Salmon Chowder

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 2 cans salmon (I'm sure fresh would be better, but canned is what we had)
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (we did less, but with cheese I doubt you can go wrong with more either)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, and dill. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn, and cheese. Cook until heated through.

Chili Tortilla Stacks

We made these a few weeks ago after a Fast Sunday, and man, they were hearty. Way heavier than we expected. But also really ridiculously good. I didn't get a picture, but they look somewhat like this, except I think they looked better. I could only handle eating one, and felt too full after that. Next time we'll be cutting them like little pizzas for smaller and more reasonable portions.


Ingredients

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup salsa, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided (we used about half this)
• Sour cream, sliced black olives, and chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef with garlic in large skillet until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa, beans and green onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Place 4 tortillas on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread half of bean mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to edges, using about 1/3 cup bean mixture for each tortilla. Top with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering with 4 more tortillas, remaining bean mixture and 3/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining 4 tortillas. Spoon remaining salsa evenly over tortillas, spreading to edges.
3. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and sliced olives. Bake 5 minutes more or until heated through. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Quinoa and Black Beans

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Source and pictures here

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
3. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source and Pictures can be found here

Peach Salsa

This is one of my mom's favorite recipes! 

• 2 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and diced 
• 2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped and slightly packed

Toss tomatoes, peaches, onion, cilantro and peppers together. Add lime juice, sugar and salt and toss to combine. Taste and add additional lime juice and sugar as needed. Serve on or with grilled salmon.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is the easiest enchilada recipe ever! They're yummy and *so* easy to prepare! When I need to make dinner for company in a hurry I'll make these, using canned chicken or turkey, and while they bake prepare a green salad and a dessert. It's a handy recipe!

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup sour cream (divided)

1 can cream of chicken soup (divided)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional--I don't think it needs this)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2-1/4 cups cooked, cubed chicken (canned works fine!)

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

2 oz. green chiles (optional)

8 flour tortillas

Directions:

Combine half of the sour cream and half of the cream of chicken soup together. Mix well. Set aside.

Combine the remaining sour cream and cream of chicken soup, cumin, salt, pepper, chicken, and chiles. Mix well.

Spoon the chicken mixture into tortillas and roll to close. Place filled tortillas folded side down in greased 9x13 pan. Top with reserved soup and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Classic Coney Sauce

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We had this with our hot dogs for the 4th of July, and it was yummy, and rapidly devoured! It's a sweet sauce, not a chili. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until beef is browned. Drain. Transfer the beef and onion to a slow cooker and stir in the ketchup, sugar, vinegar and mustard. Season with celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Cover and simmer on Low setting for a few hours before serving. Serve on top of hot dogs topped with cheese.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

http://allrecipes.com/Cook/10825170/Profile.aspx

Ingredients

• 5 potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used a combination of yellow and dijon)
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used miracle whip)
• Paprika and parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peeled, diced potato chunks and cook until tender but still a bit firm, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, relish, garlic salt, celery salt, mustard, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix together well, garnish with paprika and parsley, and refrigerate until chilled. 

Quick Chicken Pasta

• 2 cups rotini pasta
• ¼ cups finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can cooked chicken
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chicken broth or water + chicken bouillon 
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup frozen broccoli pieces or peas (optional)
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Boil the rotini in water with a dash of salt until cooked through. Drain. 

In a large frying pan, saute olive oil, garlic, and onion on medium-low heat until onion is tender. 

Add cream of mushroom soup and chicken broth and stir together to blend well. When everything is smooth and mixed well, add canned chicken and cooked pasta. Season with cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. 

Let everything heat together for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and add a little milk if the sauce dries out too much. Top with cheese and serve immediately. 

Basic Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (you can vary the herbs to whatever you like best! Sometimes I'll add a bay leaf too)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water

Directions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into pot. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
2. Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.

Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup wheat bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth OR 1 cup french onion soup (i used a spoon of the dry mix with a cup water)
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 5 balls, and flatten into patties.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties and onion in the oil until patties are nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef patties to a plate, and keep warm.
3. Sprinkle flour over the onions and drippings in the skillet. Stir in flour with a fork, scraping bits of beef off of the bottom as you stir. Gradually mix in the beef broth or onion soup and sherry or vanilla. Season with salt. Simmer and stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Turn heat to low, return patties to the gravy, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice, with steamed veggies on the side. 

Easiest Ever Taco Soup

My fun neighbor Amy gave me this incredible, super-easy recipe for taco soup, and I am in love. It takes mere seconds to put together, and then you just heat it up and wa-lah! So here it is:

Easiest Ever Taco Soup

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 packet taco seasoning

Dump the cans (with liquids) into a saucepan, and add taco seasoning. Mix and warm over medium heat until hot.

Quickest home-cooked dinner ever.

Top with whatever you have on hand. Ideas? Fresh cilantro, sour cream, tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, green onion, sliced olives...I think the options are endless. We like to eat our chili and taco soups with hot cornbread.

Notes: You could also cook hamburger and chopped onion together and add that too. Also, black beans work great too.

Shaun and I tried it with cooked ground venison instead of corn, to make for a heartier dinner (and I wasn't in a corn mood) and it was delicious! I think this is a really versatile recipe, and seriously, if you don't have lots of time to make dinner one night, this will be your best friend. 

Stuffed Zucchini

You can find the original recipe HERE. I love zucchini. LOVE IT! And this recipe is super yummy. Makes the perfect side dish to chicken or fish.

-2 large zucchini (or 3-4 smaller)

-2-3 TB of olive oil

-1 TB butter

-3-4 red potatoes cut into small cubes

-chopped onion

-minced garlic

-2-3 Roma tomatoes chopped

-Shredded cheese (Cheddar or Monterey Jack)

-Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and most of the flesh with a spoon so the walls are about 1/4-inch thick. Brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set each zucchini half face down on a cooling rack, and place the cooling rack on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes in the oven.

Toss the potatoes with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the zucchini is done, throw the potatoes in the oven on a baking sheet for 12-14 minutes.

Melt butter in a frying pan with onion and garlic (best smell ever, in my opinion). Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, and simmer for 3 minutes. Once the potatoes are done, add them to the tomatoes. Stir and simmer for another 3 minutes. Fill each zucchini half with the mixture and top with cheese. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Enjoy!

Navajo Tacos

This seriously delicious recipe comes from our wonderful friend Torri! She said:

I love making scones because you can have them for a good meal like Navajo Tacos and then eat them for dessert too by spreading honey on them or jam and sprinkling with powdered sugar.

Navajo Tacos

1 package yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 egg
2 TBLS oil
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. powdered milk
3 1/4 c. flour
2 TBLS sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Sprinkle yeast in warm water, add all ingredients to form a soft dough.  Use more flour if needed. Divide dough into 2-3" balls and flatten into discs.  Fry both sides in oil OR bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Top with chili, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, olives, anything else you like!

Torri's Lasagna

My wonderful friend Torri sent this recipe for lasagna, which she got from Taste of Home Budget Suppers, and it looks absolutely delicious, and is definitely going on our dinner menu this week! She said:

Our whole family loves this recipe!  It is so good--I'm not a fan of ricotta cheese and so this is perfect for me.  It kind of takes a little more work to assemble and get everything ready but we have leftovers for two days most of the time and we still like it two days later. :)


1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (I prefer diced because I don't like big chunks of tomato...but Jared loves the stewed!  So whatever you prefer!)
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
9 lasagna noodles
1 (6 oz) can pitted ripe olives, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cups or 8 oz. shredded mozzerella
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In large saucepan, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until thickened.  (we have never let it simmer and it always turns out just fine!  I just bring it to a boil, then add the olives and assemble the lasagna!)
Meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions.  Discard bay leaf from meat sauce, stir in olives.
Spread fourth of meat sauce in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 in baking dish.  Top with three noodles and a fourth of the cheeses.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce, and cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.  Serves 12.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

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This recipe is from my dear cousin Ashley, and comes highly recommended! 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.