Cheesy Broccoli Potato soup

Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup

4 Russet Potatoes peeled and diced
1  broccoli crown cut into small pieces
1/4 of an orange pepper,  minced
1/4 of a yellow pepper, minced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 of a red onion, minced
1 cup whole milk
5 cups skim milk, 1 cup reserved
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup Colby jack cheese
1/2 cup Pepper jack cheese
1 TB butter
2 TB real Hormel bacon pieces (or you could bake your own)
salt
pepper
chives
chopped fresh parsley

Peel and cut potatoes and boil them in a pot of water just until soft. Add Broccoli in about 5 minutes into the boil. It will take potatoes about 10 minutes to boil. Once both potatoes are firm soft and broccoli as well. Empty into a colander. Using the same pan melt the butter in the pan and then add the peppers, garlic, and onion and saute for 1 minute then add 1 cup whole milk and 4 cups skim milk to the pan. Stir frequently as to not scorch the milk to badly. While milk is heat taking 1 cup cold skim milk and mix with a whisk the milk and flour and a 2 cup measuring cup. The consistency shouldn't be too thick but like a bit thicker than a heavy cream. Slowly add it in whisking it into the warm milk. Continue to whisk about 2-3 minutes and add the sour cream until combined. Slowly add cheese about 1/2 cup at a time until melted and you now have a creamy cheese sauce. Add the potatoes and broccoli and hormel bacon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with dry/fresh chives or fresh green onions chopped and fresh parsley.

What I would do differently next time...for me it didn't have enough garlic I would up my garlic to 6 cloves. But I LOVE garlic! And probably a half of red onion. I LOVE red onion. I would also switch the measurements for Colby Jack to 1/2 cup and 1 cup for Pepper Jack. I like the extra "kick" but...I toned it down because I thought my kids would eat it but they wouldn't....so I think next time I might add some actual ham to it (with the bacon too) I just love "pig" LOL. I also used dried chives and fresh parsley next time I think I would prefer freshly chopped chives or green onion.

The next recipe to come will be my Pork Tenderloin recipe! It is SOOOOOO good that even the next door neighbor commented on the rich smell that Sunday...

Beef and a Leaf

This is actually an adaption to a Weight Watchers recipe Beef in a leaf.  We decided it was much easier to just pile up on top instead of trying to put in all in a leaf and rolling it. That and the recipe didn't call for a veggie and we found asparagus was the "perfect" compliment to the dish. So here is my version

Beef steak if you are working with fresh I have discovered that grilling it beforehand is the best but we also use left over grilled steak and just warm it up.  Season the way you like your steak and prepare accordingly. prepare angel hair pasta as defined on package and prepare asparagus to your liking as well. (all simultaneously of course). The recipe for the sauce is as follows you could probably use agave nectar in place of honey or just omit it or possibly use a bit of sugar)

Red Pepper honey balsamic sauce

2 TB honey
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Combine and heat slightly (if re-heating left over beef or even if you grill it fresh) you could marinate the meat in this sauce but I would add more after. It is delicious. I often double the sauce recipe because I could eat the meal with just the sauce, pasta and asparagus and forget the beef. LOL. (although I love the beef too) really to me it is the sauce that makes the dish so yummy. Even my kids LOVE this meal! all of them!

Pasta Fagoli

recipe given to me by Janie Parkhurst

The thing I LOVE about this recipe it is so adjustable to your liking. I will post the recipe she gave me and then I will tell you how I personally like mine.

1 lb ground beef, Italian sausage or ground turkey

1 chopped onion

1 stalk celery, chopped

32 oz clamato juice ro V8

26 oz can pureed tomatoes

14 oz can chicken stock 

14 oz water

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 c. chicken broth

3 level TB chicken soup base

1 lb carrots, chopped

Bunch of asparagus

15 oz can cannelloni beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans AND black beans

1 tsp each of oregano, basil, and paprika

1-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb cooked pasta of choice

Spinach

1. Brown beef, sausage or turkey with onion, garlic and celery

2. Drain and add remaining ingredients minus the pasta and spinach and let cook and simmer while pasta cooks and until carrots and asparagus are tender/firm

3. Cook pasta according to packaged directions

4. Add pasta to soup or serve together separately (if that makes sense) leaving them separate until serving just because it saves better and noodles don't go squishy for left overs. Add spinach if so desire

I love this recipe. I personally love that it is so versatile. I personally like mine with Italian sausage or even chicken sausage. I also like to add spinach after I have combined my soup with my pasta just so the leaves barely go limp. So yummy. I personally like Cavatappi, Fusilli, Raditore pastas with this soup the most. As you can see I never took a picture of this soup myself so above it has Farfalle. Which is fine too but I like the pastas that are squirlie and have holes to hold the soup flavors. I also like fresh herbs vs. dried although you can use dried. I also like parsley in it. You can also add a variety of your own vegetable choices...squash..zuchinni...fresh green beans...etc...

Cinnamon Rolls

I found this recipe on pintrest. I was looking for a new recipe that would hopefully stay fresher longer. I have an awesome family recipe Nathan's mom gave me and they make some awesome tasty cinnamon rolls and a lot of them. BUT...they only stay fresh for two days.  

I had signed up to make a treat to send up to girls camp and I wasn't exactly sure when they were going to be eating them but I wanted to make the treat something someone else may not think to make but something "special" that they would really really enjoy. So I came up with cinnamon rolls and my new found home made brownie recipe...(which I need to share too) But I knew others were sending up brownies so I decided to do cinnamon rolls and found this recipe. I was told to make a dozen and this makes a dozen even so I doubled it. I had given my friend Cami one to take with her to the hospital to enjoy after her surgery only to find out that although she apparently ate it she doesn't remember it. So I had a great excuse to make more. LOL Here it is...drum roll please...and for the record they do stay fresher longer but I will admit all cinnamon rolls taste better heated. 

Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls      

          

(tammysrecipes - pintrest) tweaked by me
Dough

1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. milk
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg beaten, room temperature
4 c. flour
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

      

Filling

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

4 tsp ground cinnamon

                          

Frosting

 4oz cream cheee, softened

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 - 2 tsp milk

1. In large 4 c. measuring cup or larger heat 1/2 c. boiling water add to milk. I heated this mixture again for about 10 secs in the microwave to make it warm enough but not hot to activate yeast.  Add yeast and TB sugar to milk/water mixture and let stand for 5 minutes to activate

2. Then add 2-3 cups flour, sugar, butter, salt and egg into your mixer (I use a kitchen aide with bread hook) Add the yeast mixture and then add the pudding and enough dough (about 4 cups) until it pulls from sides and then knead 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

3. Spray or oil and large bowl and rise in warm place until double about 1 hour

4. Gently punch down down  and knead a few minutes to relieve excess bubbles (but honestly rolling the dough out will help with that) lightly oil or flour a surface and roll out dough into a rectangle about 12 by 17 inches. The more rectangular you can get it the better the rolls will turn out. (not easy to do though).

5. Let butter for filling sit in warm place while dough rise it will make it the perfect softness for the middle. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and blend well together. After dough is rolled out. Take butter and spread with hands across the dough evenly. Then sprinkle the sugar and spread evenly on top of the butter. 

6. Roll the dough lengthwise and then cut into even rolls and place in a pan coated in cooking spray.

Cover with damp cloth in warm place and let rise again 40 minutes

7. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

8. Frost immediately.

For frosting. Make while the rolls are in the oven. Note: although the recipe calls for cream cheese. I didn't use it in my recipe although I am sure it would be great. I didn't want to have to refrigerate it. (I did use butter and milk though and still didn't refrigerate them. LOL)  I also made it a thinner frosting (more like a glaze by adding more milk). Combine frosting ingredients and then beat on high with cookie beater for 4 minutes until nice and creamy.

         

Chicken Caprese

NOW THIS IS A KEEPER!!!

I give this recipe:

♥♥♥♥♥

That is the best it can get! LOVED it!

Now like most recipes I find from Pintrest...I tweaked it...and it was worth it. This is the recipe...TRY it!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (because that is how many I made)

Mozerella cheese

Roma Tomato

Large fresh Spinach leaves

Large fresh Basil leaves (or several small) the basil MUST be fresh!!!

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Garlic salt 

1/4 c. Balsamic Vingegar (or more if you want some for extra) (I did)

Salt and Pepper chicken to desired taste. Grill (I used a foreman but I am sure it would be better on an outdoor grill)

While chicken is grilling I prepared red skinned mashed potatoes and steamed some asparagus to go with it. 

When chicken has about 10 more minutes  preheat oven on broil or highest heat then heat balsamic vinegar on stove and I added some garlic salt. (although fresh and crushed would probably be even better)

Cut mozerella thin as well as the tomatoes. Pull Spinach leaves off stem as well as Basil set aside

When chicken is finished grilling place in a oven safe dish (coated with cooking spray) top with Mozerella cheese, basil leaves (to cover the entire chicken breast) then Spinach (to cover entire breast)  then top with tomato (covering entire breast)  

Broil for about 5-8 minutes until cheese starts to brown and tomato is warmed..

Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve over mashed potatoes with asparagus (or veggie of choice)

YUMMY!

Garlic Knots

♥♥♥♥♥

I give this recipe a 5 heart rating. It was so good...that being said, I tweaked it. I really shouldn't "tweak" things because I usually ruin them. But I did with this and they ended up turning out FAR better than I expected and although I am giving you my "tweaked" recipe...you do have to pay attention as you mix it because I honestly can't give you an exact flour amount I used. so here it is.

This makes about 15 (roll size) you could make them smaller but if you do I would cut the cooking time)

1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/8 cup warm water

2 TB sugar plus 1 tsp sugar 

approximately 3-5 cups flour

2 TB olive oil

1 tsp Kosher salt

Topping

2 1/2 TB melted butter

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

Handful of fresh, minced parsley

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

In a 2 cup measuring cup or larger add 1 1/8 cup warm tap water. Add yeast and 1 tsp sugar and stir with spoon. Let sit 5 minutes to activate (it will get bubbly)

While yeast is activating preheat oven on lowest temperature and then in Kitchen aid mixer or bread mixer. Combine 2 1/2 c. flour, oil, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture. After it is all combined well. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until it pulls from the sides. It will still be a bit sticky.  Let the machine knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky but still pulls from sides. 

Remove the dough and place in a lightly greased bowl (I used the Kitchen aide bowl and just removed the dough and sprayed it with Pam cooking spray. Flip the dough so both sides get a little of the pam. Cover with warm dish towel and set on top of stove (on lowest setting) Let rise approximately 2 hours. It will be doubled.

Remove from bowl onto lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Cut with a knife in half and then halves again until you have about 14-16 pieces about the same size.  Take one between your hands and roll out into a "rope" and then tie a knot and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise 30 minutes. Turn oven up to 400 degrees and cook for 15 minutes (less if you make smaller ones). 

While they are finish cooking (about 5 minutes before done) combine the topping ingredients (omitting the Parmesan Cheese) into a bowl and heat on high 40 seconds in the microwave (or you can do it in a saucepan on the stove if you desire. When knots are done baking pull them out and immediately baste with a brush the garlic butter. Then if you desire sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.