frozen until you need one...so you have to have some freezer room. We recently bought an upright freezer for our garage...so this was one of my first purchases. It has been so fun and so easy. They are great for a fast, and inexpensive dinner. It's also a great way to get the family involved. Aiden helped me make this pizza. They take 5 minutes to defrost and about 10 minutes to bake. I made a BBQ Chicken pizza last week, and it was a hit. Just thought I'd pass the savings on to you...if you don't have a Sam's card, let me know and we can meet up there.