Vegetable Rice Soup ~ Recipe

There is no doubt about it........fall has arrived in the midwest. The leaves have changed colors and coats are definitely a must for outdoor play. For lunch the other day, the girls and I wanted something nice and warm and decided to whip up a quick and easy soup with some leftover rice.

Don't you just love soup? We sure do. You can add just about any vegetables you would like to this soup and if you are vegetarian, try making it with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Also, if you have any vegetables that are on their last leg, chop them up and throw them in.

Vegetable Rice Soup

by Lindsay Wilkes from The Cottage Mama

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

2 - 2.5 cups cooked rice

1 box (3 - 5 cups) good chicken stock (or vegetable stock) 

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Saltine crackers (optional)

Directions: 

Heat olive oil in heavy bottom soup pot. Saute carrots, celery and onion on medium-low heat until they are cooked through, season lightly with salt and pepper. Onions should be translucent and carrots and celery fork tender. Add in thyme and cook for an additional minute. Add season salt.

Pour in stock. You can add in 1 cup of water as well if you don't have quite enough stock. Turn heat up to medium. Place lid on pot and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Take lid off pot and add cooked rice and frozen peas. Taste soup and add salt and pepper, as needed. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and crushed saltine crackers.

I served our soup with a grilled cheese made with munster cheese and apricot preserves. I cut the sandwiches in strips. For some reason my girls will eat the crust if the sandwiches are cut like this.......not sure why, but it works for us!

Also, if you don't have already cooked rice, you could cook a bag of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice in the microwave for 90 seconds and add that to your soup. That would add some nice seasoning as well.

If you would prefer to make this a more Asian flavored soup, you could omit the thyme, add Jasmine rice and a drizzle of sesame oil to finish. So many options. I think that's why I love soup so much, it's so warm and cozy, it's taste even better the next day and there are a ton of ways to get creative!

Tex-Mex Salad Recipe

I love, love, love southwestern food or as some would call it, Tex-Mex.  This is an easy salad that is the perfect accompaniment to enchiladas, tamales or just add in some chicken and you've got yourself a salad that's hearty enough to call dinner.

 Tex Mex Salad

Serves 4-6 (main dish)

Serves 6-8 (side dish)

Ingredients:

2 heads romaine lettuce

2 avocados (chopped)

1 cup frozen corn (defrosted) or fresh (if it's in season)

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sour cream or reduced fat sour cream

1/2 cup salsa

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 limes

Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Make black bean and corn relish.  Combine black beans, corn, red onion and red bell pepper.  Pour over white balsamic vinegar (or other light vinegar), squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lime, season with salt and pepper and allow to sit for a half an hour or up to one day.

For the salad dressing.  Combine sour cream, salsa, the juice of half a lime, chile powder, cumin and salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Every salsa is a little different so you may need to add more salsa or add more sour cream to reach the desired consistency for your dressing.  Taste it to see if you would like to add any more of the seasonings as well.

For the main salad.  Chop up romaine lettuce.  Add avocado, black bean and corn relish, cheese and cilantro.  Pour over dressing and toss to combine.  Garnish the top with more shredded cheese and a bunch of cilantro.  Serve with cut up slices of lime and tortilla chips.

If you would like to serve this as a main course, I would suggest adding some grilled shrimp, chicken or  sliced flank steak.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Baked Apple Pancake

Looking for a delicious family breakfast or a new go-to brunch idea.....how about a Baked Apple Pancake? Easy and inexpensive, but packed with flavor. Not to mention the fact that it will make your house smell heavenly. Give it a try......you're going to like it!

Baked Apple Pancake

SERVES 6

Ingredients:

2 apples, thinly sliced

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

5 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Melt butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Toss the apples into the butter mixture and stir to combine.  Place coated apples into a large pie dish.  

In a blender, combine eggs, flour and milk.  Blend well.  Pour mixture over apples in pie dish.  Place pie dish on top of a baking sheet (to catch any drips).  Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

YUM!

Biscuit Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese and Blackberry-Thyme Sauce ~ Pillsbury Finalist Recipe

I know I've mentioned this before, but just in case you missed it, my mom (Grandma Jane) is one of the 100 finalists in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest coming up at the end of March.  All the finalists' recipes have been made public, so I am thrilled to be able to share her recipe with you (it was a big secret until they officially published them).

Click here to read my original post about her becoming a finalist.

My little man (Caspian) and I will be flying to Orlando, FL next month to watch my mom compete.  We just found out this week that Martha Stewart will be announcing the $1 million dollar winner live on her show (oh, yeah, did I mention that the grand prize is $1 million buckaroos?!?!).  They will be setting up a set for her show in the lobby of the hotel where we are staying and announcing the winner from there ~ how cool is that?  She'll also be walking the floor while the contestants compete.  Usually the bake-off contest airs on the Food Network, but we've yet to find out the date for that one.

Who is going to win is anyone's guess.  All the top 100 recipes sound amazing.......I think it will totally depend on the judges tastes on the day of the competition.  But I have to tell you, I've tried Mom's recipe and it is awesome!  She will compete in the brunch category and the flavor profile she has created is incredibly complex.  You have the savory biscuit corn cake, the creamy goat cheese, the tart lemon and blackberry-thyme sauce.  I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it!

So here's her recipe if you would like to give it a try........

Biscuit Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese and Blackberry-Thyme Sauce

Serves 5 

(2 corn cakes per person)

If you try the recipe, let me know, I'd love to hear what you think.  This would be so good for Easter brunch if you are looking for something a little different to serve.  Also, if you would like a printer-friendly version of the recipe, you can print from the Pillsbury website by clicking HERE.

I think my little man has a pretty good resemblance to the Pillsbury dough-boy these days, so he just may be sporting a little costume for the competition.........you'll just have to wait and see!

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas ~ Recipe

As you might have noticed, I'm on a slow cooker kick lately and this recipe is no exception.  You make the Smokey Chipotle Pulled Pork in your slow cooker during the day and then make the quesadillas right before you're ready to eat.  You can also serve this pork just as it is on a hamburger bun or use it as a filling for tacos.....it's very versatile.

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients:

3-4 pound pork loin roast

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chipotle salsa or 1 tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce (sauce part only)

Flour tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Place pork loin roast in slow cooker and top with onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and chipotle.  Set on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.  

Once pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Return the pork back to the slow cooker to soak up all the juices.  This recipe makes a lot of pork, so you will only use part of it for the quesadillas.  Freeze remaining pork for later use or plan your weekly menu around other recipes using shredded pork.  

To assemble quesadillas, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of tortilla.

Place some of the pork mixture on top of the cheese on one side of the tortilla.  Heat skillet on medium and melt a little butter.  Once butter has melted place tortilla, as pictured above, into pan.

When the tortilla is in the pan, fold the cheese only side over on top of the pork mixture.  We don't want to fold the quesadilla before it goes in the pan because then we won't have butter on both sides of the tortilla.

Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip quesadilla and cook until other side is golden brown.  Once both sides are cooked and cheese is melted, remove from pan and cut in half.

You can make as many of these as you would like or as many as your family can eat!

I like to serve these with some chipotle salsa, but you could dip them in any salsa your family enjoys.  Would also be great with some sour cream or guacamole as well.

Personally, I think two quesadillas is a perfect dinner serving and one is probably good for lunch.  Feel free to get creative here and add in any ingredients you would like.  

This pork is SO delicious, give it a try........you're going to love it!

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup ~ Recipe

I have been asked by quite a few people recently about how I manage my time.  And you know what, that's a really good question.  One that makes me stop and think, how do I manage my time?  I guess I just go about life doing what I love doing and don't really think about how I make it work. Well, I'm going to give it some more thought and I'll try create some posts on time management in the future. 

I'll tell you right off the bat, I don't get 'it all done'.  I don't think anyone does.  You can't be all things to all people all of the time.  I just don't think that is possible.  However, one of the very first things that popped into my head when asked 'how do you manage your time?' was my slow cooker (or crock pot).

The slow cooker is one of the absolute best inventions for the busy mom or for anyone, for that matter.  It allows you to prepare a home cooked meal, but it doesn't put any time constraints on you in regards to when you get it done.  Feeling motivated in the morning?  Throw in all the ingredients and set it on low.  Have a few minutes while the kids are napping in the afternoon?  Throw in all the ingredients and set on high.  You can make dinner work for you whenever it's convenient.  Plus it makes the house smell great all day!

If you like warm, comforting meals, you're going to love my Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup.  This soup can cook all day and through the use of 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice' (I love this stuff), your meal can be ready in minutes when you are ready to eat.

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 box chicken stock

1 can white beans (rinsed)

1 jar green salsa (I used Frontera brand ~ Tomatillo)

1 cup frozen corn

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 package 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice ~ Whole Grain Medley ~ Santa Fe Style'

Garnish (optional): Crushed tortilla chips, shredded jack cheese and sour cream.

Directions:

Place first 8 ingredients into your slow cooker (or crock pot).  I used frozen chicken breasts, but you can use fresh as well.  Set slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Before serving, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Then return chicken back to slow cooker.  Cook your 'ready rice' according to package directions (should only take 90 seconds) and add the entire contents of the package to the soup.  Stir to combine. 

Serve topped with shredded jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips and sour cream, if you so choose.  Soup is delicious re-heated the next day.

I have absolutely no affiliation with Uncle Ben's or Frontera Kitchens, I just happen to like these products for super-easy shortcut meals.

Easy, Healthy Snack ~ Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

I really like snacks.  I definitely prefer to graze throughout the day rather than having three large meals.  I'm always on the look-out of a snack that is great tasting, but also is somewhat healthy.  I don't know about you, but one of my favorite types of snacks is those of the savory, crunchy kind.

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas are an easy, inexpensive, delicious, protein packed snack that you and your family will love.  If you've ever had corn nuts and you like those, then you will certainly like these!

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Dry spice seasoning (any flavor you like)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Drain, rinse and pat dry the two cans of chickpeas.  Place chickpeas onto a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and a liberal amount of any dry spice mixture you like.  Toss to coat.  I used a southwestern seasoning on mine, but you could use a taco seasoning, curry powder, or chinese five spice.........whatever you and your family like.

Bake chickpeas for 40 minutes until they are completely dried out and crunchy.  Check on them around 30 minutes to make sure you don't have any burning since oven temperatures can vary a little.  You know they are almost done when they start to shrivel up and become about half of their original size.  It should take the entire 40 minutes for them to dry out.  

Store in an air-tight container.  

This is a great recipe that the kids can help out with in the kitchen.  Let them pat the chickpeas dry, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning.  And then let them mix it all up.  They will love getting their hands in there!

These crunchy chickpeas are loaded with protein and if you get your cans of chickpeas on sale, they will only cost you pennies to make.  Try finding some seasonings that your children enjoy and this would make an excellent snack to send in school lunchs.   

Roasted Butternut Squash with Onions & Garlic ~ Recipe

Roasted butternut squash with onions and garlic is the perfect fall side-dish to accompany any meal.  Looking for a new Thanksgiving side-dish? Well this could be it.  Simple ingredients with complex flavor.  You can't beat that!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Onions & Garlic

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 large yellow onion

1 head garlic

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel butternut squash, remove seeds/pulp and cut into 1" cubes.  Cut onion in half, remove skin and cut into large chunks.  Separate garlic cloves and peel individual cloves.  Place on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss, using hands, to combine.

Place in oven for a total of 25 minutes or until butternut squash is fork-tender.  Halfway through cooking time, stir up mixture to ensure even cooking on all sides.

Once cooked, the garlic becomes tender and delicious.  Make sure you get some nice caramelization (color) on the onions and butternut squash, that's what gives it such great flavor!

Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy ~ Recipe

Country fried steak must be a southern thing.  People around here in Chicago give me a strange look when I ask them if they have ever had it before.  My family moved from California to Texas right after I turned 13 and I have been hooked on country fried steak ever since.  I guess you could say, it was love at first bite.

Not only is country fried steak delicious, but it is also a very inexpensive cut of meat which makes it perfect for a family on a budget.  If you've never tried country fried steak, I'm sorry to say that you are missing out.  Come on, give this southern classic a try!

Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Ingredients:

For Steak ~

4 cube steaks

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 sleeve of Saltine crackers, crushed

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoned salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.5 teaspoons onion powder

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon butter

For Gravy ~

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 -3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.  Mix flour, saltine crackers, seasoned salt, onion powder and black pepper in a large zip-top bag.  Mix the flour/cracker mixture and crush the crackers while mixing.  Crush them until they blend in with the flour.  Then pour the mixture out onto a large plate.

To bread the cube steaks, dip the steak in the egg mixture, then coat them on both sides with the flour/cracker mixture.  Make sure to cover the entire steak by pressing down on both sides.  Shake any excess breading off before cooking.

Preheat a large, heavy-bottom skillet on medium heat.  Add oil.  Once oil is heated, add butter.  When butter is melted, add steaks.  Cook steaks for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the crust is a golden brown.  You may have to do this in batches if you are cooking more than four steaks or your pan is small.  Once steaks are cooked through, remove from pan and allow to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

Now for the gravy.  Leave the remaining oil and butter in the skillet.  Turn up the heat to medium-high.  Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine with oil/butter.  You want 'cook' the flour.  If you add your milk right away, the flour will retain a lot of the 'flour-y' taste - we don't want that.  Once the flour is cooked, add the milk one cup at a time with a whisk.  Whisk each cup of milk picking up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and dissolving the flour/oil/butter into the milk.  Whisk quickly so as not have any lumps.  Add salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.  Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you can use 2 or 3 cups of milk.  Continue to cook until gravy reaches your desired consistency. 

Serve your country fried steak with mashed potatoes and any vegetable of your choice.  Pour gravy over the top of the steak and potatoes.  Don't forget your garnish!  I used fresh parsley to add some color to the plate.  

Sit back and enjoy this complete comfort indulgence!

Apple, Ham and Cheese Dinner Cups

My mom (Grandma Jane) came to stay with us for a week after baby Cass was born.  Whenever she comes after I have a baby she brings tons of recipes and does major cooking.  She completely stocked our freezer with easy-to-prepare meals and little shortcuts (like already cooked shredded chicken) to make my life easier.

Well, while mom did tons of cooking while she was here, there were a couple recipes she never got around to making, so I decided to try my hand at this one after she left - Apple, Ham, and Cheese Dinner Cups.  Mom forgot the recipe, so I lucked out and found it in our kitchen after she left.  She had already bought all the ingredients, so it was super-easy for me to whip up!  I called them dinner "cupcakes" to entice my girls to give them a try.

Apple, Ham and Cheese Dinner Cups

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers Biscuits (10 count)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup apricot preserves

3/4 cup chopped ham

3/4 cup chopped apple

3/4 cup cheddar or jack cheese

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Substitution: I used left over pork loin (cubed) instead of ham in mine, but chopped, cooked bacon would be delicious as well!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pull out your regular sized muffin pan and spray with cooking spray.  Open biscuit can and stretch out each biscuit to about 2.5"-3" wide.  Place biscuit into muffin tray, pressing it so it's like a little cup that you can use to put your filling inside.

Mix sour cream, mustard and preserves together in a bowl.  Once mixed, add your meat, apple, cheese and green onions.  Divide the mixture among the 10 muffin cups.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.  I suggest using the middle rack of your oven.  

Serve two per plate along with a nice side salad.

Enjoy!

Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Life with three kids is going pretty well.  Have I touched my sewing machine since Caspian was born? Well, no, not even once.  I'll get back to the machine eventually - it's always there waiting for me, ready to welcome me back with open arms.  But this little guy.......he's already growing up right before my eyes, so I am trying to soak up all the little baby time possible.

One of my biggest challenges has been preparing dinner because I'm never quite sure when my little guy is going to nurse.  He tends to want to eat right when I should be cooking dinner - go figure, right?  However, he seems to be doing a pretty good mid-afternoon nap, so I'm trying out some new recipes that I can prepare during the day and then just pop in the oven before dinner.

Today I'm sharing my latest recipe that I tried out last night.  I'm calling it "Mexican Taco Pasta Bake".  It's really all the flavors in a taco, but mixed is mixed in with pasta and cheese.  What could be bad about that, right?

The next time you want to prepare a meal ahead of time, give this one a try.  My husband even went back for thirds!  Would also be great to feed a crowd and your kids will love it too!!

Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 lb. pasta (any shape)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chile)

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 brick light cream cheese

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Topping:

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Garnish:

Sliced green onions, slice black olives, and sour cream.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large saute pan.  Remove beef from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add onion and green pepper to pan and saute until cooked through.  Add back in cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and Rotel.  Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in cream cheese and melt it down into the beef mixture.  Once cream cheese is melted, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  

Drain pasta.  Pour beef and cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour combined pasta and beef mixture into the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the top of the pasta with crushed tortilla chips combined with shredded cheese.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Might need a little longer if it has been refrigerated.  Basically you are just melting the cheese and heating it through since all the ingredients are already cooked.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and black olives.

 

Tortellini Chicken Soup

Fall is finally in the air and nothing feels better than a warm, comforting bowl of chicken soup.  This is a little different take on your traditional chicken noodle soup.  If you're looking for something to soothe the soul, this would be it!

Tortellini Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken or two (bone-in) roasted chicken breasts

1 package fresh tortellini (8 oz.)

Olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 box chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium organic)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt (more, if needed)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions:

Shred or chop chicken.  Heat a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat and drizzle bottom with olive oil.  Add chopped celery, onions and carrots.  Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes.  You want the vegetables to cook, but you really don't want to add much color to them.  

Add thyme and cook another 2 minutes.  Cooking the thyme with release more of the flavor.  Feel free to add more if you like a stronger flavor.  Add salt and pepper as well.  Like I've said before I love black pepper so I would probably add more, but I included a modest amount for this recipe.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is boiling add fresh tortellini and cook according to package directions (probably 6-8 minutes).  In the last several minutes add your chicken.

Sprinkle the top of the soup with some grated Parmesan cheese before serving.  I love this soup with good ole Saltine crackers crushed on top or some crusty french bread for dipping.