Chili Taco Soup

This is another recipe from my good friend Amy that I made back in the Fall when I visited her in Florida.  It was YUMMY!

You will need:

• 2lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (4oz) can green chilies
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 3 (14 ½ oz) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15oz) can ranch beans, undrained (can use chili beans)
• 1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix or you can make your own found here
• 1 packet Ranch dressing mix
• 2 c water or more to desired consistency

Brown beef with chopped onion and green chilies in a large soup pot. Drain fat. Blend tomatoes and add to meat. Add rest of ingredients and cook (simmer) for 20-30 mins. Makes large pot of soup.

Spiced Pecans

Here's a recipe for a quick and easy but tasty holiday treat that my mom used to make and I just recently made for the first time.  As long as you are going to the (little to no) trouble of making it, you might as well double the recipe!

Ingredients

• 3 cups pecan halves
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• In large bowl, combine egg whites with water
• Toss with pecans
• In separate smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix very well
• Pour dry ingredients onto the pecans and stir well enough to evenly coat all pecans
• Lay aluminium foil onto a cookie sheet and spread spiced pecans evenly onto it

• Bake 30 minutes, stirring and turning pecans every 10 minutes
• Remove from oven and allow to cool
• Break up pecans from each other and enjoy!

Note: I would assume that this recipe would work with other nuts such as almonds and walnuts

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

Wow...it's been a while since either Tonia or I posted anything here.  I suspect that the long Thanksgiving weekend had something very much to do with it.  Hope that the holiday season is off to a great start for you and your families!

Here's a gem I just found.  From my mother-in-law's leftover pie ingredients, we had TONS of pecans and walnuts sitting around and I wanted to incorporate them into a dish.  See what you think:

Tilapia Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp butter

Golden-Butter Rum Sauce Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, minced (as a substitute, use 2/3 tsp minced onion and 1 minced clove garlic)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp rum (can substitute lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Process pecans in food processor until finely chopped
2. Mix the salt, garlic powder and pepper together with the pecans
3. Dredge fish in finely chopped pecans (I was afraid of the pecans not sticking so I brushed the fillets with a little oil first)
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
5. Add fish and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until well browned and flaky
6. While fish is cooking, make Golden Butter Rum Sauce, starting by melting 1 tsp butter in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat
7. Add shallot and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
8. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in rum, fruit juices, honey and salt, as well as the remaining 2 tbsp of better
9. Cook one more minute 
10. Serve sauce over the finished fillets

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken

I always love a recipe that lists all its ingredients in the title :)  Try this one out.  I've made it for company a few times since first making it last Fall and it is always met with great satisfaction.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts - or in these particular photos, 2 HUGE ones cut in half
• 2 apples, grated or pulsed in a food processor
• 1 cup of your favorite (or the cheapest!) BBQ sauce
• 8 slices bacon
• Juice from 1 lemon (okay...I realize this ingredient wasn't in the recipe title...sue me)

Directions

• Wrap two slices of bacon around each chicken breast and place in the bottom of your crock pot

• Put grated or blended apples on top of the chicken

• Squeeze lemon juice over top of the apples
• Pour BBQ sauce over top of all ingredients

• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Note: 6-8 hours is the original recipe's directions however unless I fill up my crock pot by doubling the recipe, it always finishes much faster (4-6 hour range).  If there is a lot of extra space in your crock pot, you might think about this as you decide how long to leave your crock pot unattended.

Apple Dumplings

It's that time of year again, the holidays are coming! Here is a great dessert to impress anyone! This recipe is from Miller, Andrew and is too yummy to not share!

You will need:

• 2 granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup margine or butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup or one can Mountain Dew

Melt butter and mix with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Put in freezer to cool down and set together (about 10min)

Peel and cut each apple into 8 slices. Microwave them for 1 min (I actually did not do this...). Roll each slice of apple in a crescent roll with a small drop of the butter mix

ture and place in a 9x12 - inch greased pan. Scoop the rest of the butter mixture on top of each dumpling. Pour Mountain Dew over and round each dumpling.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until brown.

Serve with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream!

Ryan Week Day 5 - Tater Tot Casserole

You will need:

• One GREASED 8x8 baking dish
• 1 pound of 96% lean ground beef (have to work hard to keep the figure)
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 can of green beans
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup - if you do not enjoy cream of mushroom soup any creamed based soup will do.
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 small bag of tater tots
• 1 bag of finely shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350

Brown green beef with onions, because I know how much Ryan loves onions I added almost 1/2 cup of onions for a bit kick!

While that is cooking, add your cream of mushroom soup along with you milk and mix well.

If any grease, drain.

Put the cooked beef with onions in the bottom of your greased baking dish. Add a small handful of cheddar cheese.

Then on top of that, add your drained can of green beans (please note that you can add whatever vegetable you wish, some people do enjoy this with corn or a mixed vegetable can also work nicely.) Once again a small handful of cheese.

On top of the green beans add your mixture of cream of mushroom soup and milk. Layer that with 2 handfuls of cheese.

If you wanted to get really crazy you could mix everything up, however I enjoy the layered look for serving.

Add Tater Tots in single layer on top of the whole baking dish followed by another small handful of cheese on top of that. (I did not use the whole bag of cheese)

Bake for about 30 minutes with the top covered with tin foil. Then take off the tin foil and cook for an extra 5-8 minutes till the tater tots look crisp!

Enjoy!

Ryan Hoffman Week: Day 4

Below is a refreshing recipe that inspired the idea of Ryan Hoffman week back during the summer.  This is the only recipe you will find here this week that Ryan once asked for personally.

SUN TEA

I know what you are thinking.  It's November.  Who drinks iced tea in November?  Well, for one, Texans.  Doesn't matter the month.  But additionally, this has, so far, been an above average November as far as temperatures go.  So making tea will be no trouble as long as you do it on a sunny day.

Ingredients

• Large glass jar - not an ingredient really but something you'll need nonetheless
• 8 bags of tea - this amount is for a typical 1 gallon jar.  You may need to adjust appropriately.  Most commonly used is regular tea.  Personally, I like to use 6 bags of regular tea and 2 bags of something else to throw some extra flavor in.  My favorites recently have been either 2 bags of mint tea or 2 bags of peach tea.  See what tastes good for you!
• Water - most people will tell you to use cold water.  I've tried both hot and cold and never found a difference.

Directions

1. Place all bags of tea in the bottom of the glass jar.  
2. Fill with water
3. Place in a sunny spot for several hours.  Be sure that the spot will stay sunny for the entire duration of the jar's time outside.  Generally, 2 to 3 will get you a pretty good brew but if you like it stronger, 4 is good.

Ryan's Week Day 3

Awww .... who does not love some Chips and Salsa! Being a Loader myself this is one of my all time favorite snacks!

I hope you find this recipe to be a new twist on an oldie but a goodie ...

You will need:

• Corn Chips - I have started to enjoy the tostitos whole wheat chips. I just put a few small handfuls on a plate.
• Some shredded cheddar cheese (I enjoy the mild, but sharp will also work.) About one large handful is good.
• 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa

1.) Get microwavable plate out

2.) Place chips on plate (as much as you would enjoy) I do about one and a half handful

3.) Place handful of cheese on top of chips, evenly spreading out cheese so each chip has some cheese love.

4.) Place plate into microwave on high heat for abo

ut 40sec. or untill cheese is melted

5.) Dump salsa over top.

6.) Enjoy!

Ryan Hoffman Week: Day 2

Well, a few hours after that wonderful bowl of cereal, you no doubt started thinking about lunch.  Me?  I start thinking about the next meal as I'm finishing the current one :)

What is more appropriate for a guy like Ryan than a good ol' fashioned PB&J.  When I was in college, PB&J was a bible study called "Pizza, Beer and Jesus".  But today, PB&J is a throw back to its original meaning: peanut butter and jelly.

Ingredients

• Two slices bread
• Peanut butter (smooth or crunchy...your choice)
• Jelly, preserves, jam...whatever you've got in the fridge!

While we're at it, maybe this is a good educational opportunity to clarify the meanings between those three types of fruit spread products:

Jelly - as its name suggests, a gelatin.  No chunks of fruit present

Preserves - this is generally fruit that is being preserved within the context of a sugary jelly.  The chunks of fruit are generally more whole than you will find them in the jam counterpart where they can be cut or blended up into smaller pieces

Jam - a cross between jelly and preserves really.  Chunks of fruit present but not in such large pieces as you will find in preserves.  This is my personal favorite.

Directions

1. Place your two slices of bread on a flat surface
2. Plunge a butter knife into your PB and scoop a generous amount, spreading it evenly on the bread.  Note: for easier spreading, one can very lightly toast the bread first
3. Clean peanut butter remnants off knife and then use to scoop a desired amount of fruit spread product (hopefully jam!) and spread it evenly onto second slice of bread.
4. Press slices of bread together such that the PB and J make contact with each other
5. Optional: slice sandwich in half for ease of consumption or, in this case, to better show the layers of PB & J!

Worried about that jam saturating the bread before you even get a chance to eat it?  No problem!  Just have two thinner layers of PB on each piece of bread and put the layer of jam between them.  The PB will seal the J from making the bread soggy.

It is okay to be a little messy!

Unacceptable forms of PB & J:

Happy Ryan Hoffman Week!

Yesterday was THE day....the 30th birthday of friend of all of us here at Good Eats, Ryan Hoffman.

Being separated by distance, unfortunately, we couldn't be there to celebrate with him.  But in honor of his 30 years and this springboard into what will hopefully be a spectacular 31st year for him, we here at Good Eats are declaring this to be Ryan Hoffman Week.  Stay tuned for one recipe each day that was selected to be a perfect match for Ryan in taste, presentation, and, most important, difficulty.  Enjoy!

Today: Cereal

Ingredients

• Cereal of choice - as much as will make you ready for the day
• Milk of choice - amount will depend on whether you like your cereal lightly moistened or floating and saturated.  Choose wisely.

Directions

1. Place bowl on a flat surface
2. Remove cereal box from cabinet or other appropriate storage space
3. Open cereal box or bag
4. Carefully pour desired amount of cereal into bowl
5. Close box, return to cabinet
6. Remove milk from fridge
7. Take cap off milk container
8. Carefully pour desired amount of milk onto cereal, being careful not to spill or overflow the bowl
9. Replace cap on milk and return to fridge
10. Consume with spoon, minding all necessary manners (only if others are present)

Jesus Heals & So Does Cabbage Soup

It's that season...the thermostats in some places are as high as the number of people catching colds!  I am, in fact, fighting my first (and hopefully last!)  Cabbage soup is incredibly healing.  It's soothing for flu and cold season because of the garlic.  The cabbage has cleansing properties for digestive discomfort.  There are no carbs or fat.

Oh and it tastes great too!  See for yourself!

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1/2 to 1 whole onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 quarts water
• 4 tsp (or cubes) chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz) can italian stewed tomatoes
• Red pepper flakes and/or ground red pepper to taste, depending on your taste and tolerance for spiciness - I used a couple shakes of each 

Directions

• In a large stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil until translucent, about 5-7 minutes
•  Stir in water, bouillon, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes/ground red pepper
• Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer
• Add cabbage and continue to simmer 10 minutes
• Stir in tomatoes
• Return to boil, then reduce to final simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often

Got no plans for that other half of cabbage head?  Make a double batch and freeze half for next time!  Make sure you have a large enough pot.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Time for the last pumpkin recipe as promised.  I know it isn't the weekend (I've been posting a pumpkin recipe every weekend in October) but in case anyone wanted to try this one out, I thought I'd post it before all the pumpkins are gone.  


I've been making this recipe each October for about 3 years.  It can feed people at a small dinner party or make it with just you and someone else and have delicious leftovers!  It got great reviews at our dinner party just last night.

Ingredients

• 1 medium pumpkin (8-10 lbs)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cut a 3 inch hole in the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and pulp.  Reserve seeds for roasting later
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
• Brown beef in a large skillet and drain
• Add celery and onion to beef and cook until tender
• Stir in remaining ingredients 
• Ladle the mixture into the pumpkin

• Place pumpkin on lightly greased baking sheet
• Bake in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours or until pumpkin is tender and filling is bubbling and hot throughout.

• Scrape the inside of the pumpkin to add some squash to each serving.  Sprinkle each serving with the shredded cheese!

Optionally Spicy Pumpkin Soup

After this, there's just one more weekend in October thus only one more pumpkin recipe coming.  Although I'm saving my favorite for last, I definitely give this one both thumbs way up as well.  This recipe is an adaptation of one featured in Oprah's O Magazine.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 large (mine was 1 lb, 13 oz) can pumpkin 
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat
• Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent
• Add spices and stir for one additional minute - the spice amounts called for in the recipe will make for a good taste but will not AT ALL make this soup spicy yet.  There will be a time later to add more spices as necessary for your personal liking

• Add chicken broth and pumpkin and mix well
• Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

• Transfer soup in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and return soup to pot - I personally like to stop the blender just shy of "smooth" and leave a couple chunks of onion still in tact
• With soup on low heat, add in brown sugar and mix
• Slowly add milk while stirring
• Add cream

• Adjust spices, if necessary, to make the soup spicier to your personal taste - for me, this meant a LOT of the red pepper flakes and the cayenne.  If you find that you overdo it and it is too spicy, just add a little more cream to temper it.
• Optional: if you've got 'em, garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds!

Creme Brulee

Another one of those impressive dessert recipes that you should have in your back pocket for your next dinner party!  This recipe was auctioned off at a church fund-raiser and it went for over one hundred dollars.  Yours for free!

Note:  You will need to acquire a food thermometer if you do not already have one.

Another Note: This is a two day recipe.  Most work is done on day 1 and it is served on day 2.

Recipe yields 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pints heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 10 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean*
• Turbinado sugar**

* Vanilla Bean - When I first tried this recipe, I had no idea what a vanilla bean was!  You can find it in the spice section in your grocery store.  It is sold in a spice jar....2 beans per jar.  Somewhat expensive: $6-8 per jar.  Worth it though!  This is what it looks like:

** Turbinado Sugar - This will probably come in a box and not a paper bag like most sugar.  It is basically raw sugar that is very coarse and light brown in color.  In fact, it is sometimes called Sugar in the Raw

Directions

Day 1

• Cut the vanilla bean into inch-long pieces
• Combine 1/4 cup (of the 1/2 cup total used in the recipe) sugar in a food processor with the vanilla bean pieces and blend on a high setting for 30-45 seconds to create vanilla sugar

• Add the vanilla sugar to the remaining 1/4 cup sugar along with the pinch of salt
• Combine sugary mixture in a sauce pan with 1 pint (not both!) of heavy cream
• While stirring, heat over medium to medium-high heat until steaming.  Do NOT allow to boil.
• Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.  While waiting, preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Also while waiting, crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks.  Break up the yolks and beat well.  Set aside
• At the end of the 15 minute cooling period, add the remaining pint of heavy cream and mix well
• Add a small amount of the cream mix to the egg yolks to temper
• Slowly add tempered egg yolks to the cream mixture while stirring well
• Strain cream mixture with a fine sieve
• Divide strained mixture evenly into 10 ramekins (single serving cookware) and bake in a water bath*** until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, about 30-40 minutes.  Note: If you don't have quite enough ramekins, you can put larger amounts of the mixture into bigger containers.  I've successfully put enough for 4 servings into a very small pyrex dish and had no trouble.  Temperatures need to be monitored because the desired temperature will be reached at different times in different shaped containers.

Make sure you measure the temp carefully and accurately!

• Cool on wire rack for 2 hours and then chill in refrigerator overnight

*** Water Bath - Place ramekins in a deep baking dish.  Fill baking dish with boiling water such that the water comes half way up the outside of the ramekins.

Day 2

• To brulee (carmelize), cover top with turbinado sugar and pour off any remaining loose sugar that does not adhere itself to the custard.  Melt carefully with butane torch, moving the flame quickly back and forth over the sugar.
• If you do not have a butane torch, use the broiler setting of your oven to carmelize the sugar.  Broil for 20-30 seconds within at least an inch of the flame.  WATCH CAREFULLY!
• OPTIONAL: Garnish with fruit or berries

Beer Bread

3 cups of Self-rising flour
1 cup of sugar
1 can of beer (any kind)
Mix together, put in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool, then tear into small chunks and serve with Spinach Artichoke Dip found here.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

You've seen the Starbucks commercials.  Perhaps you've tried them.  The seasonal pumpkin spice latte is like heaven in a mug for me.  But at $4.50 a cup, it is not a treat I afford myself more than once or (gasp!) twice a season.  But thanks to this weekend's pumpkin recipe, you can enjoy one at home for a fraction of the cost!

Note - The recipe below yields 2 servings.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 4 tbsp canned pumpkin (or puree your own!)
• 2 tbsp sugar - less than in the Starbucks version
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 strong brewed coffee or 1/4 cup espresso
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice - can make your own by mixing equal parts nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger

Directions

1. Combine in a sauce pan the milk, pumpkin and sugar.  Heat until steaming.
2. Add vanilla extract and spices and whisk until frothy, remove from heat
3. Pour into mugs and pour coffee or espresso over top
4. Serve and enjoy!

Simple Spicy Peanut Stir Fry Sauce

Who doesn't love a good stir fry?  Below is a recipe for a Thai-style peanut stir fry sauce that is as good as it is easy.

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup peanut butter of choice.  I prefer chunky :)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar - if you don't have any, you can substitute 1 part normal white vinegar and 1 part lime juice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat through while stirring.  Pour over stir fried vegetables and rice.

Veggies and sauce...rice on its way!

Bacon Corn Chowder

At noon it was 46 degrees here in the southwest part of Midwest to Southwest: Good Eats.  Chilly.  Definitely time for crock pot soup!

Ingredients

• 8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled 
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 red potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 30 oz chicken broth
• 2 cans creamed corn
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Directions

• Combine all ingredients besides the evaporated milk in a crock pot
• Cook on low for 8 hours
• Add evaporated milk for final 45 minutes

Potato Salad

This is a new twist on an old time favorite. This was given to me by a friend, and their grandma's Herbolisheimer's recipe!

You will need for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• celery salt to taste
• 1/4 cup onion

This dressing will make enough for about 6 large boiled red potatoes and 6 hard boiled eggs.

To make the dressing, boil water, vinegar, sugar, salt and m

ustard. Stir constantly; when it starts to boil turn down heat and add eggs (one at a time) stirring until thick. (I turned down to almost to simmer and added eggs one at a time; it will be a bit scrambled egg-like but just keep whisking...) Let cool and then add mayonnaise and celery salt. Chop potatoes and hard boiled eggs and onion. Mix altogether.

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 8 ounces), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)

Directions

1. Whisk syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and pep

per in a small, shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for at lest 2 hours.

2. Grill till done.

3. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan

and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced by ab

out half, about 4 minutes. Liberally baste the chicken with

the reduced sauce and serve.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It may seem simple enough.  Why post a recipe about how to do the simplest thing ever?  But the truth is, most people don't roast pumpkin seeds to my standards.  Salt is not enough, people!  When the pumpkin has been carved, try this mix of spices instead this year.

The amounts below are to be used per 1 cup of rinsed pumpkin seeds.  Increase amounts as necessary.

Ingredients

• Rinsed seeds from pumpkin
• 1 tbsp light cooking oil
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place dried seeds in a small mixing bowl
• Mix with oil and spices
• Spread seeds evenly over a baking sheet
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until crisp and very lightly browned, tossing occasionally.  May have to increase for a larger amount of seeds

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken

This meal is a favorite around my household and the bonus is that the effort-to-impressing-guests ratio is quite favorable!  This post is really a recipe for teriyaki sauce that can be used on so much more than chicken breasts, as shown here.  It is also good on wings, salmon and beef!

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Other Ingredients Necessary For This Particular Dish

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 whole pineapple, peeled and cut into rings - canned pineapple rings will work as well but is considered to be sub-par in this house.  The flavor of a freshly cut pineapple is unmatched!  Don't be tempted!
• 4 servings cooked rice

Directions

• Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients.  The flavors will fuse best if they can sit in a container in your refrigerator for a couple hours before adding any meat for marinading.  If there is no time for this step, it's perfectly okay!
• Add chicken and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours.  
• Grill chicken until done
• Brush pineapple slices with leftover sauce and grill
• Serve chicken and pineapple over rice

Note: For a honey teriyaki sauce, add 1/4 cup honey to the sauce 

Tom-esto-san

Today I knew I would be hungry before our late dinner was ready so I threw together some ingredients I had for an experimental appetizer.  Side Note: food title also experimental!

Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Pesto sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice the tomatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp
• Fill the tomato halves with a dollop of pesto sauce
• Place stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top (I'm sure shredded would be better than grated!)
• Bake for 13-15 minutes

Simple yet delicious

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Midwest to Southwest loves guest bloggers! This one comes from Amy down in Florida, thanks Amy!

You will need:

• Equal parts for the sauce of 1/2 honey mustard, 1/2 honey
• Bacon
• Shrimp

Cover shrimp in sauce, wrap 1/3 slice of bacon and secure with tooth pick.

Prep

Grill for about 3 minutes on each side.

Amy with finished product!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

October just might be my favorite month.  Cool temperatures, leaves changing color, football...the whole deal!  Add to those the opportunity to haul out some "seasonal recipes".  In October, that means pumpkin.

For each of the 5 weekends in October, I'll be posting a recipe that includes pumpkin as an ingredient.

As I've mentioned before, I don't typically enjoy baking.  Here, however, is a pumpkin recipe that can break the no-bake cycle.  My husband always makes faces when I say the words "pumpkin" and "cookies" in the same sentence, but I always catch him with his hand in the cookie jar when they are done.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl and mix well
• Beat butter and sugar in a separate, large bowl until well blended.
• To the sugar, add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing until smooth
• Gradually add the flour until all is combined and well blended
• Stir in chocolate chip cookies
• Drop dough onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoon
• Bake 15-18 minutes (it was 18 for me)
• Cool on wire rack

Tortilla Chips from Your Own Oven!

It was Friday afternoon, at about 4:30.  Dinner wasn't for a while but I had some good salsa in the fridge and wanted some chips.  A trip to the cabinet revealed that the chips had been finished (and not placed on the shopping list!).  Not wanting to fight the Friday evening traffic, things seemed hopeless.

But wait.

I had tortillas.  I had oil.  I had a couple spices.  I had an oven!  How hard could this be?

Ingredients

• 4 tortillas - for this attempt, I used flour because its what I had.  I'm sure corn would be terrific
• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• Taco Seasoning - see previous post for recipe for a low-sodium taco seasoning you can make at home!  Also in that same post is a recipe for some pico de gallo that would be great with these chips!

 Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cut tortillas into chip-sized peaces and spread on lightly greased baking sheet
• Mix oil and lime juice into small bowl
• Brush oil mix lightly onto chips
• Sprinkle desired amount of taco seasoning onto chips
• Bake 10-11 minutes

Oven-ready!

Mouth-ready!

Verdict: More please!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan with Risotto and Vegetables

This blog has two recipes that I enjoy cooking together. The main dish is Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and Risotto with Veggies.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 pound tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Risotto with Vegetables

• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup bite-sized asparagus or broccoli pieces
• ¾ cup seeded and diced tomato
• ¼ cup shredded carrot (1 small)
• ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or parsley

1. In large saucepan cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic until tender; add rice. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes until rice is golden.
2. Meanwhile in another saucepan, bring broth to boil; reduce heat and simmer. Slowly add 1 cup of broth to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of broth and asparagus/broccoli pieces to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 cup broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed. (This should take about 15 minutes.)
3. Stir in remaining ½ cup broth, the tomato, and carrot. Cook and stir until rice is slig

htly creamy and tender. Stir in parmesan cheese and basil/parsley.

**I found that I needed to add more BOILING water to the rice then the 3 cups b/c it was not quite done**

BBQ Ribs

Who does not enjoy some good homemade BBQ Ribs. This recipe is fantastic!

You will need:

Sauce:
1 Large Onion
1 C Catsup
1/3 C Worcestershire sauce
1 t Chili Powder, 1 t Salt,  2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 C Water

1 Rack Pork Baby Back ribs (Or however many would you like to cook)

Place ribs in the a baking dish, slice onions over the top of ribs, with half cup water. Cover with roaster lid or foil. Bake for two hours at 350.

I don't add the water the the sauce, however use the liquid from the bottom of the rib panand mix in with the the other ingredients (I add water if does not equal 2 cups) . Pour over the top of the ribs after two hours (Please note that that with the sauce that I double the sauce recipe for one rack of ribs.) Cover roaster again and bake for two more hours.

Remove foil and baste the ribs with the BBQ sauce in the bottom of roaster. Return to oven uncovered for the remaining hour.

They are so fantastic as they fall off the bone!

I love leftovers so I cooked two racks of ribs, and quadrupled the sauce recipe.

Grilled Cilantro Chicken

The following recipe combines 3 things I really love: cilantro, beer and grilling.  Need I say more?

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 (12 oz) beer - I prefer something light and/or citrusy
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 tsp steak seasoning

Directions

• Mix all ingredients to make a marinade
• Place chicken in marinade for at least 4-6 hours.  The longer the better!
• Grill over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked though

Marinading

On the grill

Moments from my mouth

French Onion Soup

Riding on the coattails of the recipe, posted yesterday, for zucchini bread provided by friend of Good Eats, Andy, we bring you another borrowed but tasty dish.  All the way from Colorado, Seth, author of All That Is, has shared with us a good French Onion Soup recipe that his family uses.  After testing it, we have deemed it not only delicious but also blogworthy.

Ingredients

• 2 large yellow onions, sliced into rings
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp dry sherry or dry white wine (optional)
• Several grinds from pepper mill
• 4 slices french bread, day old or toasted
• Shredded swiss cheese - I had sliced swiss for sandwiches so I went ahead and used that

Directions

• Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat
• Add the onion rings and sauté them in the butter until tender and golden.  Cover the pan if possible 

• Add the beef broth, worchestershire sauce, pepper and sherry (optional)
• Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
• In 4 bowls, place 1 slice of french bread
• Pour soup over bread and sprinkle with cheese and serve

Thanks again, Seth!

Look forward to more soup recipes as the temperatures continue to drop and we get more and more into the Fall!