Ham and Lentil Crockpot soup

This is a VERY common dish in Spain. I like to make this if I have leftover ham in the winter months.

This lentil soup recipe is made with ham and garlic, cooked in the crockpot.
Cook Time: 9 hours
Ingredients:

* 2 cups lentils
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups diced ham
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 1/2 cup diced carrots
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* seasoned salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients with 2 quarts water in the slow cooker. Cook on low, covered, 8 to 10 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.

You can add the seasonings at the end so that you can get it to taste just right. I usually add about 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

These are a twist on traditional candied yams, they are very yummy! I made these without the pecans and liked them much better that way:

Drain and Mash
2 29oz cans of yams
add
1/2 cup milk and 2 beaten eggs
add
1 c sugar
1/3 c melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Put mixture in 9x13 glass casserole

Mix together
1 c shredded coconut
1 c crushed pecans
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/3 cu melted butter

Sprinkle this mixture on top of yam mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 325

I think that the smoother you can get the yams, the better they taste. I put mine in a blender and it got them really smooth.

Easy Curry Chicken

I made this the other night and Jack and I loved it. If you like Indian food/curry, you'll like it. I used lite coconut milk instead of heavy cream and it was really good. I also used shelled edamame beans instead of zucchini because I didn't have any zucchini on hand. The edamame was really good though. I also left out the fresh basil because I did not have any. I thought this was really great and we'll for sure make it again. One warning though, your house will smell like an Indian restaurant for about a day....that is how curry goes!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooked white rice
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup (1 ounce) almonds, roughly chopped

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle it with the curry and cinnamon, toss, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Add the broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Return the onion and zucchini to the skillet and heat until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide the rice among individual bowls, top with the curry, and sprinkle with the basil and almonds.

Tip: You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Consider substituting coconut milk for the cream, eggplant for the zucchini, cilantro for the basil, or cashews for the almonds.


Yield: Makes 4 servings

Love - Melissa

Mushroom Sauce

I tried this new recipe a couple of weeks ago and we loved it. The best part was, it was really easy. We used the sauce with cooked pasta.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/3 cup milk

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat cook the onions, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms and butter until mushrooms are tender. Stir in the cream of chicken soup and milk. Cook until smooth.

This past week

The following 3 posts are some recipes that I made this past week. Cody and I loved them all. I hope you enjoy them as well. I cannot wait to hear what you think.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1/4 C. Teriyaki Sauce
2 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Honey
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. Ground ginger
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. Pork Tenderloin

In a zip-Lock bag combine teriyaki sauce, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, salt, & pepper. Cut tenderloin into slices 1/4 inch thick and place in bag to marinade. Marinate for 2 hours to overnight. Place pieces of pork and marinade into to fry pan and saute both sides until golden brown. Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes.

Amazing. The tenderloin is so tender when you cook it this way. This recipe has an incredible flavor. Let me know what you think!!

Summer Bowtie Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag Bowtie pasta, cooked
2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 bottle sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 sm, cans sliced black olives
1 cup of white shredded cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup Kraft zesty italian dressing
1 cup Mayonnaise (can use light mayo too)
1/2 cup Pesto
Pine nuts, toasted

Cook pasta according to package directions, cool. Mix in Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta, pine nuts, & artichoke hearts. In a small bowl mix Italian dressing, Mayo, and Pesto. Toss with pasta and serve.

I love love love this. You have to like pesto to make it, so hopefully you do. I used the mayo light, so I could cut back on calories. To me it still tasted great. I also didn't add the sun dried tomatoes because they weren't on sale and added peas to the pasta and it tasted really good. I love pasta it is one of my favorite cuisines. This is definitely a keeper for our family!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon & 1 1/2 teaspoons of 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 lb. tilapia fillets or white mild fish
Juice from a lemon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil & line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter , mayo, and lemon juice. Add the dried basil pepper, onion powder, & celery salt. mix well & set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Squeeze a fresh lemon over the top of them. 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. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned & fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

This recipe is very yummy but pretty salty, so if you don't like salty food, you might want to cut back a little on the celery salt and onion powder. The taste of the fish is so good with this topping. Very easy and quick. Cody said it was one of his favorites for fish!

Brown Sugar Grilled Salmon

Prep time: 25 min.
Start to finish 25 min.
Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
1 salmon filet (1 lb) chopped in 1.5 inch slices (4 pieces)

Set your oven to broil, mix all the ingredients except for the salmon together in a bowl. Line a cookie sheet with foil and grease. Place salmon pieces on the foil. Spread half of the sauce over the top and cook on broil for 4-5 minutes. Flip fish over, and then spread the rest of the sauce on the salmon. Broil for another 4-5 minutes. Fish is done when it will flake easily. Do not over cook!

I love this recipe because it makes a sweet fish dish. The combo of the sauce is awesome. try it and let me know what you think!

Request for Recipes: Lentils

Does anyone have any good recipes for lentils? I have several pounds of them. I love them, I am just looking for new ways to cook them.

Chicken Enchiladas

I really loved this recipe and so did Jack. To save money, I did not use the rotisserie chicken as suggested (though it would have been more convienient that way). I just seasoned two large chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sauteed them in olive oil and then shredded them. I also used uncooked flour tortillas from costco instead of the corn ones called for in the recipe. I served them with pico de gallo and guacamole. Jack hates zucchini, but he still really loved these enchiladas becuase I diced the zucchini very small (this way, he says, the texture does not bother him). Also, cutting the corn off of the cob tasted much better than canned corn. Other great thing about these is that you can make them ahead of time and then bake them when you are ready! I think that next time I will try adding cilantro to the mix and see how they taste.

4 tablespoons canola oil
2 small zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1/2 cup)
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
Kosher salt and pepper
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and corn and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the chicken, Monterey Jack, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining oil over medium heat. One at a time, cook the tortillas in the oil until softened, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, roll them up, and place seam-side down in a large baking dish. Bake until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Recipe Request: Salmon

I have some salmon fillets in my freezer, but can't decide how I want to cook them. Do any of you have some salmon recipies that you love?

Food Tip: Freezing Berries

Finally! There have been a few berry sales lately. I bought a bunch of raspberries and wanted to freeze some for the cold months ahead. I have never frozen berries before but I found a great way to do it, here are the instructions:

1) Start with fresh berries
2) Wash thoroughly
3) Drain the berries completely in a colander
4) Spread the berries out in a pan and put it in your freezer, this way they will freeze quickly and since they are spread out they won't be frozen in a lump. This comes in handy in the future when you just want to use a few berries and not have to break apart a hard lump.
5) Freeze - leave them overnight so that they freeze completely
6) Put the berries in a good freezer bag and get out as much air as possible before sealing.
7) Label the bag and keep in your freezer
8) When you are ready to use the berries, just pull the out and put them in your fridge for a day or out on your counter for a few hours. Do not microwave.

You can use these tips for any type of berry except strawberries.

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Jack and I love to make Asian food because it is healthy, tasty and usually pretty easy to make. These lettuce wraps are really easy. The dipping sauce was not awesome and we ended up just using soy sauce as dipping sauce instead. If you have a better dipping sauce, let me know.

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Combine the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.

Lower heat to medium and stir in the garlic and ginger. Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water chestnuts and half the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the cashews.

Divide the lettuce leaves among individual plates and spoon the chicken over the top. Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture for drizzling.

Substitution: In place of the chicken, try steak, pork, or shrimp in this zesty update of the Chinese-restaurant classic.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 379(38% from fat); FAT 14g (sat 2g); CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25g; SODIUM 385mg; PROTEIN 38g; FIBER 2g; SUGAR 15g