CREAMY POTATO SOUP

My friend DW brought this soup to me after I had a baby. It was so good that I begged for the recipe. I will post the recipe as she gave it to me, but I've discovered that this is the perfect soup for using up those little amounts of vegetables that get left in the produce drawer. Sometimes I throw in cauliflower and broccoli, other times I only add potatoes and carrots. Whatever you have that needs to be used up will work in this creamy, comforting dish. You can add ham or chicken. It tastes great with either meat. Serve it with warm bread and salad and your set!

CREAMY SOUP

2 large potatoes, cubed
1 -2 celery stalks
2 large carrots, sliced
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk
1 can water (Use the water you boiled the veggies in.)
1 t. dried onion (I prefer 3 sliced green onions.)
1 -2 c. cooked meat (chicken or ham)
1 c. cheese, shredded
3/4 c. broccoli, chopped
1/2 t. celery salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes, celery, and carrots in water. When potatoes are soft, empty the water except for about the amount of 1 can. Add both cans of soup and 1 can of milk. Add onion, meat, broccoli, celery salt, garlic powder, and cheese. Heat through making sure the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

I love ordering this dip as an appetizer at restaurants. What I don't like is paying about $8-$10 for such a small amount. I hunted food websites for a good dip and came across this one. It makes a large amount for a crowd but can easily be halved if it's just for your family. I like to assemble the ingredients the day before and then bake it right before the party. With cream cheese on sale everywhere and New Year's Eve right around the corner, this is a good time to try it out.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks)
1 c. mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 t. black pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
5 oz. frozen spinach, chopped, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish with cooking spray.
3. Shred cheeses, crush garlic, chop artichokes, drain spinach. Set aside.
   
4. Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and garlic in a mixing bowl until creamy.
5. Add artichokes and spinach and hand mix until blended.
6. Spread in the sprayed baking dish.
7. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
   
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
9. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
10. Serve with tortilla chips, bagel chips, crackers, Melba slices, or baguette slices.

VARIATIONS: Try adding crab meat, smoked salmon, onions, roasted red peppers or different cheeses such as pepper jack, Havarti or sharp cheddar.

Lazy Blogger

I've been a bad blogger during the past week of Christmas festivities. I have several recipe photos waiting to be pulled from my camera. However, I must confess that when the photographer in this house is unavailable, the pictures stay stuck in the camera. You know, it's kind of like that Walgreen's commercial where there is no room for the photo and the fishing guy gets deleted. I've been shown several times how to do this simple little task and then make them pretty in Photoshop, but it's just so easy to let Mr. Professional do. I guess I'm just a little lazy. Recipes to look forward to include, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Creamy Potato Soup, Oatmeal Muffins, and Homemade Pita Bread.

Also, I've been trying to find a great Cinnamon Roll recipe. I've tried several recipes but haven't been happy with any of them. They are either too doughy, too dry, or don't have enough gooey filling. I guess I'm a bit of a bread snob. If you have a recipe that you love, please share! I don't want to eat those chemical rolls in the tube anymore! I have two more Cinnamon Roll recipes to try. If they work, I'll share. Wish me luck!

CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS

We need something a little different from ham and turkey after the holidays. These enchiladas are just the ticket. I forgot to take a photo before we dug in so I'm just going to post the recipe. I came up with this combination years ago in my ugly apartment kitchen with the green cabinets. Almost 15 years later we still love this dish. I usually serve it with corn, chips and salsa, and Spanish rice.

CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS

2 small cans (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
2 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1 can (4 oz.) green chili's
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
2 - 3 c. shredded cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack)
1 package flour tortillas

Pour one can of enchilada sauce into a large mixing bowl. Add cooked chicken, green chili's, black beans, and a handful of cheese. Mix together. Roll tortillas with about 1/2 c. of chicken mixture and some cheese. Place completed enchiladas in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour the second can of sauce over the rolled enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with sour cream, diced tomatoes, olives, and green onions if desired.

CHICKEN SOUP AND DUMPLINGS

I'm still into cold weather dishes. We are buried in snow with no end in sight so consequently, I need comfort food. This dish is inexpensive and delicious. It's made with ingredients that I usually have on hand, so I can make it any time without prior planning. Sometimes instead of the dumplings I will add rice or pasta to make chicken soup. I hope this warms your tummy too.

CHICKEN SOUP AND DUMPLINGS

Soup:

8 c. chicken broth (You can use 8 c. water and 8 t. chicken bouillon if you don't have broth)
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1-2 c. cooked chicken
1 small onion, chopped (1 T. dried onion)
1/2 t. seasoning salt
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/4 t. pepper

Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook until carrots are almost done. you want them just a little crunchy because they will finish cooking while the dumplings are steaming. Add dumplings. Remove bay leaf before steaming dumplings. No one wants to find that in their bowl.

Dumplings:

1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 T. shortening
2/3 c. milk
1 egg, beaten

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or use 2 knives. Mix until crumbly. Mix together egg and milk and then add to flour mixture. Stir only until flour is dampened. Dough will be lumpy. Drop by spoonfuls on top of boiling soup. Cover tightly, lower heat, and steam for 15 minutes without removing lid.

Variation: Instead of dumplings add 1 c. rice or pasta. Homemade noodles are great in this soup.

RICE AND TORTILLAS

I was curious about how to make homemade tortillas. In talking to a neighbor (LB) I discovered she had a grandma that had shared this skill with her. A friend and I asked her to teach us. It was really quite simple. She used masa and added water a little at a time until it was the consistency of playdough. The brand Maseca has all the instructions on the side panel. Just follow the instructions and you'll have yummy hot tortillas right off the griddle.

A couple of tips:

• Add water a little at a time. Use your hands to mix so you can feel the texture of the dough. It should feel like playdough. Roll into 1-inch balls.

• A tortilla press is a good investment. I found one for $13.00 at Kitchen Kneads. If you don't have a press, squish the dough ball between two plates that are lined with plastic.

• Cut the zipper part off of a ziploc bag to line the press (plates) with. After pressing, lift the plastic off the press (the dough will come with it) then you can peel the plastic off the dough.

• Cook for about one minute on each side on an ungreased griddle.

This friend also shared a yummy rice recipe. Once you make this, you'll never need to purchase a box of Rice-a-roni again. It's simple and can be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. We like to put this rice in the homemade tortillas for a simple dinner. You could also serve it as a side dish. Try changing the vegetables to add variety.

RICE

1 1/2 c. rice
3 c. water
1-2 T. butter
1 carrot, shredded
3 chicken bouillon cubes
garlic powder
onion salt
pepper
frozen peas
2-3 scrambled eggs
pieces of chicken or ham

Melt butter in skillet. Saute rice in butter until browned. Carefully add water, it will steam quite a bit. Quickly add shaved carrot, bouillon, and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion salt, and pepper. I just do a couple of sprinkles around the skillet. Add the peas and chicken or ham and the scrambled eggs. You want to have all of the ingredients ready to go so you can begin steaming it immediately. Cover and simmer for at least 15 - 20 minutes. Don't peek, you want to keep the moisture in there. After 15 minutes, check the rice. If you need to add a little water, add it around the edge a little at a time and continue steaming until the rice is soft. Wrap in toritillas and enjoy!

CHICKEN NUGGETS

What kid doesn't love chicken nuggets? Even grown ups like these. At least with these I know they aren't gross, processed, leftover meat. My kids like to help me make these by dipping them in the milk and flour coating. It can get messy but they have fun learning. Just keep the little ones away from the hot oil. You can cut these small for kid-sized bites, in longer strips for grown-ups or stick them with toothpicks or skewers and serve them as an easy party appetizer.

CHICKEN NUGGETS

2 -3 chicken breasts
1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1 c. milk for dipping
2 T. oil for frying

1. Mix flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut the raw chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. TIP: Raw chicken is actually easier to cut when just slightly frozen.
   
3. Pour oil in electric frying pan. Heat to 350 degrees.
   
4. Dip chicken pieces in milk, then in the flour mixture.
   
5. Fry in hot oil until juices run clear turning once to fry both sides. Serve immediately.
   

• We usually serve these with hash browns and veggie sticks and dip.