Bean and Ham Soup

Back when I was a kid, my mom would often serve us Campbell's Chunky soup, which I loved and still really enjoy.  They had this one kind, just called bean and ham, and my sister Andrea and I really liked it.  Then they changed the recipe on us, changed it to hearty bean and ham, and we lost all interest in it.  The heartiness was added by tomatoes apparently, and we just didn't love it.  I haven't ever seen the old fashioned version again, so I decided to make it myself.  This was an easy, delicious dinner, and the only thing that was hard was trying to keep the sodium down.  Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, and Aaron, Owen and Jonah gave it a 9.  This is very low in calories, about 260 for a large serving.  Anyway, here is the easy recipe:

1 lb navy beans, rinsed
1 ham steak, chopped
1 T oil, if needed
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 T flour
2-3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 t poultry seasoning
4-8 c chicken broth
Seasonings to taste

Cook the navy beans in water in your crockpot over night.  Check the beans are tender, then reserve some of the bean cooking liquid, and drain the rest of the beans.  On the stove, brown the ham, then add in the carrots and onions, and oil if needed, seasoning as you go.  Stir in the flour, making sure to coat the veggies well.  Add in the herbs, then the chicken broth and reserved bean water and beans.  Cook on the stove until the soup has thickened and is very flavorful and the veggies are tender and the beans are soft, I let mine cook about 3 hours.  Serve.

Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

Aaron really likes honey mustard, and I decided to make him some in the crock pot, because everything for me is better when it can be made in the slow cooker :).  Anyway, this is a quick, easy dinner, and we all liked it with our cheesy mashed potatoes.  Each serving was about 150 calories, and there were six servings.  This received an 8 from everyone except Noah, who gave it a 9.  Here's what I did:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1/4 c honey
2 T olive oil
2 T whole grain garlic mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 T tapioca

Spray the slow cooker with oil.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Mix together the honey, oil, and mustard.  Stir in the lemon juice, and then stir in the tapioca.  Pour over the chicken, and cook it on low about 4 hours, checking to make sure it doesn't over cook.  Serve.

Michael Symon's Pasta with Mushrooms and Sage (and Sausage)

So Michael Symon came out with a new 5 in 5 cookbook, so of course I bought it as soon as possible :).  This is one of the first recipes we tried out of his new cookbook, and although we made slight changes, this is pretty close to the original recipe.  We love us some 5 in 5 around here!  Obviously, we can't have a vegetarian meals around here, so we added Italian sausage to the mix, which was a huge hit.  Aaron gave this a perfect 10, Noah, Jonah and I gave it a 9, and Owen gave it an 8.  Each serving, with the sausage, was 558 for six servings.  Here's what we did:

12 oz Italian sausage, cooked and sliced and set aside

1 lb pasta
1 T olive oil
8 oz (more or less) mixed mushrooms, I used cremini, porcini and oyster
3 T unsalted butter
3 T chopped fresh sage
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Boil the pasta in well salted water until al dente, then reserve 1 c of the pasta water, drain the pasta and set aside.
Over medium high heat, heat the oil and cook the mushrooms, about 3 minutes.  Flip the mushrooms, add the butter, and cook until the butter melts.  Stir in the sage and season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta and reserved pasta water and cook, stirring until blended.  Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese and sausage, and serve with more cheese.

Rachael Ray's Black bean and beef Chili

This was a great chili, and I found the recipe for it on food network's site again.  We gave this a 9, it was tasty, and we liked how there was a rich spice without being burning and overpowering.  I followed the recipe very closely, substituting the mushrooms for a can of drained kidney beans, using only one pound of beef, and I didn't use any oil.  Other than that follow the link to the great recipe!  Each serving, for six servings, was 488 calories.

Noah's Fries Chicken Fried Cheeseburgers

Here's Noah's out of control cheeseburger idea, and it was a hit around here, as well as a hit to any diet ;).  Noah wanted an over the top cheeseburger, and he partly got the idea from one of our favorite restaurants around here, Mama Burger.  They put fries on their burgers, and Noah wanted to do that too.  Anyway, Aaron wanted another one of these, the boys and Aaron gave this a perfect 10, and I gave it a 9, because it was too much for me :).  Each burger is about 700 calories with everything on them.  We chicken fried the seasoned hamburger, topped it with cheese and fries, then made our burgers with toppings to taste.  Here's what we did:

1 lb hamburger meat
soy sauce, onion, powder, garlic salt and salt to taste

1 c flour
salt
dash of cayenne
1/8 t baking soda

1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg
salt

Oil for frying

curly fries, baked
sliced cheese

Toppings such as tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, hamburger buns, and condiments as desired

Heat the oil in a deep pot or a deep fryer to 350.  In two separate bowls, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking soda, then the egg, buttermilk, and salt.  Make the hamburgers with seasonings to taste, then form them into patties.  We made six burgers.  Dip each patty into the flour, then the buttermilk mixture, then the flour again.  Fry for about 5 minutes, then flip to the other side.  Place each patty on a hamburger bun, then top with cheese, fries, and desired toppings.  Serve!

Cook's Illustrated's Tacos (tostadas) al Pastor

Aaand once again we have no picture, I don't actually know what happened to them, but oh well, sigh :).  Tacos al pastor is a pretty traditional taco, and I've always shied away from making them because of the pineapple.  I don't love pineapple with meat, but I decided to go for it, because we are all about tacos in this family :).  I ran out of corn tortillas, and so we made these into tostadas, which worked out well.  This was a hit.  They were a little spicy, a little sweet, and the meat was tender and delicious.  It was also surprisingly simple to make, so a total win around here.  Owen and I gave these a 9, and Noah and Aaron gave them a perfect 10.  Calories are hard to figure out, depending on how many servings you want, but it is low, since the majority of the calories are from the rest of the ingredients, not the meat.  Plan for about 40-50 calories per serving.  I found this recipe from Cook's Illustrated's Best International Recipe cookbook, and here's the easy recipe the way I made it:

3 dried chilies
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
6 oz pineapple juice
1-2 c cut up fresh pineapple
garlic salt, salt, cumin, and a pinch of ground cloves
around 2 lbs pork loin
1 T white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Toast the dried chilies for about 5 minutes, cool them and then stem and seed them.  Cover them with about 3 cups of hot water, and stir them intermittently until the chilies have softened.  Drain the chilies, transfer them to a food processor, then add the pineapple juice and spices, and chipotles and puree until smooth.
Lay the pineapple pieces in a greased square baking dish.  Place the pork on top of the pineapple, then cover it with half of the pureed mixture.  Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake it for about 2 hours.  Remove the pork from the oven and let it set.
Shred the meat with two forks, add in the vinegar, and more of the chili mixture if desired.  Serve.

Owen's Copycat Taco Bell Beefy 5 Layer Burrito

Well, here's another Taco Bell treat, and this turned out so well.  Everyone felt like these tasted just like Taco Bell's Beefy Five Layer Burrito, but with a better tortilla and a little more flavor, so all good things :).  Owen loves this burrito, and so we decided to recreate it at home, and hooray, everyone but Owen gave it a perfect 10, he only gave it a 9 because he doesn't like the spice in the nacho cheese (he gets his without nacho cheese at TB :)).  This isn't really that difficult, the only thing that is in any way difficult is the nacho cheese, and it is important to note that it uses some Velveeta, because nacho cheese isn't the same without processed plastic cheese ;).  Anyway, each serving is around 450 calories and here's what to do:

home made nacho cheese sauce 
1/2 c of 1 lb velveeta melted with 1 can Rotel or Rotel dip
1 lb hamburger
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 can refried beans (canned is better than homemade because of trying to taste like TB, homemade is better if you like food to taste delicious :))
tortillas
grated cheese
sour cream

Mix together the Rotel dip with the homemade nacho cheese, stirring well, and keeping warm.
Brown the hamburger in a skillet and drain the fat from the pan.  Add in the spices to taste, and set aside.  Cook/warm the tortillas, then layer the tortillas with nacho cheese, hamburger meat, refried beans, grated cheese, then sour cream.  Roll and serve.

Thanks Owen for a fun dinner idea :)!

Anne Burrell's Roasted Pork Loin with Cider and Applesauce

While I wasn't sure we were going to love this, especially when things went south with my applesauce, we ended up really loving this.  I found this recipe on food network, and it is Anne Burrell's recipe.  Each serving was 267 calories for six servings, and the score was a 9 from everyone.  I didn't use nuts, and the apples ended up burning, so I supplemented with unsweetened apple sauce that I cooked down with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe, then followed the recipe normally.  This was a fun, easy to make recipe, and we enjoyed it.

Aaron McCargo Jr.'s Chicken Taco Pizza

So these were a HUGE hit at our house, especially with Aaron.  This was an easy recipe I found here, but I made some changes.  The calories, the way I made it, were 620, and Aaron, Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, Jonah says he gave it a 9, and Owen gave it a 7 because he said it was too spicy :).  Here's what I did:

1 T onion powder
1/2 T chili powder
1/2 t dried oregano
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 t ground cumin
salt

1/4 c oil
4 whole garlic cloves, minced
pinch of cumin
1 tube crescent roll dough
1 lb (I used a little more) chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces and seasoned with salt
2 c shredded Pepper Jack and Mexican blend cheeses
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo

Preheat the oven to 425.
Mix the spices together and set aside.
Mix the oil and garlic together with the cumin.  Roll the crescent roll dough out into 2 long strips on a cookie sheet, brush with the oil, sprinkle with a little of the spice mixture, then set it aside.  Mix about 2/3 of the remaining spice mixture with the remaining oil.
Place the chicken in the oil/spice mixture, turning to coat, and then leave it to marinate, around 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, place it on a broiler pan, and bake for about 10 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 375, then bake the crescent roll dough about 7 minutes.  Remove the dough, spread it with more seasoning, then top it with the chicken and the cheese.  Bake for another 5 minutes or so, maybe a little more, then cut into pieces and serve it with pico and guac.

Dave Lieberman's Salmon with Three Bean Salad

I love this easy, fresh fish recipe, it really hit the spot for me, and everyone else seemed to enjoy it as well, just maybe not as much as me :).  I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, and here is the actual link.  I used black beans instead of navy beans, and I baked the salmon in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, since Aaron likes his salmon well done.  Cook less time for a medium rare, about 10 minutes or so.  Each serving was 420 calories for six servings with the avocado on top.  Noah gave this a perfect 10, I gave it a 9, Owen and Aaron gave it a 7.  This is fresh and delicious!

Copy Cat Taco Bell's Seven Layer Burrito

Yay for Taco Bell!  I love Taco Bell, and anyone who knows me is prepared to have me vote for Taco Bell every time we go out to eat :).  I used to love Seven Layer Burritos from them, but they changed the recipe of their rice, probably to make it more healthy, but that changed the flavor and now I don't like the seven layer burritos anymore.  So I set out to make something similar, but since I like my beans to have more flavor, and be spicier, it wasn't the same.  It was a huge success here, since we all love burritos anyway, and this was a good one.  Aaron, Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, and Owen gave this a 9 because it was spicier than he liked.  This is highly dependent on how big your burrito is for calories, but count around 400.

Here's the fun and easy recipe:

Tortillas

My Favorite Refried Beans, using chorizo rather than bacon 

PW's Mexican rice casserole

grated cheese, I used Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack

Wholly Guacamole (I wanted a Taco Bell Guacamole flavor)

Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce (I used spinach, green onions, and cilantro mixed, ice burg is traditional)

Tomatoes

Layer the ingredients on the tortillas, and serve

Flour, Too's Pork Loin with Mojo Sauce

So I wasn't sure I was going to feature this recipe, since I changed it a little, and didn't do all the recipe said to, but we really enjoyed this pork and sauce, all of us giving this a 9, except Noah who gave it a perfect 10, and it was relatively easy, so good things :).  Each serving was 292 calories for six servings.  Flour, Too, is where I found this recipe, and I was happy to be able to crockpot this and still have it turn out well.  I ended up leaving the pork in the brine for almost 48 hours in the fridge, and it was just so flavorful and tender.  Here's what to do:

Brine:

1/4 c salt
1/2 c packed brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, halved
1 t dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T fennel seeds
1 T coriander seeds
3 bay leaves
1-2 lb pork loin

Oregano Mojo:

1 cup (more or less) fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c freshly squeezed lime juice
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1/2 t salt
pepper

onion powder, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper to season the pork

Mix the brine ingredients in a large pot with 2 1/2 qt water, bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Let it cool completely, then place the pork in the brine and refrigerate at least over night.

Make the Mojo by mixing all the ingredients together, stirring well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

When ready to cook the pork, season the pork, then place in a greased crockpot.  Allow the pork to cook for around 4-6 hours on low, making sure not to overcook.  Serve with the mojo sauce.

Vicki's Crockpot Beef Stew

This was a really good beef stew, but it didn't come out the way I wanted it to, which was more like beef borgignon.  Oh well, it was delicious anyway, and very beefy :).  I always love making things in the crockpot, because I have way more energy in the morning, and then when dinner rolls around, I am ready to go without any extra work.  This came to about 250 calories per serving, and we all gave this an 8.  Here's what to do:

3 slices thick cut pepper bacon, diced
2 lb beef stew meat, well seasoned
2 T flour
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 T tomato paste
1 T butter
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper
1-2 c red wine
3-4 c beef broth
2 T tapioca

In a pan, crisp the bacon, then set it aside.  Toss the beef with the flour, then in the same pan as the bacon, brown the meat on all sides.  Set it aside.  In the same pan, cook the carrots and onions, season them and allow them to soften, mix in the tomato paste, allow the tomato paste to cook a little, then pour the veggies into the crock.  Place the bacon and beef on top of the veggies.  Deglaze the bacon cooking pan with the red wine, allowing the wine to reduce a little, then add in the thyme and rosemary, and pour the wine over the beef.  Add in the beef broth and tapioca, just enough broth to cover the meat completely.  In the same pan, cook the butter and mushrooms, seasoning them and allowing them to soften.  Place them in the crock, turn it to low, then cook for at least 8 hours.  About 1/2 hour before serving, turn the heat to high, and take off the lid to allow the liquid to reduce a little.  Serve.

Flour, Too's Parmesan Polenta

I didn't grow up in a house where we ate any kind of southern food, so I didn't try grits until I stayed at a friend's house over night, and her mom made us grits for breakfast.  I loved them, promptly went home and told my mother that, and she just grimaced and said she wasn't going to make grits any time soon :).  I still don't have grits, or polenta, very often, but when I do I always enjoy them, and this is a delicious recipe from Flour, Too.  We had some short ribs along with the polenta, also from Flour, Too, but I am only going to feature the polenta.  It's an easy recipe, and we gave them a 9, and each serving was 155 calories for 9 servings.  Here's the easy recipe the way I did it:

3 c beef stock
2 c whole milk
3/4 t salt
1 c coarsely ground polenta
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the stock, milk and salt to a boil.  Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream.  Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, about 15 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan.  Season to taste and serve.

Nacho Cheese Mac N Cheese

So this was one of Noah's ideas, he loves to think of fun foods.  We weren't sure how this would come out, but the end result was yummy and interesting.  It looks like mac n cheese, but it has a nice kick to it.  The sauce wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good, and we really liked it with chips, so that was a nice plus, because I love me some nacho cheese :).  We all gave this an 8, and each serving was 415 calories when divided into 8 servings, and that will leave some nacho cheese left over.

2 c elbow macaroni, cooked until al dente
1 T canola oil
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 t cumin
about 2 T Rotel
3 1/2 c milk
3 T cornstarch
6 c grated cheese, I used a mixture of pepper jack, cheddar, and Monterey Jack


Mix the cornstarch with the grated cheese.  Heat the oil, then add the jalapeno, tomato, cumin and onion.  Season the veggies and cook until they are tender, stirring often so they don't burn.  Add in the milk and Rotel, stir it well and make sure the milk is warm.  Remove the pan from the heat, add in the cheese, and stir well until the sauce comes together.  Use about 3 cups (more or less) of the sauce and mix it with the macaroni, then serve.

Vicki's Nico's Super Fries

During the many years we lived in Tucson, one of the things we most enjoyed was the amazing Pima library system (really just I did :)), the cost of living, but mostly the variety of things to do and places to eat.  I am definitely a city girl at heart, and although Tucson isn't my favorite city ever, I loved living there.  Aaron not so much...:)  Anyway, they had a chain of shops there called Nico's Taco Shop, and we loved it.  They had these super fries that Aaron and I would split, and it was delicious.  We started going there while we were without kids, and continued going after both of our first two.  The boys loved their beans and rice.  Anyway, we don't have a Nico's here, so I decided to recreate the recipe.

One of the important things is the amount of cheese used.  I always love cheese, but for these, there doesn't need to be too much cheese.  Aaron and I both felt like this was a really good take on one of our favorite take-out foods, we gave it a perfect 10, and so did Owen, and Noah gave it a 9.  Each serving, for 5 servings, was 583, but that includes LOTS of steak.  Here's the easy recipe

Pico de Gallo:

3 Roma tomatoes (or a little less), chopped

1/2 large jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

2 T chopped cilantro

salt

Guacamole:

1/4 recipe Pico de Gallo

2 Haas avocados

salt

Steak:

1/4 c tequila (or a balsamic vinegar and some soy sauce might be good too if you don't use alcohol)

1 lime, juiced

dash of coriander

2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1/2 large jalapeno, diced

salt

1/4 c olive oil

1.5 lbs flank steak, trimmed of fat and seasoned

Fries-homemade or storebought

sour cream

1/2 c Mexican cheese

Mix together the ingredients for the pico and stir well, being sure to be generous with the salt.  Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Mix together the tequila, lime, coriander, garlic jalapeno and salt.  Drizzle in the olive oil, then pour over the flank steak.  Let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

When ready to prepare, cook the fries either in the oven, or if frying your own, in oil.  Mix together the guacamole, then portion the fries onto five plates.  Top each fry portion with cheese, then top with steak.  Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.  

Flour, Too's Sausage and Lentil Soup

One of our most favorite soups ever, this stew from Flour, Too was amazing.  Aaron and I gave this a perfect 10, and the boys gave it a 9.  I made a couple of changes to make this more our style, and it was so flavorful and delicious.  Each serving, for 12 servings, was 189 calories the way I made it, and here's the recipe:

12 oz sweet Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 T tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 T paprika
1/2 t thyme
1 t turmeric
1 t oregano
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/2 t curry powder
2 small potatoes, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and chopped
1 small turnip, peeled and chopped
2 quarts chicken broth
1 c tomato sauce
3/4 c green lentils, rinsed
2 c arugula

Cook the sausage over medium heat until well browned, then with a slotted spoon remove the sausage to a plate.  In the left over grease, cook the onion, garlic, carrot, salt and celery until the onions are translucent, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Add in the tomato paste and salt, then add in the bay leaves and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low, add in the spices, and toast the spices for 3-4 minutes.
Add the sausage back in, then stir well, add in the potatoes, parsnip, leeks, and turnip.  Add the broth and the tomato sauce, and stir in more salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add in the lentils and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Discard the bay leaves, then add in the arugula.  Serve.

Simply Recipe's Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Pasta Salad

This is a great summer salad, I loved having something easy and fresh to make for our family that was a great light dinner on a hot night.  I found this easy recipe here, but I will post the ingredients I used, which are a little different from the recipe.  Follow the link for instructions.  Each serving was 351 for six servings, Aaron and Noah gave it an 8, Jonah really liked it, I gave it a 9, and Owen gave it a 6 because he didn't like the peppery flavor.  Here are the ingredients I used:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 oz tri-color rotini
1/2 t chipotle chili powder
1/4 t ground coriander (to also sprinkle on the shrimp)
salt
3 slices thick cut pepper bacon
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 c diced red bell pepper
1/3 c diced green bell pepper
1 green onion, diced
1 avocado, chopped

Dressing:
1 1/2 t whole grain garlic mustard
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T white wine vinegar
salt
2 T olive oil

Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches

This was a really easy, delicious recipe, and I am happy at how much my family liked this.  I used toasted brioche, which made for a super delicious sandwich, but any good quality sandwich bread would work, just maybe not quite as well.  I used my basil cream chicken recipe, without making the sauce, and spread the bread with pesto, and topped the sandwich with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, arugula, and cucumbers.  This was a hit for us, and although each sandwich was around 600 calories, it was delicious, something we'll have again.  We all gave this a 9.

Noah's Fried Chicken Burritos

Isn't my Noah so cute?  This was his idea for a meal to have, and it was a hit around here, as most burrito recipes are, and when we fry things, people like them even better :).  I did the same thing as these chicken nuggets, just altering the spices and cutting the chicken up smaller.  We all gave this a 9, and the calories per burrito were about 450.  Here's the easy recipe:

oil for frying
12 oz chicken tenders, cut into small bite size pieces and seasoned

1/4 c flour
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion powder
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
pinch of baking soda
salt and pepper to taste

1 egg
1/2 c buttermilk

1/2 c bread crumbs
seasonings to taste (spices, salt and pepper)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  In one bowl mix together the flour and seasonings, the next bowl mix together the egg and buttermilk, and in the third bowl mix together the bread crumbs and additional seasonings.  Dredge the chicken in the first bowl, then the second, then finally the third.  Drop the nuggets into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown.  These cook very quickly, so just get them brown and serve them.  We like our burritos with refried beans, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, cheese, and of course salsa :).