Slow Cooker (or stove top) Potato Soup

ok I know I haven't updated this blog in f.o.r.e.v.e.r. But I made this soup tonight and it was AMAZING! Seriously. Make this soup. It's easy, fast and healthier than traditional potato soup. Oh my goodness...and so good!

Photo Courtesy The Tidy Nest


Slow Cooker Potato Soup from The Tidy Nest

Click the link to go to her website for the recipe (and you can even get a printable version. oooo,fancy!)

It's basically just potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, chicken broth, salt and pepper that's simmered until the veggies are done and then you put in a can of evaporated milk and some dried parsley. I also added some garlic and Thyme (as the author suggested) and I really think that made the dish. I served it with garlic bread. OH ....and you don't even have to use your Crockpot for this. I did it over the stove in my dutch oven and it was ready in about 20-30 minutes. Actually - I'm kind of wondering how the veggies would do in the crockpot all day long. I say skip the crockpot this time around and instead just have everything pre-chopped and ready to go. When you get home from work/driving the kids around/going insane with a busy schedule - just plop everything in a big pot, cook until veggies are tender, throw in the milk and parsley and you'll be good to go.

Enjoy!!!!

Beef Sausage and Balsamic Tomatoes

Photo Courtesy of Kayotic Kitchen

HOLY SAUSAGE, BATMAN!! This was SO good! I made it tonight for family dinner with my parents and grandparents. My mom's secretary for a middle school and today was the kids' first day back. So I wanted to let her come home and totally relax, without worrying about what to make for dinner. I brought everything over to their house and it was SO EASY to put together. Plus, it just popped in the oven and required minimal checking, so I could actually enjoy some time with the family. This would be the perfect meal to make while having friends or family over. You have a nice hot meal, the kitchen stays pretty clean and you can chat away while multitasking in the kitchen and look like you totally have it all together. Seriously....try this recipe. Please. I made homemade garlic bread but whatever kind of bread you have would do. You do need bread though (if you have a/go to Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market, pick up one or two of their Garlic Loaves. Seriously would be SO good with this)! Lots of bread to sop up all the yummy juiciness at the bottom of the pan. Oh and whatever kind of sausages 9or Brats) you have would work too. I like to keep on-sale brats or sausages in my freezer for quick meals. So that's what I used for this. Anything would do. I also served a salad on the side. You gotta have some kind of greens, I guess. :) I'll give you a VERY QUICK how to with this recipe but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit Kayotic Kitchen because she gave an awesome story and photo step by step on how to make it.

Kayotic Kitchen's Beef Sausages & Balsamic Tomatoes

http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/beef-sausages-balsamic-tomatoes

I made this for 6 adults and 2 kiddos. So I made some adjustments. I would say to plan on one to two sausages per person.

Ingredients:

6 beef sausages (I used 10)
2 small red onions
1 pound cherry tomatoes (I only had a pound so then I cut up 2 Roma Tomatoes into thick wedges and added them)
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (5 or 6 for me)
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
fresh basil
pepper
salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350

Thinly slice up the garlic and cut the onions into wedges or thick slices.

In a big rosting pan or a 9X13 baking dish add the EVOO, garlic, sausages and salt and pepper (be nice and generous on the S&P, this will help season your "sauce" too). Flip and toss the sausages around so all the oil/seasoning/garlic get mixed together.

Add onions and do a couple more tosses.

Pop it into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

The sausages will start to brown already. After the time is up, pull them out and toss in the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.

Pop it back into the oven for another 15 minutes or so. The skin of the tomatoes will split and pucker. Take it out when it looks done.

***Tip -- if you're going to bake/reheat some bread (like the Garlic Loaf from Fresh and Easy. :) ) pop it in now too. That loaf normally take about 8-10 minutes. :) Then prep your salad if it's not already done.

Take it out when it's done. Tear up a couple bunches of basil and then stir it in.

Serve and sit back while you get a bunch of "oooos and ahhhhs" :). Use the bread to soak up all the yumminess.

Go back for seconds. :)

Santa Fe Chicken

I have discovered a new recipe website and I am IN LOVE!!!! Gina's Skinny Recipes is a super amazing website filled with tons of healthy, WEIGHT WATCHER recipes that are gooooooooood. So far, I've only made a couple but I am sure that her recipes will be on our menu for quite some time! :) Please.....for all that taste good and scrumptious....go over and check out her site.

This chicken recipe was great and oh-so-versatile! The first night I made it I also made her Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice and used them in lettuce wraps. However, I quickly ditched the lettuce leaves and just scooped the chicken and stuff on top of the rice. Gina said that she really likes to use the two as a rice bowl. I can see why. De-lish! Darrin put it on top of some chips we had leftover and ate them like nachos. He said he could hardly make himself stop eating it! :)
The second night I used them in chicken enchiladas. She also has a Chicken Enchilada recipe that looks great and the sauce is from scratch. mmmm....
And for the final night (yes....this one dish fed our family of 4....well, 2 and the kids.... for THREE meals AND I have leftovers of the enchiladas, so 4 if you count that leftover meal!) I think I'm going to use them as topping on baked potatoes or maybe in a taco salad. There's not THAT much leftover, but enough for one more meal. I can't wait! :)

Here it is! I followed the recipe as-is with one small change...I only put in 1 cup of chicken broth rather than the 14 oz. Many people on her site commented that it was a bit soupy. I'm happy with my change. :)

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken from Gina's Skinny Recipes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast --- I put in 4 frozen chicken breast portions (5oz each)
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies --Rotel
15 oz can black beans (drained)
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth --**I only used 1 cup
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).


********I didn't mix separately. I put the chicken in, dumped everything on top and closed the lid. Then I stirred after the chicken thawed a bit. Mine was done in about 5 hours on high. So I shreded the chicken (while still in the pot), put the lid back on and set it to Warm for another couple hours until dinner time. It was good, but the chicken was a little more done than I would have liked. Not a huge deal though. Just FYI. ****

Broccoli Chicken Dijon Stirfry

From Food.com -- Broccoli Chicken Stirfry


1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
4 cups broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Change Measurements: US Metric

Directions:

1. Mix chicken broth and soy sauce; set aside.
2. Cook and stir broccoli and garlic in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until crisp-tender.
3. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
4. Add chicken to skillet; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Add broth mixture; mix well.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low.
8. Stir in mustard until well blended.
9. Return broccoli mixture to skillet; mix lightly.
10. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.


My thought - This was really good served with brown rice. I wasn't as heavy as a normal stirfry but still had that great soy sauce flavor. I put a little bit of red pepper flakes with the veggies too which gave it a little bit of heat, but not overpowering or anything. I also added red bell peppers and you could totally add whatever veggies you have in the fridge!

White Sandwich Bread

I've been on the hunt for a good, plain sandwich bread and I've finally found it! This is a white bread that has a great flavor, nice chewy crust, soft texture inside but not too soft ...it holds together just right with a good spring. Love it!

King Arthur Flour - White Sandwich Bread


1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water* ----------------I only used 1 cup
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Directions
1) If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy. **Jenn's note -- if using a bread machine to make the dough, the dough cycle already has this step in it. Skip this proof and go straigh to #4**

4) Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into an 8" log.

5) Transfer the log, smooth side up, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.

6) Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7) Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, till the crust is golden brown, and the interior temperature measures 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. As soon as it's completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; or in a plastic bag, air pressed and fastened securely at the top.

Mennonite Recipes

My grandparents are German and both came from a Mennonite community. My Grandma has this amazing Mennonite Church cookbook that she cherishes (seriously, you could take anything from her house....except this book. I even get a little nervous touching it). Anywho - the idea came up for me to make Paska Bread for Easter. Then my sister had the idea for me to make Zwieback....a traditional Mennonite roll. When I asked if I should just make one, or both (thinking that two breads would be a bit overkill), my grandpa jumped in and said "BOTH!!" lol Since he doesn't ask for anything...there's no way I was going to say no to that request! :) So now I'm looking at different recipes and researching information about both breads. I've stumbled upon this wonderful site called Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I'm like a kid in a candy store! In order to not forget all the yummy recipes I'm coming across, I'm going to post the links below...then I can make sure to come back to this post and remember which recipes I liked and where I found them. Let me know if you try any of them too!! Oh but just FYI -- just the quantity that the recipes make before you start to make them. Mennonites cook for the entire church. Seriously, the Zwieback recipe makes 8 dozen rolls! :) http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2008/12/zwiebacksgrandma-buns.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/11/kraft-carmel-squares-with-gluten-free.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/04/seerney-paska-for-kulichpaska-cheese.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/03/paska-lovellas-recipe.html http://thebergens.blogspot.com/2010/03/mennonite-monday-zwieback.html

Chewy Granola Balls

Weelicious ™ – Chewy Granola Balls

SO GOOD!! These are easy to whip up and a big hit with everyone -- Rylee, Jake, Darrin and even my in-laws!! They're a healthy snack packed with protein and fruit and they're great to put in lunches. I was a bit hesitant to buy the Rice Syrup because it was $5 for the jar. But Catherine (at Weelicious) mentioned that you really can't substitue anything else for it. Agauve Nectar isn't sticky enough and honey is too sweet and too sticky. The Rice Syrup has just the right neutral taste and texture (warning: if you taste it right out of the jar, don't be alarmed. It tastes much better IN the granola balls!) Thankfully, I'll be able to get 4 batches from the jar....so it's not too too bad.

**I used Peanut Butter instead of Almond Butter and Brown Rice Crispys since that's all that Sprouts had. Someone else had said they used popped Quiona and it worked just fine too!


Chewy Granola Balls (Makes about 30 Balls)

1/2 Cup Almond Butter
1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
1 Cup Rice Crispys
1 1/2 Cups Granola or Wee Granola
1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries, Cherries, Blueberries and/or raisins, chopped

1. Place the almond butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour the warm almond butter mixture into the bowl with the granola mixture and stir to combine.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls (I used a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out each portion, but you could also use a tablespoon) .
5. Serve.