Past Recipes

Chicken and Dumplings (Crockpot)
*The history of Chicken and Dumplings is very interesting. Known as a popular dish in the south, it actually is known to have come from Asia and Europe. First in Asia in 618 ad as a stuffed dumpling dish, aka potstickers, then to Europe in the 1400s by Marco Polo, then to America in the 1800s.

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches (Crockpot)
*The healthiest pork options are lean cuts such as tenderloins, loin chops, and sirloin roast. Lean cuts of pork are high in protein and low in fat. They also have more vitamin B in them. To compare 3 oz of Pork Tenderloin and 3 oz of chick breast click here.. You will be suprised!

Meatless Stuffed Peppers
*There are many different colors of bell peppers. The most popular colors are red and orange. This is due to the sweet taste. The yellow pepper has a mild sweet flavor. The green pepper is known for being bitter. Then there is the purple pepper that is slimy and very rarely eaten.  The bright peppers are sweet because they are ripe and of course darker mean no as ripe.

Taco Soup (Crockpot)
*Taco soup is so easy to make. Plus it is one of those recipes that you can add whatever you would like. You are supposed to eat every color of the rainbow and with taco soup, this can be done! Onino, celery, broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, olives, and so on. I am pretty picky about my veggies so honestly I do not have all the colors of the rainbow in my soup, but it sure is magically delisious!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)
 *Chicken Tortilla Soup is said to be a new recipe in countries all over the world. It is very common to have a broth soup and top it off with onions and such. Then there is the famous chicken noodle soup. With noodles being taken out and adding fried tortilla strips the chicken tortilla soup was born. This is just simply yummy! I crave this actually and think that my reciepe beats any reciepe I have tasted!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Really the only thing I can say about this is MMMMMM MMMMM GOOD! Please, please, please take the time to make this! It is sooo freakin good..

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs raw unfrozen chicken
• 1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) cicken broth or condensed chicken broth coup *see side note
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pk (10 oz) frozen corn
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Place raw chicken, enchilada sauce, onion, and garlic into slow cooker.
2. Pour broth ontop
3. Season with sumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf
4. Stir in corn and cilantro
5. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 3-4 hours

Note:
Depending on how you like your soup, you can add 1 or 2 cups of water or, what I did is add a second can of the chicken broth. I like my soup more "soupy" than watery

Tortilla Chips:
8 corn tortilla chips
rub oil (vg. canola, etc) on both sides
slice in desired strips
season with garlic, salt, and cumin
place in over at 400 degrees for 10 mins of until desired crunch

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

1. Mix together:

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion minced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt

Taco Soup

This is a huge favorite in my family. Taco soup, in my opinion, is way better than regular tacos. Another plus, it is way less messy! Also, when things call for taco seasoning, I opt out. Why you ask? I make my own taco season. YES I AM THAT GOOD!

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 can (16 oz) chili beans with liquid
• 1 bag of frozen corn or fresh corn
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 cups of water
• 1 pk taco season (click here for my homade taco seasoning)
• Season with garlic to taste

Directions:

1. In medium skillet cook ground beef until brown over medium heat. Drain and set aside.
2. Place all ingredients into slow cooker. Add meat and stir.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours
4. Serve with sour cream, chips, hot sauce, avacado, and so on

Meatless Stuffed Peppers

I am not a fan of a hater of peppes. Not ground pepper, bell peppers, banana peppers, or any other peppers. Although I do not like peppers, I always wanted to cook a stuffed pepper. My husband loves peppers and I figured it was my perfect chance to try them out. I did a meatless stuffed pepper so it could be a side dish to, well, anything. Fish, steak, chicken, or just by itself. (If you are eating it alone, I would just add some lean ground beef to make a "fuller" meal.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 green bell peppers (or any color you want)
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
• 2 cups tomato cause
• 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• garlic to taste

Directions:

1. combine rice and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 mins
2. preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. cut tops off peppers, remove seeds inside, arrange peppers in large backing dish
4. chop usable tops into small piece for the mix
5. heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute chopped peppers, chopped onions in oil until soft.
6. Reduce heat to low and add parsely, cook for 5 mins stiring
7. Add rice and 1 1/5 cup of tomato cause. Season to taste with garlic, salt, and pepper
8. Spoon mixture into peppers and top with remaining tomatio sauce
9. cover and bake 45 mins.
10. Uncover and top with mozzarella cheese. bake uncovered until cheese is melted

Chicken and Dumplings

This turned out amazing! I won't cook it often because I am trying to stay away from all those carbs!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cans (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 packs (10 oz) refridgerated biscut dough torn into pieces

Directions:

1. Place the chicken, butter, and soup, in slowcooker and fill with enough water to have chicken covered
2. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. About 30 mins before serving place the torn biscut dough in the slow cooker. cook until the dough is no longer raw. This is also the point you want to pull apart your chicken if you want.

Note:

• If you want yours thicker or you think you added to much water, half way done with cooking add a small amount of flour. Even without the flour it will thickin up as it cooks so becareful adding the flour

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 to 3 lbs lean chuck roast or bottom round
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1/4 cup backed brown sugar
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 tbls spicy mustard
1 tbls worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Direcetions:
Place beef roast in crockpot. Combine remaning ingredients in a bowl and then pour over roast. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
Remove roast and shred the meat
Place shreded meat back in slowcooker, stir meat
The serve on toasted buns with extra sauce if desired

Note:
The wine vinegar makes a huge difference
Liquid smoke is pretty intense so do not over measure. I actually added less than 1 tsp

Tilapia Scampi

This recipe has turned me on to Tilapia. I do not like seafood. Well I love lobster. It is my fav. food ever. I love crab legs.. (snow crab to be exact) and I love shrimp. All but shrimp cocktail and coconut shrimp. So I guess I just don't like fish. UNTIL NOW.

Ingredients:
3/4 cut butter
2 tsp lemon juice *note
8 cloves garlic minced *note
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets rinsed, thawed, and patted dry
1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees
combine the butter, lemon juice, pinch of parsley and garlic in micro. safe bowl
heat for 15 seconds, stir, 15 more seconds, stir, continue this until fully melted (about 1 min)
put tilapia in the bottom of the baking dish, pour mixture over the fillets
sprinkle parsley over them
bake in oven turning every 10 mins until the fish flakes easily with a fork. around 40 mins

Notes:
I have to have lemon with all my seafood. My husband always says, "so.. you need some shrimp with that lemon juice" I smother, drinch, drown, cover, soak, my seafood in lemon juice. The recipe calls for 2 tsp, I just add to my liking. and then after it is done I have lemon juice to "dip" it in..
Also, I love garlic so I add garlic powder along with the cloves
I actually make the mixture pour it on, while I wait 10 mins until flipping, I make another bowl of the mixture, when I flip the 2nd time (20 mins) I pour more mixture on it.
I make a small amount of the mixture again for after it is done and also to pour on the pasta I serve with it
I also like burntness on mine.. The garlic minced burns very nice so if you see the burntness.. YES, serve it!!

**This is my favorite unhealthy meal. Butter is fat free, and pasta is multi grain (other than the day I took photos of it ) but still, all that mixing and pouring serving with carbs just sounds unhealthy.. but oh so yummy!