Creamy Broccoli Soup

1. In a large pan, melt 2 T butter and saute one diced onion.
2. Add 14 oz. chicken broth and 1 cup of milk.
3. Add 10 oz. of frozen broccoli and cook for 7 minutes.
4. Puree soup in the blender and return to the pan.
5. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1T seasoning salt.

Broccoli and Chicken Risotto

This was awesome.

In a large pan, mix:

one pound cooked and diced chicken
one pound diced Velveeta
two pounds frozen broccoli
a few dashes of Chipotle Tabasco

Serve over rice.

Refried Bean Soup

Saute some onion and celery in a little oil. Add a can of refried beans, 1/4c salsa, one cup of water, a little garlic, a dash of Chipotle Tabasco sauce, and 2T of sour cream. Heat and stir.

Yum.

Cheeseburger-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I always feel as if I have hit a home run when I make something that all five of us eat.

(1) Bake potatoes (I make mine in the crockpot--it really develops the potato-y flavor.)

(2) In a sauce pan, mix one pound of ground beef with 1/2 pound of velveeta and a few dashes of chipotle Tabasco.

(3) Serve with lots of finely diced tomatoes and green onions.

Chicken Gyros

Oh, merciful heavens but this was good! Thanks to Janssen for the recipe.

To make the soft pitas, put in the bread machine on the dough cycle:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon yeast

Dip six chicken breasts in a mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon and then grill for six minutes.

Roll out pitas (makes 10) on a very well-floured surface and then dry-fry for about two minutes on each side.

Serve with purple onion, diced cucumber, diced tomato, feta, and Greek seasoning.

Korean Beef and Cabbage Rolls

This is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. Even the kids loved these! I served them with teriyaki marinade to dip in.


Ingredients

* Filling:
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1/2 pound ground sirloin
* Cooking spray
* 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (I used bagged cabbage)

Dough:
* 4 cups all-purpose flour (I mixed white and whole wheat flour)
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/3 cups water
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preparation

To prepare filling, combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage; cook 4 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Remove from heat; cool completely.

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, honey, and canola oil, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to flour mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16 x 12–inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch-thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 (4-inch) squares. Working with 1 square at a time (cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into center of each square. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. I cooked these on the indoor grill.

Barley Veggie Soup with Beef

This was really good. (Even though it was 102 today . . . )

1 pound ground beef, cooked
1 onion, minced
4 carrots, minced
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup barley
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
3 (10 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon minced garlic
a little seasoning salt

Cooked in the crock pot all day on low.