Cheddar cauliflower soup

OK, so this isn't the easiest soup recipe in the world, but it isn't the hardest either. I decided to post it because every time I serve it people request the recipe. The original recipe is on Rachel Rays' website with pictures. You can look it up if mine doesn't make sense :)

Cheddar Cauliflower Soup (From Rachel Ray)

Ingredients
· 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
· Salt
· 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 4 tablespoons butter, divided
· 1 medium onion, finely chopped
· 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
· Pepper
· 3 tablespoons flour
· 1 quart chicken stock
· 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
· 2 1/2 cups good quality, aged, sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I usually add more, we really like cheese)
· A few grates of nutmeg
· 2 tablespoons Spicy brown mustard (optional, to taste)
· 1/4 cup chopped chives (optional)

Preparation
In a Saucepan, bring a couple of inches of water to a boil, add cauliflower, salt and cook until tender. Drain, puree (in food processor) and reserve.
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil . Add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt, then add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and milk, bring up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

To finish the soup, whisk the cheese into the liquid, stirring until all the cheese has melted. Stir in cauliflower puree then turn off heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of mustard and the nutmeg. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Top each bowl with some of the chopped chives for garnish.

Chicken Taco Rice

I love when I find a recipe that every person in my family likes and eats! This one is easy and produces enough leftovers for another entire dinner.

Chicken Taco Rice

1 lb chicken breast, cubed
2 T. oil
1 can chicken broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (4 T.)
1 can corn
1 med. red or green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 c. minute rice
shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, tortillas, chips, sour cream for toppings

Cook and sir chicken in hot oil until lightly browned. Add broth, tomato sauce and seasoning mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add corn and red pepper. Bring to a full boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork. Put into tortilla for tacos or make a salad with lettuce and chips.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

I got this recipe from my friend Annie who got it from her friend Bryttin, so I can't take credit for it. But, it is delicious and so easy! Bread usually takes so many steps, this one is an easy "dump and mix" recipe.

From the "Bee Prepared" cookbook--makes two loaves

Instant Yeast- 1 Tb.
Hot Water- 2 1/2 cups
Oil- 1/3 cup
Honey (or raw sugar)- 1/3 cup (I add a little extra)
Salt- 1 Tb.
Whole Wheat Flour 6-7 cups (I use 4 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups white flour)

Combine all ingredients. Knead for 10 minutes. (I use the dough attachment on my Kitchen Aid to do all of the mixing and kneading). Form into loaves. Place in prepared bread pans and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
* Bryttin says make sure to knead for the full 10 minutes! This is what develops the gluten and helps your bread not to crumble.
**Prepared bread pans- I just sprayed my bread pans with pam and that worked, but they are the dark "nonstick" pans. My mom always greases hers with crisco. Then I covered them with plastic wrap with pam on it for the bread to rise, but I don't know if that is necessary. It's just what I do with Rhodes rolls so I figured it would work for the bread too :)

Simple Sesame Noodles

The Pioneer Woman

12 ounces thin noodles, cooked and drained (angel hair, thin spaghetti, or Asian style)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 cloves garlic
minced2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil -- more to taste (i omitted this)
4 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
3 to 4 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss. Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

*I added grilled chicken to this... it was simply delicious!

Honey Dijon Pork Chops

Ingredients:
6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup honey dijon mustard (or your favorite dijon mustard)
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian bread crumbs

Method:
In a bowl, combine dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Dip each pork chop in the mixture and then in bread crumbs to coat. If freezing, see directions below. Otherwise Place on a broiler pan and broil on low 10-12 minutes on each side until done.
Freezer directions: Place breaded pork chops on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Then, place them in freezer bags. This allows you to pull out a few at a time as needed without them sticking together.

Sweet Mustard Dip
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
Method:
Mix all together and serve as a dipping sauce with your pork chops. Yum!
(Suzie Roberts - Author "Girlfriends on The Go")

Scott wasn't a huge fan (he isn't a fan of mustard) but I thought it was DELISH!!!

Twice Baked Potatoes

I love potatoes and will eat them about any way you can make them. But I must say that one of my favorite ways to make potatoes is with this yummy recipe. Although I usually have to be thinking ahead to have these ready in time for dinner, it is totally worth it! I just had to share...

Ingredients:
3 or 4 large potatoes
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp season salt
1/2 cup bacon bits
3/4 stick butter
salt & pepper

Bake potatoes on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Don't wrap them in tin foil or anything because we want the crust of the potato to be hard. Make sure they are cooked through. While they are baking, add butter, bacon and sour cream in a bowl and mix. Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and cut each potato in half, length wise, and scoop out the insides of the potato skin and add to the butter/bacon/sour cream mixture. Mash the ingredients together. Lay the empty potato skins on the cookie sheet. Then, add remaining ingredients to the potato mixture and stir. Now fill the empty potato skins with the potato mixture you have created. I like to fill them very full so each skin is heaping with potatoes. Once you have sufficiently filled each skin with the potato mixture place them back on the cookie sheet and top each potato with cheese. Finally you place the potatoes back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. These are so yummy! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Simplify Supper

I was watching Studio 5 a few weeks ago and saw my neighbor on the show. I was so surprised to see her as a guest and even more surprised to see her fabulous website. It has dinner menus for every day of the month. You can print grocery lists... search the archives... and much more!

Check this site out for FABULOUS recipes and ideas! 

Simplify Supper

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but these are my all-time favorite cookies. There is just something special about them. It obviously makes a TON so I usually half the recipe. I have had a lot of friends asking me for this recipe lately, so I thought I would share it with all of you as well. I hope you like them as much as I do!

Ingredients:

2 cups Shortening 2 2/3 cups flour
4 Eggs 4 cups Quick Cooking Oats
2 cups White Sugar 2 tsp. Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar 2 tsp. Soda
4 tsp. Vanilla 1 package chocolate chips

To make:

Mix the 1st collumn... shortening, eggs, white and brown sugar, and vanilla... Add remainder of ingredients... flour, oats, salt and soda... Mix... then finally the chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out just before they look done and they will be perfect.

Chicken Puffs

I know there is already a recipe with the same name, but this is a little easier to make and quite a yummy one. This was the first real recipe I ever got from my mom when I was in college because I missed them so much. I haven't met anyone who hasn't liked them!

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken breasts (usually 3 chicken breasts)
8 oz package of cream cheese
2-3 Tblsp of butter
2 packages of cresent rolls

To make:

Cook the chicken in a pan of boiling water. Once cooked, shred and set aside. In a large bowl blend the cream cheese and butter. Add chicken and stir. Open cresent roll packages and spread apart individual rolls. Stretch them until just before they break. The softer they are the farther they will stretch. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture onto each roll dough and fold corners over to create the puff. Bake according to the directions on the cresent roll package. I think it says to bake at 350 degrees and I usually do 325 degrees. Watch them and take them out when they are light brown on top.

**I usually cut the chicken into small pieces before I cook them and they cook faster. Plus, they are easier to shred when they are already in small pieces. Just a thought**

Mom's famous spaghetti

Ok, this is one of my mom's classic recipes. And anyone who has tried knows that there isn't a marinera sauce out there that can beat it. I asked her for the recipe not too long ago and she didn't even have it! She had to make the sauce and write down what she was doing because she usually just throws the ingredients in. One day I hope to be able to cook in that way! Just throw things in without a recipe! Well, here you go... it is really yummy!

Ingredients:

2 bottles Newman Marinera Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 packets of McKormick Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce mix
1/4 cup sugar
Ground Beef

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Add remainder of ingredients and stir until mixed well. Cook in skillet for 15 minutes and serve.

**As you can see this makes a TON of sauce. I have halfed the recipe and it is still delicious. I usually make this when I am taking a meal to another family and there is enough to feed mine as well!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I found this recipe on All Recipes.com It says it feeds five, but Steve, Reagan & I ate most of it with just one serving left over. (Steve could have been extra hungry, but keep that in mind).

Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon
8 ounces penne pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
3. In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
4. In a medium skillet saute the chopped onion, and minced garlic. Take off heat and add chopped cooked bacon and set aside.
5. To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
6. Combine cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables and bacon with sauce. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Add the last cup of grated cheddar cheese to top of mixture.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven until cheese on top is melted and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

**You will love the flavor of the sauteed onion, garlic and bacon in this rich and creamy macaroni and cheese bake. The secret to the cheese sauce is constant stirring over low heat. Add the milk just a bit at a time and keep stirring!

Artichoke Heart Dip

• 1- 14oz can of artichoke hearts
• 8oz softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (the fresh kind that usually comes in a bag, NOT the stuff in the green can)
• 1- 4oz can of chopped green chilles (If you want a hot and spicy dip, you can add 2 cans. I am a wimp and prefer only one can)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Drain and chop artichoke hearts into small bite size pieces. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. Pour mixture into a greased 8X8 inch glass or ceramic pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve while still warm with tortilla chips.

Christmas Cranberry Salad

Anya -- Tammy Phillips

**You'll need to start this the night before**

1 package raw cranberries washed and chopped (I use a food processor)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 large bag of mini marshmallows

--Stir together and chill overnight--

2 bananas sliced

2 cups apples sliced

1 large can pineapple tidbits

1 pint whipping cream

Whip whipping cream and add vanilla and sugar to taste. Add cranberry mixture and fruit together just before serving. 

Phillips family tradition for Turkey Day and Christmas Day dinner's! Love...

Roasted Potato Medley

2 sweet potatoes or yams
4 russet potatoes
8 baby red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian blend seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes or yams, and the russet potatoes. Scrub the baby red potatoes and cut all of them into cubes.
2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add enough lightly salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
3. Spread the potatoes in a single layer onto a large baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings. Roast the potatoes until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serve with Crispy Ranch Chicken or any meat dish for a fun and tasty potato variation!

(Recipe from Great American Recipes)

Crispy Ranch Chicken

2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 egg white, beaten
8 skinless pieces of chicken about 4 or 5 oz. each (breast or thighs)

1. preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the rice cereal, Parmesan and ranch salad dressing mix in a large bowl.
2. Place beaten egg whites in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken piece in the egg whites and then in the cereal mixture to coat evenly.
3. Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve and Enjoy

Serve with the Roasted Potato Medley

(This recipe is from Great American Recipes)

Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This one's for you Anya!
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 fresh basil leaves
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes and juice in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves in a blender. Pour back into the pot and over low to medium heat stir in cream and butter. Heat until the butter is melted. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Thanks to Aimee Seal for this recipe!

Swedish Meatballs

• 2 pound bag of frozen meatballs


• 1 can jellied cranberry sauce


• 12 oz bottle chili sauce "homemade" brand is recommended but I have used other brands and they work just fine. (Chili sauce can be found on the ketchup isle)


• 2 tablespoons brown sugar


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the meatballs into the bottom of a crock pot. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and then pour over the top of the meatballs. Cook on high for 4 or 5 hours. Serve over rice.

(If you want to thicken up the sauce you can do so by removing the meatballs then mixing cornstarch with water and slowly adding it to the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Once thickened, pour the sauce back on top of the meatballs and serve).

Serves 6 to 8

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This is a recipe I saw on Chanel 2 Noon News a few weeks ago. It's very easy and tasty!
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 glove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
2 (14 -ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini
10-ounces fresh spinach - chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed (I used mozzarella because I didn't have any fresh Parmesan and it worked just fine)

In a 3 quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of cheese.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add:
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla

Breakfast Pizza

Pastry for single 9' pie
1/2 lb. bacon
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbls. minced fresh parsley

Bake pastry shell on lower rack at 425 for 5 minutes. Press down bubbles. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over crust. In a bowl, beat eggs with sour cream and parsley until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.