Beef Minestrone Soup-One Pot Recipe

For my birthday my mother got me a bunch of mini cookbooks.  One of them was full of one-pot recipes, so of course I had to find one and completely jack with the ingredients.  Here is the result of that fun, it turned out quite delicious. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb Hamburger
Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, Alpine Touch, Crushed Red Pepper)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 Carrot (Peeled & Sliced)
1 Zucchini (Peeled & Sliced)
2 Celery Ribs (Chopped)
10-12 Grape Tomatoes (Diced) *substitute a can of diced tomatoes if needed
3 Large Tomatoes (Crushed) *substitute can of crushed tomatoes if needed
5 Mushrooms (Chopped)
1/2 Can of Black Olives (Sliced)
2 1/2 Cup Beef Broth
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Cups Bowtie Pasta
Shredded Cheese to taste

Directions:
Add the hamburger to a pot and cook on medium.  Once browned add the oil, garlic, carrot, zucchini and celery.  Cook for about 4 minutes.  Add in remaining ingredients except for the cheese and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente.  Stir occasionally and serve when done.  Stir in the cheese and top with basil and enjoy!

Brown the hamburger in the bottom of the pot

Add the oil, garlic, carrots, zucchini and celery

Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together

Mix in the shredded cheese and enjoy!

Goulash From The Garden

I have been craving some delish hearty goulash for a very long time, and had a ton of veggies to use up before they went bad, so I decided to mix it all together into some delicious goulash.  I tried perusing the internet for goulash recipes to get an idea of where I wanted to go, but everything that I found was very boring and looked the same.  In the end I deiced to just close the computer and the cookbooks and just create my own from scratch, so here it is:

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
Seasoning (Garlic Powder, Spicy Montreal Steak, Alpine Touch)
10 oz Ditalini dry pasta (or elbow)
24oz basil, tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 ear of corn (cook, and cut the corn off the cob)
6 grape tomatoes (sliced)
4 mushrooms (chopped)
1 zucchini (peeled and chopped)
1/2 eggplant (peeled and chopped)
1 red pepper (seeded and chopped)

Directions:
Add the hamburger to a heavy bottom skillet and cook on med-high, add the seasoning.
Boil the pasta until al dente.
Once hamburger is browned add the sauce and warm. 
Now add all remaining ingredients and cook on low until all ingredients are thoroughly cooked and warmed. 
Serve with the hamburger sauce over a plate of pasta and enjoy!

Brown the seasoned hamburger

Add the sauce to the hamburger while the pasta is cooking

Add all remaining ingredients

Serve the hamburger sauce over the pasta and enjoy!

Avocado Mac & Cheese

I came across this delicious recipe awhile back and have been wanting to try it but was a little fearful of how it would turn out.  With as weird as it sounds, it definitely was VERY delicious!  Of course I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't a big fan of Avocados or cheese ;)  I also made up some quick and easy grilled vegetable spears that were a nice compliment to the flavor.


Ingredients:

13 ounces dry medium shell pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Alpine Touch, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 Cup Smoked Gouda Cheese (cubed)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh avocado chunks, for garnish, if desired

Grilled Veggies:
1 Zucchini (Peeled & cut into spears)
3 Large Carrots (Peeled & cut into spears)
Olive Oil
Alpine Touch

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water and add in the pasta. Stir and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, make the avocado sauce by placing the garlic, avocados, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. To make the cheese sauce, place butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to create a paste. Whisk in milk until smooth. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in both cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.
4. Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour the avocado sauce over the macaroni and stir until well coated. Add the cheese sauce and stir until macaroni is coated and creamy. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh avocado chunks, if desired.
*Note-the lime juice keeps the avocado from browning. The mac and cheese is best eaten the first day, but it is still good the second day. The pasta may turn slightly brown, but not bad.

Grilled Veggies:
Preheat oven to 425.  Lay tinfoil out on a cookie sheet.  Place the speared vegetables onto the tinfoil and coat with olive oil and season with Alpine Touch.  Cook for about 15 minutes, allow a couple of minutes to cool and serve. 

Cook pasta until Al Dente

Blend avocado sauce until creamy

Melt butter in a pan

Mix in the flour

Mix in the milk

Lay the vegetable spears out on the tin foil and cover with oil and seasoning

Place pasta in a large bowl and coat with the avocado sauce

Coat with the cheese sauce until mixed thoroughly

Remove grilled veggies from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes

Serve pasta with additional avocado slices and cilantro and enjoy!

Superbowl Chili & Pizza Bicuits

I was lucky enough to have a lot of family in town for Super Bowl Sunday which gave me the opportunity to cook.  I made some slow Cooker Super Bowl Chili and some Pizza Biscuits!  Here are both of the recipes in case you would like to try making some on your own!  Enjoy, it turned out delicious!

Slow Cooker Super Bowl Chili

Ingredients:

2 lb Ground Hamburger
Seasoning (Garlic Powder, Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, Crushed Red Pepper, Basil, Thyme)
1 12oz can Tomato Paste
2 14.5 oz cans Diced Basil Oregano Tomatoes
1 15 oz can Black Beans
1 15 oz can Great Northern Beans

1 Zucchini (peeled & chopped)
5 Radishes (diced)
3 Celery Stalks (chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Shredded Cheese to top

Directions:
Put the ground hamburger into the slow cooker and turn the heat up to high.  Generously season the meat. Add the tomato paste and then fill the can of paste with water and add to the slow cooker.  Add both cans of diced tomatoes and both kinds of beans. Stir to mix.  Add the vegetables and stir to mix thoroughly.  Top with the chicken stock and make sure that everything is stirred to mix.  Cook on high for about 3 hours.  Be sure to stir periodically.  Turn the slow cooker down to low and continue to cook for another hour or two.  If you have more time you can keep on low or warm for several hours until you are ready to eat.  Serve and top with shredded cheese and a dash of basil.  Enjoy! 

Add the hamburger to the slow cooker and season the meat

The beans and tomatoes I used

Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and beans to the slow cooker

Add the veggies & parsley

Add the chicken stock and stir

Serve with cheese sprinkled over top and a dash of basil

 Pizza Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 Cannister of Refrigerated Biscuits
3-4 Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Pizza Sauce
Basil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lay the biscuits out on an ungreased cookie sheet just like you would for making biscuits normally.  Cut the cheese sticks into 3 or 4 pieces and press them down into the middle of the biscuits.  Spoon pizza sauce over top of the cheese.  Just enough to cover, but not so much that it is dripping onto the pan.  Add a dash of basil to the top.  Bake in the oven for about 8-11 minutes until the biscuits have risen and the cheese is melted.  Allow 5 minutes to cool, serve and enjoy!  You may serve with extra sauce if you want to dip them.

All the ingredients you will need

Place the biscuits on the cookie sheet

Press the cheese into the middle of the biscuits

Spoon pizza sauce on top of the cheese

Cook and enjoy :)

Lasagna Stuffed Manicotti Recipe

The winning main course, it was neck and neck with the lamb, but this turned out amazingly delicious.  I send my heartfelt thanks out to those of your that have supported me in this and all of you amazing people that voted!  This wouldn't be a success without you!

Ingredients:

Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tsp Mediterranean spiced sea salt
1/4 tsp basil
Pinch ground nutmeg
 

 Noodles & Filling:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk cottage cheese (Or ricotta)

2 Tbsp Mascarpone
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 lb ground Italian sausage

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1-2 Zucchinis (peeled and chopped)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 tsp Basil

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 uncooked manicotti noodles
24 oz jar Tomato Basil Sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the seasoning into the bechamel sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Brown the sausage until thoroughly cooked.  Saute' the zucchini in the butter until softened. 
Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water.  Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. 

Fill the manicotta noodles one at a time as full as you can without ripping them.  Layer them in the baking dish close together, you will not have any room for an extra stuffed manicotti noodle when you are done.  

Pour the sauce on top of the noodles and top with the remaining cheese.  Spray the side of the tin foil that will be facing the cheese with non-stick cooking spray to keep it from sticking to the cheese.  Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve & Enjoy!

 

 

Brown the sausage and melt the butter

Add the ingredients for the bechamel sauce and get it cooking

Start up the manicotti noodles and finish cooking the bechamel sauce

Saute' the zucchini slices

Add the filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl to whisk together

Lay the manicotti noodles out flat on a baking sheet to dry so as not to stick to one another

Pour the bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish

Fill the manicotti noodles and layer in the dish

Cover with the sauce and add extra basil if you would like

Top with the remaining cheese

Remove the foil and return to the oven to melt the cheese

Remove from the oven and let cool

Serve & Enjoy!

Steak Au Poivre & Mashed Potatoes

I always love cooking this one, but it was a challenge to try to find a suitable substitute for the liquor.  It turned out really great though, I was pleased.  The zucchinis and dried cherries were a wonderful addition :)  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 Steaks
Seasoning (Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, and Mango Lime rub)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Zucchini (Peeled and sliced)
5 Mushrooms (sliced)
1/3 Cup Whole Raspberry Syrup
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Dried Cherries
1 tsp Dried Tarragon

Directions:
Add 2 Tbsp Butter to a heavy bottom skillet.  Season the steak and add to the skillet.  Cook over med-high heat turning once for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium-rare (Cook longer for more well done steaks).  Transfer the steaks to a plate and keep warm in the microwave.
Add the remaining butter to the skillet and turn heat down to medium.  Add the zucchinis and mushrooms to soften for about 1-2 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened.  (1-3 minutes).  Turn off the heat and return the steaks and any remaining juices to the pan to let the sauce soak in.  Serve by spooning sauce and veggies over the steaks. 

*For the mashed potatoes go check out the recipe at: Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Cover the potatoes with water and boil

Add the steaks to the skillet and boil the potatoes

Close up view of those yummy steaks

Add the veggies to the skillet and continue boiling the potatoes

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer, while the potatoes finish boiling. 

Return the steaks tot he skillet and start mashing the now softened potatoes

Add the remaining ingredients to the potatoes

Serve by spooning sauce, veggies & cherries over the steak and cutting green onions onto the potatoes.