Chicken Cheese Tortilla Soup

knock off of the Applebees soup

Serves 8-10
Prep Time 1:15

Tortilla strips or chips
1 large onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 TBS vegetable or olive oil
15 oz can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
up to 1/2 cup hot sauce - to taste (tabasco red sauce or taco bell packets)
1/2 med. green bell pepper - seeded minced (optional)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 lb. boneless, skinless cooked chicken cubed (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or fat free half and half)
1/4 cup sour cream (low-fat okay)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro - for garnish (optional)

Step one:    In a large pot over medium high heat, saute onions and garlic in oil until soft
Step two:    add the next 10 ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes
Step three:  whisk flour/water mixture into soup
Step four:   bring contents of pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally
Step five:   add chicken to pot and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Step six:     add cream, sour cream, and cheese to pot; stir until cheese has melted.
Step seven: pour soup into bowls, pile tortilla strips into "haystack" shape on top of the soup and garnish with cilantro

Butternut Squash Green Apple Soup

I can't think of a better title for this creation - feel free to help me rename it!


1 butternut squash - broiled (1/2 ed, 35-40 min @ 400), cooled and peeled
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 onion (yellow or white) chopped
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup milk
3 apples halved and baked at 400 for 10 minutes
5 baby carrots - steamed
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
spices: nutmeg, ginger, salt, pepper (all to taste), 3 bay leaves

Directions:
Step one: melt butter
Step two: cook onion until transparent (8 min or so)
Step three: cut squash in 1 " chunks
Step four: add squash and stock to onion and butter
Step five: add spices
Step six: cool
Step seven: puree
Step eight: add sugar, maple & milk
Step nine: reheat and serve

Crockpot Herb Pototoes

made for Chad's birthday dinner on December 18, 2011

• 6 medium red potatoes
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 onion chopped in large wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil or butter

Directions:

1. 1
   Chop potatoes into half moons (slice potato in half longways, then into pieces). Place into crock pot.
2. 2
   Add water and sprinkle with all the herbs and seasoning. Stir to distribute the herbs.
3. 3
   Add olive oil or butter in separate pieces on top of the potatoes.
4. 4
   Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until tender.
5. 5
   Note: It may take less time to cook, I'm never home to check when they are actually ready! I've let them cook up to 8 hours and they are still good.

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
I made these as my neighbor gifts this year!  Look how cute they turned out!

Ingredients:
Mix in a food processor

4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt

Take 1 cup of the above mixture
add:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (or to desired consistency)
optional: add one mashed banana and 3/4 cup of blueberries

Maple Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp maple flavoring
Mix and boil for 3 minutes.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar - can substitute Sucanat
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree - or puree from fresh sugar pumpkin http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv314.htm
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and clove.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 263 | Total Fat: 10.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg

Kristi's Awesome Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is a combination of several recipes from Allrecipes.com.  I served these at Timon's Baptism and am now making them again for our December Freezer group sway 2011.

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
•  
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened (can be melted too)
•  
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

OR

Maple Frosting: 

4 T butter, softened

5 C powdered sugar

3 T maple syrup
1 t vanilla

dash of salt
1/4-1/3 C milk

Directions

1. Place milk and yeast ingredients in mixer.  Add melted margarine/butter, eggs, salt, and sugar.  Using kneading hook add flour until dough pulls away from the sides.  
2. Set dough in a greased bowl under over light, covered for 1 hour.
3. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter (I never use this much and always have left overs) and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
5. Freezer version - place the rolls onto a parchment paper in the freezer.  Once hard freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw - put in fridge for 24 hours.  Then bring to room temp on the countertop (covered with a cloth) until 1/2 again or doubled in size.
6.  Back to non-freezer version: Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
7. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Oven-Roasted Sweet-Potato Wedges

3 small sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (or use dry)
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450.  Peel sweet potatoes.  Cut each potato lengthwise into 16 wedges (or more if you like yours crunchy).  In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients.  Toss well to coat.  Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake poattoes for 30 inutes or until soft and lightly browned, turning wedges after the first 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.