Potato Pesto Soup

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, as it always turns out amazing.  It saves well and has great repeat meal value. 

Ingredients:

10 slices of Maple Bacon (Chopped)

5 Large Red Potatoes

1 Large Red Pepper (Seeded)

2 Tbsp Butter

2 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

2 1/2 Cup Milk

6-8 oz Conchigliette (small shell pasta)

2/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Chopped Parsley

Garlic Salt

Basil

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley (Chopped)

3 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)

1/2 Cup Pine Nuts (Crushed)

2 Tbsp chopped Basil

1/2 Cup Grated/Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Directions:

To make the pesto sauce, put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend for about 2 minutes. 

Chop the bacon, potatoes, and red pepper.  Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for about 4 minutes.  Add the butter, potatoes, and red pepper and cook for 12 minutes, frequently stirring. 

Add the chicken stock and the milk to the pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  add the conchigliette and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes.  

Blend in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the parsley and mix thoroughly.  Stir the pesto into the soup until mixed all the way through.  Serve topped with a sprinkle of the shredded cheese and a dash of basil or parsley on top.

Add the pesto ingredients into a blender

Blend until thoroughly mixed

Add the chopped bacon into a large pot

Add the butter, potatoes and red pepper

Add the milk and chicken stock

Add the conchigliette

Simmer with the cream

Add int he pesto and the parsley

Serve & Enjoy

Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Due to their being a tie for the main dish in the October recipe voting, I had to cook them both.  Here is your second delicious winner.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 8-10 Chicken Tenderloins Chopped (can also use 4 Chicken Breasts)

2 Tbsp Butter (or Olive Oil)

6 Cups Chicken Stock

3 Celery Stalks (Chopped)

3 Carrots (Peeled & Chopped)

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/3 Cup Flour

Seasoning (Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Crushed Rosemary, Garlic Powder)

Dumplings:

2/3 Cup Milk

2 Cup Bisquick Mix

 Directions:

Add the chicken, butter and seasonings to a frying pan and cook on medium-high heat until thoroughly browned.  

Add the chicken stock, celery and carrots to a pot and bring to a boil.  Boil until the chicken is done and then add the chicken.  Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.  Add the cream and flour and cook on low-medium heat for another 10 minutes to thicken.  Turn to simmer.

Combine the milk and Bisquick mix in a bowl until sticky.  Using a spoon or your hands drop small sized blobs (they expand once the liquid gets into them) until the mixture is gone.  Sprinkle some garlic powder on top, cover the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy! 

Add the chicken, butter and seasonings to a frying pan

Add the chicken stock, celery and carrots to a pot

Add the chicken and continue to cook

Add the remaining ingredients

Combine the milk and bisquick until sticky

Drop blobs of the dumpling mixture into the chicken soup and top with garlic powder

Simmer for 5 minutes

Serve & Enjoy!

Sweet & Smoky Oven-Roasted Trout Recipe

This recipe is very quick and easy and some of the best fish I have ever had.  The skin just peels right off after baking.

Ingredients:

1 Trout Fillet

Sweet & Smoky Rub

Lime Pepper

Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Oil a large baking sheet with vegetable oil.  Sprinkle the cut side of the trout with the rub & lime pepper.  Place the trout skin side down on the baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Remove skin and serve.  ENJOY!

Getting together my delicious ingredients

Sprinkle the rub and lime pepper on the trout

Place the trout skin side down on the baking sheet

Bake for 10-12 minutes

Skin will easily peel right off of the trout

I Served mine with freshly cut honey dew and some mixed veggies, it was amazing!

Pizza Casserole Recipe

This was my first attempt at a this recipe, when I came across it looked delicious and I knew that I had to try it.  While making it I of course improvised some things, it wouldn't be my cooking if I didn't do it.  I want to point out that my step by step photos are not as prevalent as they usually are.  This is because the recipe that I used did not match up with the cooking methods, the size of pan and definitely not the way that it was portrayed in the picture.  So although I tried to make it work using what I was given and that is what the pictures reflect I want to give the ingredients and recipe for what it SHOULD be and will be the next time that I cook it.  There was absolutely NO problem with taste, it was very delicious and I highly recommend this recipe, especially my version of it. 

Ingredients:

12 oz Rotini Pasta (I used Penne for lack of Rotini but Rotini would have been better)

1 lb ground Sausage (Seasoned with basil, & oregano)

36 oz pasta Sauce (or more depending on taste)

1 16 oz container of Cottage cheese (also could substitute Ricotta Cheese)

1 can of black olives (sliced)

12 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 6 oz pack of sliced ham (or canadian bacon, the store I went to only had large slices)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 9x13 casserole dish.  Bring lightly salted water to boil and cook pasta over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.  In skillet cook sausage on medium heat until browned.  Drain grease.  Mix in the pasta and the sauce and pour into the casserole dish.  (I would suggest adding half of the olives into this mixture).  In a bowl mix the cheese (ricotta or cottage or even softened cream cheese), olives (mushrooms if you would like) and mozzarella together.  Spoon over the pasta and top with the ham.  Add a thin layer of cheese over the ham.  Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven allow about 5 minutes to cool before serving.  Enjoy!

 

Boil the noodles and brown the sausage

Mix the sauce, pasta & sausage together

Pour the pasta into the casserole dish and top with the cheese mixture, placing the ham on top and adding a thin layer of cheese, Cook for 25 minutes.

Pesto Potato Soup

Always turns out incredibly delicious.  Although this recipe is a bit more time consuming that some of the other ones I do, it never disappoints and is great for when you have a little bit of extra time to cook.  

Ingredients:

1 small package of Smoked Bacon

1 Large Chicken Breast

5 Large Russet Potatoes (skinned)

1 Large Red Pepper (Seeded)

2 Tbsp Butter

2 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

2 1/2 Cup Milk

6-8 oz Conchigliette (small shell pasta)

2/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Chopped Parsley

Garlic Salt

Basil

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chopped Parsley

3 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)

1/2 Cup Pine Nuts (Crushed)

2 Tbsp chopped Basil

1/2 Cup Grated/Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Directions:

To make the pesto sauce, put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor for about 2 minutes. 

Finely chop the bacon, potatoes, and red pepper.  Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat for about 4 minutes.  Add the butter, potatoes, and red pepper and cook for 12 minutes, frequently stirring. 

Finely chop the chicken and cook in a separate pan with a dash of olive oil and season with garlic salt and basil.  Cook until browned all the way through.  Add the chicken to bacon and potatoes.

Add the chicken stock and the milk tot he pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  add the conchigliette and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes.  

Blend in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the parsley and mix thoroughly.  Stir the pesto into the soup until mixed all the way through.  Serve topped with a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. 

Put all of the pesto ingredients into the blender

Blend for about 2 minutes

Cook the bacon, potatoes, butter, and red pepper together

Continue cooking the potatoes and also cook the seasoned chicken

Add the chicken to the bacon and potatoes

Add the chicken stock and the milk

Add the conchigliette

Add the heavy cream

Add the Parsley

Add the pesto

Mix thoroughly

Serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas

I was inspired to make these from a recipe I saw on facebook, but of course I had to put my own twist on it and make it even more delicious!

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce:

2Tbsp Butter

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Chicken Stock

2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Alpine Touch (Salt & Pepper)

1 Red Pepper Chopped

1 Cup Mild Salsa

1 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

 Enchilada:

6 Chicken Tenderloins (1 Tbsp Oil)

2 Cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

2 Large Avocados (3 small)

6 Large flour tortillas (8 small)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the chicken into small pieces.  Pour 1 Tbsp of oil into a skillet, add the chopped chicken and thoroughly brown.  Set aside.

To make the enchilada sauce: in a medium sauce pan saute' the garlic and the butter for about 1 minute on med-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add the chicken stock, red pepper and seasonings, stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and mix in the sour cream and salsa.  

Prepare a 9x13 or similar size pan by spraying dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan.

To make the enchiladas lay out a tortilla and add some of the chicken, cheese and avocodo to fill the inside, roll and place the seam side down in the pan.  Repeat until the pan is full.  

Pour the remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas and add 1 Cup cheese.  Cook for 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles then turn the oven off.  Leave the pan for another 10 minutes.  Remove and serve with dollops of sour cream on top. Enjoy!

 

6 Chicken tenderloins about to be chopped

Thoroughly cook the chopped chicken

Saute' the garlic in butter in a sauce pan

Once smooth, add the sour cream and salsa to the sauce

Pour 1 1/2 Cups of the sauce into the bottom of the pan

Place the rolled up ingredient filled enchiladas in the pan over the sauce

Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover with a cup of cheese

Cook until the cheese starts bubbling

Serve with dollops of sour cream and enjoy!

Raspberry Glazed Pork

Here is the deliciousness of the meal that we had tonight :)  Enjoy

Raspberry Glazed Pork
 
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter
4-5 Pork Loin Chops
Seasoning (Tarragon, Alpine Touch, Mediterranean Oregano, Dash of Cinnamon)

Glaze Ingredients :
2-3 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Red Raspberry Preserves
3 Tbsp Sugar
Fresh Raspberries (Can use frozen berries once thawed)

Directions:
Add the 2 Tbsp butter to the pan and melt.  Season the pork loins and add to the melted butter in the pan.  Cook on medium-high heat until thoroughly browned on both sides (about 15 minutes).  Turn the heat to low-Simmer and score the meat (cut against the grain to allow the glaze to seep into top section of the meat for added flavor).  Prepare the glaze by melting the butter in the microwave (about 20-35 seconds).  Add the raspberry preserves and sugar and return to microwave for another 20 seconds.  Thoroughly mix together and spoon over the pork in the pan.  Cook until glaze is warm and soaking into the pork.  Remove from heat and serve with the glaze and adding the fresh raspberries on top. 
 

Add the seasoned pork to the melted butter in the pan

Brown the pork thoroughly on both sides

Melt the butter in the microwave

Mix the glaze ingredients together

Add the glaze tot he pork and warm

Serve with the fresh raspberries on top and enjoy