SLOW COOKER CHEESY ENCHILADA QUINOA

I am on a quinoa kick right now. Our family loves this mexidish. It feeds all 4 of us for two full nights and then some. I also freeze it in small batches for my 'mini-meals' to pop in the kids thermoses  in the busy mornings for school lunch. You can top it with anything and everything - green onions, chopped tomatoes, avocado, squeeze-o-lime, salsa, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and the list goes on and on! Our favorite combo is green onions, chopped avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

SLOW COOKER CHEESY ENCHILADA QUINOA

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies with cilantro & lime
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cup water
1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce* (two small 10 oz cans works too)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped *optional
Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, green onions, 1 small jap

INSTRUCTIONS
-In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until browned through. Drain out any grease and place in the slow cooker.
-Add in the uncooked quinoa (make sure to rinse first), the black beans (drained and rinsed), the frozen corn, the diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain), the salsa (I used medium), and minced garlic.
-Chop up the onion and sweet bell pepper into small pieces. Add to the slow cooker. If desired chop up a jalapeno and add it too.
-Add in the water, enchilada sauce (I used mild, but use whatever you like best), chili powder, and cumin.
-Stir everything together really well. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.
-Once it is done cooking, remove the lid and stir everything again. Stir in the cheese and fresh cilantro (stems removed and chopped).
-If desired add in the fresh lime juice.
-When serving, add a dollop of sour cream, chopped green onions, crushed chips, etc if desired.

Recipe modified from http://www.pinterest.com/pin/40673202859848818/

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

This is one of our family favorites. It is so easy and so good - I had to share. Can't believe it has taken me this long to actually share it!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast or flank steak
• 1 C beef consomme (or beef broth)
• 1/2 C soy sauce
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 1 T sesame oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T cold beef broth
• Fresh broccoli florets cut in smallish pieces (as many as desired)

Directions:

1. Place Beef in crock pot. Pepper it to taste if you want.
2. In small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.
3. Near the end of your 6-8 hours (or 45 minutes before you want to serve), whisk 2T cornstarch into 2T of COLD beef broth in small bowl. Add this mixture to sauce in crock pot and stir until smooth/combined. Set crock pot on HIGH so it will heat up to a boil. (This is to thicken the sauce. If your sauce is not thickening, you can try bringing all your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the cornstarch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached. I always skip the boil on stove part and my sauce is never very thick.  Perhaps I should try it someday . . .)
4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook an additional 30-45 minutes on HIGH (sauce has to boil to thicken and to cook the broccoli).
6. Serve over brown rice or Quinoa.

Tips:

• Beef:
•  I prefer this recipe with flank steak, but it has gotten super expensive. So I just buy whatever type of 'roast' is on sale. 
• Optional: cut the beef up into strips before cooking. This works very well and makes beef super tender, but sometimes it shreds up really tiny after. Just depends on how your family likes it - bigger chunks of beef or tiny shreds. If you don't cut it up before you cook it, it basically shreds by itself in step 3 when you stir in cornstarch mixture. 
• Broccoli:
• I usually use a ton of broccoli - maybe 5+ cups just because we like our greens over here, but you can use however much you want. Works best cut in bite size pieces.
• It also works really well if you steam your broccoli on the stove and just dump in at the end of step 5 just before serving. This gives the sauce some time to boil and thicken with the cornstarch without the broccoli getting in the way. This is totally optional - does not make that big of a difference, but if you do this, make sure you just lightly steam your broccoli so it does not fall apart or isn't mushy when you add it to the crock pot.

"Hot Dog" Soup

I am posting another yummy soup recipe I got from Arin - thanks! I made this last night and everyone loved it. The kids are still terrible soup eaters - messy, drippy, complainers, but I am not giving up yet - still working on it! The recipe has turkey sausage/kielbasa in it, which my kids thought looked like hot dogs, hence the name I gave this one "Hot Dog Soup" - whatever works to make them eat it, right?

Ingredients:
1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 package turkey keilbasa or sausage, cut into bite sized rounds or pieces
32 oz chicken broth
2 cans of White Northern Beans, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
salt, to taste

Directions:
Warm olive oil in medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in turkey sausage and saute until browned. Slowly add in stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 mins.

If you like a thicker soup, about 5 minutes into the simmer, scoop out about a 1/3-1/2 cup of beans and mash them up in a bowl. Mash them into a soupy paste and return to the pot. The natural starches in the beans will thicken up the rest of the soup. If you do this, you might want to add another can of drained beans since it takes away some of the beans.

Tips - Here are a few other ideas I didn't try, but thought would be good for next time to increase the veggies:
-Add an extra can of beans (mentioned above)
-Add an extra can of tomatoes
-Add finely chopped spinach

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

I am posting this one for Arin - found in on her fb a few weeks ago and made it last week. IT IS DELICIOUS! Tanner likes it even better than lasagna. The only thing about the recipe I changed was using ground turkey instead of ground beef because it is what I had. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing. Don't worry if you don't have oven proof bowls either - tastes pretty good to just let the cheese melt on top on its own. The soup was so hearty and thick and yummy - perfect for a fall or winter night! It took a while to make, so start early, but its super easy. Enjoy.

Thanks Hot Lips!

Paula Deen's Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic Crostini, recipe follows

Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately.

For the garlic crostini:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves (I cheated and used garlic powder here - ran out of time).

Classic Black Beans

Classic Black Beans
(adapted from a Goya recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 15.5oz can Goya black beans, undrained
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 packet of Sazon Goya without Annatto (comes in orange box in Goya aisle)
• 1 T cider vinegar, white wine or white cooking wine

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; cook until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 - 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice of your choice.

Tips:

• I usually use the cider vinegar and it turns out great, but would use wine if I had it on hand.
• Freezes really well.
• I usually double so I have an extra dinner's worth to freeze. 
• When I double, I DO NOT double water & oregano. For the water, sometimes I do 1.5 times, but it just depends on how it all looks once mixed, I don't want it too runny.
• Can simmer up to 20 or 30 mins if you want to make ahead of time.
• Can be easily made day before and reheated.
• To increase veggie amounts, I usually do some or all of the following:
• Add and extra 1/4 cup green pepper
• Add 2 - 3 cups of spinach chopped into small pieces and will it in for the last 10 mins or so
• Top with chopped tomatoes and a doll-up of sour cream when served.

Sweet and Sour chicken

MIX THESE INGREDIENTS INTO A MED. SIZE BOWL:

 

y'all, this was SO good- and tastes just like sweet and sour chicken. I did it the "long way" which wasnt long at all- and i served it over white rice with a spinach salad. so good!! 

 

 

 

2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 beaten egg

4 to six tablespoons cornstarch or flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 cup chicken Broth

7 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoon soy sauce

7 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt & pepper. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1st Version: Dip chicken in beaten egg, then in cornstarch or flour. (cornstarch makes chicken crispier). Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with the following sauce: Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, catsup, and soy sauce in medium bowl.

Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Turn chicken once or twice.

Faster, easier version – When time is limited

Same recipe as above, only eliminate frying your chicken, and add 3 large tablespoons cornstarch to the above sauce recipe.

Layer raw chicken breasts in glass dish (9×13). Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl, (plus 3 TBSP corn starch) with wire wisk. Pour directly over chicken breasts. (Refer to Picture below)

Bake uncovered at 325 for about 1 1/2 hours, or until sauce is thick and dark in color.

So Easy, and so good! This dish is great for company. Leftovers are wonderful.

Remember this is the color of the sauce before it is cooked. The sauce will thicken & the color will darken greatly. It will be similar to thick barbeque sauce. The chicken needs to be (fall apart) tender! Serve this with a Baked Potatoe, Hot Rolls & a vegetable.

This is also great warmed up the next night, and served on Soft Flour Taco shells, or on a bed of rice.

This is what it looks like when you first pop it in the oven.

The sauce will get thicker, darker and it’s yummy!

Creamy Chicken Dijon

This is an easy weeknight favorite in our house. The sauce is very dijon-y though, so make sure you like mustard. I always serve with steamed broccoli and we dip it in the mustard sauce - yummy!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 T Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup cream cheese spread, softened
1 T minced herbs (basil, chives or thyme are my fav, but anything would do)
1 T olive oil
4 (6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:
Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended; set aside.

Pound chicken out slightly to even out the breast for uniform cooking time. Dry chicken with paper towels. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in stainless skillet until it shimmers. Cook chicken in hot oil until browned on both sides, approximately 10 min. *Thin chicken might cook in as little as 8 mins, thicker might take 12 - 15. I use a thermometer and cook until chicken is 165 degrees in thickest part.

Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Scrape up brown bits in pan and mix well into sauce. Simmer over medium heat 3 to 5 min. until sauce thickens slightly and flavors are blended.

Tips:
-The recipe calles for a 6oz breast, which is tiny - can't find those in the grocery store these days. I usually use 2 large chicken breasts and pound them out a little. If your breasts are really huge (ha!), you can even cut each one in half to make 4 chicken cutlets. It is enough to feed the 4 of us.
-Drying the chicken is the key to browning - don't skip that step
-Best NOT to use a non-stick pan so you get good browning and tasty brown bits to mix into sauce
-Sauce tastes great on broccoli, potatoes, etc.